2016 UFO List

It's that time of year again - time for me to set a bunch of outrageous overly-optimistic goals that I have no hope of ever achieving!  I plan to participate in the APQ 2016 UFO Challenge this year to help motivate me and have given a lot of thought to selecting twelve projects to list (probably a little too much!).  I decided that I would leave off the easy wins like finishing the binding on Celtic Solstice or binding any of the other four tops that are currently at the quilter or ready to send to a quilter. I think it sounds like more fun to choose projects that need a little more effort to move along. For the record, I am not setting the bar too high - I just want to make measurable progress on these projects.  There are a couple that I could resonably expect to finish at least to the point of sending off for quilting, but most are very, very long term projects I just want to chip away at.  So here we go:

1. Allietare Mystery - I am a bit behind on the clues due to a crazy December, but have made a little bit of headway over the holiday break.  I still need to finish all the piecing and assemble the top.

2. Somewhere in Time BOW - I have all the blocks and short sashiings prepped and all of the wool cut for the long sashiings.  I am still working on stitching the first block. This one needs the long sashings and borders prepped; all of the blocks, sashings and borders stitched and the top assembled.

3. Dresden Stars - Need to decide on a final layout and determine how many stars I need, then finish piecing, appliqué stars and centers and assemble the top.

4. Rising Sun - I am working on my third of eight diamonds and still need to do all of the appliqué.  I've prepped one appliqué section but am still not thrilled with my selection of fabric for the broderie perse.

5. Disappearing Nine Patch - I seem to recall having finished enough extra blocks to be ready to start the assembly.  I need to assess where I am at and do whatever is needed to finish the top.

6. Sister's Choice - only one block finished so far, so the main goal here is to piece additional blocks.

7. Stars and Sprigs - I have decided to scrap the Kaffe version of this that I started and to redo it in "my" kind of fabrics.  I may even bundle up all my Kaffe fabrics and sell at the guild's yard sale - I've decided they just aren't for me!

8. Mariner's Compass - I started this one this year but stopped at the point where i need to appliqué circles in between all those points (ugh!).  Still lots of borders to add on this medallion-style pattern.

9. Bow Ties - I love these little blocks!  I think I have about 100 of the over 3,000 needed for this one.  The plan for 2016 is to get to at least 500.

10. The Caswell Quilt - I haven't gotten far at all on this one...just a few leaves and stems on block one.  Lots of appliqué to do for this one.  I think this will be my TAS challenge.

11. Sweet William - not sure you can call this a UFO since I haven't started it, but I have the pattern and fabric.  I really want to finish a basket quilt but am not all that motivated by any of the ones I've already started, so I think I will work on this one.  

12. Red and White - another one that isn't really a UFO yet. I still need to make a decision on a pattern, but I have been collecting fabric and really want to get started on this one.  

It really was tough to choose just twelve!  I feel bad for all those projects left behind for yet another year.  So with one last bit of small print - that this in no way precludes me from starting new projects, which I already plan to do - I'm back to my sewing machine to try to make some progress on project #1. Happy New Year!

Allietare Week #2

Wow - Blogger does not like the word "Allietare"!  I had to change it back from the auto-corrected "Alliterate" three times before it gave up trying to help me!

I got off to a very slow start with week one of the mystery. I had such big plans - we held our first kick-off party and I had lots of great company - but unfortunately a sinus infection got the best of me and I was feeling too lousy to really enjoy the fun!  We had twelve Bonniacs hard at work on clue #1, some following Bonnie's color scheme and others getting creative with purples, blues and other gorgeous colors.

Most of the group are newly-addicted. Only four of us have done the mysteries in years past.  We had a couple versions of Grand Illusion and one Celtic Solstice for show & tell. We are planning another get-together in January and I am hoping to be feeling much better for that one.

Almost everyone finished (or nearly finished) clue #1 by dinner time that day.  Not me...I plodded along in a sinus headache fog and only finished about half of the clue.  I have since finished all of the sewing but still have around 60 squares to trim up.

I got a decent start on clue #2 over the weekend, completing a couple of sets of "Santa hats", about half of the headless geese and the cutting for the rest.

I decided that I had better pick up a little extra blue-gray so I can expand my quilt to queen-sized. I'm not sure how these blocks will go together but the gray seems to be everywhere so far, so I am guessing I will need more to finish. 

Prior to starting the mystery quilt I tried to progress my Dresdens from my class with Edyta back in April.  I want to make the quilt larger - the pattern is a kind of awkward very large wall hanging or slightly small lap size - but haven't decided how many I want to make yet.  Here's where the pile stood before being cleared from the sewing table for Allietare:

I absolutely love these blocks!  I might not love them so much when it comes time to applique them, but they are so fun to make and look very cool!  I think I may try to make 25 of them.  I currently have about 12.

I am also making progress on my new rug from my Sally Kallin workshop. I planned to go back to my runner once the pineapple was finished, but am concerned that I need to try to remember what Sally and I came up with before packing everything away.  In the meantime, I cut wool for the background (it't going to be a blend of about 20 different pieces so cutting was loads of fun!) and stated filling in around the ship. I am really liking the variety of colors in the background and am very happy with the way the water turned out,

This pattern is a little different from my usual florals so I am finding it very fun to work on. It might be hard to put it away and go back to the giant runner!

Only two more days to clue #3! Check out the Link-Up (yes, from Monday - I am behind as usual!) on Bonnie's blog to see how others are coming along with their first two steps.