Overdue January Wrap-up

I have been crazy busy and have not had a chance to post my January UFO update until now... I managed to cross one item off of my list - I completed the binding on my Farmhouse quilt. It was quilted well over a year ago.  I am not a big fan of binding!

The quilting (done by Elvira Illig) is amazing!  These pictures don't do it justice.  She did an incredible job.

I also completed my basket block for my SLAM quilt (posted previously) and prepped another block for SLAM.  I will be working on SLAM at TKDAA this weekend so I hope to have more progress to report on it soon.

I finally made a start on my Triangle Gatherings blocks. I decided to try Lisa's starch method again as she is adamant about it making a difference. I starched my charm squares and waited overnight for them to dry.

I'm not sure if they shrunk a little with the starching or if they were just cut a little on the small side but some of them were a bit challenging to get lined up with the triangle paper. There certainly wasn't any excess.  

I have to admit that they turned out very well - better with the starch than the one I tried without previously. I assume that it is at least partly due to the starch. I also pressed the seams open as Lisa suggests. There are just too many coming together in the corners for them to lay flat otherwise.

At the time that I took this photo I was completely caught up on my 6" blocks. Two more have been posted now so I am behind again.  I still plan to make at least some of them as 3" blocks also.

I am not predicting a lot of UFO progress for February.  Both of the UFOs selected (bow ties and Among Friends) are machine-intensive piecing projects and I am only home one weekend this month. I really don't have time to do machine work during the week, so my ability to make progress is limited.  I will hope to do better on those next time they come up.

I'm off to Dallas tomorrow for 4 1/2 days of applique fun. I have plenty of projects packed (I am taking a "self study" type of class) and have big plans for getting a lot accomplished!