PHD in 2020

Continuing in the spirit of setting goals for the new year, I'm going to take a stab at joining Quilting Gail's PHD in 2020 challenge.  The challenge is choosing which 12 of my "PHDs" to include!  I have sooooo many UFOs (no way I'm counting!) and quite a few projects that I really want to start.  So, here we go:

1. Good Fortune (2018 Bonnie Hunter Mystery)

I'll start off easy - this one just needs to be loaded into the longarm, quilted, and bound.  Should be a no-brainer to get this one done.

2. Frolic! (2019 Bonnie Hunter Mystery)



Up until 2019 I had a fairly decent track record of finishing the previous year's mystery before starting a new one. I will try hard to get back on track and finish this one off before November when the next one is launched.

3. Afternoon Delight 

This is not mine - it's a picture borrowed from The Quilt Show (TQS) - but this is a pattern I have owned and wanted to work on for years. I purchased mine when I took my first class with Sue Garman. Now that TQS is doing it as their BOM for 2020, I am inspired to get mine started.  So far all I have done is take all the patterns out of their packages, put them in a binder, and selected some fabrics for it but I am considering that a start.  I will try very hard not to let this become a long-term addition to the UFO collection.

4. Maggie Macguire's Garden

Another recent start that I want to keep pushing forward this year. I have one of the many stars completed, and a second in progress. Still a long way to go on this one....

5. Dresden Star


All of the Dresdens are finished and just need to be appliqued onto backgrounds and assembled into a top.  I think I have one block completed so far.

6. Clamshells

While I recognize that I am getting way too ambitious with the handwork projects I am adding to my list, I really would love to get this quilt together. I need 12 of these panels to make a queen-sized quilt and so far have 4 completed and 1 in progress.  I have quite a few additional clamshells basted to prepare my next panel.

7.  Starlite Skies (Primitive Gatherings 2017 Pieced SBOW)

This one is ready for quilting, but will be my first foray into doing custom work.  I have a couple of tops I have purchsed on eBay that I plan to practice with, but I definitely want to try my hand at doing custom quilting in 2020.

8. Hazel's Diary


I have the center and one of the eight blocks completed with another one in progress. Six more blocks shouldn't be that tough to complete, right??

9. Star Penny Mat


I couldn't wait to get this one laid out, but once it was it ended up being set aside and (it was seriously fun to lay out!).  I just need to start stitching those pennies...

10. Triangle Gatherings

 

I have all of my blocks completed and actually started setting them but ran across another setting that I absolutely loved, so I plan to take apart what I have done (it isn't much) and start over with the different (and far more complicated) setting.

11. Circa 1880


I have 92 of these little blocks completed but need 564 for the pattern's version (roughly 76" square), more if I decide to go bigger. Still haven't decided yet.

12.  Square Deal (Primitive Gatherings 2019 Pieced SBOW)



Adding this one because I have made good progress on it (6 of 12 weeks' blocks completed) and really want to get another one of the SBOWs across the finish line before I start my 2020 collection.

I could go on...and on, and on... There are so many projects that I want to work on!  It will be interesting to see just how many of these I can push across the finish line. The first status update is set for Jan 15.  Will I have anything to show by then?  We shall see!

Welcome, 2020!

It’s hard to believe that my break has come to an end already!  I somehow didn’t manage to cross off very many items on my vacation “To Do” list.  The sewing room is still not organized, the pictures still aren’t hung in my office, and, other than making some progress on my Frolic! Mystery quilt I have very little to show for my time off.

I was very happy Tuesday morning when I found myself completely caught up on Frolic! - or so I thought.

I opened up Facebook and saw the “surprise” clue that Bonnie posted that morning.  Really?!?  That feeling of satisfaction lasted less than ten minutes.  So I was back at it on New Year’s Day, making flying geese.  I only managed to complete about a fourth of the new clue so far.  I will have to play catch-up this weekend.

As it is a new year, it is time for my annual attempt to set project goals and hold myself accountable. While I have not as of yet succeeded in meeting those goals, I haven't given up trying (yet).  I will start by linking up with Elm Street Quilts' One Monthly Goal.  While the obvious goal for January would be Frolic!, I figure I will be working on that anyway so I should choose something else that I want to move forward.  I finally received my first BOM shipment for Maggie Macguire's Garden and have finished my first flower:

I've made a start on a second, but I am slow at EPP.  I need to figure out how to pick up the pace a little.  My goal for January will be to finish at least a dozen flowers. 

The biggest challenge will be to avoid getting distracted by all the shiny new projects popping up everywhere.  I've seen at least three that have piqued my interest in the last two days....