30 January

More HST units in today's block.  :-)  This one is called Churndash, and has been around since 1897, it is similar to yesterdays block but the outer center squares are two fabrics instead of just one. And the corner HST units are turned a different way.  Just another example of how versatile those little HST units can be.

30 Jan

 I'm going to be taking a break from all the precision of the small sawtooth stars for Stars for a New Day, and work on HSTs for the Stash Busters Challenge 2019.  I have only made 2 blocks for that, and it is already week 4/5 ( Depending on when you start counting your weeks.)   I am not concerned about making one of these every week, and will probably make more than 1 or 2 at a time.  But I do want to start pairing up my darks and neutrals, and at least getting some of them ready to stitch, so when I have a few extra minutes, I can just pick up my HST units and start sewing them together into the block.

I like having at least 2 or 3 projects going at one time.  I always have one that requires precision, and one where it doesn't matter how precise I am.  That way, I can pick and choose each day based on whether I want to pay attention to detail, or if I just want to sit and sew with out thinking.  Some days, I just want to sew, but I don't want to have to think about how precise everything ends up.  And then there are the days I want to be more "creative".  On those days, I work on the blocks that I'm making for our front door, from Imagine, by Art to Heart.  Yesterday was one of those days.  I finished the Love block and it is ready to hang on our door come Feb 1.  This is my second UFO finish for Rocky Mountain Sewing and Vacuums UFO challenge this year.

It seems like everything I'm working on is for a challenge, but then I guess that happens when you join in 4 of them for one year.  :-)    I do have other projects lined up that I want to start, but before I start on something new, I have a few more UFO's that,even if they aren't on my UFO challenge list, I do need to get back to them and get them completed.

Until next time... Happy Crafting!!!

UFO Challenge

My local sewing machine store is holding a UFO challenge this year.  You fill out your form, listing 12 UFO's you want to complete this year, and if you get them done, take them to the store to show them, you get a ticket into a drawing for a $500 Gift Card to the store at the end of the year.  They did the same challenge last year, and I didn't participate, but thought I would give it a try this year.  I certainly have plenty of UFO's to choose from.  I have more than 12 quilt tops that need to be quilted and bound.  While some of those will make their way onto my list, I don't think all 12 of them will be from that pile of UFOs.  As I decide on what to list, I will list them here as well.

On my way towards getting some of them complete, I got this quilt top sewn together.

 I started on this top over 5 years ago.  I got all the squares made, then never got around to sewing them together to make the top.  I decided to pull it out and get to work on it.  I still need to figure out borders.  I'm not sure I want to do what the pattern calls for, as there are supposed to be more hourglass blocks in the border.  But I will be giving it some thought over the next few days, and come up with something.  My plan is to use only fabrics from my stash, so it might end up being scrappy some how, if I don't have any green or gold that will set it off nicely.  I do have some green fabric in the box this was stored in, but none of the gold.  And there isn't enough green in the box to create a border.  I will be checking my stash to see if there was any yardage left over when I started cutting the fabric up for this.  But since it was 5 years ago when I started, there may not be anything left.  And if I'm remembering correctly, the fabric I picked 5 years ago, was scraps from other projects anyway.   Chances of me having enough to make borders out of one fabric in the quilt is slim.  But Green is one of the colors I tend to buy a lot of, so I'm sure there will be something I could use. This will give me an opportunity to get creative and see what I can come up with, with out following the pattern.

Well, I'm off to check my stash.... I'm so happy with the progress I have been making on this, that I don't want to delay finding borders and backing. 

Until next time... Happy Crafting!!!