Another Step Forward

I've got a lengthy UFO list, and although which projects are on it changes all the time, I'm not likely to ever be one with a short UFO list. I need to always have projects at different stages, so I'm not doing any one motion too long at a time. That said, I don't want my UFO list TOO long, so my goals are to get projects to the next step, no matter which step that is. 

I did manage one finish this week, and I finally have a quilt on MY bed, though this quilt was not originally made with my bed in mind.

Town Square is finished and in use. The original pattern used jelly roll strips, but I resized it and used honeybun strips. This is only my fourth finish this year, so I better get a move on! It is a large UFO off my list though!

I did get several other projects to the next stage. I added borders to some small quilts. Borders is something I often get stuck at, which is likely one of the reasons I don't use borders as often now.  Sometimes a border changes the whole feel of a quilt, and that's not always something I want. On a couple of the quilts I bordered this week, I think the borders were needed.

This quilt was looking a bit muddy, until I added that green outer border. It really made the green diamonds pop and the whole quilt top looks more cohesive now.

This quilt was looking too busy, but even though I chose a stripe for the border, it still calms the quilt down. 

This quilt was made from bonus HST's from a pieced border on another quilt. Most of the colors are batiks, and the batik I used for the border was the only batik I had in stash that had enough of the right colors in it. I only had 17" of it, and I needed 5 strips for the border, so I ended up cutting the border 3". That's often the way I decide border widths, especially if I decide the right fabric is something I don't have in quantity. 

I've got the borders cut for two more larger quilts, but those will go into the quilt closet once the borders are on. The smaller ones like these I'm planning to baste ASAP.

I haven't wanted to leave the house much with the weather so hot, but I had a load to drop off at a thrift store, and I wanted all of that out of my way before we get out of town company next week. DH and I ended up going to two thrift stores, and I only bought stuff at one.

This stack of fabric cost me $8. Not all of it is appropriate for quilting, so I pulled out what I wanted to keep.

This was my keep pile, definitely more than $8 worth. I gave the fabrics I didn't want to my sister, and told her she could use it or donate it, I knew I had gotten my money's worth already. My sister does a lot of different crafts, so she makes use of a lot more types of fabric than I do. There was a really pretty piece of heavy home dec fabric in there, almost a canvas, but I knew I'd never use it, I hope she does. 

I knew most of the big bag had mostly non-quilting fabric in it, but it also had a bunch of fat quarters in red.

I have a red and cream quilt started, and I liked it so well, I decided to make it bigger. These will be a fun addition to the reds I've already used. 

Since I've got company coming the end of next week, and I've got stuff going on most of the first half of July, I'm trying to get things done now, that will help me get back to working when things calm down. I have lots of garments to cut out, so I want to get those pattern weights done. I'm making a couple prototypes today, in two different sizes, to see which size I prefer. Once I know which size I want, I'll make up the rest, hopefully this weekend. 

My quilt block design boards are coming along. I'm making a dozen, and I just finished making the binding for them this morning. I've already got the batting glued down on all of them. So many people use all color coordinated fabrics for the binding, but I just went through my scrap 2.5" strips, and grabbed whatever I had two identical strips of. I wasn't going to cut yardage when I could bust some scraps instead!

My goals before company comes-

1) Finish quilt block design boards

2) make pattern weights

3) get borders on at least two more quilts

4) baste some quilts (at least 3, preferably 5, but they are all smaller)

*Bonus goal- get the next clue of the Ruby Jubilee Mystery cut out. 

I don't know if I can do all that before the first of July, but better to try than not stay busy just because I know I'll have a couple weeks without sewing. As usual, my goals are getting me to a good starting place, not a good finishing place. Since I need to cut out garments, having the pattern weights made helps me be ready to do that. I want to get several smaller quilts finished, and having them basted will help me get that done, when I am back to quilting. Even getting the borders on quilts gets them to a stage where I can put the in the quilt closet and clear surfaces so I'm ready to work. If I get the next clue of Ruby Jubilee cut out, I can use it as a leader/ender project while I sew other things. 

To me, it's always about a good starting place. Good finishing places are easy to find, the key to getting a lot done is to make sure you are setting yourself up for an easy start the next time you sew. If I have to do a bunch of things before I can start sewing, like clean off my surfaces, rethread the machine, cut or baste something, I'm less likely to want to go sew, because my mind is full of all the things I have to do first. However, if I ended the last sewing session by tidying up my area and getting out the next thing to sew, making bobbins and threading the machine in the right color, making sure whatever I need is cut and ready, or basted and ready if it's for FMQ, it makes a huge difference! Don't get me wrong, right now my surfaces in the fabric room are a mess, creative endeavors make a mess. It takes constant tidying to keep it under control. The surfaces in my sewing room are pretty good right now, and it's easy working in there. Once I get the borders on the two quilts that need them, they'll be off my cutting table, and then I'll be able to baste!