I don’t usually make resolutions at the beginning of each New Year. I know that I won’t be able to follow through so why make the effort. But this year was different. I was on vacation for a couple of weeks during the Christmas season and during this time I did a little cleaning in my sewing room. What I uncovered was a whole bunch of UFO’s. I admit I tend to work on a bunch of different projects at one time. This is what keeps me motivated. The problem is that once I start a new project one of the old ones gets pushed to the side and forgotten about. I realized why going through these UFO’s that there were quite a few that I still would like to finish. Therefore, I made the resolution to complete UFO’s in the year 2006. I was really off to a good start. I finished a large one block star scrap quilt that because of poor and incorrect directions I thought I would never complete. ( I contacted the designer and she did post corrections on her website after I informed her.) I also finished a jewel box mystery quilt which I have already shown you and a pink and brown scrappy sawtooth that I still need to quilt. I was on a roll until I found my way over to Bonnie’s site and saw her plaid stars quilt. So I not only started one more UFO but two. Bonnie gave instructions on how to sew the triangles you are cutting off into ½ square triangles giving me a second quilt. I have all my little cut off triangles sewed into pinwheels and they are now sewed together. I am putting words on the border, which I will show you all later. This weekend I got my plaid stars all sewed together. This was fun! I only used fabrics from my stash. I have a large supply of red and green plaids so I went with them for the stars. I think I will use Tonya’s wonky letters and put a Christmas verse of some sort around the border. So let’s do the math. It is now March, I have completed 3 UFO’s and started 2 more. Not very good results, but at least I am ahead! I have realized that my problem seems to be the borders. I get that far and quit. I think it is because I always have great ideas for the borders but executing them is a different story. Time management is a big problem that I need to work on! But I also don’t want to make quilting a job. I want it to be fun and to keep it fun I don’t want to pencil in a time to work on it and then feel guilty if I don’t work on it in the allotted time. How do you all fit quilting into your time? So I have rambled on enough. Today I am showing one of my UFO’s. I have 4 large blocks done of this Christmas Cactus pattern. I have not sewn them together. I have no idea where I am going with the border on this and it is holding me back. I love these blocks and want to finish them. Any ideas?
11 comments:
Woha! I thought I had gone back to my blog, yet it's yours. How bizarre! Lovely design though ;-)
Gorgeous block - I love the background colour you chose. Unfortunately I'm at a loss of what to do for your border - I'm sure others will help you with ideas :-) Like you I have several things on the go at once so I can work on whatever mood I'm in at the time LOL. Not sure if it's the best way to do it but at least it's still fun which is what it's all about :-)
I wonder if a little bit of black around the blocks - I think black looks so good with bold solid colours. Even just a 1 inch strip of black and then a wider outer border.
Are you thinking of having a sashing between the blocks or just sewing them together? Maybe Black and gold in the corner blocks.
Oh - I was going to add - Did you get a new table yet?
Beautiful blocks...and congratulations on finishing some UFOs!
Oh Laura - just send me those christmas cactus blocks and I'll finish it - and KEEP it! Oh I love that block!
Welcome to the club Laura, you're among the very best at starting a new project with trying to finish old ones..LOL. I've was doing so good and then yesterday I "fell" into a pile of Bonnie's Fun With Bricks block..*VBG* And it is fun..*G*
I love your cactus block. What I envision is taking the red and green and doing a 3 strips lattice. Either red-green-red, or the reverse. Where they come together, I have the reverse 9 patch, so it blocks the color coming in...using probably 1.5" strips, or maybe 2" depending on how big the squares are. For borders, I think I'd use the same red/green, but narrow it to just 2 strips rather than 3. Audition it and see what you think..*VBS* It's quite Gwen Marston-ish...your squares.
i end up with UFOs the same way- love to work on many things at once, but some invariably get packed up for "later". I'm trying to do them this year- at least some of them- and if I can do it, you can do it too!
those xmas cactus blocks seem wonderful, but I am not certain how to border them. Something to really show them off!
Cheddar...love the background! How about a simple sashing with dogtooth inner border and then a swag (I'm partial to swag borders on large appliqies.) No matter what you do it will be fun!
Siobhan
I was thinking the EXACT same thing as Siobhan! Just the first thing that came to mind when I saw the block...which, btw, is GORGEOUS!! Ooooooooh...the cheddar. :oD
I love the background you used. can't wait to see how the quilt is becomming
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