About April - a 14 in 2014 Update

If you've been following my blog for awhile, you know that my goal for 2014 was to finish 14 quilts from the WIP basket.  A couple of weeks ago, I noted that i had finished quilting my Modern Maples quilt (which has been sitting around since last summer sometime) and

my Faux String quilt, making a total of six quilts so far in 2014, so I'm doing pretty well.

I also made a couple of baby quilts.  It seems there is something of a baby boom around these parts lately.  This one was for Kai.

And I can't show all of this one because the pattern hasn't been released yet, but it is for a little girl that was born in the middle of the torrential rains we had this week. 

I had hoped I would get a lot done at StashBash (which will be the subject of a future post) and I did, but I didn't actually finish anything there due to one circumstance or another.  I was missing about an inch of sashing to finish one project, didn't take paper to trace the pattern onto for another...  Oops. 

And when I got home from StashBash, my sweet daughter and her husband were already here, just waiting for me to play with them.  We had such a fun time, despite the massive amounts of rain.  But finishing quilts just wasn't on the program for last week.

So, I'll push them all forward another month and hope for the best. 

Eight quilts in eight months isn't so much, is it?

14 in 2014 Finishes Update

I've been doing pretty well so far this month in the sewing room and I have a couple of finishes to report.  Not bad for the 12th of the month, I think.

First is my Modern Maples quilt.  The quilt top and backing has been finished since at least September or October, and it has been sandwiched since Halloween, but I've only just now gotten it quilted.  But I love the texture the quilting gave it.

I outlined the leaves, which was a total pain in the neck, but I really like the look it gave them.

Then I quilted the background in random leaves and loops.  Leaves and loops go a lot faster than all that outlining!

I created a real back for the MM quilt with some of the leftovers from making it.  Since I started out with a FQ bundle and a layer cake, there was a lot left over, even after making two quilts!

I decided on a super scrappy binding for the MM quilt, and I really love it!

I also managed to get the Faux String quilt done.  If you remember this post, from way back in June of 2013, I created the blocks from the Stripes That Bind bundle from Westwood Acres.  (Let me just say that Amanda puts together such awesome collections!)  And yes, it's been sitting there a really long time.  I actually think it has been sandwiched since about last August.

And it just sat there.  And sat there.  And every time I looked at it I thought, "You know, I really should get that down off the shelf and quilt it.  It wouldn't take that long..."  And still it sat there.

Until now.

I got it down off the shelf on Saturday evening, and quilted a couple of the hexagons.  And then on Monday I quilted a couple more.  On Tuesday, I finally decided to just sit-down-and-finish-it-already!

Again, I outlined the hexagons, and swirls in the background.

I bound it in this cool multi-color stripe that was one of the stripes in the hexagons.  The more I stitched the binding, the more I decided I liked the stripes. 

The backing is some random leftover pieces from other quilt backs I did last summer.

So, that's two finishes already in April!  I'm so excited!

And since we were in the middle of an ice storm when I finished the Spot On quilt, I finally got pictures of it as well. 

 

This one is also one more toward my making every quilt in Camille Roskelly's Simplify book.  Only a few more to go!

I quilted the spots in spirals, and then quilted the boundaries of the blocks in swirls.  I did a herringbone in the sashing...

 And hearts (of a sort) in the inner border.  I never did manage to get the hearts as consistent as I would have liked.

I tried my hand at feathers (my first feathers ever!) in the outer border.

They are far from perfect, but respectable, I think for a first try.  I obviously need more practice.

Like the MM quilt above, I used a bunch of random leftover pieces to make the quilt back.  I'm really glad that it ended up {mostly} straight.

And I used the same scrappy binding for this quilt as I did for the MM quilt.  (And I still have some left over after binding two quilts.  Wonder what I'll find to do with it?)

So, I think that's six...

Starflower

  Spot On

Bookshelf Quilt

Breath of Avignon

Modern Maples

 Faux String Quilt

 finishes this year from the 14 in 2014 list.  Only 8 more to go in 8 months!!  Woohoo!

I might just be able to do this!

14 in 2014 - March Finish and April Goal

If you are looking for the Blogiversary Giveaway, go here.

Even though March was as crazy as it initially promised to be, I am proud to report that I have finished a quilt.  And not just any quilt, either, but the very first quilt I started when I came back to quilting after a many-year hiatus!  This one has been lying around in the WIP basket so long I honestly can't believe it's done.

In the spring of 2010, I bought two charm packs, visited Moda Bake Shop for the first time, and started sewing.

Some of the blocks actually got to this point...  (Sorry for the blurry photo - it's the only one there is!)  Others weren't much more than two rectangles sewn together.

And then I stuffed it in a zip lock bag, where it sat for - oh - more than 3 years.

So I'm more than a little bit happy to say, "IT"S FINISHED!!!"

Amanda had given me a bit of yardage to help it along.  And I added some Kona Red and the leftover squares.  There was no real plan to this back except to use what I had get 'er done.  (Yes, it DID require digging through boxes and bins, thank you for asking!)

I quilted it in a meandering square pattern, something I hadn't really tried before.  It was ok, but I kept finding myself in a corner with no way to get out.  Live and learn, I guess.

I'm not sure that you can see the quilting any better from the back.  Oh well.

So that's another one off the 14 in 2014 list, which, as you must know, makes me very happy.  I'm pretty sure that makes 4 this year so far; 10 more to go.

So, that means it's time to set my April goal.  This one hasn't been sitting around nearly as long, but I've had it sitting there already basted and waiting since last October, so April is going to be the month I finish this baby!  (Keep your fingers crossed for me, ok?)

Also in April, I hope to quilt my faux string quilt.  It's been sitting there ready to quilt since, um...  I honestly don't know.  But It needs to be finished.  Soon.

And, ever the optimist, I'm going to Stash Bash at the end of the month, so my fervent hope is that I will make SIGNIFICANT progress on this little baby, that's been sitting all wrapped up in a plastic bag since about May of 2011.  Oh, yes!  If I could make progress on this one, I would totally swoon!

So, there are my goals for April.  We'll see how far I get.

Wish me luck.

14 in 2014 - March Goals

If February was crazy, March promises to be equally so.  Youngest daughter is here for another week (yay!) so I know I will be doing lots of playing.  We have plans for field trips almost every day, including a trip to the nearest outlet mall, a trip to the local mall, and educational visit with a friend to learn about Photoshop Elements, and lunch with another friend.  The next week, WH is on Spring Break, and the following week I will be watching oldest daughter's children so she and her WH can go away for a few days.  Whew!  I'm tired just thinking about it.

Nevertheless, I do want to make some progress on my 14 in 2014 project.  Since this Avignon Picnic quilt is all basted, it shouldn't be too much of a stretch to think that I might actually get it quilted.  That would be awesome!

And my Modern Maples is also basted and ready to quilt, so it shouldn't be too hard to get this one done either, right?

And if I get these two quilted (and bound, hopefully), I should only have one quilt a month to actually complete the 14 in 2014 challenge.

Wish me luck!

13 Finishes...no, 14 Finishes... in 2014

While 2013 was a pretty productive year in the prsd4tim2 sewing room, there is still a huge pile of UFOs or WIPs, or whatever you want to call them.  You can get a glimpse of my quilty adventures on the 2013 Finished Quilts and Projects Page. Yesterday's post recaps my goals for 2013.  And while I made a lot of progress, I didn't finish everything - and I created a lot more WIPs to finish.

With that in mind, even though 14 finishes in 2014 sounds better, since I didn't exactly meet my 2013 goal, I'm hesitant to attempt more than 13 finishes.  Also, I can't seem to come up with 14 WIPs - only 13. 

EDIT:  This just isn't working for me...  It's gotta be 14 in 2014 or it just doesn't work.  I've been racking my brain and I remembered a zig zag quilt I started a couple of years ago that's just sitting there in the basket.  It's really not much more than an idea so far, but there it is.  NUMBER 14!!!

Sooooo, my goal is...  drum roll please

14 finishes in 2014

 Whew!

Here is the list:

1.  Breath of Avignon - this is one of the first modern quilts I started, but I have yet to finish it.  It was made from Breath of  Avignon charm squares by American Jane and white yardage.  The pattern is Avignon Picnic from Moda Bake Shop.  I hope to get this one finished soon.

Edit:  Finished, March, 2014.

2.  Basket Blocks - this is another of the very first projects I started once I discovered modern quilting.  The fabric is Fresh Cottons by Fig Tree Quilts.  The pattern is from the book Just Desserts by Edie McGinnis.

3.  Citrus Quilts - I want to finish the last of the citrus quilts.  I finished 3 citrus quilts in August of last year, but I decided I wanted to make the last one a little bigger.  So, in the most recent round of the 3x6 bee, I asked for more citrus blocks.  I have collected most of those, so I hope to finish this quilt early in the year.

EDIT:  Finished, June, 2014

4.  Single Girl - I'm going to conquer my fear of this one and get it done.  The fabric (a Spirit Layer Cake by Lila Tueller) and pattern (even the templates!) - are sitting in a zip lock bag in the WIP pile.   started it when the Single Girl Support Flickr Group started back in early 2011.  And there it sits.  It's not even cut out.  But this year...  this year I'm not going to let it intimidate me.  This year, I'm going to tackle it!

EDIT:  Top Finished, May, 2014

5.  Starflower.  The pattern is by my own lovely daughter and the fabric is Beechwood Park by Janeen Morrison for Free Spirit.  This one just needs to be sandwiched and quilted - I even have the backing.  So hopefully this one will be a fairly quick finish.

EDIT:  Finished, January, 2014.

6.  Modern Maples - This one was made for the ECMQG Modern Maples Challenge.  The fabric is Juggling Summer by Zen Chic.  While it's called "Juggling Summer", it seemed more autumny to me, so I thought it was perfect for an autumny quilt.  This one is all sandwiched and ready to go...  Just needs to be quilted and bound.  It should be a fairly easy finish.

Edit:  Finished, April, 2014.

7. Spot On.  The pattern is by Camille Roskelly from her book Simplify, and is one of the quilts that meets my goal to make every quilt in the book.  The fabric is also Juggling Summer by Zen Chic.  This one is also sandwiched and ready to quilt, so hopefully will be an easy finish.

EDIT:  Finished, January, 2014.

8.  Bookshelf Quilt - This jelly roll quilt is also sandwiched and ready to go.  Again, should be an easy finish.

EDIT:  Finished, February, 2014.

9.  Faux String Quilt - the pattern is Heximetry by Ali Winston.  The fabric was from the Stripes that Bind bundle from my favorite little quilt shop.  This one needs to be sandwiched, but shouldn't take long to finish.

Edit:  Finished,  April, 2014.

10.  Fat Quarter Shop Block of the Month Club quilt - I have all the blocks done and all the pieces of the finishing kit cut out.  There's still a lot of work to do, but in the end, it will be a lovely quilt.

11.  Grandmother's Flower Garden - I don't know if I will finish this one this year, but I will certainly keep working on it.  Maybe - just maybe - I'll finish it... one day.

 11.  Shiny Brite - While I was in Utah over Thanksgiving, I got to play pattern tester for my daughter, and somehow we picked the wrong background solid.  The good news is that I got to keep the reject blocks for myself.  I hope to finish this quilt very soon - certainly by Christmas. 2014!

EDIT:  Finished, June, 2014

12.  Christmas Quilt - One of the first Bees I ever participated in was the Christmas Fabric Bee.  During my month, I asked everyone to make blocks reflecting the Christmas season.  I received some amazing blocks.  These are also languishing in a zip lock bag in the WIP basket.  I want to get this one completed by Christmas, 2014.

13.  2011 Craftsy BOM - I started the 2011 Craftsy BOM, and then my daughter's wedding craziness started, and I never got back to it.  I hope to finish this quilt in 2014.  I have 4 of 12 blocks done, so I have 8 blocks left to make.

14.  Zig Zag Quilt - I've got a million HSTs left over, and I've been dying to make a zig zag quilt, so this is my chance.  And besides, I really needed #14.

So, here's to 2014!  I hope it is a wonderfully quilty, crafty, happy year for all of us!