UFO Challenge Check-in 3

Despite a busy week last week, I managed to make good progress on my UFO list!  I started out by sewing four blocks for the Odd Fellows Star project.  The process is going much quicker now that I have remembered how to do foundation paper piecing!

I finished the quilting on the Apple Table Runner, and had lots of fun with all the different designs!  Here is a picture before adding the binding, which I also accomplished!

Aren't the leaves on the outer border pretty?  I'm very happy with this!  Then I added some more quilting on the Advent Calendars.

I'm not sure if I'm done with these yet or not.  I might add a bit more quilting.  

I sewed the fan block to the background (this was supposed to be block 2 for last week, but it took me till this week to finish!)

Then I made the star block (block 1 for this week) and added the embroidery stitches. My running stitches are small - but I like how it looks!

I finished up a dogwood block - boy, those buttonhole stitches take a while to do! I usually do one flower an evening.

I also finished up another EPP for Alice's Wonderland - I discovered that I had a Sewline glue pen, which saved the day and cut the time spent basting the 13 pieces by a good amount!  I've also gone to using parchment paper for the foundations which is easier to fold and manipulate.  Learning better techniques really helps with these blocks!

I found a backing fabric for the Cityscape quilt.  I'm trying not to buy anything to finish these up, so that helps!  This was leftover backing from another project, I had to piece it, but the color will be great!

And last, but not least I got the Pear quilt basted.  This will be my next free motion quilting project.  I am not really that invested in it, so that frees me up to take a chance and try something different! 

I know this looks like I spent all week sewing, but really most of the projects I worked on didn't take much time at all.  I am enjoying having a variety of things to work on when I have some free time.  The hand sewing is taking the place of screen time in the evenings, so that's helping me with that goal as well! Hope you get inspired to get out some of those languishing projects and start making some progress, too!

UFO Challenge Check-in 2

 I'm a little late to check in this week because I was away over the weekend, and we've been working on painting the outside of the house - so I guess that's kind of a UFO, or more accurately a WIP (work in progress!)

I decided that I needed to complete two blocks of my Alice's Wonderland block a week in order to make the deadline.  I probably should do more because there's a pieced border, but maybe I'll add those in in a month or two!  This is a flower with hexagons and pentagons!  

This one is a Grandmothers fan - still need to finish the applique, but I plan to work on that tonight.

I finished another Dogwood block.  There are a few more that are ready to work on, then I'll have to start matching up fabrics for the rest.  I'm thinking maybe a total of 12 blocks would make a nice little quilt.  We'll see, I'm not ready to make a specific plan for this one yet.

I pulled out this advent calendar to work on.  I actually have two of the same, but I'm counting it as one project.  I did some outline quilting on this one, and got the numbers sewn on and put the backing on the second one.  I think I'll send one to my older grand-daughter, and one to my youngest.  Complete with treats, of course!

Another four blocks done for Odd Fellows Star.  I decided to go for four blocks a week on this one.  I have 29 left to do.

Since I was in the mood for some free motion quilting I started working on this apple table runner.  I'm having fun deciding on different free motion designs.  I was tempted to do an all over, but decided to stretch myself and try some other designs.  The leaves on the checkered border are so pretty!  I think I will really try to do some different designs on all the quilts I am finishing.  I've kind of got in a rut doing simple and fast patterns and it's a good opportunity to expand my abilities again.  The apples are attached with that old thick and hard to stitch wonder under.  Glad there are better options for fusible applique now that are softer and not as difficult to work with!

That's it for this week, good progress!  I am planning on participating in Devoted Quilter's challenge as well to help keep me accountable for the next two months. You can join in as well if you want to play along.  Let's get those projects finished up!  WIPS -B- Gone 2026.  She's got several cute trackers you can download as well to keep you on track!

Have a great week!

It's officially Fall! UFO Challenge Progress week 1

My favorite time of the year has officially arrived, and I am ready for it!  Not to mention we got a glorious sunny day to kick start our Autumn days.  It makes me want to work on a fall project!

Or maybe I'll get out a UFO and work on it!  I've been inspired by our guild UFO challenge.  I picked up a sheet at the meeting and have managed to fill in all 20 spots.  The idea is to put in $1.00 for each UFO on the list and at the end of the year there will be a drawing.  You get one ticket for each UFO you have finished and the winner takes all the money contributed.  Last year's winner took home $250.00.  That's a pretty good incentive!  I have a variety of projects in all sizes to work on, and some of them are pretty daunting, but I decided if I do a little bit every week, I can get them all done.  I'll go into more detail later, but I plan on posting my UFO challenge progress every Monday until June to keep myself accountable.

Here are the projects I worked on over the past 10 days:

This is my Summer Stars project that I started back in June!  I finished the blocks, decided on the square version, and added sashing.  I cut the backing (same fabric as the sashing) Next stop is to baste it.

This is my Reflections project.  I pieced together the backing and got it basted.  Next step is to quilt it.

This is my Dogwood quilt.  It's a half done project given to me by a guild friend to finish.  I need to buttonhole stitch around an unknown number of blocks (I haven't counted!)  This is a good project to keep me off of my phone for an hour in the afternoon!

This is my CityScape project.  It was supposed to be a shop sample last year, but I never had time to finish the blocks.  I have finished the blocks and put the top together, so the next step is to decide on a backing.  I am also trying to finish these from stash only, so this could involve piecing together fabrics.

This is my Alice's Wonderland project!  I was stalled on this block as I hate piecing those melon shapes!  I sat myself down and just did it!  Didn't come out too badly either!

This is also from Alice's Wonderland.  First of many English Paper Pieced blocks.  I must say, sewing on these lovely lawn fabrics is delightful!  I added an embroidered running stitch as well, so cute!  

Last, but not least this is Odd Fellows Star.  I received a partially completed kit for this quilt, discovered that it was missing some fabric and had to regroup and figure out how to finish it!  I have a bunch more of the paper pieced units to make, so this might be a guild sew day project for a while.

I have lots more projects, probably at least 6 more tops to quilt, so I just need to get working on a plan for getting those done.  I also have an advent calendar to finish, so I should get to that before it gets much later in the year!  It's kind of tedious to sew all the pockets, but I am sure it won't take as long as my brain thinks it will.

Wishing you a happy fall, and I hope you can get inspired to finish some of those UFO's as well!  My goal is to work on something just for a little bit every day to move it closer to finished!