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I am a part of the #2017NewQuiltBlogggers and am trying to get a few things up to speed with my blog.

I follow a lot of people on Bloglovin' but haven't claimed my blog on this platform yet.

This is my attempt to do so.

Travel and exciting news

I was lucky enough to be in Palm Springs for a few days....  We traveled up Mount Jacinto and we blessed with this glorious view.  It has kept me a bit away from quilting.

But, the good news is I am in the 2017 New Quilt Bloggers group.  It is hosted by Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl, Leann @she can quilt and Beth @Cooking Up Quilts.  I am truly excited as I think it will help me focus on a few technical things I am missing, expose me to a group of new blogging friends and overall be fun!  I am really looking forward to getting to know the gang and learning some new things.  A big thanks to our hosts - this is a labor of love.

Finish it up Friday

The top is done for the M3 quilt, as I lovingly refer to it.   This was from Cheryl Brickey, Meadow Mist DesignsMystery Quilt.  I began the top in July 2016 and completed the it on Friday, the 24th of February.  Monthly instructions were sent on the first Thursday of the month.  Her directions and guidance on fabric choices was really helpful.  I may have the quilt quilted by April, but, am still not quite sure so I entered the top as it is.  

 

Are you good at homework?

Homework was something I loved to do.  I know, crazy right?   But for quilters there are some interesting ways to look at homework.  One is mystery quilts.

I just finished a top in the Meadow Mist Mystery that Cheryl Brickey has done for the past few years. I wasn't convinced that I would love this, but I like Cheryl's designs and thought if I could use some fabric from my stash, that would be a bonus.  Using my stash mostly worked out except for user error.  I didn't really measure what I had and had cut some away (fabric that looks like Swiss cheese) so I needed a little more background.  Also, I measured wrong on a large number of cuts - I know - how stupid was that!

What I love about it:

1. I have a pretty top that needs two borders - which I have.
2. It is nearly done - the goal is a finished top by April.
3. While, I love it, it doesn't have a purpose, so it goes in the stash for when I might need a benefit or donation or gift quilt!
4. I used my some fabric from my stash.

I was unsure about not knowing the design, but I came to live with it. For the Meadow Mist Mystery quilt, it was an option to know.  It was kind of fun waiting to see people guessing the arrangement and the final option (but the facebook group came up with a few more).

For quilters, Block of the Month programs can also give you the same result.  I have a few quilts that I have given to friends from these and take great joy in it.

So, if you like to keep up with homework and use your stash - watch for Cheryl's next mystery or your LQS Block of the Month or pick another.  Sew Fresh Quilts has a few quilt alongs running.  I was tempted by the Christmas one but it does not address my stash problem.  In a short while (12 months or less), you will have a completed top.  Added bonus:  you can even do most of it in the privacy of your own home!  

UFOs for 2017

This list took much longer than I expected to finish.  The good news is that finishing the list helped me organize in so many ways:

1.  My fabric storage is more organized

2.  I realize that my stash needs some work
                 a.  Cull fabric that is too small to really do anything with it
                 b.  Group fabrics that will play well together and come up with a plan.

3.  My sewing desk is more organized.

I carried over a few projects so January's finish was a from 2016...as are a few others on the list.  I am still very happy with what I completed as many other projects come up besides the ones on the list.

Snow days have been very helpful for getting to this point and I am thrilled.

So, here is my list.....

A finish and a challenge for me.

We have had quite a bit of snow.

The last time I anticipated snow, I ran to my LQS - Cambridge Quilt Shop - and picked up some batting and pin basted my 9 patch quilt.   It was a design I worked on on EQ7, something I am trying to do more of.

This quilt is made up of 4"squares left from a prior project.  The background blues are two different pieces; one for the 9-patches and one for the plain squares.  This was on a list of UFO's for 2016, but got pushed into 2017, nothing too difficult I just ran out of time in late 2016.

The good news was that in October I purchased a ruler foot set for my domestic machine, a Bernina 440 QE.  They are available from Sew Steady, but I purchased through another LQS, Bits n Pieces in Pelham NH (one of the vendors at Rising Star Quilters in the fall).  I attended a workshop in January (I think) and was inspired to quilt this quilt with these rulers.

It was fun! Mostly the techniques required some registration marks and planning around how it was going to fit.   I used both the Ruler Starter Set (which comes with the foot to use against the rulers) and the Sampler Template Set 1.  I varied the design in the finished quilt.  Here's some pictures of what I did.

This was my first design with the 12"arc template

This one used the clam shell on both inside and outside edge of the border.

This one used the Spiral.  You can see I missed a little on following the guide.  Chalk it up to the learning curve.

I highly recommend learning to use the rulers.  There  are some videos too if you are curious about these on you tube with aa link for the clam shell.  Have fun exploring!

I'll post a finish picture when I finish the binding and label - but all in all I consider this a Feb Finish, and my third UFO for 2017.

       

One last page on the 2016 finishes....next up 2017 list

I thought it would be fun to see this list from the UFO Challenge in 2016.  My prior post you can see the pictures relating to a lot of these projects.  The two that finished in January 2017 will be shown in the next blog and are both done!  

Somehow time keeps escaping me, but hoping for a productive, though short February.