UFO Challenge Update

Last week, I posted about the UFO Challenge that's sponsored by Jo's Country Junction, one of my favorite quilt-y blogs.

Thanks to the motivation of doing SOMEthing about some of my Un-Finished Objects, I got something done!!! During the past week, I decided to finish the one that was closest-to-done: The Hello Kitty Quilt. It was sitting in the closet, nearly-done, just needing its edges bound.

 

I got the binding done, and again admired the fun details. This quilt was supposed to be done this past Christmas, as a gift. I had it almost done, and then time got away from me. So, now, it's done, and ready to pop in the mail!

It's made of T-Shirt fabric squares, with Hello Kitty heads (also cut from T-Shirt fabric) stitched on top. Fleece backing, simple straight-line quilting. Super-cozy, and about twin-sized.

Also, since Jo's UFO Challenge is her own personal challenge to make progress on her several in-progress quilts that are designed by Bonnie Hunter, before Bonnie's new book comes out ... I thought I'd pull out the ONE Bonnie Hunter quilt that I'm working on. 

Last year, my family got me Bonnie Hunter's awesome book Adventures with Leaders and Enders as a gift. I started "Hopscotch Butterscotch", one of the quilts from the book, soon after receiving the book, but then I didn't have time to work on it.

Since I had some pieces already cut from scraps, I altered the pattern a little, to use sizes I had already cut ... I'm using 2½" squares and bricks, instead of 2". But this works out well, because my quilt will be bigger. 

Earlier this week, I got out what I'd started on (months ago!), to see how far I'd gotten. All the rail units are stitched and trimmed (20 sets of 4). All the (232) little squares are sewn into "twosies" and need to be sewn into four-patches.

I haven't cut any sashings or cornerstones. I love the piano-key border, but I haven't cut that yet, either.

Looking forward to working on this a bit at a time, among my other UFOs. (See my post from last week for a pictorial list of the other UFOs that are up for finishing!)

I'll be linking this post to this Wednesday's UFO Challenge at Jo's Country Junction. 

QR Code Quilt

Why? Because I can. Because I've been fascinated with quilts like this for years. Because stuff-made-from-squares is perfect for patchwork. Because I find quilt inspiration everywhere. Because there are websites to generate QR Codes for just about anything!

Like many of my recent quilts, this one was made from T-Shirt squares ... Small ones, this time (they finish at about 2"). The QR Code is square, and I stitched it to a plush fleece blanket.

I'm just now blogging about it, but this was my brother's Christmas gift. I surprised even myself with the fact that I actually mailed it in time for Christmas.

And, of course, the cat thinks she has to inspect EVERY quilt!

Process was pretty easy ... use a free online QR Code Generator, print the resulting code as your patchwork pattern, and assemble squares ... 

Little twin quilts ...

My kids have lots of cousins, but they got a special treat this year: TWIN cousins!

 

For the baby shower for my new niece AND nephew, I made a couple of cozy T-Shirt-Quilt baby quilts.

One of my girls helped me with the straight-line quilting, and I added some custom quilting around the edges.

Finished Gray T-Shirt Patchwork Quilt

The other day, I finished up a project that I meant to get done months ago. I blogged briefly about it last week.
Hooray for Anti-Procrastination Work!

This is a quilt for my daughter ... T-Shirt fabric and fleece - always a winning combination for coziness!

She requested the colors & style. It's a fun, easy semi-random patchwork ... reminiscent of Minecraft's gravel and stone blocks, but not so Minecraft-y as to be too faddish.

I'll be linking this post to this week's Finish It Up Friday at CrazyMomQuilts ... one of my favorite quilt-y blogs, and a fun place to see things others have finished recently ...

UFO Challenge ...

Jo at Jo's Country Junction has a fun quilt-y blog that's among my favorites! Jo is hosting a UFO Challenge - with updates/link parties once a week ... A chance to remind ourselves to put some extra work into "Un-Finished Objects" ... When it comes to quilts, I've got lots of those!

Jo is concentrating on her unfinished projects from a specific designer (Bonnie Hunter!), but I've got some random projects to challenge myself with. I think that counts for the challenge.

Here's a quick rundown ...

This one is up soon ... One Thousand Eight little squares ... The top is done, and I've got a plan in mind for this, so I'd like to finish it soon. It needs borders, quilting & binding. Looks like the last time I blogged about it was almost exactly a year ago - see this post. 

This little one should finish up quickly ...  It's getting backed with fleece.

This is one wins the prize for the oldest UFO in this list: This amazing Dresden Plate quilt top it was hand-pieced by my great-great grandmother, and I'm quilting it for my mom. The quilting is started. Just need to finish quilting, and bind.

Lego heads quilt was supposed to be done this past Christmas - It'll be backed with fleece; still needs quilting & binding.

Hello Kitty is another late Christmas quilt - It's already quilted onto cozy fleece; just needs binding.

A couple more things I should work on but haven't gotten to lately: projects for me, so I tend to save them for later, since they have no deadlines ...

The Modern Double Wedding Ring ... the middle of the quilt top is almost done, and the borders will be plain.

And the Carpenter's Wheel quilt top that's been done and waiting and waiting to be quilted.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of my UFOs (*cue hysterical laughter*), but it's the list of the ones I'd like to finish pretty soon.

I'm linking this post to Jo's UFO Challenge link party ... hoping that maybe a once-a-week check-in will help motivate me to make a little bit of extra progress, in my little bits of sewing time.

Quilting tonight ...

Working on this gray fleece-and-T-Shirt quilt tonight ...

Little Quilts ...

Last year, I started sewing some little quilts ... A friend and a relative were expecting baby girls, and I wanted to welcome their babies with quilts.

I started months early, knowing that, since I was expecting my own baby, as well, I better get the gift-sewing done early, or it wouldn't happen.

I got little quilt tops started, using this pattern ... 

Pinterest link: http://pin.it/HErzX5O

Web link: http://www.modabakeshop.com/2012/08/wiggly-whimsy-quilt.html

For some reason, once the quilt tops were mostly done, I took a break & didn't work on them.

When my baby was nearly-due, and I needed a project to keep my mind off the "this baby's never coming" thoughts, I finished up these little quilts ... Two baby quilts, and a doll quilt for a toddler-big-sister.

This must've been a good "nesting" project - something I "needed" to finish before having my own baby ... My  little one was born the day after I finished the gift-quilts!