Slow Stitching and a Goal Met

My Wooly Block Adventure block has been made into a little hanging quilt.
This was my UFO finish for January and is also on my 2017 Finish-A-Long list list. 

A little crazy quilting for the block frame. I considered using a red homespun for the binding, but ended up using a blue French General fabric that was a perfect match.

My friend Rebecca gave me the idea to do the crazy patch quilting for the border. I really love how it turned out. A lot of the blue wool pieces were left over from cutting hexagons--a good way to use up those scraps. 

I think Pam Curo's depiction of these deer is so sweet, even though I detest the deer around my house. Yesterday we had a herd of twelve deer in the backyard. I can't even begin to describe how badly my gardens have been destroyed by these critters!

I'm more than half way through the stitching on my wool hexagon project. I've been using up every blue and gray wool thread in my stash (you can probably see the variation in color in the fly stitching). Eventually, I ran out of stash threads and had to order some new ones. The spool above is Rustic Wool Moire. It's much stiffer and stronger than the DMC wool I've been using. It also seems a bit heavier, but that may be because it kind of sits on top of the surface instead of sinking in a bit like the DMC.
I'm going to be fly stitching tonight while enjoying Victoria and Homeland--it's going to be a nice evening!

Linking with Slow Sunday Stitching HERE
and One Monthly Goal HERE

2017 Finish-A-Long and Something Slow Too!

Kyle sent me the file to make my list of projects I hope to finish in 2017.
It's supposed to be 17 UFOs in 2017, but since I have waaaaaaay more than 17, I filled the entire page to remind of what still needs to be worked on--in case I run out--haha!

Realistically, I probably won't get half of these done, but like they say--Dream Big!
The following projects are going on my 2017 First Quarter Finish A Long list--we'll see how I do on these! 

I just finished stay stitching the edges and pressing all the seams on this monster.....
Yes!!! My 365 Block Challenge top is complete!!! Now to get it quilted.....a top priority ASAP. 

As you might imagine, I have massive amounts of blue and cream fabrics left over from the above project. I've been perusing Bonnie Hunter blocks and patterns and I think I see a version of Jamestown Landing in my future (right hand side of photo).

Speaking of Bonnie Hunter, I really need to get my (Christmas) Celtic Solstice finished. I have lots of blocks left to piece, and will be working on them at retreat starting tomorrow. It would be so great to get this one completed.

I made zero progress on Mrs. Billings in 2016, but I am still very gung-ho about her--gotta get this one done! 

Of course I need to finish my Wooly Block Adventure quilt since I declared it my January OMG project. 

Anyone interested in an Austin Bluebird Sampler Sew Along? I'm going to do a blue and gold version--can't wait to dig into these yummy fabrics! 

I feel so bad every time I come across this box of Texas Star blocks.
I hand pieced 99 of these stars back when we remodeled the upper level of our home and I had no sewing space. I need to get them put together (and in an ideal world, hand quilt it)!  

These spools were a leader/ender project a couple years ago and have been languishing in this tin ever since. 

I need to make a lot more strip sets to finish Trail Mix, but I have a signed label from Edyta Sitar for the back--that's half the battle, right? 

I continue to work on the fly stitching on my wool hexagon quilt---it's my current go-to sewing in the evenings.
I have made a lot of progress on this and will be working on it today for Slow Sunday Stitching now that my 365 Challenge has been met and my retreat packing is complete!

A January Goal

After my marathon quilting spree, I've finally had a chance to catch up on the 365 Challenge blocks--whew! 

This was the very last block and the first block I had to do some hand piecing to finish--so many crazy miters and set in seams--ack! I didn't even measure it when it was finished, so I'm hoping it's close to 6.5" --  I'm not revisiting it--lol! 

After finishing that final block, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I almost don't know what to do with myself--haha! The first thing I did do was take everything out of my laundry room and clean it from top to bottom. It felt good to get that done too--another weight lifted.
So, to go easy on myself, my January goal is to finish this little project. My friend Rebecca suggested an idea for a border that I'm pretty excited about. In the meantime, I need to do packing for a quilt retreat that starts on Monday!
Linking with One Monthly Goal HERE

Front Porch Finale

My Front Porch top is complete!

Well, there may be a little more tweaking as I take a closer look at the whole quilt pinned up on the wall, but I'm pretty happy with how it looks now after making some changes. 

I was never happy with the big spacer blocks or the four patch block that I had subbed. Then one night just as I was drifting off to sleep it came to me: Shoo Fly! What would be more appropriate for a Front Porch than a Shoo Fly block? 

I had to go back and fill the baskets with flowers--no empty baskets on my Front Porch! 

I felt the applique boat in the pattern looked a little lost in that big space, so I pieced a boat to about the same block size and added spacers on either side. 

I stole borrowed Lori's idea to add my initials and a 16 for the year the quilt was made. 

This quilt is enormous. I've got it pinned up above my design wall and it still drags on the floor. I'm really looking forward to quilting it--I think it will be lots of fun to just doodle on. Thanks for the fun sew along, Lori! 

 I'm linking up with Lori at Humble Quilts HERE--go check out more versions of Front Porch!