Feeling angst about WIPs-B-Gone

Project that broke my sewjo, July2021

 Have you ever done a 100-day challenge? I haven't, but I have FOMO about the times I lurked and followed along with someone else's 100-day journey as if I was the one doing the work.

Most recently, Sarah of Sarah Goer Quilts had her own 100-day challenge to finish a bunch of WIPs--which she did amazingly well. I tried to use her finishing energy to get myself motivated on some of my own UnFinished Objects, but ended up being mightily frustrated and losing my sewjo. The exact opposite of successful.

So, along came Leanne of Devoted Quilter with a 100-day WIPs-B-Gone challenge that involved actually signing up, with prizes for encouragement and gentle accountability. I signed up.

That 100 days starts today--100 days left in 2021. If you're keeping track, that means I have made a commitment that will extend through my busy travel-for-work month of October and the whole end-of-the year holidays. What am I getting myself into?

Well, the first issue I am contending with is my HUGE list of WIPs: 63 as of this writing. In fact, most of them are so long since the last time I worked on them that I generally refer to them as UFOs (WIP having that pesky "in progress" part of its acronym).

 

Currently in progress Norah Quilt

Some folks have declared a Top 3 Goals for the first 25 days of this challenge--I'm so very scattered when thinking of my extra long list that I haven't been able to winnow down to any sort of reasonable "what should I start with" or even "where do I want to finish". I know I want fewer than 50 items on my list at the end of 100 days. That's a goal, right? I also want to experience what it's like to make time every day for my stitching practice, no matter what the busyness of the day/month/season feels like.

So today, I decided that I would let go of a project or two. That's one way to embrace WIPs-B-Gone! My Quilt Guild has a "Kiss it Goodbye" table that shows up at meetings a few times a year--and that's happening next week. So, in preparation, I went burrowing in the bins and totes and canvas bags to find projects I am well and truly ready to part with.

 

Discarding or donating projects counts towards WIPs-B-Gone!

 

I am choosing to let go of 4 projects: paper-pieced kimono wall hanging (last blogged about in July 2017); two other paper-pieced kimono blocks that feel too much like cultural appropriation; funky fish blocks that I made as prototypes for writing a tutorial (in August 2014); and teen-friendly wheel blocks from 2017's Row by Row "On the Go" free pattern, that were used as a floor sample when I worked at a quilt shop.

  

Row by Row 2017

 

Lo and behold, in parting with these blocks, I may have discovered my first WIP to tackle. I have a pair of placemats that are pieced with the same kimono blocks that I just parted with. I also have enough background and backing fabric to complete 4 more. 

Bonus reason that this project speaks to me now? I leave in 12 days for a business trip and need a portable handwork project to bring with me. The existing placemats are lightly hand-quilted with big stitch; I think they're a perfect travel size! Add in the motivation of deadline sewing to get the piecing done before I travel, and I might be off to the races...

Any 100-day challenge words of wisdom?

2020 Monthly Color Challenge: "Blocks in a Box"

 I have an exciting finish to announce: my 2020 Monthly Color Challenge blocks, from a free Block of the Month offered by Jen of Patterns by Jen, have been successfully assembled into a FINISHED QUILT!

 

I tell my family that any quilt for me is a 3-year endeavor, so to start and complete a quilt in the same calendar year is truly a feat.  Of course, as one of the select bloggers for 2020, I had access to all the block patterns last January. So I was able to piece my top and get it to a longarm quilter in October.  And sewed the binding down the last week in December. Done feels so good!

(c)2021 rainbows. bunnies. cupcakes.

 

The setting here I call "blocks in a box", because it can be used to make a larger quilt out of any collection of blocks of the same size. It looks tricky, giving the blocks the appearance of an on-point setting, without the need for piecing rows on the diagonal.

 

Since I knew this was the setting I would be using, I made some alterations as I was sewing the monthly blocks.  A prime example is April's purple block, where I made the outer block corners from the same mottled purple batik that would form its "on point" frame.

In all, I used ten fabrics to "frame" the 12 monthly color challenge blocks (the flamingo print was used for three of them); seven fabrics were used along the "border" of the quilt, although four of these are repeat fabrics from elsewhere in the quilt (the border looks like setting triangles, but is constructed differently).

 

If you'd like a copy of a simplified set of instructions to sew up this quilt setting, please leave a comment here on the blog, or email me from my profile. Caution: the instructions are simplified because the version I wrote about only uses two colors of background fabric, as seen in this sampler quilt.  I have every intention of writing fuller instructions, just haven't gotten there yet. (Free instructions available until February 28, 2021.)

Blocks in a Box setting in 2 solid colors

Now, back to the Quilt Show! Our Monthly Color Challenge designer/hostess Jen has created a lovely setting for these sampler blocks that uses fabrics from each month in a kind of pixelated sashing/border treatment. If you've been sewing along, you can link up with Jen's Quilt Show, and see everyone else's progress in one place.

And go check out some of 2020's participating bloggers for their final shares.

Joanne - Everyone Deserves a Quilt

Fawn - Quilty Creations by Fawn

Roseanne - Home Sewn by Us

Sarah - Sew Joy Creations

Alla - Rainbows Bunnies Cupcakes (you are here!)

Wendy - Pieceful Thoughts

Anja - Anja Quilts

 

Who is sewing along with Monthly Color Challenge for 2021? I haven't decided yet what Block of the Month I will pick up for this year... and I'm always open to suggestions!