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 - progress so far

I have been stitching a block each month of 2020 for the Monthly Color Challenge, a free BOM generously run by Jen of Patterns by Jen.  As we head toward the final quarter of the year, it's time to look back at what I have accomplished so far.

This year's color story is themed around the world of birds.  I had a fabulous flamingo print that I wanted to showcase, so I pulled that out first.  And then delved into my phenomenal stash.  I recently determined that my fat quarters were overflowing their designated storage area, so I "shopped" heartily from those bins.  

(Confession: I have had the habit of collecting fat quarters and then never cutting into them. Finally realized that they are not precious, and should be used.  Because that way I can buy more!)

January: yellow (finch)

Fussy cut the yellowest parts of a yellow/gold tonal chevron print for the focus fabric here (this fussy-cutting will be a repeating theme)

 

February: aqua (indigo bunting)

Prime example of a hoarded, uncut fat quarter: hand-dyed batik dark teal bought at a maker's fair over 10 years ago(!)  Wanted to use the aqua peacock fabric seen in my original fabric pull photo, but I have another plan that will bring the peacocks into the final quilt.

 

March: orange (oriole)

Surprised that I had so many mottled fabrics!  They look really good in these blocks.

 

April: purple (honey creeper)

I went rogue: main block is made from a metallic dark purple print and a lavender solid.  But the outer corners are a mottle batik--which will also be used in a frame around the block.  Because by this point in the year, I had come up with a plan for how I wanted to put these blocks together.  Stay tuned...

May: green (budgerigar)

Another example of fussy-cutting: the green here came from a green-brown floral.  It was a good thing the focus green bits were so small in size for this block--I would have had to choose a different fabric otherwise.

June: blue (blue bird)

 Another metallic (I think that might be a mini-theme here) and a mottle cloud print.  Blue is a hard color to find in my stash...

July: rust (American robin)

This ended up as a really busy block.  Focus fabric is another metallic.  Background fabric is leftover from a quilt made near the beginning of my quilting journey (Y2K?) And I tried the same outer-corner trick as with April's purple block.  Not sure it was entirely successful here.

Sampler quilt wisdom: I have never made a Block of the Month/sampler quilt where I loved every single block.  Only once have I chosen to leave out the hated block.  In the scope of a final, completed quilt, even the "failure" blocks have had a welcome home and contributed to the whole.  So I will embrace this ugly duckling block and press on...

 

August: pink (flamingo)

After being super excited to use the flamingo print shown at the top of this post, I chose a different flamingo print for August's block.  Metallic fuchsia Fairy Frost is the focus fabric, with 2 different flamingo prints and a mottled polka dot playing in the background.  (Flamingo prints here are from my job as a sales rep for a Japanese fabric importer. So many cute animal prints slide through my fingertips; sometimes I succumb and keep a few swatches after a line has sold out.)

September: cinnamon (cinnamon teal)

 Another color of metallic Fairy Frost, and another mottle.  Realized after I saw other people's blocks posted that I had assembled mine in a different way... oh, well.  Done is better than perfect.

 

Here we are: 9 months done out of 12.  I have started assembling blocks and I am in love with this setting!!!

"In a Box" quilt setting

Quickly realized that I need to wait until I have all the blocks--this particular setting technique doesn't allow for rearranging along the way.  Fine, I have a few other things to keep me busy until December...

Don't you?

December goals

I just saw a new sew-along challenge in my social media feed this morning

#transformTsal

Darn it all!  I need my December goals in writing to keep me from going down the rabbit hole of starting a project that has nothing to do with what I was planning to do with my month, sewing-wise.  (Even though I just loooove doing things with T-shirts...)

For fortification, I just listened to an episode of The Organize 365 Podcast on  "Manifesting your organization" where Lisa Woodruff gives more evidence to support the idea that writing down your goals and envisioning them completed is more likely to lead to your success.

Fingers crossed for success here.  Or at least more clarity & impetus to move forward.



 
1.  Cooking with Kaffe BoM block(s)


Need to make at least January's sample block for the Block of the Month that I teach at the shop.  I agonize too much over every fabric choice and all the block alternatives that are swirling around in my head.

Why "Cooking with Kaffe"?  We are teaching techniques from The Quilt Block Cookbook by Amy Gibson; and using fabrics from the turquoise/purple/green end of any of Kaffe Fasset's lines.



2.  Sew Together Bag
Teaching this class again in January--I could really use a new sample.  Two of my sample bags have gone missing... frowny face.

Drama, anyone?

3.  Three blocks for Drama T-shirt Quilt
I think this would be an awesome Xmas gift for the youngest--not that the quilt would be finished, but that she would know I have not forgotten about her and her needs.  (Intended blocks: Arsenic and Old Lace; Marley and Scrooge; and The Nerd.  Feels better just naming which blocks are up next.)

Vintage quilt in mid-refashion

4.  Xmas stockings for the siblings
Umm, I think this was on my list last December?  So sad that I cast it adrift for almost a year without getting done.




Look at me:  only FOUR items on my December goals list!

I am declaring item #4 -- the Xmas stockings, to be my One Monthly Goal for December.  I have linked up over at Elm Street Quilts, in order to hold myself doubly accountable.

Retreat Recap

I have become a very unreliable blogger.  Oh dear.  The original purpose for my blogging was to celebrate my accomplishments and gain some clarity on my life/creativity journey.  So this post has twin foci:  documenting my January retreat and showing what ended up occupying my time at May's retreat.


January's retreat with the Something to Crow About gang was awesome!  I have finally learned that, for this season of my life,

going to retreat is less about how much I get done/accomplished, and more about connecting with dear friends and new sewing enthusiasts.  

I smiled to myself on the final show & tell of that weekend, when so many people talked about how much (or little) they had gotten sewn together.  If I am traveling all the way to Oregon (from California), it's about the people more than the sewing.

Patting myself on the back here for this realization.  I feel wise... and now I'm gonna brag a bit about the sewing part.


1.  Challenge Block  (January)

The challenge this time was "white background", which really leaves the field wide open for designing a 12" block.  In typical fashion, I got super-excited about designing a block, tweaking an idea from one of the pattern booklets received as a gift at retreat.  Oy.  Made a paper-piecing pattern for this *cute* carrot block; it used up some seersucker from ancient stash.


2.  "C is for Chicken" book  (January)

Made good progress on this.  My favorite finish was turning a Courthouse Steps block into a chicken, and then making that chicken into a pocket.  Children's book = lots of interactive opportunities!

3.  Quick Curve Ruler sampler  (January AND May)


January- goal of 4 blocks, 1 completed.
May- 6 more blocks completed!
That leaves only 5 blocks to go--and these are big, 16" blocks.

Stashbuster: tote for cutting mat/rulers

4.  Ruler/mat tote bag  (May)

Missed taking the class for this tote, but I had the pattern (plus, the instructor was at retreat with me ;-)   Also, several others at retreat had been in the class, so I polled them about what sort of pockets they chose.

The pattern is very open-ended when it comes to pockets.  And, in my world, the usefulness of any tote is heavily dependent on the pockets.

I went to town customizing this, and got it almost done: only needed to finish the binding, put on straps, and clip all the threads I left everywhere.




5.  Another Hawaiian-shirt-into-apron

Birthday gift completed.  How did I not get any photos of this before it got sent off?




 
6.  Retreat project

A plethora of red & blue strips and scraps were available for making string blocks.  I think almost everyone made a block (or a few).  Can't actually pick out which ones I made, but I did use a bit of my stash in the mix.



Yay, belated post about retreat: check!
My next scheduled retreat is coming up in October.  Haven't even started panicking about what I'll work on then...

Goals: (new) Retreat

Planning for a retreat with my newest quilt guild.  It's at an unfamiliar location, and extends for more days than I'm used to.  The retreat organizer said, "These are long, full days; bring more things to work on than you think you should."
Does she know who she's talking to???  I always bring too much (even when I'm just going to watch a tennis match).  I have gone completely overboard at times with how many sewing projects I bring with me, so this encouragement to "bring more" has me oddly confused.

On the list (so far)

1.  Quick Curve Ruler sampler
Worked on this at January retreat in Oregon, with the goal of finishing 4 blocks.  Finished 1 (due to distracting myself), but this is my main piecing goal for this retreat. (QCR patterns, including the Curve it Up Sampler I'm working on, available from Sew Kind of Wonderful; love this ruler!)

2.  Ruler/mat tote bag
I signed up for this class in March, but wasn't able to go due to illness.  Should be a quick make, and will be a most welcome item for toting my mats & rulers to future adventures.

3.  Black & white table runner
Finished (re)piecing the borders of this at a different retreat.  My goal here is to sandwich and machine quilt.

4.  Blanket stitch cats
The Relaxing Round Robin project of 2014 just waits around for me to be interested in hand embroidery.  Which doesn't happen often.  Last worked on over Winter Break.  Not even halfway thru those 8 pesky cats.

5.  Another Hawaiian-shirt-into-apron
This is a birthday gift, and should be a quick make.  Shirt is already cut; maybe I even cut the binding, too.

6.  Retreat project
We were told to bring red & blue strips and scraps for making some sort of string quilt.  I have a red that I'm dying to use up, so along it will come.

I think I have room for 9 projects, but I worry that the more "almost finished" projects I bring, the less I will work on my QCR sampler.  On the other hand, having a couple more items to be sandwiched and/or quilted might not be a bad way to spend retreat time.  I don't tend to "quilt" at home, due to my perceived lack of space. 

Or, I could bring a couple more of the always-put-on-the-back-burner hand stitching projects.  I find that stitching in a crowd makes the handwork less onerous.

Endless listmaking: does anyone else do this?

Thoughts?  Opinions??  Should I bring more than is listed here--maybe put the extras in a sealed box to be opened in case of emergency?  Or is this entire list and its associated angst just more evidence that my scattered brain simply refuses to stick to any sort of prioritized system?

December Goals

Well hello there, goal list!  The endless ToDo lists may lurk in dusty corners everywhere these almost holi-days, but there is something so wonderful about setting stitching goals at the beginning of a month, and then checking back in to see how it all went down.  I have loved seeing the monthly goals of Barbara over at Cat Patches (plus she's just a hoot to read), but I see that she has abandoned this practice for 2017.  Alrighty then, I will have to supply my own humor as I go thru my list for December.

But first, let me predict the length of this goal list.  I am notoriously good at forgetting half of the WIPs or other promised sewing projects that I have going on... How far away from reality am I here?

My guess: 10

hush-hush quilt feature

Goals for December

1.  Finish super-secret quilt
Not too exciting as goals go, can't show a full picture until the recipient has it in hand.  But let me say
that I am delighted with the quilt!  My largest quilt ever, only the binding left to do.




2.  Finish baby quilt for Guild charity drive
Much as I would love to work on a new, simple quilt designed from fabrics in my stash, the short timeframe until the Guild holiday party requires me to be pragmatic: I am finishing the quilting on a UFO.  Last seen in October 2014, when I reported I had successfully sandwiched the quilt.  I had clearly lost interest in this project, a red-pink-black sampler quilt that was finished piecing in October 2012.  My FMQ skills are still not up to the task, but I have a plan for quilting.  And I think the binding might even be cut out already...


3.  Finish puppy pillow sham
Elizabeth Hartman's Dogs in Sweaters pattern.  So. Darn. Cute.  Most of the quilting is done, just the border area left.  And then to put a back on it.



4.  Hand-stitch binding on Circles BoM quilt
There are a few more applique and finishing bits to go, even after the binding is complete, but December's goal is to use some prime Bowl Game watching time to finish the binding.


5.  Make/complete 3 blocks for Woven BoM
This year's BoM at the shop has the theme Woven from Tradition.  And the color story modern pink lemonade.  It started in September, but I still have some stitching to do on October, November and December blocks.
Oh, and I probably should have a block ready for January--given that I am teaching this BoM and all.


6.  Finish 2 chirimen samples
For the shop: I started two small hand projects using vintage Japanese chirimen rayon.  One of them is an ornament, so it seems like a reasonable goal to finish it for display this month.  But then again, it requires hand-work.  Do I have any air travel coming up?  That's my best hand-work-finishing location.


7.  Finish "C is for Chicken" book

This is a sample for the class I will teach in February.  Need it completed so that it will attract students to take the class.  I have been dilly-dallying because I feel like I can't draw a decent chicken.  But...the collage chicken has the barest resemblance to poultry, and I'm not rushing to remake it for a lack of realism.  I just need to get over myself. 


8.  Memorial stockings for the siblings
Our much-beloved childhood quilt was cut up to make a repurposed Christmas stocking.  Now I need to make 2 more--one each for my brother and sister.

Actual count: 8

Good gravy!  Long list, busy month.  As always, I have several other projects that vie for my attention (new & shiny anyone?)  I did NOT put them on the list, hoping to stay focused on the ones listed here.  As if 8 projects really represents "focus".

In an effort to FOCUS, I am declaring item #7, the "C is for Chicken" book to be my One Monthly Goal for the linky party hosted at Elm Street Quilts.


I will be reporting my progress on the pesky poultry pages later this month.  Wish me luck!

Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal December Linkup

Finish-It February Redux

Back by popular demand: Finish-it February has morphed into Finish-it March. Doesn't quite have the same alliterative ring to it, but I am committed.  It's gonna happen.

The impetus for this?  I counted the WIPs/UFOs that were littering overtaking my sewing room at the end of January.  The count: 32.

Sew very messy: needs a Tidy Fairy

32?  Whaaat??  Something is definitely out of whack.  New projects keep joining the party--except that after so many move in, it's really not much of a party.  More like a horror movie.

PiGS = Projects in Grocery Sacks

So Sweetie came up with the suggestion, "How about if you declare a Finish-It February?"  Great idea!  There were some February finishes (I'll blog about them, really I will), but there is certainly room for more.  I think this calls for a written plan:

Goals for March

1.  Finish nerdy t-shirt Pop-up
Bitten by the recycling/up-cycling bug, I've been so enamored of all-things t-shirt.  But unfortunately, not much more than one t-shirt baby quilt has gotten finished.


2.  Finish kimono wallhanging
Started in September when I was getting ready to teach an Intro to Paper Piecing class.  Gonna teach again in April--let's get that class sample done, eh?

3.  Finish kimono placemat
This item is least important for March... as long as I actually get the kimono wallhanging to the flimsy stage.


4.  Finish blocks for Circles Block of the Month
Only 5 months left in this 12-month adventure!  This goal is about having class samples ready; no need to get the quilt top made this month.  I have high hopes.

5.  Finish Grandmother's fan pillow
So darn close to being done: just need to put a back on it and stuff that pillow form inside.

There you go: a modest list.  I think this represents a welcome maturing of my ability to set realistic goals.  And yet...

I'm so tempted to work on other things.  Prime example: there's a new pattern in my cubby at work... But having this list to refer back to will be so helpful as the month progresses.  Wish me luck!

Goals for August

Oops...make that Goals for September (already?!)

Haven't put any of my sewing goals in writing recently.  And yet, setting goals really is helpful for my internal compass, which tends to get knocked about by all the ideas floating around--the shop, the blogiverse, my friends, the Facebook.

External Deadlines

1.  Memento Stocking for the family of a U.S. Marine

Fabric auditions for another Memento Stocking

2.  Make step-outs for teaching Circles BOM (for September and October classes).

3.  Finish sample(s) for September's class in Oregon

This kimono is goin' places!

4.  Make step-outs for paper-pieced kimono class

5.  Make step-outs for memento stocking class

But I really, really wanna do these, too

6.  Finish flimsy of black & white BOM

Thirteen blocks = fussy setting

7.  Betsy bag

8.  Make 2 more Circle blocks for BOM samples

Latest circle: Grandmother's fan, on a muslin foundation

BONUS Points - as if!

9.  Cinch sack

10.  Pillowcase for a certain niece

11.  Hem Sweetie's pants (she is so patient with me!)

12.  Asian BOM fan sample block

Whew! Setting my aim high again, with no hope of actually finishing them all.  However, it is super important for this list to exist.  In fact, as I was writing up the list and sorting out the "must do" from the "wanna do", I realized that I have been plotting and scheming on the wanna list for the past few days.  Chomping at the bit, as it were.  Tally ho!  

I am teaching three sewing classes in September--those are some motivating deadlines.  Best to remember where my stitching energy should get put in order to not come out looking like an amateur in that regard.  

Do you make lists?  Are they helpful?

Retreat: overabundance of confidence

The List: too much?

This is me preparing for retreat:

dig

dig

dig

thru the many piles, drawers, bins and bags of WIPs to determine what I might work on for three days.

Three days = not a lot of actual time, but a great deal of imagined time.
And that statement pretty much sums up The Story of My Life.

quilt top

My must finish project was to complete the borders and piece a backing for the 1930's scrap quilt that I last worked on at retreat in February.

border close-up

This was a scraps-only project, and I had run out of the soft yellow used for the X blocks.  Which implied some fiddly piecing would be needed for those borders.  Also, I wanted to make the quilt rectangular (I have a general distaste for square quilts).  Needed to piece an inner border to finish off the central design.  Boy, can things get fussy and complicated in a hurry!

the back: scraps a-plenty

The Back: I won't say I'm totally fond of the pieced backing.  I was going for cute.  Not sure if I succeeded; but I did use up all of the cream chicken-wire print and the blue dots & checks (from Moda: a single fabric with four designs on it)

Asian BOM sample

Finished!  The top, backing and batting went to the long arm quilter the day after retreat ended.  Mmm-hmm, that feels good.


Other retreat accomplishments

• Participated in Block Challenge (blogged about previously)
• Made two sample blocks for the upcoming Asian Block of the Month at my home shop
• Made a sample block for the Circles Block of the Month that will start in the fall (again at my home shop)
• Hand tacked down the bindings on yet another Sew Together Bag; I will teach this class again in July.

Circles BOM sample

•  And...transported nearly an entire suitcase full of fabric (see The List, above) up to Oregon and back to California.  As checked luggage on an airline--what is wrong with this picture?

Winter Retreat, 2016

Official camp photo

The Universe took a pause and allowed me to attend Quilt Retreat over my birthday weekend in January.  All my favorite quilt-y friends were there, which was good because there was a lot of emotional family stuff happening at the same time.

The Projects

Challenge blocks: this year's challenge was to make a 12" finished block using floral fabrics with a cream background.  The challenge as I saw it was to find such florals in my fabric stash so that I could stitch up a block using them.

As I have done in the past, I took the opportunity of making a single block using a new pattern or technique.  I used a tutorial from Barbara's blog Cat Patches to make a circle applique--with no hand sewing and no fusible+topstitching required.  The block turned out wonderful! And a pretty simple technique, too.  You can bet I'll be using this again in the future.


1930's Scrappy: my main goal for retreat was to finish this top.

Before retreat began, I had all the 16-patch blocks made, and a few of the X blocks started.

Took my usual amount of time to make 24 X blocks, and somehow got all the rows and columns put together.  Yay! 

However, ran into a bit of difficulty when it came to size: this only measures 56 inches square.  Needs borders.  And, since this is a scrappy/stashbusting project, I am limited in my fabric choices.  Too much fussy thinking necessary to make this next step work out... for now.  I put it aside.


Black & white BOM blocks: I was determined to get a bit ahead of the game for the final 6 months of the BOM I am leading at the shop.  I made 5 blocks, and that felt very good.

And that wraps up another quilting retreat.

Thank goodness for friends.  And my hobby--which distracts and calms me when life gets to be a little bit too much.  What does your ideal retreat look like?