looking ahead {with excitment!} to RSC18!

2017 just flew by, and now it's time to look ahead to all the possibilities of RSC18! this will be my 5th year RSCing, and I'm just as excited as I was in RSC14!

 

as I'm sure you've probably heard on the news, the whole east coast is locked in a cold snap. as in Cold. Snap. like single digits! we've not been above freezing for over a week, and nothing above 26 is in the 10 day forecast. YIKES!

 

but: {secretly} that's ok with me. I like the slower pace of winter-time, and the chance to get some things done. (I don't make this unpopular announcement with hubby- we heat our house with wood, and the yucky weather does make lots of things harder around the farm)

 

in looking ahead to RSC18, here's what i have in mind:

 

• last year I LOVED the indigo/kona solids 16 patch that I did. (to be sewn together soon. very soon) so this year i'll be doing indigo/kona solids again, but in 9 patches.
• just last night I heard about a new BOM: over at Academic Quilters. I never quite got around to her BOM with my UFO last year, but I'm excited about this one: it uses squares! much of my scraps I cut into 3" squares, and the suitcase is overflowing again, so this should be perfect!
• I'd like to make some more 9 patches with the 3" squares from my suitcase. this year, I want to focus less on the "rainbow-y" look, and I'm going to be shooting for more of an "eclectic bohemian" look. (lots of bloggers seem to do that effortlessly, especially Ashley and Rachel) I've nothing against rainbows, but I want a different looking quilt this year.
• something new for me this year: (so new, I haven't even sewn a test block!) The Holiday Patchwork Forest. I've seen these quilts floating around on pinterest and instagram but didn't' really take note of them until i saw Carol's bright and cheery quilt, definitely not done in Christmas colors. of course, a quick instagram search brings up thousands more possibilities! I'll be narrowing down my color palette, and getting started on this for RSC18.
• I have a few random UFOs floating around, which I may combine with my RSC18 sewing.... we'll see.

 

at any rate, I've lots of sewing to keep me busy, and out of trouble, for the coming months ahead. I've really enjoyed the community of quilters that I pal around with for RSC and the UFO challenges. thanks for being part of that community, and thanks for stopping by! make sure you click on over to Angie's to see what everyone else is doing- you never know when inspiration will strike!



buckle up, 'cause here comes 2018!

I'm participating in the UFO "Challenge" with Judy at Patchwork Times. it's pretty loosey-goosey and no pressure, but it's still good to have the accountability and camaraderie of other quilters. this is at least my 4th year participating in a UFO challenge. despite getting 8 of my 12 UFOs done last year, there are still a few UFOs lurking about...

 

 

#1: BOM started from a LQS several years ago. the blocks are all done- 16 blocks at 15" each. I have the sashing fabrics all picked out. I'd like to get this to the flimsy stage, and will pass it along as a MCC quilt for one of the auctions.

#2: technically not a UFO, but still a bunch of possibilities here. I'll use all {some} of these strips for a quick donation quilt or two...

#3- Amanda Jean hosted a QAL this summer with this quilt. ( I have the book) and despite pulling and petting my fabric choices, I wasn't able to participate. I'd like to make mine with low volume strings, and perhaps red/teal for the alternate blocks.

#4- this was on last year's UFO list; a holdover from RSC16. I'd like to get it done- maybe in time for Christmas 2018?

#5- a low volume Rail Fence. I pieced this awhile ago- maybe 2014? I really, really like it- time to get it quilted (myself) and in use, rather than in the closet!

#6- a Bonnie Hunter scrappy nine patch for MCC. all the blocks are done; I've lots of background fabric. time to get it sewn into a quilt!

#7- this quilt was pieced from Kona solids in January of 2014- after receiving a book from my daughter- Jelly Roll to Heirloom (or something like that) for Christmas. this picture is not current- it's quilted (by hand, by a dear friend) and just needs the binding sewn down.

#8- this RSC17 quilt is a recent completion and Rainbow Squares was not chosen in the Great Quilt Gifting of 2017. (secretly, I'm glad. I really, really like this one!) I plan to quilt it myself. (sadly, no long arm quilting is in the foreseeable budget...)

 

 

#9- again- can a picture in a book technically be called a UFO? not sure, but I like this quilt, and I'd like to make a similar one with the 3" squares from my suitcase, but with prints. we'll see. I feel like Growing Up Odd would make another good use of my 3" squares...

 



#10- this kit was an impulsive (but economical) buy from connecting threads a few years ago. it was #10 on my 2017 UFO list as well. I love the schoolhouse block, and would like to make a quilt from them, but I don't really like the colors. maybe it's time to use the fabric for a different quilt, and make this pattern in colors I really like?

#11- another hangover from the 2017 UFOs. I've definitely fallen out of love with this quilt- it's a BOM from a quilt guild that I belonged to in the late 1990s! it's time to do something with these blocks- even a orphan adoption is better than sitting in my drawer!

 

so there we have it- 11 quilty projects to keep me busy throughout the New Year! thanks for stopping by!

sharing the love... spreading the warmth...

since my children live spread out all over the country (a son in WA and another son in the Bronx) we planned to celebrate our Christmas early this year while we were all together. We had our family Christmas on Saturday, December 16. it was a lovely day- full of memories, and all the traditions that we would normally do on the 25th.

 

my youngest son, G, chose not to come, but my mother heart loves him all the same, and despite the full house with all the children and grands, I missed him just the same...

the little girls, A and B, were especially happy for new jammies!  and look: everyone smiling! everyone looking!

we drew numbers for the quilt picking- #1-#5. I had 11 quilts to choose from (!!!) so even the last person had a nice selection to pick their favorite. my oldest daughter, M and her husband K were first. they chose one of the RSC16 column-along quilts. (they chose the twin size; that leaves the lap size for me! yay!) here they are in front of the tree with "baby" C. C will have a new baby brother in March, the quilt is hiding M's cute belly...

 

my son D is a Corpsman in the Navy, stationed in Bronx, NY. (go figure...) he and A chose the Flying Geese quilt.

 

second son N is married to P, and they have a little girl, E. N is in the Army, stationed in Seattle, WA. it was a treat to have them here and visit with them for almost a week. (it was fun to watch the 2 cousins together, too. they're only 6 days apart in age) N and P chose a low-volume patchwork quilt, sofa size. I guess I never blogged about it... but you might have seen it on instagram.

 

 

A is 11, and chose this Roman Stripes quilt. (it's made out of the same fabrics as D & A's quilt) I made this quilt quite awhile ago- glad it's finally found someone to snuggle with...

 

(here's a tutorial on how I made it) and here's where I pieced it together- almost 8 years ago. yikes! 

 

 

baby BJ (sometimes I still call her that, even though she's 10 years old now...) chose the pinwheel quilt. I blogged about this quilt here, too. this project has been in my RSC roundup for a few years, going through several evolutions, and even thrown in as a UFO a time or two, too... but now it's "done" and we'll piece a backing for it this week, and set it aside to be quilted.

 

a couple quilts weren't chosen that I was sure would be top on the list, but that's ok. we might have a wedding in our near future, and some can live in the sewing room closet until they find a home. others will go to MCC. one way or another, all the quilts will be loved and used.

 

my instagram feed has been full of smiling children, happy faces and lots of snippets of memories in the making- not much sewing at all for me this month of December. but- of course, that's OK! i was glad to have some time with my family. when our children are small, we honestly don't' realize how fast the years will fly- because those days can really drag, can't they?

 

one day they're all grown and gone, and it's a big deal when they all come home and we can be together. enjoy those moments while you can!

 

and click on over to Angie's, too! lots of great quilts getting done!