From A - 2015 Finish Along Q3 Goals

It's that time again...time for another list of Finish Along goals.

I accomplished so few of my Q1 goals that I when I went to compile a list of Q2 goals, I realized that the list was almost identical. Discouraged, I decided that I would sit out Q2 and focus on trying to check a few things off my list so that I could get excited about Q3 with a fresh list of goals.

There are still quite a few stragglers on this list but I was able to make room for a couple of new projects so I decided it was time to get back on the band wagon.

1. Superstar Lonestar Quilt

An oldie from 2013. This quilt is all done and ready for binding. I still need to beg for some more OOP yardage for my binding but assuming that's successful, this should be pretty quick to finish up.

2. P & B Swoon Quilt

The binding has been cut and pieced. Just need to sew it to the quilt top and do the hand stitching. Totally manageable.

3. Saltwater Quilt

This quilt has also been quilted and is just waiting for a binding (you be sensing a bit of a theme here). Looking forward to getting this done. I always forget how much work goes into making a queen-sized quilt.

4. Donuts Quilt

This is the last of the almost finished quilts that needs to be bound. Looks like I'll spend most of my quarter curled up on the couch with needle in hand!

5. Big Charming Quilt

The top is finished and I have a plan for the back. Just need to piece the backing before I can send it off to be quilted.

6. Spoolish Quilt

6 of the 15 blocks needed for this quilt are finished. There are lots of tiny pieces in this quilt so it will be a bit of an adventure but hopefully I can stick with it for the last 9.

7. Meadow Quilt

An old WIP from a Lizzy House workshop I took back in 2013 right before moving to California. I worked on the blocks during the move but never actually got the whole thing wrapped up. I want to finish this by August so I can take it to Toronto with me in the Lizzy House Mystery Quilt class I signed up for.

8. Square Dance Quilt

I'm hoping this quilt will be a walk in the park, a weekend commitment at best. I already have the print fabrics cut and now just need to cut the background fabric. Really looking forward to this one since Denyse Schmidt is one of my quilt heros and I think this will be the perfect way to showcase some of my favourite prints. 

10. Two Pairs of Stripey Socks

Gearing up for vacation, I decided to cast on a couple of pairs of socks. I really love knitting with self-striping yarn and these socks are no exception. The first pair is well underway and the second one is still in the planning stage.

10. Snowfling Mitts

I started these in November 2013, just after seeing Kelsey's pair in real life. They are so wonderfully warm and cozy. I really want to get them finished before too much longer. There's still lots to do so we'll see how I make out.

11. Hiro Pullover

This sweater was on my Q1 list but got derailed when I was studying for the bar exam last winter. I really want to finish it but I've lost a ton of weight in the last few months and now it's way too big. A good problem to have but I'm still trying to work up the courage to rip and re-knit.

12. Striped Shawl

I knit a shawl using this gorgeous yarn. At this point it just needs to have the ends woven in and a good blocking. Shouldn't take too long but I am notorious for avoiding finishing work so we'll see.

It's an ambitious list but I'm crossing my fingers that I'll make some progress this quarter.

From A - Spoolish Quilt

Just over a week ago, I headed into the stash closet to dig up some fabric for the Quilt the Book insanity that Rachel talked me into joining. After not immediately finding what I was looking for, I instead grabbed a long forgotten quilt kit that I bought on a bright pink induced whim and set aside for a day when I would be crazy enough talented enough to actually take it on.

Coming in at 612 triangle pieces for a twin size quilt or 52 pieces per pieced spool block, this is the kind of project where you want take a bit of time to work out a proper 1/4" seam allowance. A lesson I only learned after my first block ended up a little wonkier than I might have liked.

Seam allowance issues resolved, things have begun chugging along nicely enough and my blocks are starting to lay flatter and be more uniform in size. I managed to wrap up block 5 of 15 this morning and am actually enjoying the process enough to be excited about the 10 remaining blocks.

Quite a change in attitude when you consider that when I bought this kit, part of me thought that I would never actually work up the courage to make it. Turns out it wasn't the scary green eyed monster in my (stash) closet that I'd made it out to be...

Linking up to WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced.

From A - Donuts Quilt

Back in the early part of this year, things were really really busy. I had virtually no sewing time and needed to find other (less time consuming) outlets for my crafty inclinations. I started pulling fabric stacks for quilts I would never get around to making as a stopgap until things eased up.

Surprisingly, the act of planning the quilt was enough and by never aiming to actually make the planned quilt, I avoided the stress of overloading my to-do list. A few of the stacks got posted to Instagram but that's really where things ended off.

Now that I have a little more time, I keep thinking about actually making some of these "planned quilts" and have finally started doing just that.

The first stack I grabbed started from one of my favourite prints in Liberty of London's Bloomsbury Gardens collection, Lytton in Magenta.

The mix of magenta, chartreuse, teal and navy in a varied bouquet of flowers just makes my heart sing but when I started pulling fabrics for my quilt, I ended up substituting the magentas in the original print for corals. The final stack of prints is reminiscent of the original print but definitely stands on its own.

A couple of weekends ago, I got to cutting out my fabrics and perfecting my Donuts Quilt layout.

 

The quilt top got finished last weekend and I sent it off to be quilted earlier this week. I'm hoping to share the finished quilt soon!

Linking up to WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced.