A UFO Year

I know I say that every year, but there are about nine or ten UFOs that I'd really like to get finished in 2009.

I'm working on this one now. It'll be my Merry & Bright Christmas quilt next year! I want to finish the top today and piece the backing so I can start off the year with a bust! I can do it!!

While this one is not technically a UFO but a Christmas gift, I want to get it together and in line for sending off to be quilted. I'll embellish it after the quilting is done. Lady Baltimore, thank you again and again for the beautiful blocks, strips and yardage! You went way overboard as my 12 Days of Christmas partner!

The Prairie Paisley Patchwork Party top needs borders. There are at least four borders, my least favorite thing to do. But this quilt is my absolute favorite, so it's going up at the top of the list of UFOs to complete! The backing will be a bust.

Also on the list is Butterfly Kisses. I stopped at the point of this picture, but I can finish the top in one weekend. Finishing kit and backing will be a bust.

Thimbleberries' Hometown Christmas is on the list. The remaining blocks are cut. I just need to sit down and sew them up and assemble the top. I've waived doing the pieced/appliqued borders. I'm going to do a plain inner and outer border and call it good. Backing will be a bust.

Red and white shooting stars will be finished, too. I want to make it bigger than it is now. The red squares and white background blocks are cut out. I just need to devote a weekend to it. I don't know how big it will be. I'll just sew on it until I get tired of it. This is the UFO tub pictured above, and is all from stash. The entire quilt will be a bust.

I also have started blocks for green trees on a white with black print background. I need to assess how many blocks are done. I think I want to forego any borders, and maybe just put a red binding on it. It would look nice hanging on the foot board of my bed at Christmastime. This was from stash also, and it will all be a bust.

The priority UFO list has the Split Star Quilt for an Hour that Judy gave us in 2008. All the blocks are made, so I just need to lay it out and follow her perfect instructions to finish. This was the one I made out of my collection of Dimples fabric. Another stash quilt. Only the backing will count as a bust.

I also have a Bento Box quilt already cut out. Jane and I had a cutting weekend and this was one that I cut. It should go together easily and quickly, and it's a stash quilt.

I've only two quilts that I've obligated myself to - in my mind - this year. Both will be from stash. The first is a sofa quilt requested by my niece, Kyra. I have already pulled the fabric and will use Judy's Buttons and Bows pattern. This was a free pattern that she so generously posted on her blog. I think it will be pretty out of an older Fig Tree line from the stash.

The other new quilt that I want to do this year is an Underground Railroad quilt for Rachel, my future niece-in-law. I certainly have enough Civil War fabrics in the stash to pull this together. I just need to find the book. I know it's up there on the bookshelves.

Now, I haven't mentioned applique at all on my want-to-do list, but I do try to applique some each day during the week. There are lots of applique projects in the works. I have a lot of BOMs that will finish up this year, and I'm real excited about those, too!

Judy and I chatted a bit last night about my being paralyzed by my stash. I started boxing up what's on the shelves yesterday in anticipation of switching around the stash room. Oh, Lordy, I filled a big tub, a medium tub and three file boxes, and have only cleared a shelf and a half. I don't know. Judy suggested I start making donation quilts, 60 x 80. I thought about that for a long time last night, and I'm doing to do it. I will be using the stash that I'm not as excited about any more. My goal right now is to make one between each of the UFO finishes. It will be a good opportunity for me to dig in my stash of patterns and books and try those out. But the best part is that someone will be receiving a comfort quilt. Yep, I'm going to do it. Maybe I can get at least six or eight made this year from the stash.

So there you have it! Sewing will take my mind off other things, and I really enjoy the process. All of projects I've listed are very doable. If I stay off the computer!!