UFO Challenge and 17 UFOs in 2017 Report

January is over and it's time to report on my progress with these old projects.

First off ( and also the one I did for the 17 UFOs in 2017 challenge) was my Anna's Garden.  It was probably the fact I had to report that I got done - not one - but three applique blocks and did 1/3 of the prepping on a fourth block. That fourth one doesn't look like much. It represents cutting the background, numbering the templates, cutting out the paper templates, and constructing freezer paper copies reversed. Luckily it only has 16 pieces.  This  makes almost 10 out of 21 applique blocks for the quilt. The last 4 are piecework.  You can see my first 6 here.

The "17 in 2017" is every three weeks. The 23rd I started to work on these string blocks a la Bonnie Hunter. I'm trying to use up strings of fabric. I had four done and managed in a week to finish 5 more and start on another three. Still haven't decided how I'm going to lay them out.

That's my report - no finishes, but some progress.  Working on #9 this time as per Judy.  Again, making blocks. Judy's post is here for February.

I hope you get to quilt today.

On my Design Wall

First, the EPP giveaway is still open. Just scroll down to Fourth WIPs Be Gone.

On one of my design walls is a new (yet again) baby quilt top.  Recently I sold some books at my Guild during their annual Yard Sale.  The only one that didn't sell was Nearly Insane by Liz Lois.  I brought it home and thought what can I do with it.  When I first saw it, I loved it, but then thought, "do I really want to make those finished 5 1/2" squares with all those teeny, tiny pieces?"  No.  However, I'd bought it and even tried to send it to another home with no luck. Then the light bulb turned on.  Why not make some of the blocks into exploded block baby quilt tops? Yes!   I like doing the math and the challenge of seeing if I can make them into 30" squares.

The size of the pieces rules out scraps - a winning situation for a stash buster. So I pulled some fabric, from one of my many bags in those closet drawers.  Here's Nearly Insane block #1 exploded to 30" square:

It's ready to sandwich and quilt.  This will be a neonatal quilt so I will do that myself.  It will come off the wall today and the previous top will go back onto it.  I added the last two sides and am now making four patches for the next round.

This one is for St. Anne's and will finish 36" square.

I'm suppose to be concentrating on two ---- (which I call WIPs) right now, however life does get in the way.  I was searching through my stash for fabric to give away yesterday and found:

It's only 18" wide, not enough to do much with, and a bit muted for me. I set it aside for donating.  Then in another drawer I pulled out a small panel (10 x 11). Looking at it I began to feel a "spontaneous construction" coming on.  This is the second time this has happened to me. Before I knew it, I was cutting up the striped material and sewing it to the panel to come up with:

That spontaneous construction still has me in its grip. I wonder where it will lead me next.

Linking up to Judy at Patchwork Times and others under my linky parties tab.  Beware of 'SC'.

Some of This, Some of That

First off the EPP papers giveaway is still active. See top, sidebar.  As to the stash:  Nothing came in - yeah.  Used bits of scraps for my applique block and hexies to the total of a 0.06 yd.  Another bit of scraps in leaders and enders hourglass blocks for another measly 0.04 yd.  Then I made a neonatal top using .62 yd.  and donated 2.13 yds of fabric to the guild. My YTD is now 12.93 yds destashed.  I'm going to have to be more ruthless as I go through piles of fabric and just "let go" of some of it. Sigh.  Do you have that problem?

I had made a goal of finishing off my hexie ring, doing a bit of FMQ quilting [curvy lines instead of straight] on that St. Anne's quilt and start on my next WIP (I refuse to call them UFOs -hehe) for 17 ---- for 2017 for last Sunday.  They turned out to be my week's goals. I did work on two of them and got a bit done. Here's the quilt in progress and one fourth of a scrap block:

As soon as I publish this I'm off to do some hexies and maybe get a motif in on my ancient one.  That should do it for this week's slow stitching.

What are you up to?  Are you doing some slow stitching today?  It's a beautiful clear, 80 degrees day outside.  The patio rocker is calling me to come out a sit a spell.  Hope you get to ply a needle today. 

Linking to Judy's Patchwork Times and some other linky parties in my tab above. Blessings,