WOOFA & PHD

This blog title sounds governmental, doesn't it, with all the acronyms? They're actually kind of one in the same. WOOFA means "Working On Or Finishing A ..." project, UFO, whatever. PHD stands for Projects Half Done. Either way, they both provide encouragement towards finishing a project. What a great idea! *Squirrel* Hahaha!

Last month I was determined to finish the cross-stitch project that I'd started a long while ago and I worked on it, and worked on it, and worked on it. I can say that it is done now! That one definitely falls into the WOOFA category.

I think this was a Lori Holt pattern. I know it was offered freely as a SAL through Fat Quarter Shop. It will fit nicely into an 8"x10" frame. Just need to find the right frame.

Last month I also finished a quilting project that was on my PHD2021 list. Sew Spooky top is finished. It will more than likely be quilted next year. Doubt I'll have time this year.

I have to include this picture also. I took it from a different angle and the sky was so pretty!

This checks off one of my PHD2021 projects. You'll notice I did just that on the right-hand sidebar.

What will I try to bring forward in July? First thing will be the little Wool Christmas SAL. It has to be done by August 10th so, if I can give it a really good push this month, I won't have to hurry it along in August. This picture is incomplete. All the borders and the "Merry Christmas" have been added. I'll get a better picture later. This wall hanging is listed on my PHD2021 list to be quilted and bound.

The other project I hope to focus on this month is Afternoon Delight. It was the QAL last year from The Quilt Show. The pattern was from Sue Garmen. This week I finished my 29th block (out of 40!).

I started this one. It's going to take a while since there's so many edges to needle-turn applique! I hope to get several of the Afternoon Delight blocks done this month ... maybe 5???

So those are my WOOFA and PHD projects for July. Wish me luck!

Linking up my WOOFA with Cheryll at Gone Stitchin'.

Purple, A Flimsy Finish, and a Quilt Show!

My local quilt guild, Hearts 'n' Hands, presents a quilt show every other year. We were supposed to have one this year, but we weren't able to meet this past year to prepare for it. So, the Quilt Show Committee decided to have a virtual quilt show! Besides displaying over 200 quilts, there is also a 12-minute bed-turning and a few vendors! You can check it all out On This Link. There are some really pretty quilts in here which just goes to show the talent of this group. Maybe you should grab a cup of coffee to enjoy the show!

The Rainbow Scrap Challenge's color for June is purple. Nice pick, Angela! Last month I had a hard getting any sewing time in but I am determined to make a better effort this month. My sewing group met yesterday for some "sewing with friends" time. I prepared by selecting & cutting fabric Thursday night and got the Lotus block sewn Friday. Yay! Purple!

While I was packing up my car this morning, look what I found under the handle of my Explorer. I moved him out to take his picture.

Cute little tree frog. I love their song! After I moved him using a twig, he sang his little heart out on the window sill.

Last Tuesday I met with my LQS's UFO Challenge group. This group meets every other month so it was nice to see these gals again.  At the end of the last meeting, Cindy (our fearless leader) pulled #2 so the project I was to work on that corresponded with #2 was the Halloween BOM. Turns out the pattern was called Sew Spooky and it was copyrighted 2012. That means that I probably started this project in 2012 or 2013. Time to get it done. What put me behind was the candy corn border. I was terrified to sew strips together, then cut triangles out of it along with a background fabric, and then sew it back together and still have a straight row. So now I had to in order to get this project finished ... and I did!

Scary Candy Corn Border. Ha!

It really wasn't as hard as I had thought it would be but I must say that it took me a LONG time to get done. I was being so very careful. Then it was time to sew on all the borders, including the bat border that I worked on in the car on my way to MD! You can see all about that HERE.

And here is the finished top. I say finished but there are a few buttons that still need to be sewn on. I can't do that until it is quilted which will probably be another UFO Challenge project for next year! This quilt, besides satisfying one of the projects for the 2021 UFO Challenge, is also on my 2021 PHD list. Hip! Hip! Hooray! For double-dipping!

Sew Spooky complete with spooky sky behind it!

This was a fun quilt to make. Some of the blocks had pieces from a panel. Some had applique some of which I did in wool and others I did on the machine. Some had embroidery. Here's a close-up of the blocks.

Block with Wool Pumpkins and Crow

Wool Ghosts
Panel Windows
Embroidered "BOO"

Panel Barn Door with Embroidered Cobwebs
Embroidered Cobweb Windmill

Wool Moon and Broom Bristles
Panel Lower Windows & Witch's Feet
Embroidered Cobwebs in Windows

Wool Cat & Star
Embroidered Smoke
"Flappy" Quilt (See Below)

 

Pretty sure I mentioned that I was going to sew with Laundry Basket Designs (Edyta Sitar). Last month, the day after Mother's Day started this block a day SAL. Of course going out of town put me way behind. Let's be honest though. I was behind before we left. Anyway,  Edyta did her quilt in blues & whites. I decided to sew mine in browns & creams. I worked on Blocks 4 & 5 today.

Blocks #4 - 100% Finished

Sneak Peek at Block #5

Because I certainly didn't have enough going on while socializing with my friends, I also had another set of blocks in the works. These will be my RSC May (Red) Irish Courthouse blocks.

I did start sewing them a bit right before I left but decided to leave them for Saturday. Did I mention we sew for two days!!??! Lucky me! It'll probably be my last hurrah for a while as Hubby goes in for his surgical hernia repair on Wednesday. Show time 5:30am. UGH!

Let's not think about that for now and just bask in my finished flimsy. Here's one last photo and it's a close-up!

I'll see you back here next week if not before. 

Getting My PHD in 2020

Yes, that's right! I hope to be earning my PHD this year. Not a scholarly type but cleaning out my Projects Half Done! Gail over at QuiltingGail will be organizing it and I look forward to finishing up a few (that's a laugh -- lots of!!!) projects started. You can also do this by linking up here.

Starting with #1: My Snowman Quilt, a lap-sized kit I bought from Hickory Stick, Hannibal MO, on a Kinderhook retreat. I finished piecing this at a Todd Hall retreat years ago. It needs to be backed, quilted, and finished off.

#2: Scrap Dance 2-Step. This was a fun mystery quilt-a-long with My Carolina Home a few years ago (2017). I wanted to make it a bit bigger and had a GRAND idea to piece a migrating geese border. Got it organized then proceeded to chicken out. I truly want to work this border, then get it backed quilted, and finished off.

#3: Star In a Star. This was the Twisted Sisters Quilt from     . This is so close to finished, it really isn't funny. Sew the ginormous blocks together and sew up the four cornerstones. Final assembly, back it, quilt it, and bind it. Do it!

#4: Sew Spooky BOM. I started this project with my BFF Vickie. I had been visiting her and we went to a quilt shop - surprise! surprise! We both fell in love with an amazing Halloween BOM, signed up, and kept up mostly. We did a lot of motivating on each other's parts too. I kind of forget how she was doing her blocks, but I chose to put in some wool applique. I love the blocks I completed so it is now time to git 'er done!

#5: Blowin' in the Wind. How many times has this been on my UFO list? OMG! Way too many times and it still sits. It started as a mystery quilt-a-long with my local quilt shop, Rosemary's Fabrics. I love this top but I really need to finish this one up! After all, I made it for my own bed!!!

#6: Hugs & Kisses, aka Riptide. This quilt has been on my UFO list in the past and never got to the finish line. This year!!!!

#7: A Very Merry Christmas to You. Started this QAL with Suzn Quilts. Got caught up with the holidays, followed by my guild's quilt show, blah, blah, blah. Would love to finish this one up.

#8: Easter Wall Hanging. This one is so "done" that it is already pin-basted and ready to be quilted & bound. This ought to be an easy finish .... as soon as I find it again! UGH!

#9: Eva Grace. I really need to get going on this one. It was designed by Irene Blanck from Australia and I started it in October 2018 when Irene visited my TAS group. It is applique so it'll be a longer work-in-progress.

#10: Kyoto. This was a yet another mystery quilt-a-long. This time with Jinny Beyer's blog and it is hand-pieced. I worked REALLY HARD to get this one done for the 2019 UFO Challenge at another local quilt shop, OSew Personal. Got to the borders so I really should be able to finish this one off this year.

#11: Shark Bite. This one started off as a Leader & Ender project with Bonnie Hunter that ended up morphing with a quilt I saw on the cover of a magazine. Fred named it one day when I was laying it out to see what it was shaping up to look like.

#12: Tiny Tuesday. This was Rainbow Scrap Challenge for 2019. So fun to put together. I've got ideas for finishing this one up. Let's move it!

#13: Hospital Sketches. Another quilt-a-long, only this time with Barbara Brackman's Civil War blog. Need to sew the blocks together, back it, quilt it, and finish it up.

There are several more that I'd like to add but I think a lucky 13 number of projects will be enough to set for my 2020 goals. Maybe I'll have these finished early and can add a few more finishes. Right, Sue, dream on!

In the meantime, I'll be thinking long & hard about what projects I'd like to do for Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2020! I also need to update my blog page. Happy New Year!!