I love participating in the quarterly Finish-A-Long challenges each year! I don't always (um, make that never) finish all my projects, but it really helps keep me focused on the ones that need my attention. Like many of my fellow quilters, I'm a card-carrying squirrel-chaser and distraction is my middle name. Whenever I begin to feel like I've wandered off and fallen down the rabbit hole, I can always turn to my planning wall to see what is next on my Finish-A-Long list :*)
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| This list obviously wasn't quite finished LOL!!! |
Don't get me wrong - I love chasing squirrels with happy abandon! Some of my favorite quilts have come from that instinctive latching onto the shiny new thing. And sometimes it's a really fun surprise to find a project long forgotten at the bottom of a pile - often it just needs enough love to finish the borders or a binding. It's good to sometimes step back from a current project and just work on something mindless and fun. I find that I usually come back to it re-energized and stoked with new ideas.
But I am by nature a methodical girl. I love a Plan! And the only thing I love more than a Plan is working the Plan :*) The more organized something is, the better chance it has of actually getting done in my universe.
Procrastination is my nemesis, and lack of focus my deadly enemy! Preparation is the key for me to be successful in getting my quilts to the finish line, and the quarterly Finish-A-Long challenges fit into my planning goals perfectly.
What I love most about the Finish-A-Long is that it works in quarters, so I can plan my projects more long term than right now, or this week, or this month. Even though I may be hot and heavy into En Provence or I Believe right now, with the Q1 list in front of me, I am also planning for the next couple of months. I know to be looking for more blue and orange fabrics to go with the ones I have pulled for Hudson's Dreaming of Planes quilt the next time I'm in a fabric shop. One quick glance reminds me to get the back stitched together for Soul Searching so that will be ready when my friend Joanne has a day open to let me come quilt it on her longarm. And when I finish a project, I never have to ask myself "what's next?" - I just go to the next one on the list!
So without further ado - here's a list of my projects for the Q1 Finish-A-Long challenge this year, in no particular order. Can you spot them in the collage at the top of the post?
Dreaming of Planes - this is a cuddle quilt for grandson Hudson. I've made him a couple of small baby quilts, but he has informed me that now he is FIVE, his "baby" quilt is no longer long enough to cover his toes. Can you tell that his favorite color is ORANGE? Yes, the brighter and bolder the better, just like him. The white polka dot orange in the background is a Minkee for a cuddly, snugly backing :*)
I Believe Sampler - this is my Christmas UFO for January and I've posted several times about it recently. You can click on the name to see these posts.
En Provence - this is self-explanatory of course! Bonnie's quilt is a beauty this year and we are seeing pictures of it all over the Blogaverse. I'm making the small version with the hope of finishing it quickly. All of my pieces are made and I'm assembling blocks now :*)
Bind Amish Beauties, Strip Stax, and Happy - these are long finished quilts that have languished on the Binding shelf! It's time for me to get 'em done!!!
Cool Diehl - this quilt is my homage quilt to Kim Diehl. I love her quilts and, even though I am not a fan of reproduction fabrics, her fabrics are definitely the exception. I love the light and joy in her fabrics and this quilt has been a joy to do! It's a small one - only 28 inches square :*)
Soul Searching - one of my favorite Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilts from a few years ago. It's number has come up on my guild's UFO Challenge, so it will be quilted and bound this month.
Talkin' Turkey - one of Bonnie Hunter's patterns that I've been making with friends. Working on the pieced borders!
Christmas Tree Mugrugs - I have three to finish - two are ready to quilt! Pattern is from Kevin the Quilter if you want to make a few yourself :*)
Sassy Circles - my improv circle project from a class taken with Jane Sassaman last summer
Rami Kim Bag - a bag project from a class taken with Rami Kim last year at Quiltfest. She will be there again this year, so I'd love to have this done to show her :*)
I would absolutely love to finish all of these in the next 3 months!!! It would be a miracle of course LOL :*) But I am shooting for at least half of them, and I think I can get more than that done. Wish me luck!
There are several sites you can choose to go to enjoy the Q1 Finish-A-Long projects being shared this year - it is now global!!! I'm sharing at Leanne's at She Can Quilt - hope you will join me there!
Hugs & Blessings!
Teresa
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