January was Quite Contrary!

January is over and I've made progress on my #6 - Flannel Crazy Quilt

When I started it looked like this:

I had many other commitments this month, so my flannel crazy quilt was still just a sew-between, but still after sitting in a box for 13 years, even a sew-between is progress!

I also hit a speedbump when I sewed all the wrong pieces together because I thought I would just get a little bit done at midnight, when my eyes were already bleary.

It's not quilted and bound, but I'm further along than I was! And that's my overall goal. To get further along in my projects and not to add to my UFO list.

Here is what it looks like now:

My daughter and her friend are holding up my flimsy. Should I put a border on it? Right now it's a small, but cozy throw.

But of course my son had to get in on the action!

Also, I've decided to update my UFO Challenge list slightly.

1. Road to California

2. Christmas Bauble Runner

3. Around the World Cottage Quilt

4. Old Tobacco Road

5. Kaleidescope Quilt

6. Flannel Crazy Quilt My January Project!

7. Cameron's Calender Quilt

8. Greenpiece **CHANGE**

This needs to be finished, quilted and bound.

9. Robot Quilt

10. Rhapsody in Bloom **CHANGE**

This needs to be quilted and bound.

11. Cinder's Best Day

12. Roll, Roll, Cotton Boll

Cheers,

Dionne

#6 has a ways to go!

The first number of the 2011 UFO Challenge has been issued. The first project we will attempt is #6. In my list, #6 is a Crazy Flannel Quilt. I pulled out my project box to take a look at what state this project is in.

I started this project before I had children. My oldest is now thirteen. It's old. I took a look at the directions to figure out my next move.

These directions are quite funny. It was a class I had taken at a quilt shop called Country Sewing Center in Elk Grove, California. I live several states away now, and I don't know if that shop is still open. But if it is, and you live around there, check it out. It was a nice little shop. Just in case you didn't get a good look at the directions, take another quick look.

Do you see what is missing? No where in any of those sheets does it tell me what size the finished quilt is meant to be. It doesn't say what size the block should finish to, nor how many blocks are required. I figure since it's a crazy quilt, and there is only one block to make it all depends on what I decide. But still the directions are very vague, with statements like - "...and will be demonstrated if you don't understand."

I also found, and this is so amusing to me, I found mylar templates! I haven't used mylar templates in... well, I guess in about thirteen years! Thank goodness I have finished up all the cutting because I don't think I would want to deal with cutting from a template!

There were also twelve finished blocks that measure approximately 10 inches and haven't yet been squared up. My son asked me to include his robot dog in my picture of the blocks.

There are also enough pieces cut to make an additional 28 blocks. So I think I thats where I'll start, piecing 28 more blocks.

Cheers,

Dionne

WOW! I got the deal of the Century

It was a rainy afternoon on Friday. I had groceries in the back of my car and a glance at the clock told me the kids would be getting off school in little more than an hour. Still, the sign for a garage sale in my neighborhood caught my eye and I stopped.

Good thing I did. There on a table was a large box marked "Fabric" -- Cool, I thought, just what I need. Well, probably not really. My stash seems to be pro-creating on it's own right now, but a deal is a deal so I dove right in. Beside, maybe I would find something vintage in there.

Well, nothing vintage to be found. In fact, it was actually a box of mostly acetate and polyester curtains. Go figure! But there in the bottom of the box all crunched up in a ball was a crazy quilt in pinks and greens.

Now, I don't really go for those colors myself, but I couldn't let this little gem go sitting in the bottom of that dark, dank box, could I? No, I knew you would agree. That little thing needed liberating. It hasn't been quilted and there is no batting so I believe it's meant to be a nice little table topper for a breakfast table, perhaps.

I asked the hostess how much she wanted for it and she seemed surprised to even see it. "That thing, not even sure what it's for, you can have it for free." she said.

Free? Did I hear that right? Yes, indeedy do. I pushed her for more information, but she had no idea about where it came from or who made it. Sadly there was no label.

Who do you think made it? Perhaps it was a gift that didn't receive a proper reception. I hope not.

Cheers,

Dionne

UFOM #3 - Flannel Crazy Quilt

It seems that all my 'miracle' finds have been from really early in my quilting career.



This one is a crazy quilt made entirely from flannels. I have all the directions and some templates that I made out of plastic. The directions say you should be a confident beginner or better.




I have a lot of fabric here that is uncut. It seems I wanted it to look very scrappy and not at all patterned, because I have only used the templates that I created on some of the "squares" and on many I just stitched pieces together.



I use the word squares very loosely, as none are in an actual square shape, and the sizes are somewhat nebulous. Aside from the fabric and templates, I do have several "squares" finished, and it looks like I was going for a Queen size quilt.



I also have two ziploc bags stuffed full of more fabric that has been cut according to the templates -- I guess at some point I was planning on using the templates, but then gave up(?) Who knows!



All in all, I think I'll like having this quilt around once it's done (finally) because Flannel should be very cozy. I still haven't acclimated to the cooler climate here.

I love the green, green, green of it all, the beautiful mountains and being surrounded with so much water. But it seems, after two years, I am still constantly cold!

Maybe I'll use wool batting on this one~!