2019 Finish Along

Oh my poor little blog! How I've missed you!  And, if there are any readers out there...I've missed you, too!  I've missed blogs in general.  Instagram and Facebook have become my places to get my quilt fix, but I am making an effort to get back into reading and commenting on blogs.  It's just the nature of life, and of social media, I think, that things come and go.  Certainly many quilters who used to blog don't anymore.  And I may come and go many more times from the blogging scene.  But for now, I'm going to try again!  When I sat down to write tonight, I spent some time reading back through old posts.  It is just so lovely to have a record of the things I've created.  I  am sad that there are so many quilts and projects that I didn't blog about over the past few years.  This realization just might be what keeps me blogging this time!

I have decided to join the 2019 Finish A-Long.  I gave this a try back in 2017, and it was helpful in meeting some sewing goals.  I've already listed several WIP's I hope to finish this year in my planner, so why not blog about them as I work my way through the list?

There's something really satisfying about starting a list of goals, don't you think?  

Maybe I'll reconnect with some blogging friends or make some new ones!  As things often are in the quilty/bloggy world - it's a  WIN-WIN!

Goal #1: Happy Thoughts Quilt

This pretty thing got basted on New Year's Day.  It was a lovely start to 2019!

This is my "youngest" WIP, however it has been in progress for almost a year.  This is the Happy Thoughts quilt by Allison at Woodberry Way.  It is a really lovely pattern and I'm happy with the colors I've used here.  This quilt was started in January, 2018 for a friend who had just started chemotherapy.  I had every intention of finishing it while she was still undergoing chemo.  When that didn't happen, I thought maybe I could finish it during the 12 weeks of radiation that followed the chemo.  Then, I thought it would be a good celebration quilt on her last radiation day.  Now, well. it's a quilt to say, "Hey.  Last year sucked.  It really, really did.  This year is going to be better, and here's a quilt to prove it!"  Or something like that.  I'm looking at it as a celebration quilt, and true to its name it will be given with many "Happy Thoughts."

Not many things make me happier than quilting on a snowy day.

Quilting is currently in progress.  So, I am hopeful that binding and a label will be added quickly once that is done.  A promising start to my First Quarter list!

Goal #2: Mini Quilt
Sometime in early 2016, I exchanged round robin quilt centers with my quilting pen-pal.  We had planned to keep sending the tops back and forth until the creator of the center decided her top was "finished."  I hoped for a completed mini quilt out of the experience, but my pen pal had her sights set on a bed quilt.  Somewhere in the process, we stopped corresponding.  I'm not sure why.  I miss our letters and packages.  I see her posts on Facebook from time to time, but we are no longer pen pals.  I wonder if she ever finished her quilt?  I ended up with a top that was just too big to be the mini I envisioned.  She had added a border that was about 9 inches wide, adding 18 inches to each side!  I recently took that border off, and now plan to finish it at this size (or maybe just one more, thin round).

Hmmm.  One more border to finish off the "Star" in the corners?  Or, call it done?  Or, take it apart at the navy inner border and redesign the outer rounds?  Choices, choices.

 Goals #3 and #4: Mini-Mini & Mug Rug
The corners of the last border my pen-pal added to my "Mini" were beautifully pieced stars.  Those will become a mini-mini and a mug rug to keep next to my machine.  The bonus is that they will coordinate with my new mini quilt!

Goal #5: Rope Bowl
This is just something I pulled out of my WIP basket in the closet.  There are several things in there that will take less than an hour or two to finish.  I have no idea why they're not done already  I've listed them as Quick WIP's in my planner, and intend to finish one or two each quarter.  I have no idea when or why I started this rope bowl.  It will make a nice auction or raffle donation, or possibly a gift when it's done!

Yes, it will be good to get this out of the WIP basket.  What a tangled mess!

I am feeling very energized and optimistic about finishing these WIP's during this first quarter!  I'm also loving the process of putting this post together.  Sewing and creating are good for my soul, my mind and my spirit.  Writing is too.  I look forward to following all of those Finish-A-Longer's out there.  Here's to steady progress and checking off goals!

I'm linking up at Sarah Goer Quilts, but there are lots of hosts for the FAL this year!  So much fun!