2013 Finish-A-Long Quarter 1

As has been my habit for the last few years, it's time for another finish challenge.  I am hoping this time my habit will also be to get all the things I pledge finished! 

The 2013 Finish-A-Long is a quarterly challenge which is being hosted by Leanne at the She Can Quilt blog.  The interesting thing about this one is that the hosting duties pass to another quilter each year.  Leanne is taking over from Rhonda at Quilter In the Gap who hosted in 2012.

The rules:  post a list for each quarter of what you'd like to finish and then post the results at the end of the quarter.  The other good thing is that you can commit for each quarter individually -- so for me that means no extra guilt going forward if I don't get anything done this quarter.  Seems simple enough.  Looking back, I realize that the key for me is to try to avoid getting too diverted by introducing too many other/new projects at the same time.  I have to fully commit to the project I want to complete if I am going to get it done.

So I am going to make it easy for myself.  I'm limiting my commitments to four for each quarter in the hopes that I can designate one for each month and if I do really good, get an extra one completed as well.  Also with the quarterly deadline, I really have three months time to give to each project.  Should be doable right?

So for me the list is:

1.  Quilt Brrr!.

This one was on my list list for Judy's Patchwork Times UFO Challenge last year.  I took on too many new piecing projects and let all the quilting I needed to do fall by the wayside.  But I have long desired to have this for my winter bed quilt so there is no time like the present!  I am also encouraged to see that Vicky at the LA Quilter blog is starting on this one so watching her work on hers will further encourage me to get mine done.  Finally this also plays into my quilt word for this year -- PRACTICE.  I need to make it a priority to embrace the opportunities to "practice by doing" and banish the initimidation factor that the quilt stitching has on me once and for all.

2.  Quilt Merrimac Dresdens.

This was also on my UFO Challenge list last year  and is part of a Civil War series of quilts that I want to display in my house.  As I am also FINALLY in the process of finishing up another CW project (see this post) that was on my list for Myra's PHD (Projects Half Done) Challenge last year, I'd really like to also get this one done to continue to build up my display.

3. Finish the Modern Twist Mystery Quilt

Each year the Planet Patchwork website hosts a mystery quilt on either the Sunday after Thanksgiving or New Year's Day.  The projects are designed by Merry May (aka Merry Meyhem).  I've often read (most recently on Vicky's blog) that what you do on New Year's Day is what you'll do all year and I really wanted to start off 2013 just right so I took this one on.  The center of it is completed and I have an idea to tweak the borders beyond what the pattern called for so I have a little more work to do on this.  Also since it's my first new project of 2013, I'd also like to start a new trend -- start it this year, finish it this year!

4.  The bonus project: Quilt Check It Out.

This was the Planet Patchwork post-Thanksgiving mystery back in 2007.  At the time, I took it on because I wanted to make a neutral quilt and had just the right values and amounts of fabrics in stash to do the mystery.  But then I got stumpled on how to quilt it so its sat ever since.  I'm a little more confident in my quilting than I was then and have been thinking about ideas I want to try on it (not to mention I now have a neutral colored couch that it would look good displayed on).  And how great would it be to get both mystery quilts finished!

So that's my list.  Wish me luck and the same to you with yours!!