To Do Tuesday: Back from NC and the Start of March

 Well, we are back from North Carolina and the fun of attending Quilt Con in Raleigh (the link is to just one of many reviews of the show).  I was also able to get to attend a meeting of the Tar River Piecemakers Quilt Guild, my MIL's guild that I also joined as a member last year.  

When we returned, I was surprised to see that not much remained of last weekend's Northeast blizzard which we thankfully missed.  I had hoped that being away would be a lot like being home during a blizzard --- a good time to get some focused quilting done!  That's not quite what happened but I'm joining in anyway with everyone linking up for "To Do Tuesday" hosted by Carol over at "Quilt Schmilt" to review a few of the things I did get to while I was away.

Before we left, the list of things on my last "To Do Tuesday" report was as follows:

1.  I will continue quilting "Modern Twist" until we leave then it will travel down with me and I will continue work on it down there.

It traveled down with me but we were so busy on the trip that I didn't even touch it while there.  

That's it in the bag on top and there's also another project down inside the box.

However, I did get to longarm another UFO but more on that in another post.  Since The Quilted Forest has picked the next UFO number for March (#7),  I've decided that like last month, I'll make another "UFO Challenge Executive Decision":  I'm slotting in the UFO I finished as my February UFO project and moving "Modern Twist" (again!) into the new March UFO slot.  Hopefully this time I will get it done once and for all.  

One of the lectures I attended at Quilt Con was "Modern Machine Quilting" given by Christa Watson.  In it she talked about and showed examples of quilts that were free-motion quilted in ways that veered away from traditional stitching aesthetics.  The patterns stitched on them focused on using Geometric motifs and/or using multiple contrasting stitch elements (aka "graffitti quilting") or even combining handwork with machine work.  

From what she showed I did get some ideas about how to approach something I wanted to try on this quilt so maybe this will be a chance to put some of that lecture inspiration to work!

2.  I might still try for at least cutting out the next "Alaska" BOM blocks but that will depend on if time permits before we leave.  Worse come to worse, work on this project will wait until our return.  

And so it has!  So I am hoping to cut the next block this week.  Once again I have four to make so want to do an easy "one block a week" production schedule.  

The good news is that I have a few pieces of the parts I need for them already cut, leftovers from previous cutting sessions.

After this, I only have two more blocks to make for the center of the quilt and a big bunch of border blocks so I can make an enlarged version of "Alaska" that I have a picture of.  I had printed it out from Edyta's blog at some point but can't seem to find it there now.  

Having missed working on blocks last month this means I'm a month behind schedule but I am looking forward to putting all the blocks made to date up on the design wall together after I finish the ones for this month.  Then I hope I can stay on track from here on in and get this to a top by Summer's end.  

We are scheduled to go back to my MIL's in September so I'm thinking now that this may be one of the quilts I'd like to take and try to longarm on that trip.

3.  Working on the layout of the QOV top will likely be another "take with" project but I may start some of the cutting for the other parts before we go.

Unfortunately I didn't get any work done on this layout that I had pulled fabric for before I left.

However it turned out that it was a good thing I didn't!  When we got to NC,  I got more information about the grant that the Patriotic Bee of the Guild got for their Quilt of Valor efforts.  The grant has allowed the Bee to purchase fabric in bulk that members can now "shop" and be given for the purpose of the making the QOV designs of their choice.  

So I was able to pick up two sets of fabrics.  I got the two additional fabrics I needed for adding to the layout to use for the background and for the borders.  I also got a tone-on-tone that may replace the print I had picked out for framing the assorted prints in the center.  I also picked up two prints to  add to the fabrics I had already pulled and give me some additional options to make the choices for the final layout.  

The second set of fabrics I picked up were for another design I wanted to do for the QOV ministry:

"Freedom Stars"

I had hoped to get this completely made up while we were there so I could leave the top with my MIL to give to one of the Bee leaders.  However I only managed to get the squares for it cut out, the star points pieced and I purchased a little more fabric to fill out the color balance in the layout.  I managed to get four rows sewn up while the longarm was stitching out sections of the UFO I worked on.  So now I will have to mail the top back down once I finish it.  I am hoping I can also get the second one made up as well so I can mail both at the same time. 

The way it works with the Patriotic Bee is that when you make a top you submit it along with $20 and one of the Bee members provides the backing and batting for it (which was also purchased in bulk with the grant) and will quilt it up.  When the quilted quilt is returned to you, you are responsible for binding it and then resubmitting it for awarding at the guild's annual November Veterans event.  

Since we are due to go back to NC in September and if I can send the tops down early,  I am hoping they will have been quilted by then and then I can do the finishing work on them during that trip.    

4.  Continue the "Year of the Horse" cross stitching and hopefully complete it before we leave.

While I didn't get it done before we left, the good news is that I managed to work on stitching about 3/4s it while we were in NC.  Then I was able to finish the last of it on the drive home during the stretch from North Carolina to about halfway through Virginia.  After that I took over the driving from DH until we reached Maryland.

I've already picked out the fabrics I will use to "fully finish" it so am hoping that can get done this week as well.

5.  Continue stitching the first "Hexie Snowflake" block to its background.  The rest will be packed up to travel.

Before we left, I still had about half of this block left to stitch down to its background:

This is another of the things I didn't get to either before the trip or during the drive down.  However, once there, I found time to finish up that block:

I also got about half of the papers pulled out of the next block while we were in NC and finished pulling the rest of the papers on the last leg of the drive home after DH took over the driving again.  I worked on that during the stretch from Jersey to The Bronx.  DH took the day off from work yesterday so while we cleared out the DVR, I got the block pinned to its background:

So now it's ready for the final stitch down.  I was able to purchase something at the Quilt Con show that I'm hoping will help with an issue I had stitching the first block down:  

When I had worked on the first block, I used a thimble on one of my fingers on top but found it cumbersome to use one on the fingers underneath.  However doing so would really help to avoid the pricks to them and developing callouses on those fingers.  I knew of these pads but had never purchased any prior to this for the hand work I've done so was all too thrilled to see that Colonial Needle had a booth at the event.   

Colonial also had the "Sixth Finger" stilletto at the booth that I used to remove the papers on the first block:

"Sixth Finger" vs Cuticle Stick

I had forgot to bring mine with me and although useful, they've gotten quite expensive since I purchased mine years ago.  I really didn't feel I needed a second one so had to go find a tapered cuticle stick (which surprisingly wasn't easy!) to help pull out the papers on the other block I brought down.  It was not as efficient in doing the job as it is thicker than the stilletto but I like the small size and plan to keep it in my little portable EPP supplies bag.

 6.  Make up the accompaniment to the gifts for my MIL and her friends.  

Okay this is another one I never got to but no matter, my MIL and her friends appreciated the gifts I gave them!  

The thread racks had been "free gifts with purchase" when I ordered some dies from Accuquilt back in December.  The funny wood "Quilting Decision Die" had been something I saw in a Facebook ad and came all the way from Norway!!  It says things like "Start A New Project" and "Buy Fabric".  It was a "Buy One, Get Three Free" special that I couldn't resist since it provided the perfect number of gifts for my trip.     

I had hoped to make little zippered pouches for the dies for everyone but as usual that intention became a victim of "More Ideas Than Time" syndrome!

7.  The "something special" I wanted to make for myself for the trip will have to travel down with me and it's still a question if I can get to that one while away!  

Nope, didn't get it done before traveling or in time to wear to the Quilt Con show.  Quilt Con is well known for the maker fashion parade that happens at the event each year and I had big hopes to join it.  I had purchased this pattern a while ago and found a sweatshirt the perfect size that my youngest son had left when he moved out:

However, before the show I was only able to get it prepped for adding the charm squares to it and we were too tired after attending the show days for me to work on it and try to get it finshed before the last day.  So this one has come back home with me (along with a charm pack purchased at Quilt Con to add to the ones I pulled from my Charm Square Scraps Stash) and I will try to get it done as a Spring project or at the least before the end of the year.    

8.  Lastly, I have no choice but to get the packing done for the "Mini Quilt Retreat" for our trip as it's almost time to go!

Well of course that did get done, and here is all the stuff I took plus the "additions" that came back home with me!

So the plans for this week is to:

1.  Trim and bind the UFO I longarmed while I was away.  

2.  Continue quilting "Modern Twist" as this month's UFO Challenge finish.  

3.  Cut out the next set of "Alaska" BOM blocks and get at least one pieced together.  

4.  Finish piecing the "Freedom Stars" QOV top.

5.  Continue working on the layout of the "Picture That" QOV top with the new fabrics for it that I picked up in NC.

6.  Do the finishing work on the completed "Year of the Horse" cross stitch.  

7.  Stitch the second "Hexie Snowflake" block to its background.  

8.  Try to squeeze in some work on the "Charming Sweatshirt" I got started while away.  

9.  Work on two other projects I cut out while away (more on that in another post!).

All in all it was a good trip!  Whether or not you are in the Northeast and had to suffer through the latest storm,  I hope you had some productive sewing days during last week.  I look forward to catching up with everyone linking up for "To Do Tuesday" this week at Carol's "Quilt Schmilt".  I'm expecting March to bring in a parade of pretty pre-Spring projects!    

To Do Tuesday: Getting Things Done Before A Trip

February feels like it's moving fast for me!  Thankfully linking up for "To Do Tuesday" hosted by Carol over at "Quilt Schmilt" helps me keep track of it all.

Part of why I feel the month is going so fast is that we will be leaving for North Carolina at the end of this week and will be gone until the start of March.  So I have things I want to get done or at least in place before then, things I need to prep for the trip and still have to gather the things I want to take on the trip to work on while down there.  As usual, alot of balls to juggle in the air in the meantime, LOL!  

Last week I had a long list but managed to hit most of the things on it so feel good about that.  Those things were:  

1.  Work on the stitch pattern samples for "Modern Twist" and maybe start the actual quilting on it.

I did manage to get that done with the quilt sandwich I had made up last week.  

I'm doing this for my "Modern Twist" project that was a Planet Patchwork mystery from all the way back in 2013.  As I said last week, my plan for the longest has been to stitch what I saw as "pipes" in the design with "water motifs.".  Over the years I came across a number of interesting stitch designs and up until now the hold-up was not being confident about stitching them up.  Fortunately I had a "Duh!!" moment and realized that I could do a practice piece to try them all out.  

The results were mixed:  many of the patterns I liked I just couldn't quickly get comfortable doing or didn't give the effect I hoped for.  However I did pick out two to get started with and have already worked on stitching out one of them:

I had stitched the peach areas the last time I worked on this in 2016.

I still have a few more of these sections to do with this motif and will work on spacing it out a bit better.  

I had hoped to get this whole quilt done before we leave but now a lot of creative ideas are starting to pop up about how to also stitch the olive background areas.  So I think I'll take this one with me and try to finish it up while away.  I really want to get this done by the end of the month as it was slotted in as my UFO Challenge pick for February.

2.  Piece the next "Alaska" BOM block.  If it doesn't take too long, maybe I can also cut out the next block as well.

Another thing that got done!  It helped that I only needed to make one block.  I'll also note that in order to complete the stitching for this block, I needed a "leader/ender" to push the last few parts of it through.  In past months I have been working on trying out other new designs featuring Kaleidoscope blocks so usually had one of those to use for that purpose.  However, since I was behind on working on this, I instead used a block from a scrap project I also have in the works. 

The scrap project is "Magic Cube" a pattern I got off of the Quilting Daily website but had originally been published in McCall's Quilting magazine.  Ironically this project took over for another scrap project that I was going to do:  an actual "leader/ender" project that had been one of Bonnie Hunter's challenges from back in 2019.  

When I realized that the Shoo-Fly blocks I had been making for her design was the same size as the ones needed for the "Cube",  I switched the six blocks I had made to date to this new project.  I need way fewer of these blocks for the McCall's quilt and loved that I could also use up some of my bag of strings making a center Lone Star and borders for it.  

I fortunately had a block ready to be pieced that I could push through the machine along with the BOM block.  That done,  I decided to organize the project and took the time now to sort and cut the scraps I had put aside with the pattern and set up more block sets with them.

Not all the sets have pieced HSTs ready, for some they still have to be sewn.

So now I have a bunch of block kits to use for whenever I need another "leader/ender" in a pinch!   

However, I haven't had a chance to cut out the next block for the BOM (that is blocks since I need four of them) and don't know if I can get that done before I leave.  Given that the block I pieced was actually last month's block,  I will also have missed making blocks for this month so will see if I can double up for this project for March when we get back.

3.  Work on the layout (and piecing?) of the QOV top.

Unfortunately, I did not work on this one.  The problem for this is that I realized maybe too late that I need a background fabric for this design and of course now have a specific idea about what I want for that.  So this might travel with me so I can do some in-person shopping for it while in NC.

4.  Continue the "Year of the Horse" cross stitching.

This also has moved forward!  I would still like to get this done before we leave but we'll see if that happens.

5.  Continue stitching the "Hexie Snowflake" blocks to their backgrounds.

The quilt behind it is appropriately enough called "Snow Day"

This too has moved forward and has actually gone better than expected!  Yes, it's "slow stitching" but also rather satisfying to do.  I've gotten the center and two spokes of this block stitched down and I think I can finish off the other four spokes before we leave.  Even if I don't, finishing it can be my "car stitching" on the drive down.  

I've decided to take this whole project along on the trip and try to finish stitching all the blocks and possibly get the top assembled while away.  This is supposed to be a Blue & White wallhanging for winter so I'd love to have it to a top by the time we return.  Then if  I can quilt it up quick (famous last words!),  I might still get to enjoy it for a month or two before Spring quilts have to start going up!   

6.  Start the "Mini Quilt Retreat" packing for our trip.  

Now this I haven't started and now it's crunch time!  As I noted last week, I have gifts for my MIL and two of her friends who are all also quilters and I need to make up something to go with one of the gifts.  I'm pretty sure I can get that done in the next couple of days.  

What I'm less sure about is the "something special" I had wanted to make for myself for the trip.  The good news is that I can conceivably also take that with me to work on as we'll be there for about five days before I need it.  However,  I do have some concerns about if I have some fabrics in house to fund it.  That said, that too can be something to shop for while away.  

So for this week's agenda more of the same:

1.  I will continue quilting "Modern Twist" until we leave then it will travel down with me and I will continue work on it down there.  

2.  I might still try for at least cutting out the next "Alaska" BOM blocks but that will depend on if time permits before we leave.  Worse come to worse, work on this project will wait until our return.  

3.  Working on the layout of the QOV top will likely be another "take with" project but I may start some of the cutting for the other parts before we go.

4.  Continue the "Year of the Horse" cross stitching and hopefully complete it before we leave.

5.  Continue stitching the first "Hexie Snowflake" block to its background.  The rest will be packed up to travel. 

6.  Make up the accompaniment to the gifts for my MIL and her friends.  

7.  The "something special" I wanted to make for myself for the trip will have to travel down with me and it's still a question if I can get to that one while away!  

8.  Lastly, I have no choice but to get the packing done for the "Mini Quilt Retreat" for our trip as it's almost time to go!

I hope you had a short list of "To Do's" for last week and managed to get many things crossed off of your list.  I will find out when I catch up on the "To Do Tuesday" posts at Carol's "Quilt Schmilt" on the drive down.  It'll be another thing to keep me entertained while we're on the road!  

To Do Tuesday: Looks Like It Will Be Another Busy Week....

Checking in for the start of February with this week's "To Do Tuesday" hosted by Carol over at "Quilt Schmilt"!

Okay, much like I feared last week, a long list meant I didn't get as much done as hoped.  However one really good thing did happen,  I finished a quilt!  So reviewing last week's list:  

1.  At the end of last year, I had plans to finish  finish quilting my "Over and Down Under" quilt that I had started back in 2023 for the annual "Sew a Jelly Roll Day".   

The good news is that got done!

The details on that finish can be read about here.

2.  The UFO Challenge number pulled by the Quilted Forest was #4 which on my list is to finish the quilting for my "Modern Twist" quilt.  

Unfortunately, finishing "Down  Under" took more time than expected so I didn't get to the quilting on "Modern Twist" just yet.  However some forward movement was made on it.  Actually part of the forward movement had to do with the "Down Under" quilt! 

Finishing "Down Under" had actually been a holdover task from the list of things I had hoped to clean up by the end of 2025.  Because I thought I'd get that done early in January,  I didn't put it on this year's UFO Challenge List.  However once it did get done,  I decided "WHY NOT put it on the list and call it a Challenge Finish for this year?!?".   So I updated my list...

 ...and made "Down Under" the #4 project picked for last month.  As noted last week,  I am following the number picks made by the Quilted Forest on YouTube.  

For February, they picked #6.  I had something else slotted in that spot on my original list but decided to move "Modern Twist" into that spot and moved the project that had been in that slot ("Lady Claire Box Trot") to another spot on the list.  "Claire" is a true UFO (top and backing made and quilting planned) so I bumped a "Hussy" (HSY = Haven't Started Yet) project that was on the list and put "Claire" in its place. 

I also figured I had a better chance of still getting "Modern Twist" done this month since it is already layered and partially quilted.  We will be going away to visit my MIL in North Carolina for the last two weeks of the month so with only two weeks to work on it while still here, a "partially quilted" beats a "flimsy" every time!

The holdup on finishing "Twist" has been that the quilt design reminded me of "pipes" so I always wanted to try to stitch a variety of "water motifs" in the various lines and columns of the quilt.  I picked out a bunch of potential stitch patterns but admit that just thinking about them in my head wasn't working to push me to actually stitch them out!  So this past week I decided to make up a quilt sandwich that I could use to test the designs first.  So at least that got done!

I liked this stripe fabric since as it can mimic the different widths of the areas I'll need to stitch on the quilt.  I also have a printout of the quilt top that I can sketch the designs onto once I've determined which ones I feel comfortable stitching out.  

3.  I just barely had gotten my blocks for December done for my "Alaska BOM".  I had held off making a set of pieced triangle blocks last month as I got to working on the blocks late.  Now here I am again but do I have another easy set of blocks to work on since once again I am short on time?

Yes and no to this one.  I've cut out the one block in the design that I only need to make one block for.

However, I didn't get to stitch it up yet.  Also since this means I didn't make any blocks for January,  even if I get this done I'd really like to also make another block for February.  I do have another block that I only need to make four of but I'll have to see if I can get to that after I get this one pieced.  

4.  My MIL's (well also mine since I joined it last year) guild has a very active Quilts of Valor ministry.  This year they are looking for members to submit tops all through the year so the finishing work can be distributed throughout it.  I wanted to try to have a top ready to bring for our upcoming trip.  

This is the one I had hoped to continue work on but nothing more was done on that front.  This might wind up traveling down with me to be worked on while there.

5.  Oh and the last thing is to get back to my Cross stitch!!  

I had hoped to encourage myself to get back to last year's "NY Skyline" project by warming up with another "Year of" piece in celebration of the Chinese New Year (I know, I know that's crazy crafter logic!!).   

I did make some progress on the "Year of the Horse" piece.  I might have gotten more done except I also picked up another hand work project that I wanted to get back to.  

With all the wintery weather surrounding us,  I have surrounded myself with Blue & White quilts for this season.  I usually hang a piece at the top of our entry staircase but right now don't have one in that color scheme the size to fit that space.  

Back in 2021,  I had started a four block version of Edyta Sitar's "Snowflake" EPP design.  All the Snowflakes are done and stitched together but now I need to stitch them to their backgrounds.  What I didn't anticipate was how hard it is to remove the papers from the hexies!

Whew, getting these done is going to take awhile -- winter may be over before I'm done!  I did get the first one laid out onto its background and have started stitching it down.  

The "Potholder EPP Organizer" was made back in 2020.

I usually like to do my cross stitch in the evenings while watching the news shows but have found this project good for that time period too.  So going forward,  I might do cross stitch first thing in the morning and save the hexie stitching for the evenings.  

So for this week's agenda:

1.  Work on the stitch pattern samples for "Modern Twist" and maybe start the actual quilting on it.

2.  Piece the next "Alaska" BOM block.  If it doesn't take too long, maybe I can also cut out the next block as well.

3.  Work on the layout (and piecing?) of the QOV top.

4.  Continue the "Year of the Horse" cross stitching.

5.  Continue stitching the "Hexie Snowflake" blocks to their backgrounds.

6.  Start the "Mini Quilt Retreat" packing for our trip.  Part of that is that I have gifts for my MIL and two of her friends who are all also quilters and I need to make up something to go with one of the gifts.  I also had something special I wanted to make for myself for the trip but I'll have to see if I can get to that one!  

That's it for me and another long list so I'll see what actually gets done.  I look forward to also take some time to see what the cold winter winds have blown into everyone's creative spaces over at Quilt Schmilt for "To Do Tuesday"!

Finished Or Not Friday: Over and Out!

Welcome to my first "Finished Or Not Friday" for 2026!  

As always our gracious hostess is the lovely Alycia of Quilty Girl Alycia.  I've already checked and it looks like there were A LOT of quilters who took advantage of all the bad weather to stay in and get some projects moved to a finish!

 

Despite this being another very cold and chilly day,  I am warmed by this finish!  

This is Bonnie Sullivan's "Over and Down Under" design made from a Windham Fabrics kit featuring a Jelly Roll of their "Gala" fabric line by Whistler Studios.

I was thrilled to get this kit because it came with Bonnie's pattern which is one I had long wanted to make --- the fact that the kit was also on sale helped too, LOL!   Even better, the notice about the sale came right before "Sew A Jelly Roll Day" in 2023 so when I started this,  it presented a fun opportunity to particpate in that event for the first time.  

The backing stash I collected also gave me an opportunity to pay tribute to a trip we were due to take in the Fall of that year:

When I shopped for the backing,  I saw these pillow panels sold as a yardage cut and thought the colors perfectly reflected the colors of the "Gala" Jelly Roll.  I was excited that I might get to see the actual attractions in the park that are featured in the panels when we went camping in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in October that year.   I also added the "Signs" print in Cream from the Riley Blake National Parks line to fill out the rest of the back. 

I had hoped to finish this in time to take a picture of the quilt in the park.  Since I am just getting this (finally) completed this year, needless to say that didn't happen.  We do want to visit that park again so if we do,  this time I'll be ready to bring it along!

When I had finished the top and backing and layered the quilt,  I decided on just simply outlining both sides of all the seams in both directions.  I find quilts that are grid stitched always seem to take way longer to complete than quilts stitched with free motion motifs although it could just be the "slog factor" of it all.  Additionally, because I chose to use monofilament thread on top to quilt it,  at least intially I had to battle getting my Juki to establish a smooth stitching rythmn with that thread to avoid it "catching" and breaking mid stitch.

I am also really pleased with my decision to use the scrap HST cutoffs from the "flip and sew" corners of the edge units....

....to both accent the corners of the quilt top and the label area pieced into the back.

The quilt label will be written in here.

I used a Hobbs Tuscany Cotton and Wool Blend batting and with all the stitching,  it already has a built in "crinkly" look even before it has been washed!  I already have another Jelly Roll, this time of Bonnie Sullivan's "Woolies" flannel with which I hope to make the neutral colored version.

I also have a stash of bright colored flannel leftovers from other projects so would consider cutting strips to make the bright version too!  

The only downside of working on this now is that this wasn't even on my UFO list for this year.  It had already been partially quilted in 2023 and 2024 and I had planned to try to finish it up with projects worked on at the end of last year.  This puts me behind on the UFO I was supposed to work on this month but hopefully looking at a finished quilt should get me in the mood to try to tackle that one over the weekend.

So join me in heading back over to Quilty Girl Alycia's and see what everyone else is sharing for this week's "Finished Or Not Friday" quilt fest!     

First "To Do Tuesday" Post for 2026

Ahhh, glad to be back among the folks at Carol's "Quilt Schmilt" to chart my weekly doings for "To Do Tuesday".  It has taken awhile to come off of the holiday high and get back to working on projects.  Being buried by the big snowstorm this weekend helped since I had no choice but to stay home!

The view out of my kitchen window during "Snowmageddon".

I've spent most of this month doing Karen Brown's (of "Just Get It Done Quilts") "Declutter Challenge".  For the first twenty-one days of the year she prompted quilters to take a good look at their creative spaces and try to sort, organize and discard (if necessary) things from a variety of spots within your space as well as your notions and project stashes.  This is the first time I've done the Challenge from beginning to end.  My space really needed it and while some organizing and "re-homing" progress was made,  I can't say I discarded a lot or even cleared places fully.  

However, what I have really gained is new insight into having a better handle on where I currently do or would prefer to store things.  Most important is now I really appreciate what are the "capacities" of those spaces.  Going forward I can be more focused about answering the questions that will keep those spots clear:  

• "Do I really need this and does it need to be here?" 
• "How much space do I have or want to designate to this item/category of things?"
• "Do I really think I will use/need/make this thing in the near future or can it be discarded, donated or be more useful if given to someone else?"     

That was a big eye opener as I admit to being guilty of focusing on "wanting to make" things but not as much on if I think I'll get to it soon.  Who am I kidding, I always THINK I will make something sooner than I actually get around to doing, LOL!!  

Now before committing to another project or purchase,  I want to really take stock of how much I already have and whether there is space to accomodate storing it if it doesn't get into the "To Do" rotation immediately.  If not, I really have to consider waiting on a purchase until making it is either a more urgent need or space opens up to accomodate it.  

I did come across three project fabric stashes that I decided could be put back in general stash and will consider using in the mystery I signed up for this year.  

Reorganizing the remaining stashes meant cataloging exactly how much is already there (whew!) and then setting new priorites for getting some things started and out.   

Plans for the Year 

So with all that said, I did take some time to think about what I need or want to work on this year and when.  I also focused an eye on things that have already been laying around for a long time so need, once and for all, to get moved on so they can free up a project box or bag for a new project when the time comes.  I also am trying again to have a "UFO Challenge List" for the year and have picked twelve projects for that.  

I'll be following the Quilted Forest's monthly prompts on YouTube for that but I saw that Corey Yoder of Coriander Quilts is also doing it this year.  I also identified quite a few charity, gift and holiday deadline projects I want to tackle so have put those on the calendar so I have a heads up on the need to work on those in order to get them done in time.   

Finished So Far

Speaking of getting some long sitting things done, I have one completed:  last year I finished this replica of the quilt Beth Dutton used in the "Yellowstone" TV show but never made a label for it. 

Having done a unique label technique for a quilt during two of my "7 Days of New Year's" sessions,  I was thrilled that I had another quilt that needed a fun label idea.  While doing the "Magazine Declutter",  I came across these issues from Fons & Porter from 2003.  

I had them together because I had once considered making the "Jubilee Album" series in them.  I am still considering that project although this year it's for a special reason (hopefully more on that later if I get it started).  However the quilt on the cover of the first issue the series appeared in gave me the label solution for my quilt!  When I had finished the "Yellowstone" quilt I didn't do my usual procedure of piecing a label area into the back.  When I have to do a label that will be applied after quilting (which means it will have to be sewn on by hand),  I am thinking of how to make it a little special.  

Since this is a Western-themed quilt I thought a Western themed label would be appropriate.  I had picked up an interesting horse print while shop hopping last Fall that I had thought would be great for that label.  One idea I had was to cut out the big Y-shaped Yellowstone branding symbol out of it and do the label that way.  In my journal notes for this project I had at one point thought about doing a label in the shape of a cowboy hat.  Although the cover quilt also offered a block for that, what I liked even better for using the print that I had was the cowboy boot block on the cover!

It took a bit to get it done since printing the label text onto the fabric meant prepping it with Bubble Jet Set first.  The bottle I had was just about empty so I had to order more and then wait for it to arrive.  I also tried just cutting and ironing a label sized piece of fabric to just one corner of a freezer paper sheet to put through the printer.  I have two packs of pre-cut sheets and found that pages pulled from one of the packs weren't really securing the fabric well and twice the fabric shifted during the printing.  So the last and third time I prepped a full sheet of fabric and used a page from the other pack which stuck better and I got what I needed.  

To piece the rest of the block, I needed to find scraps of the barbed wire print from when I made a Western themed quilt for my MIL's husband that I wanted to use for the foot of the boot.  I also found the scraps of the backing fabric of the quilt which I used to create the corners of the cuff and toe of the boot and fill the spaces above the foot and between the foot and the heel.  Doing those parts using the backing fabric made the label block blend in and look like it was pieced right into the back after it was stitched on.  So that has managed to get done and so the quilt is now off of my cutting and sewing tables!

Plans For the Week:

1.  At the end of last year, I had plans to finish  finish quilting my "Over and Down Under" quilt that I had started back in 2023 for the annual "Sew a Jelly Roll Day".   

I only have a few more columns of stitching to do on it and it will be done.

2.  The UFO Challenge number pulled by the Quilted Forest was  #4 which on my list is to finish the quilting for my "Modern Twist" quilt.  

This one had long stumped me as I wanted to do it with "water motifs".  I realized in the last few days that it might help to move this forward by making a small quilt sandwich to sample and practice potential stitch patterns rather than just trying to visualize them in my head.  

3.  I just barely had gotten my blocks for December done for my Alaska BOM.  I had held off making a set of pieced triangle blocks last month as I got to working on the blocks late.  Now here I am again but do I have another easy set of blocks to work on since once again I am short on time?

4.  My MIL's (well also mine since I joined it last year) guild has a very active Quilts of Valor ministry.  I had picked up a kit for one when I joined the guild and contributed a top that was finished into a quilt last year but hasn't been awarded yet.  Last year the process was to have all QOV tops submitted by September in order for the guild member that quilts them to have them ready for the November presentation ceremony.  This year they are looking for members to submit tops all through the year so the finishing work can be distributed throughout it.  

We will be traveling to visit my MIL in February so I wanted to try to have a top ready to bring for that upcoming trip.  Two weeks ago I went through my QOV/RWB fabrics and QOV patterns to see if I had anything I could make up quickly.  I found two and have this one laid out on the design wall waiting for me to make the final fabric selection:

5.  Oh and the last thing is to get back to my Cross stitch!!  I was going gang-busters toward the end of last year and then got flumoxed when I realized I had miscalculated the width of the fabric I was using for my "NY Skyline" project.  I had come up with a possible solution but will admit I was nervous about pursuing it and procrastination set in.  Since I already have a frame for it, I am determined to get back to it but in the meantime to help get me "in the stitching mood",  I am also starting another "Year of" piece in celebration of the Chinese New Year.  

Over the past three years I've done the ones by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery but earlier in the month when Pat Sloan showed a freebie one being offered,  I jumped at the chance to get it and make one of a slightly different design.  I had shopped for floss for it a couple of weeks ago and just pulled some potential fabrics for it yesterday so today settled down and started the stitching.    

 Okay, last year I found keeping my "Tuesday" lists to only two or three items worked out well so I don't know how much of this longer list I'll get done but it is what it is now!  I look forward to going back over to Carol's Quilt Schmilt to see how everyone else is faring for this week's "To Do Tuesday" as we finish the first month of 2026 and head into the second at the end of the week!