To Do Tuesday: Plans for July

Another new month already?  Guess that means it's time to join everyone and check in with this week's "To Do Tuesday" over at Carol's Quilt Schmilt!

A Recap of Unfinished Things from June 

During June I had hoped to "fully finish" "United We Stand" which is a cross stitch piece and put together the parts for a quilted pillow cover made in fabrics from the MODA "Seeds of Glory" line. 

Neither got done as I spent most of the month focused on my cross stitching.  I had wanted to try making that edge finish on the little cross stitch pillow first and if successful then try it on the larger pillow cover.  

However,  after I trimmed the cross stitch in preparation to finish it,  I lost a piece of piping trim that was already prepared and which was leftover from a project from years ago.  I had hoped I'd eventually find it but still haven't so now will have to make more.  I'd still love to get both of these finished but admit I haven't made any definite plans to do so this month.   

I also had planned to finally layer and quilt a top I call "Modern Bohemia" for Rebecca's Sugar Sand Quilt Co. "Misson UFO" challenge.  

Well only two things for that got done:  I decided on the quilting plan and I reviewed the backing fabric I had purchased for it.  The good news is that the quilt is a lap quilt but the backing fabric had been purchased during a sale on 3 yard Wide-back packs at Keepsake Quilting.  I found in my notes that I had actually planned to split the backing between this project and another that also needs to be quilted so I got that done too.  

The last of the unfnished June plans were to finally start (or even finish?) blocks for a Red, White and Blue version of Edyta Sitar's Laundry Basket Quilts "Alaska" design.  The plan was to leader/ender the making of those blocks with putting the blocks together to complete the top for a wallhanging.  I had finished up the blocks for the wallhanging back in May and it has been sitting on my design wall ever since.  

The top 12" block is the smallest size I could make pieced triangle units with the Large Kaleido-Ruler.

I only got as far as making up the test blocks for the project.  I am making the Kaleidoscope blocks for the design using Marti Michell's "Small" and "Large" Kaleido-Rulers.  I've owned the Large one for years but soon realized I needed the Small one to be able to cut the parts for the pieced triangles for the size block I planned to make this in.  

That ruler didn't arrive until the second week of the month and I cut the pieces for the test blocks in the third and then didn't get around to stitching them up until the last week.  So this is a good time to start in on the plans for the month and for this week!

The Start of Christmas In July!  

For this month,  the primary focus will be on holiday projects for "Christmas in July".  I don't dare start any new ones but I can't promise that won't happen --- you know, squirrels and all of that, LOL!!!  So for "CIJ" I need to:

• "Fully finish" my little "Christmas Log Holder"  cross stitch piece 

• Finish stitching my "Letters To Santa" cross stitch piece

• Quilt the two Christmas tops finished last year:  "Letters To Santa" and "Christmas Trip Around the World".  In both cases the top, backing and binding are already prepared.   

I should note here that since I also have the same done (well, not the binding) for "Bohemia",  I'm thinking that maybe I can also plan to quilt it along with them. 

• Continue and hopefully finish the top for the "Scrap Squares" quilt started during last year's "CIJ".  It was inspired by Pat Sloan's quilts in this design and incorporates panels from MODA's "Cheer & Merriment" line.

• Oh wait, there is a possible new start laying around:  I had kitted up a project during my "7 Days of  New Year's" quilt-a-thon.  The pattern was in the December 2024 issue of American Patchwork and Quilting magazine.  I saw that it could utilize some of the stash I already had out from the "CIJ" projects and the dwindling stash of red fabrics still around from my Red & White Holiday Quilts adventure from 2022-23.  I was able to order the same feature print used in the published design and additional green coordinates for the block piecing from the same line. I also found a suitable tone-on-tone background print to fill out the stash needed for that project. 

I can't promise I will get this started but I can't promise I won't, LOL!!

What's Up For This Week 

1. Since I have quilts I need to layer and baste for quilting, a big priority for this week will be to start clearing off my cutting table so that can actually happen!!   
2.  I also need to clear my design wall so I can put the "Scrap Squares" project up and finish the layout of the squares.  That will require that the top laid out on it now becomes a leader/ender for something.
3. I want to start making the blocks for "Alaska".  However, since this is not the priority project for the month (in fact not for the next few months as I had already planned out what I want to do during those as well),  I've decided to do this project as another self-styled Block of the Month (BOM).  It should be noted that "Bohemia" had been one of the projects I had tried to do this way in 2020, all the others of which are still UFOs.  If I can keep up on "Alaska",  maybe I can eventually put the others back into rotation and finally zero them out as well! 
4. Most notably for this weekend, we will be headed out on another camping trip for the Fourth of July weekend.  As has been my habit whenever we go camping,  I'll be taking a hand work project with me for the long drive there and back and for some "around the campfire" stitching.  For our last few trips, I have been taking and trying to finish my "Open Your Heart" project which is camping themed.  I actually got half of a page of it done during and after our last trip for the Memorial Day holiday so am looking forward to finishing that page on this trip.

Other Plans For the Month

1. As noted earlier, I have a wallhanging top that needs to be put together.  I will leader/ender it with either the "CIJ" projects and/or the "Alaska" blocks so I can clear it off the design wall to make space for laying out the "Scrap Squares" project. 
2. If time and projects permit this month, I will also try to continue the two cross stitch projects left over from "May-nia" and "Red, White and June":  "NY Skyline" and "Right To Vote".

"Skyline" will probably get priority there since it is the easier of the two to work on and when finished is destined for a decorating spot I've long wanted to fill.  

So that's more than enough to keep me busy this month as well as a few things identified specifically for this week.  Let's see how I do!  Go see what others have planned for the week ahead by heading over to Carol's at "Quilt Schmilt" to see what's popping up in quilt studios around the world!