2017 UFO's

As I looked over my list of UFO's from last year, I feel very confident in how much I accomplished this year. I had 19 on the list, with some hardly started and 12 were completed as well as work on others. The ones I finished this year, however were ones that needed to be done. 

Ahhhh - 2012 start - all English Paper Pieced - smaller than I intended, but done. 

Brighten Up Snowball Quilt - used up leftover charm packs. 

Buckeye Beauty II - one of my favorite quilts, sold to a lady from my hometown. 

Good Night Irene Yellow/Pink - Used as a demo - found the remaining fabric, after it was completed. Gifted to a co-worker of Paul's and his wife for their new baby. 

HST Exchange- A UFO from maybe 2013 and gifted to my friend Regina when I visited her in October. She was part of the exchange. 

Mathew's Car Quilt - A project to use up the fat quarters he always picks out when we go shopping. He loves race cars. 

Metro Hoops - leftover from another quilt I made. I finished this one up as it was a hard one with the curves. 

Radiant Star - A quilt for my coworker who retired. I loved working with him and this is one of my favorite quilts I've ever made. 

Sewing Theme EPP - Another EPP project that was taking way too long and not being finished. 

Sweet Pea Pods - Used up the leftovers from bendy bags. Made for giving away.

Twist & Turn - The longest UFO ever - 2012 and it took me forever. I spent 2 hours per block and I made it entirely in our camper this summer while we were at Hart Ranch. I love it, but my dad's wife loved it more, so it's hers for now. 

Winding Ways - Gave up on making a queen size and finished it up as a wall hanging. 

I'm proud of these finishes and I hope to finish up the rest of the list next year. I had a lot of other finishes, but these were on the UFO list. 

On Ringo Lake Clue #5

This week with Christmas was very busy, but I found some time on my breaks at work to cut out the pieces for Clue #5. I sewed up 20 last night. They went really quickly. I hope to get more made tonight, but my yellow and blue quilts are calling my name.


For the past 2 years, I've been buying yellow/gold/blue/navy fat quarters to make a blue/yellow scrappy trip around the world. As I made my other Scrappy Trip Around the World blocks, I realized I had 1 or 2, 2.5" strips left. So I started planning with this quilt to make a Blue Ridge Beauty quilt from the scraps. I cut strips and made a ton of hst's using the Essential Triangle Ruler. They are all pressed and ready for my 4 patches when they are ready. These are the last yellow/blue strips I cut out.

I sort them into groups, which become my strata sets.

Last night I finished 3 sets. I have a lot more to go, but strata sets are not my favorite things to sew.

I cut them out and tore them apart during my break today.

I got all three ready to sew together. I love how these are turning out.

I used the leftover strips sets to make pairs of two, that I matched up into 4 patches. These will become part of my Blue Ridge Beauty quilt. I've adjusted the size to work with my scraps.

I wasn't making any Christmas presents, but I picked up this bulldog fabric to make my daughter's teacher a bag. She absolutely loved it.

This is the inside fabric. It looks pretty cool as the lining.

I had a strip down the center and it was big enough to make a little-zippered bag, so I made her another little bag. It's about 9"x9"

I've also spent time this week sewing together my yellow/gray focus blocks.

I also made myself a new project book cover.

Then on a whim, I made my son's preschool teacher a couple bags as well. This is a canvas Jeep bag because she loves Jeeps.

These cute Jeep bags were made with the 1/2 zipper technique. They turned out super cute and the linings are the opposite on each.

My daughter wanted a craft set for Christmas, so I made her one with the supplies from mom's craft room. It was fun pulling supplies together.

I picked up this Quilter in training shirt for her for Christmas.

My son took this picture of me at the school Christmas program.

On Christmas Eve, we had a family picture when we got home from Mass.


I'm linking up with Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville for the mystery quilt. #onringolakequilt #quiltvillemystery

#2018PlanningParty

It's time to join the 2018 Planning Party at quiltingJETgirl and I'm excited to start thinking about my goals for next year. I started 2017 really strong, however, the death of my husband's grandpa in August really threw me for a loop. We've been doing a lot of stuff (that needed to be done) around the house and I just haven't been sewing. I'm ready to start fresh and with less planned on the weekends, I hope to be able to sew more.
Three priorities this year include finishing mom's fall quilt to gift to the Terra Sancta Retreat center. All it needs are the sashing strips and borders, but I struggle with them, so it got put away. I'll take this to retreat and finish the top up.

My Farm Girl Vintage blocks are all done and sat all year, so I am ready to sash and border them. Again, it's the sashing piece that I struggle with, so it's just never been done.

My scrappy trip around the world needs about 26 more blocks. It's a top, but I want it bigger, so I'm going to make more blocks this year as I finally have more scraps to make them with.


Other plans? I want to finish my blue/yellow scrappy trip around the world. I simply love making these, but I struggle with doing the strata sets. I also have a blue/yellow Blue Ridge Beauty I want to make for my cousin's wedding and it will need to be a priority this year. It uses the scraps from the TATW, so they are kind of one in the same.

My new start - heart shaped bargello I've been saving the fabrics for over the past 5 years. It's time to make it a priority.

On Ringo Lake Clue #4

This weekend went by just as quickly as the last one. We butchered beef all day Saturday, but I found some time on Friday to cut out the parts of clue #4. Last night, after finishing teacher gifts (which I can't show until she opens it), I made 10 clue #4 pieces. These were super simple to make, using the directions for sewing them correctly. I need to finish cutting my brown pieces, but then I'll be able to sew these quickly. I'm doing really well at cutting out the pieces, but haven't had much sewing time, so I'll be doing these at a retreat in January. A few each week keeps me on track.


I was able to get 12 sets of the Clue #3 done from last week. I'm using my pink batik stash to make these.

My finish for the week was this Twist and Turn quilt for my dad and his wife. I was supposed to be done for their anniversary in Sept, but life got in the way so they can open it on Christmas day.

I'm finishing up my UFO list for December, knowing I won't be getting anymore finished. I'll sew clues instead. I was able to put my new UFO list in my new quilters planner and boy I've got a much shorter list this year! Quilters Planner is the website for this one. It's the 3rd year I've had one and I love it.

Yesterday we did our Christmas Eve food shopping. The kids were actually really good at posing for a picture with Santa.


Saturday 4 of the cousins were at my brother and sister in laws house to butcher, so we tried for a picture. Mr. M. didn't cooperate.

The other morning before we decorated the tree. They were up at 5 AM for school, so we had time for a picture.

My secret Santa partner received this needlebook for our Quilters Stitchers online Facebook group swap. I loved the pattern, so I have to make one for myself as well.

I sent this along with a couple fat quarters.


I'm linking up with Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville for the Clue #4 Link up.

2018 UFO List

My Quilters Planner arrived last month, but I hadn't taken the time to start planning for next year until this week. I decided which projects from my UFO list from last year are still UFO's and put them on the list. In all reality, nothing else is getting finished this year, unless it's a new quick project.
My UFO's
1. Black/White/Green/Pink quilt. I've been working on this since 2012 and it's still not done. It just needs to be assembled, but I lost interest. It's for us, so no real deadline.

2. Scrappy Trip Around the World - The top is pieced and assembled, but I want it bigger, so I need 26 more blocks and just haven't put a focus on making them. All the strips are cut and ready to sew.

3. Blue/Yellow Scrappy Trip Around the World - started collecting fabrics 2 years ago, but cut out in 2016 and I've started making blocks. I have about 3 done and all the pieces sorted and ready to sew. Again I just need time to sew. I love making these blocks.

4. Blue Ridge Beauty - Yellow and Blue - Made from the scraps of the TATW #3 above. I've made the HST's and just need to finish the scrappy blocks, to use the leftovers for 4 patches. This might become a wedding present for my cousin, so I need to get busy.

5. Paul's t-shirt quilt - A t-shirt quilt from his racing shirts. They are all cut out and interfaced, just need to square them up and set them. All the fabric is bought and in the tub with them. Wish he would push me to get it done, maybe I'll try for his birthday in March.

6. Mom's Friendship Braid. I worked on it, and it's ready for the borders to be put on, my least favorite part, so I may take this to SOYO so I push myself to get it done.

7. Holiday Metals HST's - All the fabric cut, just need to make the HST's.

8. Sunny Skies - Leader/Ender Project. Getting close to having all the 16 patches complete. Need to pick a background.

9. Farm Girl Vintage - All the blocks done. Need to cut out sashing and be ready to piece at SOYO in January.

10. En Provence - Top is together, needs 2 sets of borders.

11. Nova - Need to finish squaring up blocks

12. On Ringo Lake - In progress. Clue 1 done, Clue 2, Clue 3, and Clue 4 cut out, some of each sewn.

13. Sunny Skies Hexie Diamond - My current hexie project

14. Purple/Pink Batik bag - Cut out

15. Carry All Organizer - Cut Out

16. Crazy Mom Focus Hexies - All pieced, waiting for assembly.

So there's my list. I know I have fabric for other things, but these are the cut-out and started projects. It's so much less overwhelming than thinking of all the projects I could do. Some of these I've simply been waiting for retreat because I do better at assembly and borders at the retreat than I do at home. Time to keep moving forward and finishing up some projects.

On Ringo Lake Clue #3

It's week 3 of the Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt for 2017 and I'm a bit behind, but still making progress. Last week I was able to get my flying geese cut out. I'm trying Bonnie's method of using strips and cutting them with her ruler. I've never done this before and I'm excited to learn a new technique (which is why I do the mystery in the first place). I was able to get them all cut out and only 20 sewn, but I feel like that's progress.


This week I got quite a few of the bricks cut out and the end pieces cut as well. Again I'm using the Essential Triangle ruler as well as the Simple Folded Corners ruler to make these. It was a busy weekend and I'm fighting a cold, so I didn't get a chance to sew on them yet.

Last weekend we were at my brother and sister in law's to butcher pigs, so we had the grandparents watch all 6 grandkids and we went to town for the night. We had a lot of fun and a few drinks, but the town was pretty dead.

Paul and I were celebrating the SDSU Jackrabbits winning the FCS football playoff game and making it to the quarterfinals. This weekend they won that game and are now on to the semi-finals next weekend. This is a first in school history, so pretty exciting!



Five of the cousins with their gloves so they could help butcher

Waiting by the pickup so they didn't get run over by the tractor. The other 2 kids are in the tractor.

The girls in their matching pjs. Molly's are almost too small, but they had fun matching.

Mathew loved celebrating his 5th birthday with his cousins.


I'm linking up with Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville who is providing this amazing mystery quilt. Hope you'll join in the fun and share your progress as well.
#onringolakequilts #quiltvillemystery