In my November post, I mentioned how I thought I had 10-15 quilting projects on the go. At the best of times I’m not the best at completing projects, but trying to navigate the new world of motherhood and working on my PhD has brought the number of quilts to finish to a whole new level. My mum challenged me to list all my unfinished quilts and to not start any new projects before finishing an old one. So, here is my list (in no particular order):

1. ) Michael Miller Cotton Couture Challenge

Started a few years and intended for a Modern Quilt Guild Challenge, this one is on my design wall and close to being finished. I wanted to try a lone star quilt, and this gave me a great opportunity to try!

2) Blue and Green curves

Excited after learning about curves at a quilt guild meeting, I decided to used a set of blue and green solids to make this curvy quilt.

3) Jelly roll quilt

I won a jelly roll and had this yarn-dyed linen lying around so I just HAD to make something…

4) Foundation paper piecing

I love foundation paper piecing! I also wanted to design my own quilt. This is the result of those two thoughts.

5) Kaleidoscope

I love the idea of kaleidoscope quilts! So I started one and realized that I probably didn’t choose the greatest fabric for it. But I hope to salvage it!

6) Half-Square Triangle quilt

I wanted a new quilt for my bed.

7) Baby wall hanging

I wanted to make something for the baby. She’s almost one, so I will hopefully finish soon so it will actually have a chance to hang in her room!

8) English paper piecing 1 (Grandmother’s flower garden)

I wanted to try a project that I could take anywhere with me. This hexie quilt fit the bill! Here it is all-basted, mid-quilting. Since it was pieced by hand I wanted to quilt it by hand as well.

9) English paper piecing 2

Since I loved the first EPP quilt so much…

10) Crazy quilting with scraps

I have tons of scraps and wanted to use them! Especially the pieces that are too small or weirdly shaped to keep for other projects.

11) Riley Blake Sashing Stash Challenge

Boy, was this one a challenge! I was close to finishing it for the deadline, but just had too much schoolwork and had to give up before the end.

12) Pick-up sticks

Inspired by a block swap at the quilt guild. I love the bright colours!

13) Mini-quilt club

I joined a mini-quilt club. This is the first of six; I haven’t started the other five.

14)Mini-charm

This one was nearly completed in an afternoon from a mini-charm pack. Only a few inches of binding left!

15) Falling Leaves 

This is a quilt I started awhile ago (I want to say 10 years?). I finally quilted it and now all that remains is the binding.

16) Rag quilt

I’m never doing one of these again. All I have left is clipping the edges, but it is so tedious and hurts my hand.

17) Disappointment

I loved the pattern and I had a vision of the final product. But as it came together… the colours I chose didn’t end up as expected. And the number of points to piece together accurately became a chore as I realized how much I disliked the colour choices.

18) Block of the month

My sister, mum and I all did a block of the month with our own colour choices. This was started a few years ago and none of us has finished. All that is left on mine is the binding!

19) Baby quilt

The piecing was ok, but the quilting didn’t turn out so well. It’s small and almost done so I might as well finish it.

20) Circles

I had two layer cakes and a pattern! But my momentum slowed after some botched quilting.

21) Log cabin

A finished top for a lap blanket – ready to quilt!

22) Aiming for Accuracy

I did the Aiming for Accuracy quilt-along and use the extra fabric to start piecing the back (shown here in a messy pile).

23) Applique

I wanted to try some applique.

24) Modern Quilt Guild Triangle Challenge

I cut the pieces using the template for the challenge. I got a few blocks done, but not by the deadline.

25) Baby shower quilt

This was only started a few weeks ago. I had guests at my friend’s baby shower decorate squares for a quilt.

26) Round Robin

This is my piece to work on this round for the round robin!

27) Disco

Technically, this isn’t my unfinished project. I’m helping a friend make her very first quilt! But, it sits in my sewing room so I include it on my list.

28) Advent calendar paper piecing

This was obviously not completed during advent…

29) Placemats

This is a gift for my friend. A wedding gift. She was married nearly a year ago, but I only have a few inches of binding left!

30) Rain drops

I had a couple of layer cakes and wanted to design my own pattern.

 

31) First quilt

These are the leftover blocks from my first quilt, started 15 years ago. This top is close to being done but I had some problems with the border and it needs fixing before being quilted.

So, there you have it! My list of unfinished quilts is a LOT longer than I expected and I admit to being a bit embarrassed about it. I will challenge myself to finish not one but two quilts before starting a new one. I hope to be down to single digits by 2025!

Thanks for reading!

Emily

p.s. My mum just reminded me about one more quilt!

32) Quilt for brother

Gift that sister and I have been working on. Close to completion!

 

Yes, I am embarrassed to say that my stash is getting bigger despite my determination to only use my own fabric. Since December, I have gone to:

– A quilt store to pick up batting for my mother. While I was there, I saw so many original prints. They just hopped into by basket. I am also trying to build up my stash in the colours of which I have few. (Well, few depends on the beholder.) And what a selection of unique books!

– A big quilting fabric sale at a different shop.  I am planning on making another quilt for the cottage. This time, the colours are in the shades of water and sky. Despite the fact that blue is my favourite colour and thus the largest of my stashes, I actually needed a few more shades for my quilt.  (Yes, I did finish  my first quilt for the cottage last week. Today is very sunny but since the temperature is -28 C (-18 F), it will have to be a later post.)

– Yet a different quilt shop to pick up fabric for my sister. I was honestly doing her a favour. I seem to be low on plain fabric so this was a good chance to pick up some fabric with warmer colours. But alas, there was a sale on some fabrics.  I really did get a good price.

– Back to the second quilt store. I was just in to get a few fabrics for my challenge quilt. Oh, I have not told you about the challenge in our guild. Our guild is having a big quilt show in May and of course they need lots of quilts to display. One of the categories for display is the quilt challenge. This year, the challenge is that you can make any size and type of quilt you want (bed size, runner, wall hanging, clothes) but you need to include the participation of someone that does not quilt. I have heard from others and on blogs that you learn much from being pushed to do things that are not in your comfort zone. So, isn’t is great that I decided to take on this challenge! Well, back to my original reason for going to the quilt store. I needed to get some fabrics for this quilt. But when I got to the store, there was a big event that afternoon. Yes, there were several different areas displaying different quilting techniques. How cool is that! I even had to go home and come back with my daughter. Well, I was a happy shopper again.

If you have not noticed, I have a weakness for fabric. Beautiful fabric!!

Now to know me is to understand that I am very good at budgeting, saving and being organized in my finances.  So if you consider my stash as my bank account, you might also appreciate that I might hoard some of my more beautiful fabric, especially when I have a small piece. I tend to imagine that I will make something so beautiful with it, that the colours will inspire me and that the finished product will be wonderful. I think that I dream in Technicolor. Or perhaps, I should say technifabricolour!

The other day, I was working on a project that was not grand, that was going to be washed very often and that was probably not going to be admired a whole lot. I was auditioning quite a few fabrics. And then, I auditioned a fabric that I have been admiring and of course hoarding. I loved the colours of my fabric. This fat quarter was going to be the inspiration for a quilt. The cathedral window pattern, which I have yet to try, is one of my must try patterns. But over all, I saw much potential from this little piece. Hmm! Well I kept on auditioning fabrics, but kept on coming back to this fabric as it seemed to brighten up the project.

So here is my fabric. It might not be much to you, but I had a soft spot for it. So, I cut up in pieces. What would possess me use a fabric that I really liked for a something that was not grand?

Stay Tuned!

Michele