52 week UFO Challenge Project #1 - The Coneflowers

Happy New Year!!

I'm so looking forward to 2016 and I just couldn't wait to start on my 52 week UFO Challenge!! 

My first project really should be the cover for my 2016 Passion Planner, but I've had an idea about one of the projects that has been on my design wall for over a year so I wanted to act on it!!

In November 2014, my friend Nellie and I took a surface design course from Elaine Quehl. We had an AWESOME time and I was so inspired when it was finished that I used my new skills (and new supplies) to do a few more samples. For the coneflowers, I made a quilt sandwich and then did some thread "sketching" (free motion quilting) with black thread. I then used my new Inktense pencils to shade in the flowers and leaves.

My thread sketch with Inktense shading.

A close-up of one of the coneflowers.

Here is a Youtube video about Inktense pencils:

After I was done shading, I spritzed the fabric with water and the colours just came alive!! I just LOVE this technique BUT I was stumped as to how to finish it.

While I was cleaning my studio last week I came upon a "quilt-as-you-go" tablerunner that I had made years ago and I realized that I could add borders to my quilted piece using that same technique.

My first step was to mark out straight lines where I wanted to have my borders. I needed to make sure that there was at least 1/4" between my quilting and the seam placement line. 

Marking the borders with a Frixion pen.

The next step was to lay my first border piece along this line and pin.

Pinning down the first border along the drawn line.

I sewed this border down then did the same with the opposite border. Both of these were then pressed, but I had to make sure that I didn't put my iron near the other lines I had drawn with the Frixion pen, or I would lose them!!

Next step was to pin on the remaining two borders and sew.

Adding the last border.

Adding a hanging sleeve on the back and binding on the edges finished my wall hanging off nicely!! 

Adding the binding.

Project #1 is done!! 

Finished coneflower wallhanging

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I really loved this technique and I want to do something like it again, but next time I will make sure that the fabric sandwich I quilt on is large enough to do bigger borders around the edge AND I will make sure that my design is square on the fabric so I don't lose so much area when I trim it. Other than that, I love  my first finished UFO!!

Getting organized for the 52 Week UFO Challenge

I've been looking over my projects and have sorted them into hand sewing projects and machine sewing projects. I love to have something to hand stitch while I'm watching TV so I've gone through the projects that need hand stitching to complete and have assembled the required buttons/threads/backings/tongues etc. Each of the projects is now in a separate baggie in a basket that will sit beside my favourite chair. When I have a few minutes to spare I can get working on them!!

My basket with projects assembled

Craftsy sale is on now!!

I just found out that all Craftsy supplies are up to 75% off now through 12/31!

Check it out to see if there is anything that YOU need for your UFO Challenge!

A year's worth of unfinished projects!

Happy Boxing Day!!

In the midst of holiday preparations I found a couple hours to clean and tidy up my sewing room. The wrapping paper was put away for another year and the remains of my pre-Christmas projects were tidied up. 

While I was doing this I found a staggering number of projects that were in the throws of being finished - my UFO's. They aren't all big projects (one is a pincushion) but they are all started and not finished. Some are extra blocks from a quilt that has already been made, but I couldn't bring myself to throw away - these I'm going to use to make table runners, book covers or bags. Some are punchneedle pieces that I did for demonstration purposes at quilt shows or in a class I was teaching, but never finished into a wall hanging or pillow. Some are are quilts that have been put aside while I quilted for customers and some are actual projects that I intentionally started and have yet to finish.

 For each project I found I put the blocks/pieces and corresponding fabrics together in either a large zip-loc bag or a basket.

All of the projects neatly stacked and ready to finish!!

I then got out my new Passion Planner and wrote out the list on a blank page at the back. After I had written them all down, I realized that I had 26 projects that I should finish up. I also realized that this number conveniently divides into 52 weeks, so I now have given myself a challenge - to complete one of these projects every 2 weeks for all of next year!!

I LOVE making lists - it's so satisfying to check things off as you finish them!

One of my new year's resolutions each year is to blog on a more consistent basis, soooo...part two of this challenge is to document all of these projects in my blog. Maybe this will inspire others to take a fresh look at their unfinished projects and maybe complete a few!!

So here's to 2016 and the "52 week UFO challenge"!!

It's always a good day when I can use lime green thread!

 Today I got to do the quilting on our sample of one of our new patterns - Modern Vibe. This fun and colourful quilt was made using Northcott's Colorworks Concepts fabric line and I just LOVE how it turned out. How fun would this be to make for a kids room - you could get one of the co-ordinates to make curtains and pillows!!

I used a few of my favourite "modern" quilting designs to do the quilting using my lime green thread!!

I just LOVE this stripe that we used for the inner border!

Simple quilting designs always look great on modern quilts.

One of my favourite designs - modern boxes.

Our sample is heading to Houston to be displayed in the Northcott booth at International Quilt Market. I wish I was going too!!

Here it is the finished quilt!!