2024 Finishes

Sauerkraut and pork roast is in the oven and now is a  good time to list my finishes for 2024. It was a fairly good year for finishing UFOs. Not as many as previous years but that is how they sometimes fall. I had one new start (Betty) which was also finished. Aren't I just the disciplined quilter - finishing new projects so they don't carry over into another year? Ha! Should I mention the ones that I started but didn't finish??

2024 = a total of 8 finishes, and I busted through 89 yards of stash. In no particular order: 

 

1. Merry Mayhem's New Year Mystery - Twist and Shout, 52"x63"  8 yards

2. Merry Mayhem's Mystery Expanded - started in 2016, 85"x85"  12.81 yards

3. Scrappy Quilted Forest Block - a new start, 72"x88" 14 yards

 

4. Betty, Takes 2 Charm Packs QAL, 52"x64"  8 yards

5. Dear Jane Siggies Quilt, Handquilted, 71"x78"  11.2 yards

6. Wee Wonderland, 76"x76", 13 yards

7. Vortex, 74"x79" 11 yards

8. Traffic Jam 71"x71" 11 yards

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A heads up on a few Quilt and Sew-Alongs coming up this new year. Links for these may not work as they come down a few weeks after posting but are available for purchase.

1. Merry Mayhem's Square Dance. Two clues have already been posted and with the prep work out of the way, it is straight sewing during new year's day as each clue is revealed hourly.

2. Scrapdash New Year's Day Mystery. Likewise, fabric requirements and cutting directions have been posted so you can be ready to sew during the first day of 2025.

3. Olde Town, Bonnie Hunter's famous yearly mystery is ongoing with the big reveal expected soon. As of today, her 8th step has been posted on her quips and snips blog.

4.Border Creek Station will soon be posting their 2025 Stashbuster Challenge block pattern.

5. Charming Spirals at Rona the Ribbiter is hosting a winter sew along from January 22 through February 6 using nearly all precuts. Register on her site for free patterns emailed to you weekly.

6.Hidden Log Cabins is a sew along with the Stashbusters online group. I am trying to wrap mine up before the midnight hour...

 

Happy stitching and Happy New Year!!

 

Vortex Finish - a happy surprise

This quilt project goes back a few years. Not sure of the exact date. The idea came about from Crazy Mom Quilts.  Sadly she does not blog anymore and has since moved on with her life. Of course that is not really sad, but I miss reading her blog and her fresh ideas. So that is where this quilt idea came from. 

I initially was not very pleased with its end result as a quilt top. It has been hanging for a few years waiting to be quilted. I even considered tearing some units apart and framing/sashing them with a solid color to give the eye a place to rest. After having it quilted and the binding is now on, I have fell in love with it. ♥ 

So many fabrics that bring back memories of previous quilts and sewing projects. Some of which I no longer have possession of because they have been given away. Little crumb pieces, some larger pieces, leftover scraps both big and small - yes they all went into it. What is not to love, right?

 

So now she is ready for snuggling under and reminiscing on old quilt projects. I always say I'll have to make another, but this one I would REALLY like to make another. Karen Brown from Get It Done Quilts has an excellent project using crumb pieces. How about a million zillion scrap pieces? This may be my next work in progress as those crumbs just seem to accumulate. (I can't throw scrap fabrics away) I'm imagining this quilt would weigh a ton!

More close ups of my Vortex:

Can you find any familiar fabrics that are may be in your stash?

 

So my Vortex Quilt is my 8th finish this year (most likely my last for 2024) and I busted through 11 yards of stash bringing my total for 2024 to 89 yards! Actually, I have no idea how many yards went into this quilt but comparing it to my last finish, Traffic Jam - which used 11 yards - it is a good guess. This Vortex quilt is larger than Traffic Jam and has so many more pieces, so it surely has more but that is where I am settling with it.

As every quilter can attest, I also have future projects to work on and dream about. Are you making plans for your new year in your sewing room too? I have already began my list and the year is not over so I may be adding to it.  (Merry Mayhem just posted her New Year's Day Mystery). My UFOs are gradually decreasing, so that is a good thing. I am trying to keep up with what I start and pick off those old unfinished ones. At present, my count of UFOs are at number 21 and that does not include the 8 that are hanging up ready to be quilted. I'm saving those to be hand quilted.

I'm presently hand quilting my Partridge in a Pear Tree wall-hanging. It was a project featured in the Quilter's Newsletter Magazine many years ago. I purchased this half finished project at a quilter's "garage sale". Yeah, imagine buying a UFO when you have a closet full of them! It was so pretty though. And challenging. So why not? Besides, its previous owner, Mary Huey is a quilter I follow and adore. She inspires me! And is an excellent teacher. I hope she is happy with my work.

My Partridge in a Pear Tree is all assembled (after much whining and hissy fits because those dang paper pieced pear blocks were "The Challenge!") and it is being hand quilted now. Hopefully it will be ready for Christmas but if not, it will be for next year's. I am not stressing over such things anymore. It is the joy in the journey that we work, right? 

 

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate our Lord's birth. So thankful that He came to teach us how to live (love), and died to free us from the slavery of sin. Immanuel. God is with us!

Happy stitching!