First Finish of 2016

This quilt is a memory quilt of many quilters from a small email list I belong to.  We exchanged blocks for our birthdays in 1998-99 (I think the exchange started in Sept 98, or thereabouts), and I actually had the top put together fairly soon after receiving blocks.  For whatever reason it took me 16 years to make into a quilt and be finished.  I didn't do any fancy quilting, basic stitch in the ditch and a few loops where four light signature sections meet.



This quilt marks the first finish and first Finish-A-Long quilt completed.  I ultimately want to finish at least one UFO a month this year, more would be even better but one a month is a much more doable goal for me.



#24 1998/1999 QFT HST Signatures, checked off the UFO list!

Not another Hexie post!

Just kidding, it is :)  Over the weekend I worked on sewing on binding for one of my Finish-A-Long quilts and starting to apply the background hexies to the GFG quilt.  I am glad I chose grey, I love it!  I seriously considered black but I am realllllllly tired of black in my quilts.  Add to that, all the cat and dog hair that shows up... I already knew I did not want white and I briefly considered green and navy.  Because I have those colors already in the flower rosettes, I wasn't completely sold.  Years ago I even tried out yellow as a background, but I nixed that quickly.


ETA: I seem to be having issues between flickr and blogger.  sorry if this image is huge.

I tossed it up on my design wall to get a quick picture before it fell off :)  I'll have to start pinning as it grows.  I am halfway done with the first of nine rows, I am sure I will slow down soon enough but for now I am loving it coming together as a top.

GFG: Final Layout

At first I was referring back to an older layout idea I saved in my hexagon folder at flickr, but I quickly found out that I needed to shorten the side otherwise I would have to make another 10 sets.  I really want to finish this quilt, and 75 blocks is it!

So I came up with these two:




The only differences are the edges. Overall I prefer the second one, so that is the one I am going with. I have all my blocks clipped together by row, and now it's time to start adding the grey and creating the rows.

I plan to add grey around the edges as well, and maybe another ring of hexies around that. We'll see how I feel when I get to that point.  I told Kevin last night that this quilt is NOT going to be handquilted, definitely by machine!  Sorry for any people who feel hand piecing like this should be hand quilted, but I really want to enjoy this quilt in my lifetime.

Goal Reached! Grandmother's Flower Garden Blocks...

... so I think this means I need to put it together :)  I have decided on a layout, now I just need to make sure that the 12 same-pink and same-blues are spread out enough that it isn't matchy-matchy.


This is the idea:

which means I need to add 6 more grey hexagons to each flower, which shouldn't be a big deal... though that means 450 more to go. Sigh. Ok, I am not going there. One hexie at a time!

Finish A-Long

I found out about this just in time!  This is a quarterly challenge, so if you don't get in on it this quarter, there is always next quarter.  I quickly went through my UFO bin, and put up six projects that I think I can finish or get very close to finishing.  My UFO list is long, so a challenge is a perfect way to reduce this!

Please excuse the wrinkles, I didn't iron anything before tossing it up on my wall to take pictures.

Primitive Gatherings 10th Anniv. SAL

There is suppose to be one more round, but I am stopping at this one because it was having problems with being even.  I may add a strip border before quilting, but I will press it before I prepare to baste and then evaluate if it needs it.

#5 Hippy Circles

I love this quilt top but I didn't have fabric on hand when I was working on it that fit.  I am thinking about giving it a little more width with piano keys or something else and then donate after it's finished.

#8 WASIQ quilt group first swap, 1998

Terrible I haven't finished the very first one!

#50 Outer space: top, kid bed sized

I created this for Justin probably around 1998.  My design wall at the time was the kitchen table :)  He jokingly told me I should finish it (he doesn't know what it looks like), and I think I will and send it down to him even though he's all grown up now!

#40 Fons and Porter, can't remember the name (I will have to find the book)

I have to find the book.  I think this one had another round or two.  This was my first quilt that I used batiks in... this is when the love for those and hand dyes began.

#24 1998/1999 QFT HST Signatures

I've displayed this one on an antique wash table in my kitchen as just a top... it's time for it to be finished!


And finally, not a UFO but one that is ready to be quilted, as it is basted and yelling for a finish:

Allietare!

After pulling the six UFOs, I think it's time for me to move over any unfinished 2014 projects into the UFO column--just 3 I think. I'm not sure how much time it takes for a UFO to become one... 2 years sounds about right :)

Allietare Mystery, Top Complete!

On Saturday I finished up Allietare.  Unfortunately I needed 3 more inches of my black border fabric, so I thought about being intentional and using a espresso fabric.



The mottled orange/gold on black is Pumpkin Ridge Harvest by Deb Strain.  Age... no clue, must be older because I can't find it anywhere.



By Sunday I decided that intentionally adding that fabric wasn't working for me.  I had another colorway of that fabric line, but the mottled color splashes aren't as dense AND they are red and green.. I see it still there, but it doesn't jump out at me as badly as the espresso fabric.


I am also thinking that I can add some of my fabric paint to blend it better.  I will practice before I do that though! :)




Aside from my border issue, I am really happy with how this mystery was revealed.  Orca Bay was my very favorite, but this one ranks right up there.  Now on to finishing!  I have my batting cut from the roll and I need to figure out what the backing is going to look like.  It will likely be another scrappy-pieced backing... I love those :)

Monday Link-up:  http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2016/01/mystery-monday-link-up-reveal.html