2016: The Plan

I've never been much of one for planning what quilts to make. But now that I have a "real" job, I realize I will need to schedule my sewing time!

So here's what I've done. First, I pulled out the UFOs I want to finish this year. I listed them on my whiteboard:

more or less in the order I intend to finish them.

I arranged them on the cutting table and took a photo:

UFOs are projects that have been actually started -- not just cut, not put together as a "kit," but actually partially sewn. Sometimes mostly sewn.

Then, I pulled out the "kits" I want to sew this year.

Starting in the upper left, clockwise, are:

1. Jen Kingwell's "Gene Pool." A belated 25th Anniversary prezzie for my nephew and his wife.
   
2. Another Jen Kingwell pattern, "Stardust." Donna at Ruth's Stitchery cut a half-yard of the entire JK line for me, so I'd better sew it up!
   
3. Carolyn Friedlander fabric to make "Meter Maid" from Abbey Lane Quilts.
   
4. Tula Pink "Fox Field" mystery from 2011. I forgot I had this until I went stash-diving, looking for quilt backs.
   
5. Denyse Schmidt pattern. Included here to remind me that I have an enormous stash of DS fabrics, and I want to make something with it!
   
6. Fab Five kit of an early Sweetwater fabric line, "Sunkissed." My favorite Sweetwater collection. Plus, Abbey Lane introduced a new ruler to make the Fab Five quilt even easier.

Not included in the photo, but scheduled for 2016:

1. Kansas Connections by Mary Ellen Hopkins. A really old kit (it's been in the UFO Challenge bin for at least three years!)
   
2. Batik "Run With Rectangles" kit from Granny's Attic in McCall, Idaho. I love Lori's kits, because they're already cut and ready to sew!
   
3. Two "Lover's Lane" by Villa Rosa Designs lap quilt kits. three fabrics, one afternoon, and they're done!

Plus three more kits to select at a later date from my extensive collection of kits!

Because so many Blocks of the Month (BoMs) wind up in the UFO bin, I'm only allowing myself to start one (1, that's ONE!) BoM this year. It will be "Park Bench" by Jaybird Quilts. The fabric in the kit is "Botanics" by Carolyn Friedlander. This quilt will also be Second WEdnesday block party at Ruth's Stitchery.

I have two other BoMs still on the BoM list, Jackie Robinson's "3D Patchwork" and Marti Michell's "Bordered Rows."

Add to this the twelve Jelly Roll Party samples, and I have scheduled 36 quilts for 2016! I'll share the Jelly Roll pattern list on Friday, January 8, when I share the first JRP sample of the year.

No pressure!

From the desk of your

Sunday Stash Report

What does one do when a spring snowstorm hits, and the quilt shop closes early? One plays with one's stash additions for the month, that's what!

I am so lucky to have a boss at Ruth's Stitchery who is willing to order any little thing staffers admire. When the Moda fabric rep came by, I raved and raved about the new Jen Kingwell lines. So Cathy ordered not only the complete line of "Just a Speck," but also the complete line of Jen's backgrounds, "Behind the Scenes."

I made the June Jelly Roll Party sample using "Just a Speck." But I bought a quarter-yard of every one of the "Behind the Scenes" fabrics just for my low-volume stash!

Friend Teresa owned the Denver shop, "Treelotta." The brick-and-mortar shop has closed, but Teresa occasionally has a pop-up shop in her home. I was over the moon when I saw that she had the newest Tula Pink collection, "Chipper." 

And she also had Denyse Schmidt's "Hadley." Sharp followers will point out that I already owned quarter-yard cuts of this line. I'm thinking maybe 2017 should be the year of DS! All Denyse Schmidt, all the time!

I added a few scraps of Anna Maria Horner to my stash, preparing for a shop sample. Ruth's has the complete new AMH "True Colors" line, but none of the older fabrics. Some friends from Front Range Modern Quilt Guild are doing a QAL using AMH's "Color Dive" pattern. I could probably provide AMH  fabrics for all who want to participate!

I also picked up these adorable vintage notecards featuring McCall's pattern illustrations at Ruth's Stitchery. I can't decide if I want to use them for birthday cards for special quilty friends, or frame them!

And my bedtime reading is now Amy Butler's Blossom -- Vols. 1 & 2, now available in print.

Last weekend was the Springtime in the Rockies Shop Hop and the Pueblo Quilt and Stitch Expo -- I'll share some stash enhancement from the two show next time!



From the desk of your

What's on the Design Wall?

I absolutely love the quilt that's on the design wall this week. 

Not only is the design named for my co-author and Younger Son -- Jacob's Ladder -- the fabric is by one of my favorite designers, Jen Kingwell.

Jen's fabric line is called "Just a Speck." You can see why in these close-ups of the quilt top:

Isn't that the most fun? I'll use a fabric from her Lollies line for the backing. The fabric has eight different prints -- great for scrappy piecing!

I've made several Jacob's ladder quilts in my day. In fact, one of the very first quilts I ever made was a Jacob's Ladder -- for Jacob! This one uses 2½" strips. The pattern is from Cozy Quilts.

(photo from CozyQuilts.com)

This quilt will be the June Jelly Roll Party project at Ruth's Stitchery.

What's on your design wall this week?


From the desk of your

Finally a Friday Finish!

I've been on an extended trip to Texas, so the Friday Finishes have been thin on the ground.

Here's the May Jelly Roll Party sample:

The pattern is "True North" by Peta Peace of She Quilts Alot. The fabric is Daysail from Bonnie & Camille. I love the "waves" that Vivian quilted on it!

I used my Folded Corner Clipper to make the folded triangles in each block. I noticed Ruth's Stitchery has re-stocked this favorite tool. If you're planning a quilt with these triangles, do yourself a favor and order one!

Tomorrow is a trunk show by Jen Kingwell at Mama Said Sew in Ft. Collins. I can't wait to see her gorgeous quilts in person!

From the desk of your

Sunday Stash

and whoa, what happened to THAT week? As Gretchen Rubin says, "The days are long, but the years are short!"

I know one day disappeared when I went to the 5th birthday party for Front Range Modern Quilt Guild. What a great group!

On the way home, I enjoyed a little "stash enhancement" at Sew-ciety in Castle Rock. They're all settled in to their new location, and better than ever.

You know I can never resist a good text print. And this new Moda collection, "The Wordsmith" by Janet Clare is a winner.

The background is a creamy off-white. And instead of actually words, Janet used squiggles in varying tones to suggest text.

I only bought three half-yard cuts, but the whole collection is yummy!

Here is a picture of the whole collection (lifted from Moda's website):

Janet blogs at Janet Clare, and I'll be returning to take a closer look at her blog as soon as I finish this post!

In other exciting news, Vol. 2 of Scraps, Inc. is in shops now! Chock full of inspiration for scrap hoarders like me!

And most exciting of all, Friend Kari V. is a major contributor!

Not only did she design a pattern for the book -she designed the book!

My Design Wall Monday will feature Kona's Color of the Year, "Highlight." If Pantone's pink-and-blue is too subtle for you, try this screaming yellow!

I tried hard to capture the brilliance of the shade, but inside photos just can't. Trust me, it's the yellow of the original hi-lighter pens!

I'm planning a Houndstooth check quilt a la Tula Pink -- with a surprise!

Ruth's Stitchery continues to grow their "modern" fabric collection. I squealed like a little girl when Sonya opened these two new precuts from Jen Kingwell.

Lollies is an obese-eights collection. Each yard of fabric contains eight prints! I couldn't bear to open mine yet, but here is a link to Moda's website where you can see all the prints.

The Wilmington trunk show at Ruth's was a big success. It was more like a "many trunks" show. The quilts were made with Wilmington's Strip Packs in both cottons and batiks. 

I hoarded "Jewels" (batik strips) in two colorways. I think they will make spectacular "Rolling Fields" quilts, don't you?

Which reminds me, I haven't shared my Rolling Fields quilt yet!

Last, but certainly not least, my new "low volume" subscription from Pink Door Fabrics has begun. Chelsea has promised to send me a list of what the fabrics are -- the only one I recognize is Blueberry Park. 

Are you ready for Tuesday's UFO Parade? 
I'm not, but I hope to be by then!


From the desk of your

Sunday Stash

I scheduled some posts to publish while I am away from home. While writing them, I found this "old" draft that had never been published. 

Good thing fabric doesn't spoil, isn't it?

I can't wait until Ruth's Stitchery gets their order of Jen Kingwell's fabrics. Because I have this pattern, "Stardust" to make with it!

One of my nieces saw a quilt similar to this on Pinterest. This one will take some concentration!

I hate it when I don't get the printed selvage on fat quarters. I don't remember where I bought these fabrics, but I think they are from Free Spirit.

I know I got these purple deco weight beauties at Fringe in Salida. They had the cutest laundry bag made with these fabrics, and I'm adding them to my "bags" stash.

A few "candies" for giveaways for the monthly UFO Parade.

Did you know April is National Poetry Month? This is my favorite poem (I'm pretty sure I've shared it before!) by Mary Oliver, The Summer Day.

Who made the world?Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

I have enough new goodies to have a "Sunday Stash" every week for the next month! So I'll close now and write another post.


From the desk of your