Next UFO projects

There are always several UFOs in my sewing room.  Things I started and then set aside for any number of reasons, or for no reason other than I can't resist a squirrel.  I'm trying each month as I finish one UFO, to choose the next one to work on.

Shadow Stars is one of those abandoned UFO projects.  It's a Quilt of Valor begun about this time last year, but I only got 3 blocks made at the time. The pieces were even all cut for the remaining blocks. Since RED is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color for March, I decided to choose this UFO to be next in line as it has lots of red. 

Today is Day 2 of the Summit League basketball tournament.  It's my husband's idea of an ideal vacation.  Sigh!!   It has always been fun to spend 5 days at the tournament because it has been a reunion of extended family.  Due to a variety of circumstances this year I think we're the only ones attending, although we'll try to have some grandkids come to games with us.

Plus I'm finally getting over the cold I caught over last weekend, so it's probably OK that we're not hanging out with lots of family members.

Under the weather

Thank you to my husband for sharing his cold with me!!

He felt so miserable early last week that he even moved to the guest room to sleep.  But unfortunately he has passed it on anyway. By Saturday evening it was obvious that I was getting very congested.  Sunday I never ever got dressed. No fever, no chills, no sore throat, no deep coughing - just that sinus congestion.  My nose is red and tender.  Monday wasn't a very ambitious day either although I did get dressed and I did get some binding strips cut. 

But I'm determined that today I'm going back downstairs to sew for a little while.  With a big box of tissues of course.  

Design Wall Monday - March 2

First . . . an update on the state wrestling tournament for my granddaughter. She ended up with 8th place (out of 16) by default as she got a dislocated elbow in the match to determine whether she would be wrestling for 3rd, 5th, or 7th.  Ended up in the ER, where she was sedated and the elbow put back into place.  There is a cast on it for next 6 weeks or so.  But no broken bones or torn tissues so she's lucky.  

It was a tough way to end a really successful season for her.  When her parents went back to the tournament to pick up her bag, she insisted on going in and then insisted on staying with the team for the rest of the tournament.  After talking it over with the coaches, mom and dad reluctantly let her stay.  She's a tough kid and we're really proud of her.  Seeing that arm flopping was terrifying!  She is wearing that 8th place medal proudly.

OK - on to sewing!!  It's a whole new month, but my goal list doesn't change much from one month to another because I'm always working with multiple on-going projects. I enjoy those Block of the Month/Week sew-along types of projects, so I'll continue to play along.  

One exciting thing to report is that I'm the Featured Quilter for March at The Pin Cushion quilt shop here in Mitchell.  They are showcasing local quilters, and displaying their projects in the classroom for a month at a time.  I'm so honored.  It was fun to decide which projects to take for display.  Three large quilts, and several medium to small quilts are in the stack. They will choose what they think works best and that there is room for. I'll try to share some photos in the next few days of how it's all displayed. 

WIPs = Works in Progress

• Keep up with Sewcialites (block of week)
• keep up with Alycia's QOV sew-along
• finish flimsy for SAHRR
• keep up with guild DIY Round Robin
• Saturday Sampler - new monthly blocks
• make blocks for Rainbow Scrap Challenge in NEW color - RED
• finish hand stitching on Sashiko piece

UFOs = Unfinished Objects

• bind Triple Triangle quilt
• Jackrabbit Stars - take to long arm quilter
• pair up next UFO with backing
• finish blocks for QOV Shadow Star (seriously neglected)

NEW Projects & PIGs (Projects in Grocery Sacks)

• April mini quilt (Year of Spools)
• Choose another PIG from the drawer to begin
• NOT BUY ANY NEW KITS FOR A MONTH!!!!

I'm linking up today with:

https://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com/ 

https://songbirddesigns.blog

RSC26 - Week #9

Missing from this group photo are some green string blocks that were made early in the month.  Seeing all these blocks together makes me feel happy.  I do love green and always seem to have a lot of it in the stash, and in the scrap bins too.  But after getting all of my green RSC blocks done I'm excited to move on to a new color for March sewing.  

The blue version of Who's Found the Catnip block is now hanging with the green one I did first.  I knew once I got that green one made that I just HAD to go back and do it again in blue for January.  It's a very fun addition to my RSC block sets for 2026.

Let's go check out more Rainbow fun . . .

https://superscrappy.blogspot.com/

Contessa - Finished (or not) Friday

The word NOT should be spelled KNOT for this finish, and it was in danger of NOT being finished.

I bought a new spool of Cotton and Steel thread in a warm brown to blend with the binding on this quilt.  I've bought that brand before and had great results.  But KNOT this time!!!  Can you see the big KNOT circled in blue on the left side of my picture.  I'm not exaggerating when I say that every few inches - yes inches - of hand stitching I would end up with a knot like this one.  And that was WITH the thread conditioner (wax).  It took me 3 times as long as it should have to hand stitch this binding down.  

So, finally the hand stitching is finished and I can check this quilt off the UFO list, and the PHD list.  And subtract a bunch of yardage from the stash tracking totals.  It's only 58 by 66, and I'm thankful it wasn't any larger because I might have never gotten that hand stitching done.

It's Thursday!!

Today is a big day - in terms of sports and our family anyway.  

Photo shared by the mom of a teammate.

The state wrestling tournament opens this morning, and we plan to be there to cheer on our granddaughter in her matches, and her whole team as they compete. Go Lady C-Hawks!!

I can report another small finish this week.  This is the Year of Spools mini for March.  I kept the quilting simple on this one. The first one I began with was the July one last summer, so that means we're getting close to the end with only April, May, and June remaining. 

Spring banner finish

The spring mini banner is all done and ready to hang in my office, if spring ever actually arrives.  We don't have snow but it is very definitely cold here in SD. 

With the 2 banners I've made so far, I kept the quilting very simple.  A decorative stitch along the sashing and borders is really all they needed.

These are about 10" wide and 24" long, and fit perfectly between the closet and the hallway in that narrow bit of wall. 

I'm also caught up with this month's Saturday Sampler task.  We needed to make 9-patch blocks using 2.5" squares.  Four of the blocks are sewn into 1 strip, 3 into another strip, and 2 are left as single blocks. I mixed in some of the pale backgrounds used in month #1, and lots of the colors that will show up all over the quilt.