UFOs, PIGs vs. monthly goals

On a cold, damp day I'm contemplating next projects to tackle.  I personally need a balance between things I WANT to work on, and things that really just need to be finished.  There is binding to work on today - a Quilt of Valor, and the second Fall Blessings table runner.  I suspect I'll have the table runner finished today and will begin working on the QOV binding.  

My monthly goals actually didn't include those table runners so they are a bonus.  But it did include a PIG to start - a Kim Diehl Simple Whatnots project from a couple of months ago.  I plan to do some cutting today on at least one of those PIGs - and get them out of the "Grocery Sacks".  Little steps forward.  

 

The number drawn for September from the APQ UFO Challenge is #10.  These were the items I have listed at #10.  That Rail Fence quilt is actually in the hands of the quilter, so I have a good chance of it at least reaching the binding stage by the end of September.  It's a really old UFO, so it will feel good to see it finally finished.  The Laundry Line (Kim Diehl) project is small and is one of the PIGs waiting to become WIPs.  So the timing for this one to show up on the UFO Challenge is good.

The Row By Row kits will have to wait for another time.  But ironically I did take one of the two rows already made, and used it to make a pillow earlier this summer.  So I do feel good to have done something with at least one Row, since they're on my UFO list.  

I also WANT to get Bringing Home the Tree at least quilted this week.  Not sure why I didn't put this on my goals for the month.  It is going to be a pillow, but won't be a standard pillow size, so I'll figure out later what to use as a pillow form inside of it.  Most likely I'll be buying a slightly larger one, and then cutting it down to the size needed.  Simple "pencil line" quilting like on the pillow above, or maybe a simple grid, is what I have planned for this new one.  Either should be easy to do with my limited quilting skills.