2011 UFO Challenge

Over at Judy Laquidara's WONderful blog, Patchwork Times, she's created a challenge to the bravest quilters: post 12 UFOs you'd like to finish and work on one a month to see if you can complete 12 in a year. Judy will draw a number on the first of each month and that's the number of the quilt you need to finish. Here is my list:

1. Jelly Roll Xmas Quilt, top completed in 2007

2. 12 Days of Xmas, pattern by Nancy Halvorsen, top completed in 2008

3. Pastel Stars from a Linda Ballard mystery in 2004

4. "Michigan Hideaway", black and jewel-tone top completed in 2006

5. "Big Easy", a yellow, black and quilt top made in 2008

6. "Glory Bee" red, green and white top started in 2009

7. "Twinkle Little Star" a little Xmas quilt started in 2006

8. "September" wall hanging.

9. Brocade Jacket--I assume garments count?

10. Red and black skirt--ditto #9 (I haven't even started this one)

11. VQG Challenge quilt. This is my own quilt guild's challenge; we have 2 fabrics, add can only 2 more making something with the theme "Blooming Fun".

12. Kaleidoscope. Ricky Tims' pattern. This one's pinned, I only need to quilt and bind it.

As you can see, my 'bog down' point is when I have to pin the quilt. Hate that part! So I have a lot of tops. Some of these I really like and want to complete. Others, not so much. They will be donated to one of the many worthy causes in my life.

Good luck to all my fellow Judy Laquidara aficionados!

FINALLY!!!

I can finally show everyone this quilt I've been working on for 6 months! My quilting group "Calendar Girls" selects a block and color-way every December, we make 16 blocks, exchange them in June and 'reveal' our respective quilts in December (yesterday, actually). Since I know some of my quilting buddies read this blog, I had to keep this under wraps because it's a very hush-hush thing every year.

So this is my quilt! We were to make any basket block we wanted in red and white. I came up with about 15 additional blocks because I really wanted a mish-mash of sizes and shapes. This is the 10th year we've been together so I commemorated this fact in the top with paper-pieced lettering.

So what did the others Calendar Girls make? Oh MAN! Every quilt was outstanding! I was surprised that only 5 people chose to add other colors to their quilts. One tea-dyed hers, one added butter yellow stars, one appliqued pink-ish red flowers with green leaves and 2 others added all the colors of the rainbow! The rest were pretty much true to red and white and they were all FANTASTIC!! I'm so lucky to be part of such a tight group, all of whom have become really great friends!

Mended Hearts

A couple of months ago, I told you all about my dear friend Lee who passed away after an 18-year battle with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma at the age of 60. The day before she passed, she called from her hospital bed to "ask me a favor". She wanted me to complete the 2 quilts she'd started for her daughter and her niece. You saw her daughter's, here's the niece's quilt, Mended Hearts, in progress to be finished for Christmas. This is a 'quilt-as-you-go' method, a little different than I'm used to. Once you applique the hearts on to the background, you stitch with different decorative stitches in varying colors then cut some of them in half and 'mend' them together. Then you butt the blocks together to finish the quilt--which is the part I have left to do. I'm sure it will be a touching moment when her husband delivers the finished quilt to her niece.

Miss you, Lee. . .

I Got the Extra Fabric!!!

I'm so happy to report that I was able to get enough of the red fabric I told you about last week to finish the binding on my red and white quilt--woo-hoo!! I called the shop, they still had some, my son picked it up for me and got it to me! Just when you think it's a lost cause, the Universe surprises you! The photo here is not the quilt, just my cute kitty Bobo with another red and white basket quilt I made a few years ago. I will post a photo of the Calendar Girls quilt on Monday, December 14th the day after the group has their 'reveal'.

Corn Pudding with Buorbon

CORN PUDDING WITH BOURBON

I cut this out of the Sunday paper in 1998 and it’s wonderful!

Just make sure your corn is thawed if it’s frozen and if using

canned kernels, drain well.

3 eggs

1 1/8 cup evaporated milk

3 cups canned cream-style corn

3 cups corn kernels

3 T butter, melted

3 T brown sugar

3 T cornstarch mixed w/3 T water

3/4 tsp ground nutmeg

4 1/2 T bourbon

3/8 tsp salt

3/8 tsp white pepper

Preheat over to 350º and butter a 2 quart baking dish

Beat eggs and evaporated milk together in large bowl. Stir in all remaining ingredients. Pour mixture into baking dish. Bake 45 minutes (might take a little longer) or until slightly browned and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve hot. Serves 8-10

The Case of the Too Short Binding

I am part of a wonderful group of 16 quilters who have been together for 10 years; The Calendar Girls. Every year, we pick the parameters for a block, make 16 of them, have a block exchange in June then make a quilt and have "Reveal Day" in December. Reveal Day this year is December 13th and it is my favorite day of the year. The Taj Mahal couldn't rival the splendor of the decorations of our host, Cooky. We gather around 11 am, everyone brings goodies and other edibles, we pick at them and visit, then we sit down at the magnificent dining table set with Spode Christmas china, crystal and the 'good' silver while surrounded by her Santa collection, her Christmas quilt collection (decorating every spare wall space and chair back) and the lighted village that runs all through her home.

There's show and tell, a gift exchange, then dessert and more visiting! Then we get down to business--The Reveal. Everyone's quilt is wonderful, stories are told about the sewing of them, photos are taken (to be kept in a comprehensive scrapbook, almost 3" thick now!) and at last, we choose a theme for the next year's block. (This year's was red and white baskets).

I can't show you the whole quilt, which is 98% finished, because it's a surprise and they might peek but I have a little problem: Yesterday as I was putting on the binding I cut months ago, I realized I didn't have enough and had run out of fabric! I remember where I bought it (wonder of wonders) but that's a 2 1/2 drive--each way! I've scanned the fabric and emailed it to the shop and will call them tomorrow and see if they can send it to me. (Good thing I'm one of those people who finished things early instead of waiting until the last minute. Do YOU do that?)

Tree Skirt

A completed project! F-I-N-A-L-L-Y!! I started this a couple of years ago and were it not for a UFO Challenge at our quilt guild, it would have probably been another 2 years. So, just in time for the season. . .