By now I’m sure you realize I dream big and set out to finish more than I can possibly finish. Fortunately, it doesn’t bother me. Eventually I’ll get tired of seeing something on the list and either get it done or take it off and replace it with something else that may or may not get done. So here is my list of quilting goals for April.

#1 – At a minimum, finish the graduation quilt top. Graduation is May 16th!

#2 – At a minimum, finish 30 stars of the Star-A-Day quilt. Unless I catch up, I’m going to need to rename this quilt to Star-Every-Other-Day as I only have 111 done and I should be sitting at 212. (This is an old picture)

#3 – Quilt & bind Orca Bay. The top is done, I have the backing and batting so what am I waiting for?

If I would just stop there, I might get it all done – even if I am working every weekend except Easter weekend this month.  But I also want to use this post for the 2nd Quarter Finish Along hosted by Adrianne at On the Windy Side. Then there is my personal challenge of trying to get everything started earlier than 2007 done (by the end of the year), but at the same time hopefully get a couple of newer quilts finished as well.  Even though the rest of this post covers three months, it is still unrealistic, but I like options.

These are the projects I’m leaning toward taking to the quilt retreat in June. A couple of PIGs and newer quilts have slipped into the mix. Of course I may change my mind half a dozen times before I get that far.

Sweatshirt jacket, Hardware, String HST wall hanging/doll quilt, August 2013 Quilt A, Sew Scrappy and Candy Sunflower Seeds.

If I’m ‘saving’ these for June, then I need something to work on in May.  How about these partially quilted quilts.

Green & Cream Swap, Hancock Stars BOM, Compass Lone Star, Diamond Links (pic from before I started the quilting)

If I decide I simply need to QUILT something, these are tops are waiting in the wings and I have batting and batting for.

Christmas Crazy 8s, Scrappy Hearts, Yellow Thangles, Christmas BOM and Stack-n-Whack (which might not have a backing now that I think about it, but the age is right.)

Then there are the two blocks sets I’d like to get made into quilts.

Sisters Swap from 2005 & Alphabet BOM which was finished earlier this year

Finally, there is the hand quilted whitework piece that is from 2005.  I might not have enough handwork to do with just the Stars 😉 (That’s Diet Dr Pepper, not rust stains.)

So there you have it. My completely unrealistic goals for the April – June.  I’ll be happy to get 3 projects done, but I always like to have options.

Ha! April Fools!

I started to title this post “No More UFOs”, but I know no one would have believed that. Meeting all my quilting goals on the other hand, might have happened, but didn’t. I simply couldn’t get motivated to do what I set out to do at the beginning of the month. That is not to say I didn’t accomplish a few things on my list and several more that were not.

• 19 Star-a-Day Blocks – goal at least 31 blocks
• 17 of the Eye Fooler/Graduation Quilt Blocks – goal the center of the quilt top
• Pieced most of the rest of the units (I found green HST that need to be made!)
• Got the blanket binding on this pre-quilted panel that had been sitting around for 3 months
• Sorted through one of the scrap boxes, emptying it, only to toss the neutral and browns back in it to clear the ironing board. The scraps on the left need to be cleaned up for my pre-cut boxes and the ones on the right are for my Star-A-Day quilt.
• Combined two partial sets of RWB blocks into two quilt tops
• Took one large quilt top and made it into two smaller tops
• Took another not quite finished top and made it into a smaller top
  

I’ll reset my goals and see what I can get done in April.

I’ve hemmed and hawed about whether or not I was going to join this year’s Finish-Along. I find that I list projects A, B & C, but then end up finishing projects X, Y & Z or start and finish something brand new. So, with this in mind, I’ve gone through my list of UFOs and have picked three that I think are realistic finishes (i.e. have deadlines separate from this year’s Finish-Along) and then put together a list of dream projects from my UFO list.

Here are the realistic projects for 1st Quarter (January – March).

• Scrappy Trips – I want this done by mid-February
• Jared Takes a Wife – also done by mid-February
• Thangles BOM – I was looking for a quick 3rd project that could be finished and was started prior to 2007

Now for the Dream Projects:  Most of these are on the list because they were started prior to 2007 (my focus this year), the others have some other reason I would like to at least move them forward and if I’m lucky get them finished this year.

• Christmas BOM – 2003 – My oldest UFO. I ordered border fabric earlier this week and already have the backing. As soon as I figure out how to quilt this it will go to the head of the line once the top is completed.
• Sew Scrappy – 2013 – I’m not fond of my fabric choices, but know who I want to give it to. Getting it done will be a win for both of us.
• Sisters Swap – 2005 – Once I decide on the layout (and if it’s one quilt or two), quilting it shouldn’t be a problem. A panto with lots of texture.
• Orca Bay – 2011 – Although a newer start, I’m excited to get this done since I know where it’s going.
• Alphabet BOM – 2013 –  a newer start, but I don’t want to see it become a UFO. I’ve got a rough idea of what my layout is going to be but need the last three blocks
• Scrappy Hearts – 2006 – Currently the top is hanging on my wall. I have the backing fabric so perhaps this will be my “easy” 3rd project for 2nd quarter.
• Star-a-Day – 2014 –  My newest project. I’m behind by 2 months, but plan on the top being done by the end of August. Will I get it quilted in 2015?  Ask me after I get the top done.
• Quilted Sweatshirt – 2006 – As cold as it is, I should get it in gear and get it done!
• Christmas Crazy 8s – 2006 – I want to modify a panto then I’ll quilt it.
• Hancock STAR BOM – 2004 – my next oldest project. I want this year to be the year it’s done — but don’t see it happening before March.
• Diamond Links – 2007 – Just missed the cut off, but since it’s partially quilted it would be nice to finish it.
• Whitework – 2005 – started this in a class. I don’t think there’s much left to quilt on it, so I just need to get it done and make it into a pillow or something.
• Stack-n-Whack – 2006 – I have no idea how I’m going to quilt it or what I’m going to use for backing, but it’s here because I want to clear the older quilts
• Candy Sunflower Seeds – 2011 – this is on the list to have an easy finish as I know how I’m going to quilt it once the top is completed
• Green & Cream Swap – 2006 – another quilt I want to finish so I can say I have started from prior to 2007. Will probably work on this one this summer.

What are you planning on finishing in the next few months?  See what other are by following the links over at On the Windy Side.