First Monday Of The Month

So, I haven't blogged here much at all the last couple of years. Too many other things to do, including fret about the state of the world.

One of the reasons I stopped blogging my quilting and slowed down was because I didn't have the old WIP Wednesday to keep me going. The quilter who was running it got busy with kids and family and her shop and stopped doing WIP Wednesdays. I think she said it was going to be temporary, but I haven't seen it kick back in.

So I'm going to start doing First Monday of the Month (and maybe Mid-Monday of the Month) to get myself back into quilt blogging. I like talking about my quilts and quilt processes, and yes, it takes a bit more time but even a picture and a quick ramble is sometimes good.

And no, I'm not an instagram influencer, intent on my life being visually elegant. It'll be messy and awkward and very much not instaperfect. I have no photographic training, just an eye for what I like (which isn't necessarily what other people like).

So I'm going to try First Monday of the Month in just over 2 weeks. No muss, no fuss, just some progress on my projects. Which means I need to have projects and I need to have projects. So. That should get me moving...

2019 Finish Along: Q3 Goals

One and Two: complete at least 2 UFO Challenges out of the six remaining that have been optioned for this year

I've been really remiss with these:

Jan - 100 Tula Blocks
Feb - blue stars from 50 states
Mar - QAYG FMQ blocks
Apr - Bard of Avon - scrappy
May - Scarlet Split Square (sew together)
Jun - Rainbow Neutrals
Jul - Kona: Around The World

So my goal for the next quarter is to finish two of these such that they're quilt tops. I thought about putting down just one as a goal, but if I do that, I'll probably finish three. That's the way my brain works...


Three: Mum's laptop sleeve

...This was supposed to be her Christmas present. And then I made it and got the dimensions wrong and, ugh, I just don't feel like redoing it.



Four: Soroptimist Raffle Quilt

In her retirement, my mother is involved with the Sydney branch of Soroptimists International (Facebook | website), and they run a raffle and a high tea every year. The last couple of years I've made a quilt for them to raffle off, and apparently it's a big selling point.

So I have to put together a raffle quilt. Something bright and simple and not too large, says my mother. I definitely have an idea, as usual, it's just a question ot getting it all together.


Five: Start the Kinship 100

Two of my Australian quilting friends - Gnomeangel and Skyberries - have put together a pattern of 100 blocks, called the Kinship Quilt. They're running it for the #100Days100Blocks2019 challenge which started two days ago.

I'm not registered for the challenge this year; I didn't prepare, didn't set up for it or anything, but I have the pattern and I'm going to do it! At the least, I'd like to start sometime in the next quarter. I'll probably do it in Kona and Tula fabrics again.


Six: Cousin P's quilt

Cousin P is getting married in October. She's the youngest of the 12 grandchilden on my mother's side of the family, and a good fourteen years my junior. We haven't been close for a number of years now, so we're not invited to the wedding (also, due to scheduling issues, many of the cousins couldn't make it to the engagement party and apparently P was rather disappointed that we weren't there so: no wedding invite).

Still, I'd like to make her and her husband a quilt. There's a slightly cynical side of me that says, "if only to use up my miles of fabric" - but...I'd like to make more quilts for giving away to family.

Anyway, P gets married in October, so we'll see if we can put something together before then...


I think that's the outside limit of what I could get done this quarter. It should be enough, don't you think? :)

Mid-Year Shutdown

I always struggle a little after the Quilt Show. It's like I'm all quilted out and now just want to take a break.

Plus, these days, I have the garden, I have writing, I have a job, I have a house... So many things to worry about and not half enough time to do anything about them.

But I have a room still full of fabric which isn't being used quite fast enough. So...it's a conundrum.