Sharon’s Top 12 UFO’s for 2020

Hi Quilting Friends,

One of my personal goals for 2020 is to participate in the online quilting community, and so I’ve chosen to work on my PHD in 2020 with Gail at QuiltingGail! The first thing that I’m supposed to do is to create a list of twelve projects that I plan to finish in 2020.

I’ve been finishing UFO projects as a personal goal for the past two years. I actually thought that I was finished with my backlog of small projects, but I found a few oldies but goodies while I was re-organizing my sewing storage area this summer. I also found several rulers, patterns, and foundations that I bought & forgot. Some of these magnificent finds are on my list for this year!

And here’s my “Top 12 List”, in no particular order:

Project #1: Family Reunion Signature Quilt

Six cute little pieced houses to represent the six siblings in my Dad’s family. Two trees to represent Montana, where our family has its roots. A rustic sign to commemorate the occasion. And a bunch of scrappy pieced blocks, each with a signature from a member of our extended family. I actually pieced two of these quilt tops; one was presented to our Aunt Jessie (Dad’s youngest sister), who organized the family reunion, and this one that I kept to finish. It needs to be quilted, bound, and labeled. I’ll probably also add a hanging sleeve. The family reunion was in 1995, so I’ll finish the quilt this year to celebrate the 25th anniversary.

Project #2: Make something with these spare HST squares

I trimmed these HST squares off when I was making sew & flip rectangles for the stars on my “Football Superstars” quilts and they were too big & too pretty to just throw away so I stowed them in a large ziploc bag. I need to decide upon a pattern, trim them up, and make something with them. The red & white squares are identical, the blue & gold squares have a variety of prints. Lots of possibilities with a stack of HST squares, right?

Project #3: Lazy Log Cabin Blocks

I acquired these blocks in an exchange at the quilt guild that I used to attend, back in the ’90’s. I made some blocks to keep and some to swap. (Note to self- I miss some things about quilt guild! Maybe I can find time to start going to the meetings now & then.) At any rate, I have a stack of thirty 7.5″ by 7.5″ blocks. I have a large container of 2″ strips that I apparently cut, way back when, with the intention of making more “Lazy Log Cabins”. I’ve been wanting to reduce my stockpile of scraps. Sounds like the perfect storm of a project to me! The finished quilt size will be 75″ by 75″, which requires 100 blocks, and I’ll tie it instead of quilting it because that’s appropriate for a scrappy quilt that’s meant just for staying warm & snuggly.

Project #4: Plum & Gold King-sized Quilt

This one is for my bed. I really need to quilt & bind it so we can enjoy using it. I’m overwhelmed with the idea of getting started, I openly admit it, but I know that I can do this- one step at a time!

Projects #5: Make something with these tools

Project #5 will be to use the “Perfect Pineapples” foundations and some of the Christmas fabric in my extensive private textile collection to make a beautiful quilt top. I have more than enough red, white, and green fabrics to make all 25 blocks! It should be a nice size for a throw quilt, but I reserve the right to reduce the size of my finish if I run out of time and/or energy before next December.

Project #6: Make a throw with my “Diamond Star” blocks

I purchased this fun little “Spot On” tool from Phillips Fiber Art with a gift certificate that I won via FabShopHop last summer, and then I played around with some colorful scraps and made twelve diamond star blocks. It is a pretty cool tool! The blocks are made with strips, which are trimmed with the tool and then stitched together again to make the blocks. I’m not sure how many more blocks I’ll need, so will decide upon a layout as things progress.

Project #7: Make a wall hanging from one of these patterns

Make a quilt from one of these two McKenna Ryan patterns that I bought at Quilt Festival years ago. I need to review my fabric stash before I commit to which one I’ll tackle this year. (Hope that’s still following the PHD rules! If not, I apologize.)

Project #8: Finish the Under Construction Quilt

• 

• 

• 

The fabric is selected. The applique worker blocks are ready to stitch. The design plan is in place. I will select a few FPP vehicles from our current pattern line to add to the mix. This will ultimately be a new addition for Ms P’s Pattern Shop, but it is also a UFO because we purchased the fabric & created the designs before the start of 2020.

Project #9: Make “Goose Trails” table runner for Christmas

The runner in the photo was a Christmas gift that I made for my younger son, using some beautiful scraps that I had left over from my “Born in the Rockies” quilt. I had fun making & quilting the runner, and Nathan really liked his gift! I have LOADS of beautiful Christmas fabric in my extensive private textile collection, some that will undoubtably be perfect for this project. I will post a photo of my fabric for the Christmas Goose Trails runner when I’ve made a choice.

Project #10: Scrappy Goose Trails Quilt

Yet another scrap & stash reduction project, and another potential pattern design! I will use bright scraps and gray to create a throw-sized quilt using the “Goose Trails” design idea, unless I’m having too much fun and decide to grow the quilt even larger. There will probably be additional colors after I’ve pulled more pieces from my scrap bins. Yes, I’m kinda in love with “Goose Trails” at the moment.

Project #11: Wonky Halloween Sampler Quilt

• 

• 

• 

This quilt is still in the idea phase, although I have fabric for at least 80% of the design just sitting in my stash. It will include wonky blocks from our previous three Halloween quilt patterns, shown above, along with several new wonky blocks for a pieced Halloween sampler.

Project #12: Finish Great-Grandma’s “Lone Star” Quilt

We had a great-grandma (who I never met) who was a quilter! She was my maternal Grandfather’s mother, and she lived in another state. Great-grandma Rose may have passed away before I was born; I don’t know much about her. Susan got a quilt that Great-grandma made from our Grandma (Mom’s mother), who had been using this gorgeous quilt as a mattress pad, of all things! Susan then cut it into four sections, one for each sibling in our family, because the quilt was worn out and damaged beyond repair. I need to make a few little repairs to preserve Great-Grandma’s work, and then bind it. No hanging sleeve on this one; the quilt piece is too fragile for that to work well. I think some deep red binding would make this piece sparkle, don’t you?

So that’s it! My “Top 12 UFO’s” for 2020. I’m excited to get started; looks like a fun & challenging list. I’ll post and link up at the appropriate time to share my progress.

Happy quilting,

Sharon

And here’s me, linking up to the PHD linky party at QuiltingGail!