UFO Challenge: January

{Note: This post is for both the usual Monday's pictures and Tuesday's crafts post. I will resume regular programming next week.   :-}

In the beginning of January, Patchwork Times drew the Number 6. And, the number 6 was assigned to "Scrap Upchuck". {You can see my original post to see what number was assigned to what UFO.}

Before
I don't know why I separated the fabric squares into light, mediums and darks. Habit I guess. I didn't really need to do that. did I?. And, there was an extra smaller box full of fabrics that I also used which was not pictured.

Anyway, I started on committing random acts of violence against fabrics. Ha! I cut up a bunch of 2.5" squares -- 1,375 scraps, 204 "darks" and 134 "lights". The original Scrap Upchuck quilt used solid black and blues. I didn't want to purchase any more fabric as I wanted to use up the stash that I had set aside eons ago to sell or giveaway. And besides, I'm not a solid fan. I rather use tone-on-tone fabrics or fabrics that "read" as solids. So, I am attempting to use "dark" fabrics and "light" fabrics from the stash.

After
I thought it was going to take me forever to cut a kajillion little squares. But, it actually went rather quickly. I had shoved my hand inside the boxes of stash and randomly drew out fabrics. I even drew out a bag that was labeled as stash fabrics! It contained nine quarter yard cuts of Nancy Crow's fabrics -- ancient and perfect! Ha!

I finished cutting all the required squares needed and the UFO challenge on January 21st. I was absolutely thrilled.

Since, the month was not quite over, I decided to slap some squares on my design wall. I'm doing things backwards. There are two different blocks for this quilt: A & B. I am suppose to start making Block As first. However, I am starting with and making block Bs. That is me. Crazy. But hey, I'm the one making this thing. I can do it in any order I please, correct? Ha!


Here is what I have on the design wall. Oh boy. They are not very pretty or good looking, Are they? Oh well. That is why it is called 'scrap upchuck'! Ha! All I need to do is start sewing the squares together to make the blocks. This is only four 'B' blocks. I need to make a total of seventeen of them. Auuggghh! Ha!

Anyway, the UFO challenge for January (cutting all the fabric squares) is completed. Hurray!

UFO (UnFinished Objects) Challenge

Patchwork Times is having a UFO challenge for 2011. {UFO = Unfinished Objects} She will draw numbers at the beginning of each month. Whatever number is assigned to a UFO, that is what we will work on for that month.

I have three UFOs (Unfinished Objects) that need to be completed. They are:

1. Dan’s Quilt
   
   I started this in 1994 or 1995. It is all basted and ready to be quilted. This is actually one of the first I made. I made this while taking my first and only class with the specific purpose to learn how to hand quilt. I just never could decide on how I wanted to quilt it. Well, no more indecision. I’m just going to do it. He’s waited long enough for that thing to be finished.
   
   I need to: a) Hand quilt and b) Bind it.
   
   
2. Wild Quilt for Single Sofa Bed
   
   Most of the fabric is cut up; but, they are stored in boxes which are in the guest closet and I can’t get to them at the moment. Ha! I had to stop working on this when I returned to college to finish up my degree which was way back in 2005. I never picked it up again.
   
   I need to: a) Finish Cutting up the fabrics, b) Sew up the blocks and c) Quilt (machine) and Bind
   
   
3. Scrap Upchuck
   
   I started this several months ago; but, I put it on hold in favor of finishing up My Mother’s quilt which had priority for Christmas and participating in a Layer Cake quilt along.
   
   I need to: a) Finish Cutting up the fabrics (this will take a lot of time as I need A LOT more 2.5” squares from the “scraps”), b) Sew up blocks and c) Quilt and Bind it.
   

Since Dan’s quilt will be hand quilted, that one will take more time than the others to get finished. However, the other UFOs need the remaining fabric cut and the blocks sewn together. So, I’m giving Dan’s quilt equal “time” as the other two UFOs.

Since there are 12 months, I’ve assigned each UFO four numbers.

Dan’s Quilt: 1, 4, 7, 10
Wild Quilt: 2, 5, 8, 11
Scrap Upchuck: 3, 6, 9, 12

Whatever number is drawn for the month, that will be the project I work on. Hopefully, I’ll get these UFOs finished someday. I have a feeling that the Wild Quilt will be done sooner as it’s a smaller quilt than I usually make and if my memory serves me correctly, cutting up the fabric is almost done. If I do get that quilt done sooner, that will be okay – it will leave the remaining assigned numbers (months) blank giving me more opportunity to create new UFOs in the year 2011. Ha!

Actually, I hope I will not create any more UFOs. I do have a few more UFOs that were part of swaps I participated in eons ago; but, I never sewed them up or whatnot. And, to be honest, I do not have the inclination to do them. So, I left them off the list.

One last note: if we find a house to call our own, these UFO dreams will have to be put on hold.