March Goals

A new month... for some reason I'm not feeling my usual rush of excitement and I've been trying to figure out why.

On on the one hand, I'm over the moon thrilled with my progress on UFOs!  I mean like jumping up and down, patting myself on the back, high fives all around proud of myself - like this

or this.

But, I also have a nagging uncomfortable feeling lurking underneath that I can't quite articulate clearly. I look around my home and see all kinds of unfinished projects now. Things that haven't bothered me for months and in some cases years are now shouting "Finish ME!". It's like I've opened up Pandora's Box by changing one part of my life (quilting) and now I can't quite close the door on the rest. And, toss in a big dose of the more I do... the more I WANT to do.

I think it's a good thing, really. Like waking up after a long sleep. My creative mo-jo is in OVERDRIVE! I just hope I can adjust to all of the noise and, at the same time, keep listening. If that makes sense.

March Quilting To-Do List

1-Finish Christmas Stockings 2,3 & 4

2-Finish Four Patch & Friends Quilt

3-Finish Spring Flowers Quilt (at LAQ)

4-Finish Shabby String Quilt (at LAQ)

5-Finish Star Charm Wall Quilt

6-Finish Easter Table Topper

7-Finish Nancy Halverson Table Runner

8-RSC13 & And SEW On Blocks

9-Threadbias QAL Table Runner

10-HGTV Pincushion Swap

11-FMQ 7 practice sessions, 3 blocks, 1 quilt

12-Embroidery Blog Hop Project

                                                               

I try to keep my goals to 10, but this month 10 just wasn't enough. Goals 1-4 are carried over from February and I've blogged about all of them.

The Christmas stockings have been carried over for 2 months now and I'm designating them as my March finish for A Lovely Year of Finishes. I'm pulling out all the stops. Where you see 1 there WILL be 4 by the end of March!

Four Patch & Friends needs a border fabric and then I can assemble the top and get it in the mail. So really, goals 2-4 involve hand sewing binding after the magic happens at the LAQ! 

Goals 5-7 are from my Q1 UFO tab above and they look like this.

Star Charm Wall Quilt

Easter Table Topper

Nancy Halverson Table Runner

The two table toppers need to be sandwiched, quilted and bound. The Nancy Halverson table runner is pieced and ready for lots of fusible applique which I have not done much of. The tulips and vine around the border if you look at the book cover lower left are cut and ready to get started. I'm excited to try out the blanket stitch on my Juki F600.

The color for RSC13 in March is orange and Kristy posted the March block which is spools of thread for And Sew On today (goal 8). I am so enjoying these projects!

March's project for Sew Along at Threadbias (goal 9) is this beautiful table runner which will be my March NewFO for Barbara's challenge over at Cat Patches. I've never done curved piecing before so that will be interesting. I'm thinking spring florals for this project.

Goal 11 is all about kick starting FMQ. I used up all my cheapo/ugly fabrics in January's practice sandwiches so I found some $1.49 a yard fabric at Ben Franklin and cut it up into 12" squares and I'm using up the rest of my cruddy cheap batting to sandwich them.

I'm thinking structure here: Phase 1) 7 20 minute practice sessions followed immediately by Phase 2) FMQ the 3 Depression blocks I made last month for the Threadbias Quilt It! Challenge. Followed immediately by Phase 3) quilt a top.

When it comes to doing FMQ on something real I just can't get started... ranging from avoidance to mild panic as I sit down at the machine! I think I'll just have to push myself through it.

So - I've got 7 UFOs, a couple of NewFOs, some blocks, some pincushions and a bunch of FMQ in my March lineup. I think a good mix of old and new projects along with a learning curve will make for an interesting month!