January 2025 - Time (again!) for UFOs

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Here we go again! UFOs / WIPs 2025! 

I know I'm one week early, but I also know there's no chance I'll get any of these UFOs / WIPs finished before 2025! 

I've been a slug the last couple of years, finished only a few. 

The list does not differ much from January 2024, just added a few more! Haha! 

1) New York Beauty

Progress 2024: blocks pieced together, thread basted, ready for quilting

2) PSQ 36-patches

Progress: more blocks added 

3) Wedding Ring quilt

Progress: Zero!

4) Scrappy Christmas Stars

Progress: Zero!

5) Advent Calendar Woodland - Finished 2023

6) Christmas Card Holder

Progress: Decided on fabric

7) Vegetable wall hanging/storage - Finished 2022

8) Basket Quilt

Progress: Zero!

9) Scrappy 4"

Progress: Zero!

10) Pineapple Quilt - Finished 2024

Take photos!

11) Crumb Quilt

Progress: Zero!

12) Irish Chain - Finished 2024

Take Photos!

13) Got the Blues

Progress: All blocks done

14) Poppy Wall Quilt

Progress: Zero!

15) Scrappy Flannel Quilt

Progress: Zero!

16) Tomten's Quilt

Progress: All blocks done, ready for sashing

17) Granny Squares

Progress: Zero!

18) House Quilt (Dwellings)

Progress: Zero

19) Snowman Wall Quilt

Progress: Thread basted, ready for quilting

20) Swirling Stars - RSC 2024

Progress: All blocks done

21) Star Streams

Progress: Flimsy + pieced backing, purchase batting

22-1) Bases Loaded, Purple - Finished 2024

Take Photos!

22-2) No name purple - Finished Jan 12, 2025

Progress: thread basted, ready for quilting

23) Patchwork Potpourri

24) Star Quilt / Brown Orange

Progress: Zero

25) Flag Table Runner - Finished 2024

26) Keep the Home Fires Burning - RSC 2024

Progress: Flimsy + pieced backing, purchase batting

27) A Quilting Life BOM 2024 - RSC 2024

Flimsy + pieced backing + batting, ready to be quilted

28) 182 Day Solstice 

Progress: 13 out of 25 blocks made

29) 35 Scrap Jar blocks

Progress: Made blocks only

30) 94 Zipper blocks

Progress: Made blocks only

31) 64 Split 9 blocks

Progress: Made blocks only

32) Kris Kringle KIT

Progress: Zero! 

33) Country Charm

Progress: Blocks made for the center unit

Currently making blocks for this one. 

Knitting / Stitchery / Cross-Stitching

Shawl - (knitting)

Open Finger Gloves (knitting)

Santa (knitting)

Gnome (knitting)

Bed Cover (knitting)

Granny Square Blanket (crocheting)

Over the River and Through the Woods (stitchery)

Progress: First section done. Started third section.

Bits of Blue (cross-stitching)

Progress: Zero

As you can see, there are way too many! I'm not saying I'm going to finish ALL by 2025. My goal; I'll be happy if I can finish one per month. 

What about you? Are UFOs top priority 2025? 

I think I'll start with a piece of Banana- Rum Bars I made yesterday! YUM! 

Star Streams has become a Flimsy

 After getting two flimsies and scrappy backings done, I decided to continue getting some blocks into flimsies, and later on pieced backing too. 

Do you remember Star Streams? It was supposed to be a RSC project, but I decided on blue and white instead. The first blocks were made January 2023. Step Blocks were made June this year. I ran out of background fabric when I had 7 blocks left to do. Argh! I didn't have anything matching, so had to order more. It was delivered after some weeks, but then I had other projects to work on. Now that I'm in 'flimsy-mood', I pulled out the blocks for this one, made the 7 remaining blocks and VOILA! 

Another flimsy is born!

A border can be added, but I'm going to leave it as it is, with dark blue, maybe scrappy binding. 

Measures approximately 57 x 65 inches / 145 x 165 cm.

 It has got a pieced backing! I had two 'in and out of the shelf' fabric I desperately wanted to get rid of! Can you guess which two? The half yard shell fabric and the sunrise, or sunset? fabric! I bought the sun fabric years ago, when I was stash-building. The shell fabric was a gift from a UFO challenge some years ago. I've never liked the latter! The big floral fabric middle right is actually a piece of a curtain I bought years ago in Norway! It's one of those good quality cotton curtains. I love it and could never part with that small piece! lol

When will I finish this one? Not sure. I have to purchase batting, even if I do frankenbatting, there won't be enough.

Yesterday I pulled out Country Charm. 

I'm making more blocks and I have cut more neutral/white 2-1/2" for the HST required for each block.  I'm not exaggerating when saying I have thousands of 2" squares. This quilt measures 85" square and 2412 2" squares go into the quilt! It should make a small dent?! 

Linking up with Angela and RSC - Rainbow Scrap Challenge

Flimsies, Pieced Backing and Frankenbatting

 I'm happy to say I have two RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge) flimsies!

Keep the Home Fires Burning

I had sew much fun adding all these blocks together! 

...and Sherri McConnell A Quilting Life BOM 2024

Finding the 'right' fabric for the border and sashing for a scrappy quilt can sometimes be a challenge. Since it has 'all' colors, any of these colors could be used, I guess. My DH suggested black for the sashing. Hm.... What do I have in my stash? Definitely not a big choice. A few strips left of Moda Marbles, one yard black Grunge is hiding somewhere... I ended up with a fabric I've had 'forever'; white pindots on black, that was just enough, only a few strips left! For the border I've chosen a gorgeous batik in dark blue, purple and turquoise.

The last days I've worked on pieced backings for both flimsies.

I've pulled out fabrics from my stash, some been there 'forever'. You know those fabrics that are pulled in and out of the shelf until you get damn tired of them, leave them and forget about them. That's the case for these pieced backings.

'Keep the Home Fires Burning' is square, approximately 73"x73" (185 cm square). I have to get the quilt (all three layers) on the table to see if the backing fits. The sides are only an inch bigger than the quilt! YIKES! (Don't ask me where the math went! ...or my brain?!!) I may not get it straight on the table, I may have to get it on the floor getting it straight. I shall see... My poor old knees won't be happy!

Fabric requirements for this quilt is approximately 8-1/2 yards for the top and 5 yards for the backing (total 13-1/2 yards) 

It was easier to do the pieced backing for the BOM. I found some half yards and FQ's hidden at the bottom on a shelf, under a lot of Christmas fabrics!!! I know why they were 'hidden' there; I had no clue what to do with them and not sure I liked them that much either. A few were a challenge win years back. 

Fabric requirements: Approximately 11 yards for the top and 4-1/2 yards backing (total 15-1/2 yards) 

For these two quilts: All fabrics from my stash, a total of 29 yards. This is according to the fabric requirements. 

Even if not visible (as I can see!), it sure has made a dent in my stash. 

Some time ago I learnt a new word; frankenbatting. 

If that is new to you, you can learn more here. 

I have done frankenbatting for years without knowing it's a word for it. lol 

Do you do frankenbatting?

A couple of days ago I had to go into the city again. On my way home I stopped at Bagatelle Mall to get a few groceries and have a look at the Christmas decor. I'm not a big fan of malls, I find them rather boring. Malls have popped up everywhere on the island the last years. 

One of the entrances

...and even a decorated Banyan tree

 I enjoyed admiring their Christmas display

Have you decorated the tree? That's what I'm going to do this weekend!

Mindless Sewing, RSC, and BOM 2024

 First of all, to those of you who commented on my previous post; THANK YOU for your comment! I was not able to message all of you, because you were set on 'noreply comment'. I know I haven't had that problem earlier, unless you have changed the setting recently? Or is it Blogger that has a problem/change? Does any of you face the same problem? 

Are you done making Christmas items? I am! Almost all Christmas fabrics are stored away for this time, although I do have a Christmas Card Holder (UFO!) I may finish this year (she said optimistically!). And there's another UFO; a snowman wall hanging. OK, when I feel for it! 😀 You can see them here. The card holder is #5 and wall hanging #17. As you can see, almost NO progress on UFOs at all this year!!! However, I have 3 finishes; #8 (pineapple quilt), #10 (Irish Chain) and #20 (Bases Loaded purple quilt). I finished them earlier this year, but have not got around taking photos! Oh, and that Norwegian Flag TR is finished too. That makes it 4 finishes, out of ..... YIKES!!!! Good, but still too bad! 

I've done some windows and house cleaning. My goodness, that was needed! Now the neighbours don't look foggy! I have left to do one kitchen window. To do that one, I have to climb on the countertop. It feels so good when it's done, doesn't it?! 

A couple of weeks ago, we got rain and a little bit wind from 'Bheki'. We welcomed the rain, it was dry. But of course, after the rain and heat, the garden looks like a jungle! Yard work has been done too. I got sore, as expected! I have a tendency to overdo! 

A few hours sewing in the evenings, it has been. There was an accumulation of 2.5" squares I want to take care of. (They DO multiply during the nights, I'm sure!) 

36-patches

9-patches / 16-patches

So far, 810 squares pieced together; 2 36-patches, 27 16-patches and 34 9-patches. Mindless sewing is good for some days, but needless to say I got bored after some days! 

A month ago or so, I cut fabrics for black / grey zipper blocks. They were moved around on the table until I got tired and got them done. 

10 blocks

I'm caught up on all RSC blocks I've been working on this year. 

This is #12 and last of Sherri McConnel's A Quilting Life BOM 2024. Doing the blocks in RS colors, I ran out of colors. I was thinking I make it in a color I have the most of; red, blue or yellow. I already have one red block, but going through already cut red squares, I could make the block in red with only one duplicate fabric. 

Together with block #12, the quilt assembly was published. 

I needed fabric for the sashing... Since the blocks are made in Rainbow Scrap colors, any of those color could have been used, I think? Then my DH suggested black... Hm... Yardage in black is not what I have the most of. Going through my stash, I ended up with tiny white dots on black and cornerstones in bright colors. 

I had to go into the city again yesterday for some paperwork. People have got their salary and there are chaos everywhere! I have to admit I do like the hustle and bustle, but only for a short time! 

Caudan Waterfront usually display a huge decorated Christmas tree. You can see last year's tree here. 

This year's 'tree', or should I say star?! 

Somehow I expected a huge decorated tree, what can I say about this one? I like the modern look, and I'm sure it looks nice in the evenings. I'm a 'big tree' fan, I got a bit disappointed. lol

Pont Lakorite, the bridge between Shopping/Restaurants and Caudan Arts Centre

'This bridge dates back several years and its name was coined in August 2013 to symbolize connection; the strengthening of ties of friendship, love, fraternity, sharing and solidarity. 

To seal all these relationships, the public was invited to hang padlocks from the railings. In fact, the term 'Lakorite' is translated as Harmony.

As one of the bridges on our site, Pont Lakorite bears the identity of Le Caudan Waterfront, enabling visitors to move from one experience to another. As our tagline puts it so well; 'Le Caudan Waterfront, Bridging Experiences' 

(Courtesy by Le Caudan Waterfront).