Lists and Finishes!

 I am super happy to report that I finished tying and binding the second eye spy quilt that my daughter wanted (for friends who are having babies).  I usually do not do that kind of thing but she never asks for anything so I decided to do them.  She in return is buying me a open toed foot for my Bernina--was going to order some fabric on her nickel but I really do not NEED anymore at the moment so I decided to get something more practical.
Now where the lists come into this post.  I am loving those Projects at a Glance sheets I wrote about a post or two ago.  I had absolutely no idea how many projects I let accumulate.  I always say I am a finisher and I am!  I updated my Pinterest (in sidebar) for the WIPS/UFOs and seriously think I have accounted for them all by now.  Lord I hope so!  So here is what I have going on:
Handwork in Progress--3
Works in Progress still being stitched-20
Works in Progress to be quilted or tied by me-13
To be Longarmed-8
That is after I accounted for these two easy finishes.  I quilted and tied them so I could check them off--see the lists are working already!

 Not the best picture, but this is Strip Twist made in 2014.  I have had it pinned and ready to practice quilting on it since then.  Happy to have it done and it will soon be gifted as I know of four babies in utero right now!

We Wish You a Merry Christmas tiny tablerunner also is quilted and bound.  Not great, but done. 

In all my listmaking I was able to put my hands on the RSC BOM blocks for both January and February so I could get a picture of them together.  LOVE Quiltville's Straits of Mackinac!  Looking forward to the next month's color!

 Last Tuesday Kathy went to guild with me (she is a member this year due to Bonnie's workshop) and we played Quilt-O.  Super fun and she won twice and me once.  I am now doing the blog and facebook pages for our guild too.  So hopefully I will be better about doing my own blog again!

Hexes and UFO's!

Okay it is hexies and UFO's not hexes, but it was a fun title!  We have been super busy and running like crazy lately.  Last weekend we went with the family to Mund's Park and stayed in a cabin.  The kids played in the snow and we played lots of board games and went to a wine tasting.  It was fun.  I managed to finally sew all but two of my hexi flowers onto the taupe fabric they needed to go on.  The UFO number for #APQResolution was #8.  It should have been this hexie project below, but I misread it and skipped right to the hexie flower one.  Then today I had to time to prep up stuff for this one even though I had decided to continue to just do the other one.  This is Bonnie's Little Bit Hexie.

 My borders do not quite fit, so I tucked it away until its number is drawn or I feel like fixing it and went back to working on the wrong (but now right) hexie project.

 You may remember this is the project from the Quiltville Caribbean Cruise in Oct. 2015.  I made one hexie each day of the trip in modern fabrics.

 I love how it came out with the arrows!  This is just a fun wall hanging for me so I will add it to the stack of to be quilted flimsies.

Barb sent me a link to a cool blog with projects at a glance pages and full pages for each project.  I am a list maker so I printed some out and put them in a three ring binder.  I was SHOCKED to discover that I could fill up an entire page with works in progress/UFO's!  There are twenty lines on each page.  I have not even started the page for those that need quilting.  That is next.  Really fun to cross things off (just crossed off most of the first one with Hexie Flowers) and also to remember what all I have going. 
I started another page of "quilts I want to start" and have twelve on there already.  Sheesh, I know lots of quilters have lots more of these than I do, but I do not like having so many in progress.  Many of them are super close to flimsy stage so I am happy to be doing the UFO challenge and to knock them off the list. 
My Pilates instructor broke her knee a few weeks ago--so no Pilates.  She should be back at it soon.  Meanwhile I have gone back to hiking and I love it again!  I am actually training to do about 12 miles at the Grand Canyon in March.  My cousins are coming in from Wisconsin and Minnesota to hike.  I am up to four miles and need to keep on upping it!  My knee is holding up and I have a break in my day that while the weather holds out two days a week I can hike midday.  The good news with all this is my weight loss started moving again!  I was down 115.6 pounds this morning!  It also happens to be three years I have been going to Weight Watchers.  Year one I lost 81.4 pounds, year two 24.4 pounds and year three 9.8 pounds.  Slow and steady but what a difference! 

February Goals Progress

 Last Friday after an early morning shift I sewed at Barb's.  We had planned to go to the Rusty Barn Quilt show the Friday before but I wound up in the hospital with another gallstone and got pancreatitis.  UGH!  Seems like the stone passed (or fell back down so pain went away) and this week I got to hiking FOUR times!  I did not realize it had been nine months since I had hiked.  I really missed it.  I am super sore though.  And I am happy to have gotten back to it now because my Pilates instructor shattered her knee (skiing--a snowboarder plowed into her).  I am at 111.6 down.  Super slow but not going up so I am happy about that!

 So I joined the All People Quilt UFO Challenge and they pulled #8 for February which is my "Little Bit Hexie" so I depapered them all and spray basted and pinned them to the squares.  I think I am going to try to hand attach them.  These are the little flowers I made each day on the Quiltville Cruise in October 2015.

 I also made both of my "Straits of Mackinac" blocks in the Rainbow BOM color of aquamarine.  It is not too late to join in if you want to go visit Angela's blog.  So fun to have a simple goal and a place to link up!  This group has grown and grown over the years and I have made friends of many of the participants.  I love to see what block or project everyone chooses to work on all year!

I also made block two of the Pat Sloan's BOM for 2017.  Barb and I are both doing this one.  Nice to use up scraps and be surprised by how it comes out.

In other news, Kathy was super happy the Patriots won last night.  It was quite a nailbiter for awhile and then there they were!  I do not have as much time to sew as I would like...I am teaching three classes this semester (and interpreting too) and the prep keeps me busy.  One of the classes is a new curriculum...so much work setting everything up,  Should be easier here on out though because I will finally have the basics together and can just improve as I go! 

I entered two quilts in the AQG Quilt Show in March.  I wanted Talkin' Turkey which I made for the Rainbow BOM to be shown.  I am not that kind of quilter and wish I could enter without getting any feedback. I have heard they are super picky and none of that matters to me.  That has held me back from entering anything but I could not resist this time.  The other one I entered it the mystery I made with my guild.  It is nothing to write home about at all, and my colors were the peaches--it is a bit much, however those in the guild who did it are entering them as a group thing to represent our guild so I went along with it.  I need to make and attach the binding to it soon.  Kathy is also entering for the first time!  Her Allietare is going to be in the show.  She got half the binding on yesterday.  We also need to make quilt sleeves for them all too.