Finish a UFO before starting something new

Happy Wednesday! I’m in that place where I would love to start a new project, but I’m forcing myself to finish a UFO (or two) before I do. That sounds reasonable, right? If I did that all the time, I wouldn’t have such a long list of UFO’s (unfinished quilt projects). I think this could be another one of those perfect mottos, Finish a UFO before starting something new. It’s right up there with Finished is better than perfect.

Last week I finished my Possibilities Quilt with a flanged binding (my second this month) and it’s all ready for some good photos. I did snap a few pictures in my yard, but I still need to get a full shot of the front and a few others.

The dark blue flange is a nice accent when you are using the same fabric for the binding as the border. It’s so easy to do, too. I’ve been using the Shortcut Binding Tool to do this, but more for the instructions that came with it than the actual tool itself. Lorna at Sew Fresh Quilts has a great tutorial for adding a flanged binding.

The UFO that I’m currently working on is a bonus quilt that I made while teaching a class last year. It has a lot of wide open space for free motion quilting and that’s where I’m at. I had finished quilting the center medallion and now I’m working on the corners.

I chose to do an orange peel design in the background triangles. This starts with marking a grid (1″) that acts as a guide for the curves. Before I started stitching, I watched this YouTube video by Karen Miller of Red Bird Quilt Co. showing how she approaches it. Then I practiced on a white board before stitching. Below you can see the stitching before I removed the grid lines and after.

That’s all the news from my sewing room. I’m reading a fun book right now, Coffee Self-Talk by Kristin Helmstetter. The idea is to spend 5 minutes a day while you’re drinking your coffee to practice positive self-talk which will lead to a more fulfilling and positive life. It’s not that I’m not currently experiencing those things, I just was intrigued by the idea. Plus, it sounded like something I’d like to try while sipping my morning coffee/tea. What can I lose? So far, I’m really enjoying it!

I really look forward to my morning routine and lately it has included a little yoga followed by a healthy breakfast. That almost always includes a little of my Maple Pecan Granola Recipe. Usually this goes on top of Greek yogurt, but I’ve given up dairy (as of 9 days ago) so now I make a thick smoothie with chia seeds and add the granola on top. It’s just as good!

Thanks for stopping by and reading about my latest quilting (and food) adventures. I hope you’re having a wonderful week!