May UFO progress and WIP’s

I’m getting back to my UFO list after pausing for the month of April. At the start of the year, I listed 12 UFO’s that I’d like to finish – one each month. I don’t know about you, but just having a list hanging up in my sewing room is enough to bring it into my awareness. The key is to not let it make you feel guilty. And since I’m sharing my current UFO, I thought I’d also give you a glimpse at my WIP’s – projects that are ongoing and keeping me busy!

May UFO

My UFO project for this month is not your typical UFO. Sometimes you just need to rid yourself of UFO’s that you’ve lost interest in or that are beyond your time limits. In 2022, I signed up for the Fig Tree Mystery BOM – Manchester By The Sea. Each month I received a kit with instructions and plenty of fabric to make the blocks. I think I made it to month 3 and then just gave up. Fig Tree BOM’s are beautiful but they can be very overwhelming. They’re sampler quilts with a lot of different blocks and even though I love the piecing, the time commitment is too much for me.

So, my goal this month was to package up the monthly kits and list them on Etsy. I started by organizing what I had and then taking pictures of everything. Then I made sure they all fit in a flat rate shipping box and determined a fair price for the kit.

The kit includes over 8 yards of Moda fabric (mostly Fig Tree), five stand alone Fig Tree patterns, over 40 pages of instructions and a fabric swatch page. The blocks that I’ve made already are included of course. As I was writing this blog post, the kit just sold – so I’m happy it will be on its way to a good home – and I’ll have one less project bogging me down.

WIP Progress

Besides all the UFO’s, I have plenty of works in progress – WIP’s – to keep me busy. Sounds familiar for many of you, I’m sure.

Color Collage BOM

I’m co-teaching a block of the month class at my local quilt shop, The Granary. This is one way to make sure I stay on task! With that said, I’m behind by one month so I have some catching up to do. My turn to do the lesson and demonstration is next week, so I’ll be ready by then. You can see the blocks I’ve completed so far in the photo below. I’m working with batik fabric which is a nice change.

Star Spangled Heart Pattern

I’ve been playing with my Star Spangled Heart pattern as I update it to include a table runner and a larger wall hanging. I love making the projects for my patterns, but I procrastinate when it comes to sitting at the computer and writing the pattern. It’s an ongoing power struggle between the creative side of my brain and the analytical side.

The table runner was quick and fun to make. It contains two 12″ blocks at each end with sawtooth stars in between. I quilted it with straight lines spaced 1″ apart at various angles. It was fast and easy!

The Star Spangled Heart Wall Hanging is just about ready. It will measure 28″ square so it could be used as a large table topper for a square or round table or as a wall hanging. I made this one scrappy with a variety of red, white and blue fabric. It’s a beautiful combo!

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And then I made one more version – just the quilt block – made with dusty blues and reds. The block measures 16″ square and it would make a fun pillow for the summer.

I’ll let you know when the updated pattern is ready. For now, the original version is still available in my Etsy Shop. The original Star Spangled Heart block is made a little differently – it’s simpler, but some might prefer it. Once the new pattern is ready, it will be emailed to the prior purchases of the original pattern.

These are the projects that are currently keeping me busy. Summer has a more malleable pace so we can make time for travel and relaxation. I’m a “go with the flow” kind of gal! I hope your summer is off to a great start and provides you opportunity for creative pleasure and plenty of sunshine.