Progress...???

I spent a lovely day outside yesterday...

inside.

I met up with my monthly sewing group and made a tiny bit of progress on my

WOW.

I was convinced by my friends to alter my WOW list to include a quilt

I started, hmmm, must be at least 7 or 8 years ago.

I was sure it needed borders of some kind.

Which is why I set it aside for so long.

I had these left over diamonds from the piecing that I thought should be

added as a partial border on two or three sides.

But I never made the borders.

So I worked on them yesterday instead of enjoying the 64 degree weather.

And now... I'm not so sure.

I may just add the "borders" to the back.

I feel like I'm back to square one,

 with a little less scrap.

I'll keep you updated on the progress.

Or lack there of.

Enjoy the last week of February, and the return to winter.

Darn groundhog. 

Riley Blake Challenge Finished!

So here it is in all its glory,

my finished Riley Blake Challenge.

Here's a decent shot showing the quilting: wavy lines with whirls and a river of pebbles flowing from near one corner to near the other.



There were some amazing quilts the others in my guild made.

I'm so glad I found such an amazingly talented group of quilters to spend time with and be inspired by.

Bring on the next challenge!

(Now if I could only improve my photography skills)

When did I ever become such a quitter????

I decided I needed to sort through my WIP's 

("works in progress" for the uninitiated)

and came to the realization.

I am a slacker.

Lackadaisical.

A quitter.  

I have A LOT of unfinished business.

I didn't realize it was this bad.

I am usually a very organized person who ALWAYS finishes what I start.

Not so.

I have *ahem* 22 WIP's.

OH the HORROR!!

Now, to be fair, one is a long term project that I only work on while traveling.

And another is waiting for that lucky day when someone says

"why, yes I do have 1/2 yard of that 10 year old fabric in my stash that you can have to finish the binding on your quilt."

But the rest... well, I just have no excuse.

Thank goodness for the SLMQG WOW challenge

(enough initials for ya?).

So here's the dealo with the challenge as I understand it

(someone from the guild correct me if I'm wrong).

We will get an index card at this month's meeting to write down our list of WIP's that we
THINK we will get done in the next 9 months (my timing may be off).

Then we work on those WIP's.

Every month we can edit our index card, adding or deleting anything on the card.

My goal is to start with four of my projects in various stages of un-doneness.

So here they are in all their glorious un-doneness:

First up is a project I started on in 2002. I actually have added to it twice in the last 12 years.
I just need to decide that it is done and quilt it.
Which leads to a whole new set of decisions.

It's not modern in terms of borders (two) or fabrics (batiks)
but it is unfinished.

WIP #2 is my Hawaiian block.

I need to finish hand appliqueing the cut work down and then will likely turn it into a pillow.

WIP #3 is a quilt I started 6 or 7 years ago on a quilt retreat.

I thought I had the perfect fabric to sash this with, but there wasn't enough in my stash.

I foresee a shopping trip in my future.

And finally

WIP #4: an ode to my Block of the Month days.

I have had the backing pieced and the batting cut for several years.

A bonus WIP is the following Modern Wonky Log Cabin.
 It will likely become my #5 WIP.

*sigh*

What have I gotten myself into?

So there you have it.

Thus I commit myself to finishing these projects.

Or maybe I'll end up crossing them off my list and replacing them with some other

WIP from my ridiculous list of unaccomplishements.

Over the next few weeks I'll show you some of my other WIP's.

And I'll post a picture of that fabric that I only need a 1/2 yard of for binding.

'Cuz I'd like to finish that quilt some day. 

I resolve to be better....

...at blogging.

I know I have been a very absent blogger.

I will try to get better.

Really I will.

And I have incentive now.

My fabulous St Louis Modern Quilt Guild has put out the challenge.

A WOW challenge.

WOW!

Huh?

WOW stands for War on WIP.

Ahem.

Works In Progress.

(Sorry)

And I have a bucket load of them.

Technically basket loads of them, but who's gonna be technical with me?

I actually got a head start on this before there was a challenge.

See, we've had a bit of snow here in the Lou.

And I've had an abundance of snow days.

And the library closed due to snow, not that I could get there in the snow and cold we have had.

So I started to work on some old, I mean MATURE, projects.

I actually got a quilt finished for my fabulous neighbor with the

snowblower who also cat sits for me when I travel.

Unfortunately, I managed to FAIL to take a photo before I gave her the quilt.

Maybe I'll convince her to bring it outside for a beauty shot in the snow.

I also got this one finished for my hiking buddy.

You only get to see half of it as it was about 19 degrees out and we had been hiking for 2 hours.

Did I mention that the trails were covered in ice?

We managed to not slip off the bluffs into the river.

I also have been working on my Riley Blake Challenge, 

again thanks to Snow Days.

In fact, I am pretty sure it would not have gotten quilted if it weren't for snow days.

Here is a preview of it, hot off the quilt machine

(well, actually, its drapped on the machine, but you get the picture).

Here's the picture.

Horrible lighting. But can you see the run of pebbles through the middle?

It's my favorite part of the quilting.

Here's the same thing from the opposite angle.

 I still need to attach the binding, can you say -18 degree wind chill?

It counts for a snow day.

I promise, Promise, PROMISE to be better at blogging.

Really.

Besides, I need to show you all the WIP I'm entering in the WOW

so I can be held accountable.