UFO Confessions...

It's a good thing that Heidi suggested that together we do a post on our UFO's. For me it was not only a way of going through my stash closet and re-organize, to be reminded of what I already have, but to be faced with projects that once made my tail wag and for some reason or other got pushed aside in favor of a newer and shinier project.

Most of these are from my early days as a quilter - not that I'm a seasoned one, it's been only 4 years or so since my daughter asked me if I would make a quilt for her bed, as I was sitting at a spinning wheel. I was surprised by the request since I didn't sew at all, and up until then only knitted and spun wool. But a quilt she got, after I had taken a private class in a tiny quilt shop found by accident whilst on summer holiday in France during a terrible heat wave. That started a love affair that continues to this day with bits of fabric, colors, textures and forms.

Here a list of projects that are calling out to be completed:

As I mentioned before, I've been a knitter since knee-high to a grass hopper and a big fan of Kaffe Fassett and Rowan knitting patterns. Only natural for me to have his book, "Patchwork" as the first of my quilting library. This quilt is for Ro. It's practically finished but riddled with mistakes ( I have to add fabric to the back as I didn't know then that the backing and batting had to be larger than the top) but the quilting is nearly done.




Sampler blocks from my first quilting class. Here it's clear there was lots to learn about lights, mediums and darks in fabric, which work differently than when knitting a sweater! It's been laying about because, again, it's got plenty of mistakes, and I lost the yellow silk needed to complete the border along the baby blocks, but miraculously, when I went back to the store where I had originally purchased the fabrics, the owner, crawling around on hands and feet, found a box with the exact piece of silk that she had left over! No excuses now, huh?




Another bold project: and blocks for an ocean waves quilt, one of my favorite patterns next to the log cabin.



36 tiny star blocks for yet another ambitious project. For a while I carried the tiny pieces around, piecing them in the car, on visits, while waiting somewhere. Why can't I just make small quilts? Why must they always be queen size? I'm learning....LOL!




And now, an applique project. Four blocks completed. I think I stopped because although I loved doing it, I always had to sit at the table to work, and it was much more fun to join the rest on the couch in the evening and stitch. It's a wonderfully simple design I'd love to complete.



Paper-pieced flowers: painstakingly slow to make, but fun nevertheless when the pattern emerges. I just got tired of drawing, cutting the tiny paper diamonds and triangles needed that fit between the flowers. Who knows if this will ever become a quilt, or something else?



Teeny tiny hexagons, just shy of a 1/2 inch in width. Don't ask. I must have had a moment...





Last, but certainly not least, is one of the projects I'm most proud of, my Texas Star. The star itself is made from Indian woven cotton, of which the warp and weft are different colors. This gives the effect of the colors changing as you walk by the quilt. The background is textured Japanese fabric. The reason I'm so proud of this quilt is that it laid flat after holding my breath as the last stitch of the background went in. It's made completely by hand, and this one is next in line to be worked on. It's been in the closet purely because I didn't know if I wanted to add anything to it such as an applique. Now I want to get is sandwiched, and that will be my quilting project this winter.

Phew! Well, there you go. My confession.