UFO Busting

Whether you call it a senior moment, a brain fart, or mental-pause, I seem to have experienced it .  I have the two sock monkey quilts to finish.  I thought I had already purchased the fleece for the back - orange and lime green.  I searched all weekend, in every nook and cranny, but no fleece. So I checked my past orders.  Seems that what I thought I ordered for the monkey quilts was in fact for the Saddle Up Quilts.  So Sunday night I ordered the fleece I needed.  Since it probably won't come until next week, I needed something to occupy my time.  I mentally went through my list of unfinished projects.  Rod told me that if we were going to Disney in December, I needed to have all Christmas projects finished before we leave.

I had started this batik quilt several years ago as a BOM with the quilt shop where I learned to quilt the right way. I promised it to Mary when I was working on it, but alas it was still in the box.  So yesterday I dragged it out, and lo and behold, it needed two border strips to finish it up.  The strips were cut, and just waiting for me to attach them.  I contacted my longarm quilter, and she said if I get it to her by September 1, that she can have it finished for Christmas.  I needs a good ironing, and it's ready to go.

What to do next?  A couple years ago I started a Boxy Stars quilt for the Saddle Up.  I used pink and turquoise bandana fabrics from Joann Fabric.  When I ran out, I used some medium blue from Mary Englebreit to finish up the blocks.  I loved this quilt pattern, and so did daughter Pat.  When she demanded it for herself, I put it away unfinished.  This morning I dug it out.  Eight of the twelve blocks were finished, the last four were cut and partially finished.  Before I carried the bag to the living room, I selected some fabrics that I thought would look OK as sashings and cornerstones.  But, when I took the blocks from the bag, the sashings and cornerstones were already cut and ready to go.  The sashings are finished, and now the quilt top is ready to be put together.  Yeah me!!!  Another UFO checked off my list.  And a Christmas gift for Pat.

What shall I do tomorrow?  This quilt is called Spin Cycle.  I fell in love with this pattern the first time I saw it, and started yet another Saddle Up quilt using bright bandana fabrics in nearly every color of the rainbow.  Daughter Pam claimed this one (do you see a pattern here?)  Again, I stuck it in a box and never finished it.  That will be my next project - another UFO busted, and another Christmas gift.

So, what next?  Daughter Mary's family are all Steeler fans, but Jimmy and Bubby are probably the biggest you've ever met.  Years ago, Jimmy asked me to make him a quilt out of "terrible towels".  Two years ago, I bought the towels and (you guessed it) put them in a box and did nothing with them.  So my next project will be finishing up Jimmy's quilt.  I have black and gold towels, and will put them together in an eye pleasing pattern, and them put the top on Steeler fleece.  A gift fit for any Steeler fan, but especially for Jimmy (and another UFO finished).

And now for the next UFO project. George likes the Steelers too, but he's a bigger Penguin hockey fan.  So for him, it's a quilt made with the Penguins' rally towels.  Already bought, never made.

And that brings us to Kristin.  She requested a skirt for her Christmas tree. I bought two different patterns, but haven't decided which one to use.  She wants red, green, and gold fabrics - nothing cutsie.  So once the monkey quilts are done, I will start shopping for fabric for her tree skirt.

Do you think I'll have any extra room in my sewing room once these UFO's are busted?