#4 UFO finished .... Our Town

Just this morning i got the binding on my #4 UFO Challenge quilt from Judy LaQuidara's 2011 Challenge. i wasn't sure i would get it done before leaving town on thursday but i persevered and TA - DA!!

This was designed by our quilt teacher, Marilea Boushie. she gives us some great quilts to work on. i believe this one was from last year. It is 90x100". i used a light green striped background...mainly because i had a lot of it. LOL

The first row is applique flowers....Marilea does like her applique. i made my quilt a big larger than her pattern....so i made 2 applique swags.

Row 2 has stars and 16 patch blocks. we are always making blocks with itsy bitsy parts. ... not my favorite.

Row 3 has the church and some trees.....   i embroidered the word 'Believe' on the church and an angel. the top of the chimney is 3D. the trees were actually supposed to be little 4 patches but i didn't want to do tiny pieces so i just did the squares.

Row 3 also has connected stars blocks...2 of them.

Row 4 might have been my favorite.  There is a school and another tree. the top of the bell tower and top of the dorrway are 3D. i added an embroidered school bus and a couple birds.

Row 4 also has a farmhouse....complete with mailbox and rooster.... and a barn filled with hay bales...along with a cow. those do look like hay bales...right?   they are the middle of sunflowers

And row 4 has a couple of applique wreaths with 3D buds.

Row 5 is full of 3D flying geese....going in opposite directions and meeting in the middle.

Row 6 has cathedral window blocks....i had never done those before....they are kind of cool because you fold the fabric over and stitch down the edge....so it is 3D, too. plus some 4 patch blocks.

Row 7 is double wedding rings. some people made 2 rows and made their quilt longer. but i had enough of those and just made my sashings wider to gain some length. LOL   they are pretty quilted up but the construction of them gives me fits. you can tell that they are not straight.

The borders got quilted with lines.....kinda, sorta straight....but with no regard to width....just willy-nilly. i like them that way.  no measuring, no marking, no mess, no fuss.  just kind of quirky

And, finally, the back. i used a dark green thread so absolutely nothing shows on the back. it is a bright floral flannel. again....the best thing i had that i had enough of...9 yards to be exact. but i think it works just fine. this quilt does have a bit of weight to it.

And in order to get it quilted and done before i leave town in a few days i did some quick quilting on it....rather funky and folksy looking. not too concerned about technicalities or correctness. a case of 'done is better than pretty'.

So, challenge #4 got done in time for the month. now i can go on vacation and have fun and not fret about it.

UFOs committed for 2011 UFO Challenge with Judy Laquidera

OK...i am committed.        quit laughing...you know what i mean.

I quilted up a LOT of my tops in 2010 and busted hundreds of yards of fabric from my stash. but i need to do it all over again....even more.

So, i am committed to the 2011 UFO Challenge with Judy L. at http://www.patchworktimes.blogspot.com/    She gets so much accomplished in a day that she is an inspiration. sometimes it seems to me that i do a lot, too...but sometimes i feel like a slug compared to Judy.

The idea is to pull out 12 UFOs and number them 1 through 12. at the beginning of each month Judy will pull a number out of her hat...LOL....it may be 4...it may be 9...whatever. whatever number she pulls...that is the numbered quilt that you will finish for the month. i hope she doesn't pull 7 first....i am not liking that top any more....and it is KING size.

I have 7 tops just needing quilting and 5 more projects that are in various stages of stitching. here is my list for the challenge.

1. Blue embroidered blocks. these were embroidered by machine a few years ago and just never got quilted. it is probably queen size. i'm not liking it too much anymore and after quilting it will be a donation.

2. Black and red selvage top...just finished putting together a few days ago. it is a new top but i will quilt spirals on it...i think. should be fun. pick #2 Judy. hahahaha

3.  Carpenter's Star yellow and blue. i bought this top with yellow backing from a lady on MQR a few years back. i love it...just never got it quilted. in 2011 it will be done. thanks, Sharon.

4.  Class row quilt..Our Town. i like this one, too. but after i quilted about 5 of these for other ladies i lost interest to do my own. it's time has come.

5.  In Memory of Sarah..another class quilt from a couple years ago. i like this one, too but, also, quilted a bunch of them and never did my own. is that like the cobbler's kids have holes in their shoes?  LOL

6.  Metamorphosis....this is one i designed. the idea was for the blocks to change across the rows and down along the quilt. the end block is nothing like the first block. it has been percolating for quite some time so it is time to quilt it up and find it a home.

7.  King size pink embroidered blocks. this is at least 5 or 6 years old. i guess i was into embroidery then. LOL  it also has pillowcases. i really don't like it anymore either. funny how our tastes change. my intention was to put it on our bed but that is not going to happen. someone else is going to have to love it.

8.  4 patch posie. i like this a lot and don't know why it never got finished. it deserves better.

9.  North Pole Village.  this was sooo much fun to embroider on my machine...they are applique. it will be fun to get these together.

10. String Blocks. i have a couple hundred of these done...just have to put them together. plus i have enough strings to make about a thousand more. (let's not go there right now...ok?) i am a mess.

11. Take 5 top only needs borders and quilting. it's been hanging in the quilting closet for about 9 months now. i think it needs to be born.

12.  Another Take 5....of yellow, green and purple. but it is only cut out. but they really don't take long to stitch up so it will be good month for this one.

Now, please God....let me stay on target and finish these up.  after all...i am committed. LOL

After reading all my rambling...doesn't it make you want to jump on over to Judy's blog and sign up, too. it will be so much fun to work together during the year. i KNOW you have at least 12 UFOs hanging around somewhere... look in your closet...on that shelf...you know where they are. drag them out...number them...and play along. your UFOs don't have to be quilts...they could be table runners...pillows...whatever project you have that is not finished.

As your mother would say....it'll be good for you.

LOL