UFO's Incentive Update

I am pleased to report that I have finished all 6 items I had on my UFO list as of January 1st. The one quilt which I wasn't sure I could finish was a double-bed size quilt I was hand-quilting for my friend, Debbie, in NY. I had been working on it for 5 years, and the hand-quilting was only a little over half done.

In July I got an invitation to visit my friend later in the summer. I counted up how many stenciled patterns I had to go, and then set a goal for myself of doing at least one a day. I had about 3 weeks before my visit. I finished and got the binding done before I flew up there! It helped that my husband was away during part of that time on a business trip. I was able to watch old videos and just keep stitching away!

In my guild down in Forsyth, MO (Calico Cut-ups), I am the only one who has finished all their UFO's. I guess writing things down really motivates me!

Selling my Quilts

I signed up on etsy.com this year in hopes of selling some of my quilts. If you are interested in seeing most of my quilts, go to the etsy.com site. Look up by SELLER, and go to momcat5200. So far I have sold only one quilt ( the purple Stained Glass French Braid featured on this blog). It was bought by a man in West Virginia for his 15 year old daughter who is in boarding school. She needed a new quilt, and purple is her favorite color!

I have one current commission to make a t-shirt quilt for a friend's husband. Some one else is thinking of having me make a table runner for a newly engaged cousin. I'm trying to be good and stay on top of my projects so I don't fall behind.

Lancaster, here I come!

I received notification from the AQS (American Quilters Society) that my purple French Braid quilt (Stained Glass French Braid) has been accepted into the new show they are having in March at Lancaster, PA. This is a case of "It's an honor just being nominated", because the quilts are actually juried into the show. This is the same quilt pictured in my post from January about custom quilting.

I plan to fly up to Amish country, hopefully with a friend, and wander around the show floor wearing my contestant ribbon on my badge! This quilt took a blue ribbon at a very small show down here in Branson, MO back in September, so I've got my fingers crossed that it might place in this new show.

UFO's Incentive

I belong to 3 different quilt guilds here in the Ozarks. The biggest one is the Ozark Piecemakers Quilt Guild located in Springfield, MO. Another is the Calico Cut-Ups located down in Forsyth, MO close to Branson. The third is a very small group called Candlelight Quilters which meets either in my home or next door at my quilting buddy's house. Two of the groups have decided to start off 2010 by having each member make a list of all UFO's (unfinished quilting projects) they wish to complete in 2010. For each item on your list you put one fat quarter into the guild's basket along with your list.

As you finish projects on your list and bring your item to Show & Tell, you may cross off the completed item from your list and choose any fat quarter from the basket. This is kinda like a New Year's resolution for quilters! I have 6 things which are in the works right now that I would love to complete this year. I also have a bunch of brand new projects sitting on a shelf tempting me!

My husband is also putting pressure on me to make window treatments for various rooms in our house as we continue to paint room-by-room. Obviously, any time I spend sewing curtains is time taken away from quilting! Life is full of choices.