# UFO's Are Sighted!



## RedHeadedTricia

Well My Dears - 

I have to confess to seeing UFO's _every_ where so I decided to pull a couple to work on them. So I'm thought you might be interested in doing a sew-a-long with me. I have two at the moment.

First one is my Thangles 2013 from a friend in Wisconsin. Thangle #1 UFO... I have to add outer row of sashing and borders before I can sandwich & finish it.

Next up is my TQPM.com Virtual Retreat Quilt. It's called "Buttoned Up". The day I pulled it out I was able to get all the 4-patches ironed, trimmed and ready for their next step. On the squares (brownish squares in the tote box) for the HST's are cut in half so far. The strips are next for the iron & trimming.


But when I reported about this year's Row By Row Experience on the other thread, I decided to pull out one of the rows from last year's. I'm hand stitching the light colored sections of the tulip leaves at the moment. I have the 3 on the right done and the pink one half done. 

But that is not all I'm working on. In the evenings I am working hand quilting a baby quilt that will be going to Scotland once it's finished.

I also have some cross-stitch projects too in the rotation for when I'm "watching" in the evenings after putting my hour in on Mollie Sue's quilt.

I also have a test pattern that I will cutting out this next weekend.

So that is what I'm up to. I'm hoping that y'all will keep encouraging me as I go along. So what UFO's have Y'all sighted? See if you can pin them done long enough to click a picture or two to share with me.

Toodles,
RHT


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## Kris in MI

I have a few UFO's of my own. Unfortunately they are camera shy at the moment (in other words, stuffed in drawers and closets) so no pictures to share right now. _However_, I _will_ get them out at some point this week and get photo evidence of where I'm starting from.

UFO#1 will be the top I started to put together many years ago of the quilt blocks I won in June 2008 from the CF forum quilt. It needs to have the borders put on and the backing pieced together to be king size, then it is off to be sandwiched and quilted (on a long-arm) by a friend I met when we were both vendors at the local farmers' market for several years. 

UFO#2 will be the mystery quilt from 2013. I need to get backing fabric for it, then I am going to do the quilting myself since I made the small size and can handle that pretty well on my sewing machine.


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## HorseMom

I still have a long way to go on this bday present that was supposed to be done the end of March. I actually have almost all 5 leaves done, this is just the most recent pic.
Heidi


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## Macybaby

I'm almost afraid to go over my UFO's . . . though mostly I've got a lot of tops waiting to be quilted - as soon as I get my quilt frame uncluttered.

I've also got quite a few of my Mom's UFO's to work on. I've finished two of them, but she left a lot - most started 30 years ago. 

I've also got a lot in progress, but they have not become UFO's yet as I'm still working on them. 

Let's see what I have pictures of

The Cathedral window sew along - it's about 3/4 of the way done, and all the pieces are cut.










and my cat blocks - they sat cut out for many months, now they can sit sewn together for a while - no idea what I'll do with them.










I also have about 50 butterfly blocks that need bodies appliqued on. They've been sitting that way since before December.

These are some completed tops waiting to be quilted. The green one has a nice border on it now, so at least I made some progress since taking this picture a few months ago.






























This is another set of blocks - 36 of the total, machine appliqued and embroidered.










And this group, though I am still making more of them.










Not to mention the blocks I won in the Forum quilt, or the three sets of blocks (or is it four?) from block swaps on this forum. 

Then there is this one - for my bed. I started out and didn't like the way it was turning out so put it aside. Since then I've seen some pictured using the OBW that I really like - so I need to get back to this one before I forget what I want to do with it. Gonna be some frog stitching first though.










This one is not actually a UFO as it's been completed and given away. However I cut a second set of the cats for myself, and they are sitting in a tote waiting to be sewn.


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## Macybaby

And some misc cabinet covers that I pieced and never got any farther with - a couple of years ago.































I have a lot more - I keep telling myself to be good and work on old stuff first, but then I see a picture of something neat (SHINEY!!!!) and get distracted.

These are some of my Mom's UFOs that I adopted and hope to finish.


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## Belfrybat

Ok, I am officially exhausted seeing everyone's UFO projects (which I call PHDs -- projects half done). But I'll play along. I have all the blocks made for a log cabin flying geese and will put those together and bordered this week. I also have a dozen or more completed tops that need sandwiching and quilting. I'll pick out three and post pics of the ones I plan to work on beginning this week. Although this doesn't count as a UFO/PHD, I am working on the current mystery train on the Quilting Board and still need to sew this week's step. 

Here's the log cabin flying geese on the design board. I have the upper blocks completed, so I just need to do the assembly. 

I'll be back later with pics of the tops I plan on actually quilting.


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## HorseMom

Love the log cabin flying geese!


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## HorseMom

Echo quilting is NOT my forte &#128547; My sewing machine really is too small for this quilt. I'm going to attempt a few, 2? 3? 4? more echoes but I have to get ready for work. Do I go around the buckeye with the next echo? I'm thinking I should have went around it this time &#128542; I guess they all should match? So frustrated cause I have no idea what I am doing!
Heidi


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## Gretchen Ann

This is what I've been working on today. The main part of the first quilt is _Medallion designed by Edyta Sitar. I like her designs, the only problem is they are mostly too small. How many throws does a person need? 

I pieced the center of this quilt a year ago and have been trying to decide how to enlarge it ever since. I've finally decided to just add plain fabric and have decorative quilting there. The border fabric is lying along the edge. I need to figure out how to cut it so the corners match. It isn't symmetrical so that will be a challenge. Then I'll sew another narrow black border on the outside edge to bring it up to the size I want.

Several years ago I pieced a Rick Rack 9-Patch from Bonnie Hunters book  Leaders & Enders. I had a lot of scrappy 9 patches left and I got to thinking "What if?" Now I want to make columns with the white triangles. When sewn together they are supposed to make a zig zag.

I'm going to a quilt retreat next week. The 9-patch zig zag is going along._


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## Kris in MI

Oh my goodness, I totally forgot the 3 or 4 swap block quilts I still have to put together! 1 of them I know what I want to do with, I just need to get fabric for sashing and backing. The other sets of blocks I am undecided on. Guess I better add them to the UFO list.

Meanwhile, here are pics of the two projects I mentioned in my post above.

First: the mostly finished top of blocks I won back in 2008. This is the first top I ever did sashing on, and it shows. After much debating, I think I will leave it with it's imperfections. Reminds me of how far my quilting skills have come. :shrug: 

Second pic is the rest of the fabrics I have yet to use on it. From L to R not counting the block they are laying on: 

--the remainder of the original forum fabric, I'm hoping to use in a very skinny border.
--a yellow for a slightly wider middle border.
--an orange for the outer border.
--the backing fabric.

Except I bought the fabric a long time ago and looking at it now, I'm not sure I bought enough yardage for the borders to go all the way around. So I might have to alter my plan a bit. I really like symmetry, so I'm not sure how I'm going to work this out. If I was a little more freewheeling I would just patch one border together that used all 3 fabrics. But that's a bit wild for me. :nono:

Third pic is the mystery quilt from 2013. I still have to decide how I want to finish it. Black border? Yellow or orange border? Originally I thought black, but I'm not sure if the design would get lost with black touching so much black. I don't have enough of the other fabrics to do a border, and I'm not sure if I want to pull in another color off the print fabric or not. It's a pretty loud quilt all ready. Then again, a skinny border in yellow or orange wouldn't add much to the volume. I'd like to use this as a wall hanging somewhere in my house--unfortunately it's too wide to use in my stairwell where it would have the most wow effect.


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## HorseMom

Kris, love the kitty photo bomb!
Heidi


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## RedHeadedTricia

Wow it's nice to see many of you guys coming to play with me in my UFO sighted field. It is kind of fun to pull something out that you have started and make some progress on the project. 

I try to think of the reasons why this or that project got sidelined. Maybe it was because life got in the way, or maybe company was coming and I had to clear the dinner table off. It could be that my son was here for the summer or like most other quilter's, I too have been plagued with the "Squirrel Syndrome". :whistlin: What ever the reason it's time that some of them saw daylight.

Since the last time I post I have made much progress on the "Buttoned Up" Virtual Retreat Quilt. 

But that wasn't the only progress I have made on that one, here you can see that I've moved on to pinning block segments together. 

But this is not all that I work on. As I mentioned before I'm doing some cross-stitching when I need a quilt break. I chose a very challenging piece. I have made many errors that have been taken out time and time again so my input is crawling and if I manage to do an one inch square I feel proud of myself for accepting the challenge that I have given myself. Since there is no given deadline, I work at a leisurely pace as I'm sort of learning as I go. 

You would think that would be enough for me to work on, but no; that is not me. :shrug: I continue to do my appointed one hour of hand quilting on my "niece's" quilt. Most evenings I might put in more than that depending on what's on the television and if I have moved the quilt position in the hoop and have to make my 1/4" sewing marks. That alone can take me an hour to do. if there is time before bed I'll start a needle before calling it a night. This is third section that I'm working on. There isn't a deadline per say but there is a date that I would like it to me done by. 

Oh I was also asked to test a pattern out for someone. I had pulled the fabrics out of the stash somewhat recently. I had received them as gifts or obtained the Remnants from the likes of JoAnn's. It's what I would call "semi-girly". The pink won't be used a lot, just to make snowball corners. I wanted to make something out of my normal color palette and look pretty as it may end up being a gift for the newest grand-daughter's wall. 

Oh then there is the pair of Kitchen towels I'll be working on too. :shrug: This is why I'm on my fifth quilting/needle work journals. It might make for interesting reading for my relations in about a hundred years.:whistlin: 

Well I just that is more than enough on the subjects at hand. I'm off to work on this weeks blog, book reviews and hand work for the rest of the day. Thanks for coming and joining with in my UFO journey.

Toodles,
Tricia


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## Patches

Well, I guess I am kinda playing along, though I haven't posted yet. I can't figure out how to get my pictures on here. My sons are both moved away and I am computer ignorant. I am working on several projects at the same time. I have finished the mystery quilt we did on here last year, have it quilted, and ready to bind. I have another hunter start that is ready to go on the quilting machine. I have been quilting for other people lately, so mine get pushed back. I have been making soaps and jams and jellies like a mad woman because our Farmers Market starts on the 25th and I am trying to get an inventory built up so I won't have to work so hard during market. LOL!!!. We finally finished our raised bed gardens this weekend, so that is nice to be done with. I have a few table runners that are ready to quilt. Made a jelly roll quilt, but I want it bigger so I am making star blocks to go around the outside of it. I have several applique tops that are on my 'to do' list. I am bringing them to the office every morning so if I get a few minutes I can cut some pieces out. I have my school house blocks all cut and ready to start sewing for that top. Have fabrics for Bonnie Hunters mystery quilt from last year to cut and sew. I don't think I will ever live long enough to get done with what I have started!!!:teehee: I'll try to figure out how to get some pictures on here as soon as I have time!!!


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## HandyDandyAcres

I am a slacker. I still haven't picked back up that baby quilt. The weather has been so nice and so many things outside that need done. Going to have to force myself to spend at least 30 minutes a day working on it. That poor baby is already 4 months old. She was born with severe disabilities and the doctors did not give a good prognosis. I am going to feel even more terrible if I don't get it done and she passes.  On a positive note she is doing leaps and bounds better than they thought she would.


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## Gretchen Ann

I was at a quilt retreat last week. (My last hurrah for the winter) I didn't work on either of the UFO's I showed earlier. I finished this UFO. 

I'll probably send her to a long arm quilter this fall. Hopefully I'll have several other completed UFO tops to send along.


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## Macybaby

Gretchen - I really like that one!

My "send to the long arm" pile is getting larger. Makes me motivated to get out and paint! The sooner the shed is done - the sooner I can get stuff moved out and the sooner I can get to my long arm! 

Today I pulled out my butterfly UFO - I have about 60 butterflies and now 20 of them have the body/antenna stitched down. Each one is different, though most are pairs. I cut one butterfly out of each fabric, then paired them up and swapped the lower wings. There are about 15 that are singles, because I either didn't have enough fabric as it was scraps, or it just looked better to use the same fabric for upper and lower wings. If the fabric has any sort of larger pattern, I fussy cut them to keep the wings somewhat uniform. After all, that's the way they are in real life. 










the plan is to put them together using assorted butterfly fabric for every other square. I collected butterfly fabric for a few years. When I see some now, I have to remind myself I'm not looking for more! Some of these are only one piece, some several. I fussy cut them all so each has a nice picture of butterflies, and those from the same fabric all have different butterflies as the "focus" of the square. 




















The lower two are yardages to use for sashing/border/binding though I'm not decided exactly how the blocks will go together. The pink is the same as the "background" on the butterflies.


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## maxine

I really like this idea of working on UFOs together!! I have *many* I need to finish.. I've had blocks from our Snowman swap of several years ago, pinned up on my design wall since last December.. I think that will be my first UFO to work on.. I'll get pictures posted this week, then will get started sewing on it..  I do need to do a mending day first.. thank you ladies, I very much needed this kick in the pants to get me started..


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## maxine

Belfry I have a question for about your Log Cabin Flying Geese blocks.. I made that block for our last swap, and I made a mess of the seams on the back.. I did try to press them alternately so they would "nestle" but it just didn't work out well..sigh... how do you handle yours?? I'm thinking next time I'll just press them all open.. I do love that block and want to make more..


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## Debbie in Wa

I have been gone awhile and came back to find this entry. I have been cleaning out my sewing room for the last couple of weeks. I was so tired of having everything in my room and nothing getting done. I sat down and decided to go thorough and only keep what I was truly wanting to do and the rest will go in the garage sell. Let me tell you, I didn't think I had so many projects that got cut out and then stashed away! I have even gone through my fabric stash and bundled things together for the sale. I have decided to sell quite a bit of my fabric as I will never really use it all. It seems like my quilting days are slowing down. Between the embroidery, crochet, and quilting, that should keep me pretty busy for the long run. 
As for my UFO's I have found many projects. As soon as I can I will post pictures of them all. Now that I have my sewing room back in order, it will be easier to take pictures of.


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## HorseMom

Gretchen Ann, can you please repost the pic? Its not showing up, and I'd live to see it. might have got lost in the crash?
Thanks,
Heidi


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## Belfrybat

maxine said:


> Belfry I have a question for about your Log Cabin Flying Geese blocks.. I made that block for our last swap, and I made a mess of the seams on the back.. I did try to press them alternately so they would "nestle" but it just didn't work out well..sigh... how do you handle yours?? I'm thinking next time I'll just press them all open.. I do love that block and want to make more..


 I've been slacking off, so haven't put it together yet, but what I do is finger turn a seam as I'm sewing them together to make them nest. I'm self-taught, so I know this probably isn't the right way as the seam then has a turn in it when pressed, but I really don't know any other way to do it. I figure once it's sandwiched, no one will know my back seams are "messy". 

I was looking at this just last night, and decided to tackle it today or tomorrow, so I'll post a pic to show what I mean.


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## maxine

Wow!! Life sure has a way of getting in the way of my sewing plans.. sigh.. nothing bad, just other things needed to be done first.. planting the garden, first of the month grocery shopping etc... now this morning my new husband's back is out!! He won't be able to help me repot some planters today nor take pictures of the snowman quilt I want to start putting together..poor guy.. plus starting this Saturday I'll be out of town doing a house sitting job for two weeks... I hope to get some hand sewing projects ready to take with me for something to work on in the evenings.. 

Hope all of you are well and getting sewing accomplished..


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## Gretchen Ann

I've been busy and haven't checked in for a week. Someone asked me to post the picture again of the quilt I worked on at the quilt retreat I attended, so here it is.

I still haven't done anything with the other projects. I'm just trying to get in the routine of mowing grass again.


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## Kris in MI

My UFOs are still UFOs. I did take them out of their drawers in the sewing room and move them to a more accessible place, does that count as 'working' on them?

So much going on right now, my 22yo ds just graduated from college over the weekend, so was gone for several days attending that. Also, 20yo dd finished the semester at her school and moved back home for the summer. Which is why I had to move my UFO's--she will be living in the sewing room this summer since my eldest ds and his family are living in the basement where her bedroom used to be.


Lovely quilt, Gretchen Ann! My favorite colors.

maxine, hope your dh's back is better soon.


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## Wyobuckaroo

I've got one kinda/sorta like in post #10.... It is a king size, I use on my queen size bed.... My mom made it in the mid/late 1970s... And it needs some repairs in small spots... Wish I knew how to do that correctly... 

I have a small amount of skill to use a sewing machine, but wish I had the talent to make something like that on my own... 

Even as a guy, I appreciate talent and skill of those who make stuff like that..
Enjoy...


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## Gretchen Ann

I'm making progress on the zig-zag quilt UFO. A short time ago, I read somewhere that when you make a really scrappy quilt, you should have a plan. Well, the plan for this quilt is to just use up ugly fabrics, a lot of which came from my mom's stash so we are talking 80's & 90's. It isn't the prettiest quilt I've made but the top will be a gift to a friend who has a large family. This will be an utility quilt and be used.


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## RedHeadedTricia

Gretchen Ann I think your scrappy is lovely and I'm sure that it will be well loved in it's new home. I'm waiting to see how it comes out once it is all settled.

I am currently spending my day with a bit of hand stitching on an UFO myself. I thought it best, as I want to start another project; but told myself I must finish something first! Oh bloody awful I tell ya!! 

But I guess that is the price I must pay in order to move on to a new project. It is but a serious problem to have at times. Alas - since I suffer with the quilters version of "SQUIRREL!!", I fear it is the only way to tackle it - head on. 

I have three pieces that I want to start this fall, so I'm challenging myself not to fold to the pressure of starting something before then. With the exception of the pieces I need for the Boy Scout's dinner & auction. I'm forever saying that I will test patterns or one thing over another. 

I have had a stern lecture with myself about the matter several times now. Of course this is straight after finishing 2 test patterns in the past month. Does anyone else find themselves in the same situation? Just wondering. 

Well it's time I got back to it. Maybe once I get this piece done, I'll post a pic of. Until then may I stand fast in my challenge!

RHT


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## Gretchen Ann

I'VE GOT THIS CENTER SEWN!!!!!!!

Yes, finally. I was determined to get this sewn together this month and I have. 

It's turned out to be 88" x 89". It wasn't supposed to be square. It's going to my friend this way though and she can remove a block panel if she wants to. I had always intended for her to add her fabric to the borders.

I also finished the other UFO. I had intended to use a beautiful border print I had bought on sale, but it just didn't look right. The red was too much of a different shade and the teale didn't work. 

So, I ran up and down the stairs carrying down different fabrics for my husband and I to select from. We (I) selected this burgundy fabric. 

Remember when they used to print the year on the selvage? It said 1994. I guess it really was time to use this fabric. Anyway it is prettier than it shows in the picture. There are little blue flowers with green leaves.

So, 2 projects off the piecing pile, 1 to give away and 1 to go to the quilting tub. . . . and it is still May!


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## HorseMom

I've finally put some effort into this this month. I finally have the center done. I'm not entirely happy with the right side, too much spacing between the quilting. Just grin and bear it, I guess.
Heidi


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## Gretchen Ann

The current unfinished project I'm working on now are these quilt blocks I embroidered years ago. They are now sewn together and I have prepped fabric to make flying geese for side borders. After they are sewn and attached, there will be another border on all of the sides. But that is a ways away. The flying geese have moved into leaders and enders position.


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## Gretchen Ann

I've finished the embroidered quilt and the binding is sewn. She measures 90" x 98" and she will go in the tub to be hand quilted someday. 

Here she is, another UFO off the list! :clap:


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## AngieM2

Gretchen, that's beautiful and I can see you put a lot of love and work into it.


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## maxine

Gretchen I love your borders!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wonderful job!!.. and kudos to you for another UFO done.. whew.. what will you be working on now??


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## sisterpine

Oh my goodness! I just read through this thread and it made me dizzy! I guess I am not cut out to be a quilter as I would not be able to stand that many unfinished projects!


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## Gretchen Ann

Two of my UFO's I needed to enlarge from the original pattern and it just takes time to think through how to enlarge them. Years ago, I just used to slap wide borders on them and call them finished. Now I try to think how I can make them more interesting.

What am I working on now? Click here and then Click on Patterns by Karen H. I'm working on the Cherry Blossom Quilt. Everything is made from fabric I have on hand.

And you can check out my blog. I write about what I'm working on there too.


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## CalicoPrairie

Anyone still working through their UFOs? I'd like a sewing buddy to track with on my UFOs and sewing projects that I want to finish before January. 

Any takers?


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## Gretchen Ann

I still am. I just got the purple/green chevron back from the long arm quilter last week, need to get it trimmed and the binding sewn on.

I've got a another quilt in the frame now, but when she is completed, I'm planning on putting the scrappy one with the medallion center in to be hand quilted. My quilting might be slightly different on this one, using both long stitch (utility stitch) and short stitch. I've never done both types of stitching on a quilt before, but I think the longer stitching will look good on the scrappy part around the center medallion.

Bonnie Hunter starts releasing her mystery sew along tomorrow. I'll download the patterns, but won't do any sewing on it until I see what it looks like. Actually, since I've already decided what quilts I'm going to work on next year, I won't be starting it anytime soon but this way if the pattern is one I really like, I'll have it!

What UFO's are you working on?


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## Gretchen Ann

I've finished the purple and green UFO!


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## HorseMom

Scotch was happy to see this come out of storage so I can try and finish it!
Heidi


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## Forcast

why do cats seem to think what ever you are sewing is for them to hold DOWN


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## maxine

yes and she is gorgeous too!! Does she do hand sewing as well??


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## HorseMom

Unfortunately no. She is very qualified at flopping, twisting, turning and purring. Also, acting as a weight so the excess does fall off the table or turn when I need it to! &#128571;
Heidi


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## maxine

Too funny Heidi !! Mine likes to run at top speed around the sewing room, up on shelves, knocking things off, then jumps on my chair when I get up to iron, etc,, we have a constant fight about WHO is sitting on the chair.. When I don't allow her in, she sits outside the door,, crying piteously and will knock with her paw.. they are such funny creatures!!


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