There's nothing like that New Year = New Projects feeling! At the start of the new year, you look forward to entering your tidy and organized sewing space, ready to roll with an exciting new quilting project.
That does not describe my 2023 Quilting New Year.
Definitely not a tidy and organized sewing space - because there are too many UFOs!
Time to tackle the boxes and bins of projects that have been languishing.
First up: Antique Tile blocks. I started making these in late 2021 as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project. After laying out the blocks in different configurations, I decided to set them on point and use sashing and cornerstones to add some distance between the colors and fabrics.
My calculations told me I needed to make some additional blocks to get 5 rows of 4 blocks and 4 rows of 3 blocks (got that?). Since my 2 inch strip bin was overflowing, it didn't take long to assemble the block components. I found additional background fabric in my stash, so I should be good to go for the sashing and side triangles. Can I finish up this flimsy by the end of the month?
Another Rainbow Scrap Challeng (RSC) project that got set aside: Blackford's Beauty blocks. I started these just to play with the block construction, but I didn't have a specific layout or finish in mind. I love the chain effect created by the four-patch blocks, so I think I'll speed up my production of these and go for a large-ish quilt (the blocks finish at 16 inches). The RSC color for January is blue - brights and darks - and I've already prepped two blue blocks.
And then there are the Blackford's Beauty blocks in reproduction fabric scraps. These might languish a bit longer, mostly because my repro scrap stash is not huge. I'm thinking this will be a smaller project - wallhanging size, for example.
Then there's this good-sized bin of purple, green, and gold/yellow scraps left over from the Mardi Gras Memories quilt. I'd much rather use up as much of this fabric as possible than return it to the shelves.
What do do when you want to use up lots of scraps? Pull out your AccuQuilt 5 inch tumbler die, of course!
That's just scratching the UFO surface, but these should keep me busy for a couple of weeks!
