Weekly update

Lately, I've been posting weekly updates thanks to Bonnie Hunter and her Orca Bay Mystery Quilt Link-Up.  It's been a great motivator to get things done, and it is the most progress I've made on a single quilt top since I took a class with Judy Niemeyer in 2008.  I finished that quilt flimsy in just 3 weeks, but it's still not quilted.

(I would love to have it custom-quilted, but it is out of the budget right now.  If (and that's a big IF) I can learn/improve my free-motion quilting skills, I might be tempted to tackle it, but that's not happening anytime soon.)

Since weekly updates worked so well, I'm going to commit to myself to at least update this blog weekly, with my progress on my latest projects.  I may try to participate in a few blog link-ups, such as Judy Laquidara's Sunday Stash report and Design Wall Mondays.  I really want to manage my stash better (i.e. quit accumulating and start using!) and I like the way Judy keeps track of hers.  She doesn't look at what she already has (good thing!) but only tracks what comes in and goes out.  She counts the yardage when a top is completed, when the quilt has been backed and quilted, and when the binding is added.  She also counts what has been gifted/donated/or otherwise what is disposed of.  The goal is to end the year with less than what you started with.  So my 2012 report to date (9 days in) looks like this:

Used this Week: 15 metres (approx. 15 metres given away to my sister and niece)

Used year to Date: 15 metres

Added this Week: 7.6 metres (5 metres fabric purchased for Zoey's big-bed quilt, 2.6 metres brought from New Zealand by my daughter)

Added Year to Date: 7.6 metres
Net Used for 2012: -7.4 metres

I'm also going to update my UFO (Un-Finished Objects) list and try to clear some of those up this year.  I'm already planning Christmas presents with some of those UFOs.

That doesn't mean I'm not going to have some ongoing projects.  I'm still working on my Hexie Madness and Farmer's Wife blocks, and I'm considering "Just Take Two"  by Gay of Sentimental Stitches and Brenda of Dear Jane fame. They are intended to be red and white blocks in honour of the Infinite Variety quilt show, a collection of red and white quilts collected by Mrs. Joanna S. Rose. I would have started by now, but I don't have any decent red in my stash, and can't decide if I'm going to buy some, or make it in aquas, chocolates and white to match my living room. I have lots of Sweetwater's Pure left from making a lap quilt earlier this past year, and some Bella Solid in Blue Raspberry to match so I'm leaning towards that (it sure would make a dent in my stash!). 

I'm looking forward to a good, progressive New Year!