Emma S

Q/M: It is hard for me to picture the options without seeing the fabric but I would go for the way that allows you to tame the wobbles with the least unsewing. Additionally I would try to come closest to the idea your Mom was working toward. As I age I hope I never have to give up my favorite pass time, love that she was trying to finish that one last quilt. So new saying, "Quilters never give up, they just loose their 1/4 inch".

J.M.

Due to the heat, I haven't been able to work on my Irish Chain as I'd planned, so I've cut a leaders & enders project from scraps. Now that's finished, but the weather isn't letting up much next week. So I needed another project - one that I can piece by hand, since it's too hot to be stuck inside with my sewing machine. Then I realized I've got the 2011 Star BOM still to do - I've got one block finished and fabric for all the rest of it. I can't do it all by hand, since some of the blocks are paperpieced, but the regular piecing ones I can do by hand. That will make a nice project for in the garden, and perhaps get inroads into another UFO.

michelleoc

Now I know why some projects are UFOs for so long. I have one from 2006 that I was having difficult with. Didn't want to make it full size, so there was math involved. The instructions the pattern gave for flying geese didn't work for me. Why did I choose the fabrics I chose? I finally took it out again yesterday, DETERMINED to finish it and get it off my list. I got some fabulous suggestions on flying geese from people here on the Board, so I did those. I gave up on doing the math, just made the flying geese and figured things out after they were all done. Nothing I can do about the fabric. I still don't like it, but I'm on a mission now!

Emma S

Michelle: Your facing the most difficult part of UFOs. Glad you solved the geese problem, hope the rest goes well so you can stamp finished on this one. Remember, even though you don't like it, someone will.

squirrelfood

I have UFO's on purpose. I spend the summer making quilt tops til I have 5-6, then spend the rest of the year hand quilting them. I just about have my required number..and one left from early spring to finish quilting. It's almost done. I spend more time indoors in the winter.

auntjo

This is so the thread I need. I have several UFOs - at least one over 30 yrs old. Another over 15yo & some slightly younger but still over the 10 yr mark.. & then there are more recent (within those past 10 yrs.) The tops are mostly done. On a few, some or most of the quilting is even done - but not all the way... Partly because there are a few I really wanted to finish by hand - because I am a purist (but having to get real about arthritis in my fingers & wrists). My avatar is one of 4 Xmas quilts done at the same time about 12yrs ago. First two have been completed & received by two oldest D's. Last two are for two youngest boys who haven't yet established their homes - so no rush...tho I took one w/me to work on when I stayed w/my Mom in Iowa for a couple months (Jan-Feb 2013) after my Dad died. I ended up wearing a hand brace for my wrists better part of last summer/fall w/everything. I am only now feeling like I can put my own quilts on my Tin Lizzie & do something other than a pantograph. There is even one of my own which has the overall panto. quilting done, but in my wisdom I decided I needed to add another border to make it useful on a bed - everything is cut & marked & there it has sat. I've done several charity quilts using pantographs so I could learn the machine. But everything in my life came to a grinding halt over 3 yrs ago when my husband died suddenly. My semi-retirement ended as well & I had to return to teaching for a couple years. I am now officially retired. Have majorly downsized my belongings, sold my house, moved to another state & kickstarted my life into the next chapter & am having fun in my studio again. I did complete my Farmers Wife Sampler top earlier this year (started w/group on here in 2009?), have pieced a backing & am now feeling like I can comfortably custom quilt it on the machine, but have just completed another top "Lady of the Lotus" that I will quilt on my machine first as the directions are given for it's custom quilting so I don't have to think about that. My backing fabric should arrive Monday for that one. The 30+yo "Trip Around The World" is the one I am trying to finish now. I am adamant about finishing it by hand as the center is entirely hand cut & handpieced & everything but the border has been handquilted. The completed center sat for several years when my 2nd set of kids were little & I had very little time for stitching running a daycare. After the 1st 10 yrs I figured out the borders, found a backing I liked. Sandwiched it & put it on the handquilting frame. Then hung it on the wall basted to the end rails for several more years til I got comfortable w/how I wanted to quilt it the center & got 'er done. My original vision was to do parallel lines for the border & I started that. Then I decided to follow the suggestion of the guild I quilted w/at the time & do crisscrossing lines instead. Went for it - on 3 sides & I'm not happy w/it so it has again sat while life has done it's thing around me & I'm now back into completing the original parallel line side & will then rip out the crisscross & do the straight parallel lines on the last 3 sides. Yes it is bothering my hands already & I've only been at it a couple weeks so far, but hopefully this time I will get it finished to hang on the living room wall of my new home in my new life. Then onward to finally tackling the next oldest California Poppy quilt, which at this point will have to be custom done on the machine I'm sure. I know I can't manage another entire quilt by hand.

Emma S

Jo: Truly marvelous work! What is the method used in the Poppy quilt? Your work is quilt show quality, my mouth is hanging open in awe. These beauties so need to be finished. Welcome to the Board and the thread. Will be looking forward to seeing more of your work.

michelleoc

Jo: Truly stunning work. I'm going to go throw rocks at my stuff now...

Mariposa

Your projects are very pretty.

auntjo

Thanks so much for the welcome & the I do appreciate the compliments.
Emma: The Poppy quilt is needle turn applique. I think I may be finally loosening up in my perfectionist attitude toward my quilts as I have to do more & more on the machine & tho I may not end up with perfect points or "show quality" (in my mind) quilts, I do end up w/a finished quilt that will hopefully be used & appreciated. I love the look & idea of hand quilting & I want it to be the right quilting for the top. It's taken me awhile to realize machine quilting is really an OK finish to any quilt, tho I still have a hard time letting the idea of my creativity loose w/o the control of following a pantograph. But even those are a better finish than not finishing. I want it to be the right quilting for the top. And I still try to be economical in my quilting & refuse to pay someone else to finish my projects. I like the entire process from beginning to end, tho it means I don't turn out lots & lots of quilts.
micheloc: no rocks. Everything I've seen on these boards are beautiful quilts in the making, and some very good suggestions, ideas, recommendations, & advice for those that are stuck somewhere in their process.

Off to do some quilting... Thanks again for a place to share whatever progress I make on this go 'round.