Chookshed Stitchers 2024 Challenge

 Here is my list of 10 specific stitching goals for 2024. I may tweak this list depending on what number is given for January.

1. Macaron Mystery - finish including machine quilting and binding
2. 150 Canadian Women - progress.
3. EPP - begin new project - got everything for Windermere in a project box ready to start. 
4. Lucy - progress 
5. New Zealand Kiwi Birds - make 24 blocks using the Tilda charms I bought in Australia.
6. Embroidery - begin a Crazy Patch - make at least 24 rows of stitches this year
7. Serendipity - progress
8. Summer QAL 2021 - finish including machine quilting and binding
9. Morrell - progress
10. Ella - progress  

Blessings

Chris

23 Plans for 2023

 

I like planning. There is something about writing them down and seeing them in black and white. 

I woke up this morning around 4 am coughing for about an hour. My thoughts bouncing back and forth with ideas for writing blog posts. So I got up to get a drink of water and crawled back into bed. Could not get back to sleep so considered just getting up. The house was quiet with all the family guests gone. But 5 in the morning? That's the time farmers get up to start morning chores and we are retired. And I had not gotten to sleep until after midnight. 

My Sweetie slept on after I exited the bedroom and I went to my desk and took up a pen and wrote for the next hour. It was so satisfying considering I had laid down my pen nearly a month ago. After a while, I started to write down a to-do list. That is not the same as a goals list. To-do is to remember to do some banking, water the plants, change the bedsheets. That kind of thing. But this is a Planning Party. 

Here we go:

1. Revisit 23 ufos in 2023. I have 33 on the list on my sidebar. More on this later.
2. Build a Son Room onto the house. It has been a dream of mine for like most of my life. The contractor is supposed to be here this week to make plans.
3. Take part in To-Do Tuesday because I have to be writing to-do lists. 
   
4. Stitch for at least 15 Minutes a Day. 
5. Blog weekly. I have so many ideas. 
6. Meet with my writing accountability partner. This time remember to pray for each other as we share our writing goals each week.
7. Take part in monthly Virtual Writing Retreats with Christian Book Academy.
8. Write some simple words (profound eludes me most times I try). Maybe the most profound words really are the simple ones. I have 3 unfinished manuscripts. 
9. Launch the How to Stay Married for 50 Years blog. It is set up and ready to go but I still have to finish editing the posts. Cannot do that with a house full of guests and while I am on an airplane. Maybe for April? But then what do I do about comments while out of the country? 
10. Lead my Women's Small Group well. We will be doing a workbook called Hearing God this winter. 
11. Keep a Gratitude Journal. This will be the homework for my women.
12. Participate in an online 34 Day Rhema and Movement Challenge from Rhythms of Colour in January. 
13. Take Ava to Garmisch Germany for a Christian Women's ReAlign Retreat in March. How exciting that it is during her spring break. Still have to book the plane tickets. 
14. Go to Scrub Stitching in Baradine Australia with my Sweetie in April. Still have to book plane tickets.
15. Visit the Royal Easter Show in Sydney as guests of the Guernsey Cattle Society of Australia. My Sweetie agreed to go to the quilt retreat after he had been invited to judge the cattle. I plan to find some quilts to look at.
16. Cataract surgery in May. Have to wait until after our flights. Then cannot fly for 2-3 months after. 
17. Women's Retreat in June on the shores of Lake Erie. I am the group leader and organizer. I have ideas and plans. It is going to be amazing. I anticipate using ideas from the Retreat in March.
18. Vermont Quilt Festival in June. That will be a road trip with sisters, meeting friends, workshops, and shopping.
19. Take 3 for our 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration. The date is set for July 1-4, 2023 long weekend. The venue is here at the Farm. We are planning a tent, a bouncy castle, a live band, an open house for neighbours and friends, a BBQ for family, games and adventures. 
20. Launch Bertha's Flowerpots SAL possibly in July after the houseguests are gone.
21. Take Devan to visit family in Poland in August when it is safe to fly again after my eye surgery.
22. Shipshewana Quilt Retreat in November.
23. Ministry trip to India for Christmas.

I am looking forward to 2023 as a year of amazing adventures with God and family and friends. A year of celebration and travel and quilting.  

Blessings,

Chris

PhD in 2022

I have not taken part in Quilting Gail's PhD program before because I could not commit to trying to complete 12 ufos. I did complete my own Doctorate in Ministry Christian Counseling this past year. The rules state that you have to complete 12 unfinished projects including binding and labels. Not just tops. And any new starts must be completed within the year otherwise they become more ufos and who wants that? And, since I am not exactly planning to start any new projects, I stand a chance at some completions. 

This is the same list as the Quilting Jet Girl's 2022 Planning Party. 

1. Bright Jane
2. Corn and Beans
3. Summer QAL
4. The Curves
5. Disappearing 9-Patch
6. Disappearing 4-Patch
7. Dolls of the World
8. Ella Maria Deacon
9. 3030 Sampler
10. 1857 Album
11. Serendipity
12. Bricks and Mortar

Blessings,

Chris

2022 Planning Party

 

This past month I have decluttered nearly half of my fabric. I also donated more than a dozen unfinished quilts reducing the ufo numbers.

In no particular order, my quilting ufo completion goal for the coming year will be the following: 

1. Bright Jane
2. Corn and Beans
3. Summer QAL
4. The Curves
5. Disappearing 9-Patch
6. Disappearing 4-Patch
7. Dolls of the World
8. Ella Maria Deacon
9. 3030 Sampler
10. 1857 Album
11. Serendipity
12. Bricks and Mortar

blessings,

Chris

linking with /quiltingjetgirl./2022planningparty/

Quilting Goals for 2022

No, I am not going to try to complete 22 quilts this year. I plan to complete 47. Just kidding. I moved a lot of my quilting stuff over to the new quilt room back in the summer and had an idea to revisit several quilt projects and aim for some completions. 

The shelving unit was already in the corner of the new bedroom, so I just filled it up with project boxes from the endless quilting cupboard in my old bedroom. Don't tell my husband of 50 years. I don't think he has noticed them yet. The boxes are 2 rows deep. Not all of them have projects. Some projects are sorted into 3-4 boxes. Those in the top right have completed squares. The thin ones are blocks in progress. The deeper ones have all the rest of the fabric. And the really big ones have fabric collections. On the very top, out of sight, are packages of batting. 

Some of the boxes have fabrics and patterns and are labeled but not yet started so they do not count. There are a few more under the table I use as a desk in my bedroom where I try to write every day. 

Remember the 23 large bins in the back of the hall? They are in the closet now. And they have already multiplied. 

And then there will be the month of May. Time for a challenge of, say, complete a block a day for the month of May. Or, more realistically, complete 31 blocks for May. I did that one year. 

This could be an interesting list of quilts to attempt to complete. After all, I completed 5 courses for my doctorate in 3 months. I can do anything. More realistically would be to choose one closest to completion and complete it.

One of the hindrances to completing my quilts, besides starting more new ones, is that I have chosen some complex, rather large projects. Like the 100 x100 inch Beyond the Cherry Trees. This one was a hand applique project I carted along with me on many trips around the world including India, Australia, Rwanda, England, Poland, and at least 7 different States, and airports in France, Dubai, Hong Kong, and Adis Abba over 6 years. I have yet to quilt it. Another is the 100x100 Ben Biggs Wedding Quilt. I started this one before the BTCT and have been doing it by machine applique but not in recent years. 

Back in 2017 (was that really 5 years ago?) there was a 17 for 2017 Challenge, to revisit 17 ufos and progress them by a few stitches and if a completion took place, well that was a bonus. Well, I spent more time putting them up on the big design wall, taking pictures, and writing about them than actually working on some.

I like the idea of revisiting ufos. But completions would be nice also. Usually, having a deadline or purpose like a wedding or graduation inspires completion. But my projects are so big, broken down into smaller doable units. I just keep making blocks. Maybe I am in denial and don't really know how to complete them. But I still struggle to finish the dishes every day. 

I have looked at the criteria for Quilting Gail's PhD program. But the rules state that there be one completion each month and a new start must be finished in the same year. 

I have finally, after a few tries, decided on 12 ufos to complete. Will I get each of them quilted? And why wouldn't I? Could I? Should I? And Quilting Jetgirl's  2022 Planning Party kicks off on Mon Dec 13. That gives me a few more days to finalize and post my list. 

Blessings,

Chris

50 Goals for 2021

In August we will be celebrating

   

Celebration Goals

1. 50th Anniversary Celebration Aug 7, 2021, or when we can gather
2. Plan an open house and invite the world to join us
3. Family dinner for at least 50 Forsters and 50 Czarnatas
4. Ride in a hot air balloon
5. Scan 50 years of photos
6. Create a PowerPoint Presentation                                                  
7. Celebrate our son-in-law's 50th birthday
8. Plant 50 trees
9. Buy a new dress
10. Celebrate God

Quilting Goals

1. Make 50 blocks for the 50th Anniversary Quilt aka Ella 
2. QAL 2021 The Curves! 
3. Complete 50% of my 50 ufos or at least 50% of that
4. Make 50 more Bright Jane blocks for RSC
5. Make 50 more blocks for 150 Canadian Women
6. Quilt for Ellyse 
   
7. Quilt for Devan
8. Quilt for Jonathan
9. Quilt for Ava 
10. Quilt for David

Academic Goals

1. Submit BIOTB
2. Complete and submit CC 1&2
3. Complete and submit CC 3&4
4. Complete and submit UHPSBE
5. Complete and submit Identity Formation
6. Write a dissertation
7. Deal with revisions
8. Submit dissertation
9. Defend dissertation
10. Graduate with a Doctorate in Christian Counseling 

Writing Goals

1. Write 50 more chapters for my two books
2. Complete SMOWJ
3. Edit SMOWJ
4. Publish SMOWJ
5. Launch SMOWJ
6. Complete Sister
7. Edit Sister
8. Publish Sister
9. Launch Sister
10. Journal 

Other Goals

1. Build a deck on back of house
2. Put in a hot tub
3. Lose 50 lbs
4. Keep it off for 50 weeks
5. Focus on my health
6. Lead my mentoring group well
7. Lead another small group at church called Broken Crayons
8. Start another mentoring group
9. Finish reading the Bible chronologically 
10. Figure out how to get comments into my inbox again

blessings,

Chris 

linking with: quiltingjetgirl.planningparty

needleandthreadnetwork. midweek-makers-

OMG Completion December 2020

My OMG goal this month was to make a few pieced blocks for the 50th Anniversary Quilt aka Ella. I pieced 5 blocks. The blue cross I did twice because I miscalculated the width before sewing it up. I still might do it a third time even wider. Or I might applique a few bits in the white spaces. The center block still needs to have the flowers applied down. That can be a goal for another time.

And I made mistakes. Not just one but many. Those white units were supposed to be on the bottom part. 

It seems like I made each of the blocks twice. But these are done now.

Now here is an interesting problem. Anyone ever had this happen to their Featherweight bobbins? I took the one on the right out of the case when I ran out of bobbin thread. I wound it, then it would not fit into the case holder. Somehow, it stretched out and is warped. I had this happen before but did not realize how. It's a good thing that I bought a whole bunch of new bobbins a couple of years ago.

Blessings,

Chris

linking with: link-party-patchwork-quilts-, quiltingismorefunthanhousework.

smallquiltsanddollquilts. needleandthreadnetwork.

150 Canadian Women Rerun and Goal Setting

Quilt-A-Long

Next step quilt designs will be doing another quilt-a-long with the 150 Canadian Women project. You must have your own patterns to take part. I got all the patterns when they were free a few years ago when we celebrated Canada's150th Birthday. Since I had collected most of the patterns before I started it, I saw many of the blocks and decided to do a blitz cut out of many of the pieces with my GO cutter. However, I forgot that many of the blocks called for several colours. I had spent so much time making the tiny Dear Jane blocks in only one colour on a background, I forgot that some quilters use more than one colour in the same block. So that can be a goal for me to pull out the bin of fabrics and cut a bunch more pieces. I like the leader/enders, but have to realize that I need to be using the same colour thread for both projects. I am using a cream colour for this but white for the 3030 Quilt. Hmm. Too many decisions to be making this late at night.

It is 10 pm on a school night and most of the grandchildren are already in bed but not the eldest who is now in grade eight and wants 11 hours of sleep tonight as well as improving her math skills. The little boys moved into the trailer last night with their mom and cats. Dad will be arriving tomorrow after the movers move all their household stuff into storage until they figure out the next step. 

In the meantime, it is time to decide on my 90 Day One Big Thing Goal for my writing group. And since I started a new mentoring group this week, I have decided to have the same goal for both groups. I am mentoring a group of Christian women and goal setting is our focus this week. I set goals all the time, but do I attain them? I have accountability and since I am the leader here, I probably should set a good example and meet my goals. In order to accomplish my goals for this fall, I really need to let go of some things to free up how I use my time. That was the object lesson using a jar to fill up with the things I am doing. So, I plan to give up computer games. Remember I spent at least 100 of those hours playing them last month? 

So 100 hours per month for 3 months frees up 300 hours. And I was thinking that if I write for 1 hour a day (I was really thinking one page a day) then I should easily have a first draft by the middle of December. That is my logic. But the reality is, I do things in fits and starts, feast or famine, all or nothing. I have done way too much nothing for way too long. Now is as good a time as any to change. I have just been waiting for the school year to begin and life going back to some normal routines. 

Now I am the one needing to improve my math. One hundred hours a month is more like 3 hours per day. That's like getting an almost full-time job.

Maybe I am the one who should go to bed. 

Blessings,

Chris

linking with: katiemaequilts. and boms-away-  needleandthreadnetwork.  friday-night-with-friends.

20 Machine Quilting Goals for 2020

My track record for completing UFOs is rather small. But if I work on each of them a little, then they will all move a bit closer to completion. Or so I tell myself.

I thought I would like to focus on my machine quilting skills. I took a 2-day workshop with Sue Patten in October and invested in a couple of her favourite rulers. She designs rulers and her son has set up a business making and selling them.

So, in no particular order, here are some goals to practice my machine quilting skills on my domestic Brother machine in the coming year. Some of these are either in the flimsy stage or already sandwiched ready to quilt. Others are obvious prep work.

1. Adhere grips onto rulers
2. Wind bobbins
3. Clean Brother machine
4. Clean Bernina machine
5. Practice ruler work on class sample from workshop in Oct
6. Angela Walters Freemotion QAL
7. Disappearing Nine-Patch
8. Disappearing Four-Patch
9. Country Bride 2 appliqued blocks
10. Country Bride 2 plain blocks
11. Country Bride 2 borders
12. Butterflies
13. 1857 Sampler outline blocks and corner leaves
14. 1857 Sampler quilt blocks
15. Dear Jane sashing
16. Dear Jane blocks
17. Dear Jane borders 
18. Quilt Ellyse's I-Spy quilt
19. Quilt Devan's I-Spy quilt. 
20. Teach Ava to machine quilt her quilt. 

Maybe my goals for 2021 can be to bind all these quilts.
Blessings,
Chris

Twenty for 2020

Yvonne at Quilting Jet Girl came up with a linky party for twenty goals for 2020. This is my totally unrealistic left-brain list in no particular order.

1. Stitch for 20 minutes a day 5x a week
2. Morrell 20 more blocks
3. Lose 20 lbs
4. 20 machine quilting goals
5. Write 20 more chapters for Sister
6. Begin hand quilting BTCT
7. Write for 20 minutes a day 3x a week
8. Work on 20 different quilts.  
9. Read 20 books 
10. Turn computer off for 20 minutes a day
11. Spend 20 minutes quiet time with God
12. Complete 20 units on the doctorate
13. Waterfit 20 minutes 2x a week
14. Stretching 20 minutes a day
15. Bike 20 minutes 2x a week
16. Treadmill 20 minutes 2x a week
17. Bright Jane 20 more blocks
18. Publish SMOWJ
19. Publish Sister
20. Write dissertation 

I will probably have to get a bit more organized than I am right now.
Blessings,
Chris
wednesday-wait-loss. cleverchameleon. design-wall-monday.

Goals for 2019

   The list this year will be simple. This is different from my Bucket List. I dream really big there. 

• complete and gift Dear Daughter 
• stitch at least 20 minutes a day
• learn to thread the bobbin on the treadle machine
• learn to use the treadle machine
• complete rest of courses for DCC
• complete first draft of Sister (got about 8 chapters written so far)
• write first draft of Surviving Menopause (got a box full of notes, journals, research papers, massive action plan, outline and a document started with 2 pages written)
• research editing options
• progress on 12 ufos for 2019
• not start any new applique projects
• bake an apple pie
•  lose 40 lbs
• return to India to do a women's conference
• I want to say change my name to Dr Chris, but there is this dissertation that needs to be written

Blessings,

Chris

End of January 2018

I know it is not quite the end of the month yet, but I have 2 whole days to myself and I want to get caught up on a few things before the little boys return on Monday morning. We have spent the last 19 days in a row  together. Twice I made the journey home with them for the weekend and will again next week for another 11 days with the two most adorable little boy grand children.
David turned 2 and it was like a switch was flipped and he entered the next stage of his young life. His vocabulary is increasing daily and he uses almost full sentences. I adore his hugs and compassion.
Jonathan, at 3 1/2, has entered the delightful pre-school stage where he uses his words communicating his thoughts and has the most delightful laughs and giggles.
I got this simple foundation pieced 8 flying geese unit made for Serendipity and for my one-monthly-goal.

For patchworktimes 2018-ufo-challenge the nunber was 10 and that was Biblical Blocks 2.

Well. What can I say? 

I pulled it out and put it up on the design wall and made a list of what still needs to be done on it.

 It sat up on the wall for a week, then I put it back in the box and prepped 4 BTCT blocks

 because

I was going to be away for 2 weekends and needed some hand work. 

And since BTCT is on the list, this will be my offering for the challenge this month

so that I will still have 2 complete months to tackle the Biblical Blocks. 

Stitched down the one large yellow flower. 

Added the cream centers on the flowers and a few more leaves. 

The wreath is stitched on the outside and the inside still needs to be done. 

Finished the bowl. 

Will I go back and straighten the bottom? 

Who knows. 

Buds are back-basted in place and

I used the Go cutter to cut a few flowers. 

Again, I used the GO cutter to cut the flowers and centers. 

They will all be askew by the time I am done.

Some of the leaves are under the stems and

some are beside and others on top. 

And I have a new project for 

Meredith's 6 & 6 challenge.

More on this next time. 

Blessings,
Chris
Linking with    one-monthly-goal  lovelaughquilt  mid week makers  BOMs Away  let's bee social  needle-and-thread-thursday  can I get a whoop-whoop  slow sunday stitching  needleandthreadnetwork   patchworktimes 2018-ufo-challenge  pomegranateandchintz 2018-challenge/  

First OMG Goal for 2018

This is a tough one to decide. But first, I want to thank Patty for hosting this one-monthly-goal Linky Party. I won the $25 gift certificate from fatquartershop.  My first goal will be to decide how to spend it. They have sales all the time. Will it be fabric? precuts? thread? a new fabric collection? Decisions decisions.

In the meantime,
Rainbow Scrap Challenge colour for January is light blue.  There is no light blue in my Dear Jane 2 quilt and the lightest blue I can find that I have not already used for Serendipity is this Jinny Beyer Pallet colour, so I will only be making one row of eight 3 inch flying geese.

Also,
the 2018-ufo-challenge  number is 10 so I should be working on this Biblical Blocks quilt that I want to complete this year, but there is so much to do on it and I am just finishing day 2 of 5 days of little grandchildren sleepovers. The parents all have to work or be in school and the school kids are still on Christmas holidays.


I had intended to switch this month's pick with the 1857 album and I just might



since I have a flimsy!!!!!

But then,
I just realized that it is the 300th birthday of the 1718 Coverlet that I started 3 years ago.
www.facebook.com/1718coverlet/
Why did I stop? I went to Australia, and a bunch of other places and was away 70 days that year, and started the first blocks of the Antique Wedding Sampler, was working on the Ben Biggs, GORF, BTCT, and trying to finish CCCQ. Oh yes, I was sick at least 5 different times with a  bronchial thing, was applying revisions to my book and had a new grandchild.

And why did I not put it on my ufo list for 2018??? I can still change that. Or will I?

Even though I had 17 in for a turkey dinner yesterday, I still found time to look over some of my ufo challenges for the coming year including putting Serendipity up on the design wall to see what blocks still have to be made and what colours  I have to choose from. I also took a few minutes to put in a few hand applique stitches on 3 BTCT blocks I had prepped back in Nov. Don't get too excited. I did not do much house work ahead of time and they helped set the tables, peel potatoes, brought salads and desserts AND washed up most of the dishes. I put all the bones on to simmer overnight and set them on the snow covered porch to chill at 6:30 this morning when the first of 5 grand children got up and the pot is still there probably frozen solid with the deep winter freeze here the past couple of weeks. 

We are having all our employees (at least 10) and most of our grand kids for our annual Maplehurst Farms staff Christmas party here tomorrow night. We order in pizza and play Pictionary to recall highlights from the past year and it is a lot of fun. There are little Paw Patrol pups, Chinese checker pieces, green tractors and cracker crumbs all over the house but, since all our grand children are somewhat OCD, we can get them to do all the pick up, vacuuming and maybe dusting if I remember to pull out the disposable duster thingies. My grandsons LOVE to vacuum and dust and the little girls are really over the top organizers. I could learn a thing or two from them. I can bribe reward them with pizza. 

So, yes, my OMG for this month will be to get that flying geese strip made for Serendipity. 

Blessings,

Chris

Linking with    one-monthly-goal  lovelaughquilt  mid week makers  BOMs Away  let's bee social  needle-and-thread-thursday  can I get a whoop-whoop  slow sunday stitching  needleandthreadnetwork  esther's WOW   patchworktimes 2018-ufo-challenge  pomegranateandchintz 2018-challenge/  

Dreams Goals and Plans for 2018

I worked on the first draft of this off and on this past month then it just disappeared and I could not find it. Sigh. It said something like this. I love to dream. I love to write lists and set goals. I love to make plans.

Dreams

1. Finish writing my second book. 
2. Publish my second book. 
3. Finish writing my third book. 
4. Publish my third book. 
5. Sell a million copies of my first book Denine. 
• My web site is finally up. You can see it here. 
6. Change my name to Dr Chris
7. Make Esther Aliu's Love Entwined 
8. Do the 365 Days of Circles QAL
9. Have a clean house without any work
10. Lose 60 lbs. 

Goals

1. Completely complete and quilt 3 large quilts 
• Serendipity
• 1857 Album Quilt
• Biblical Blocks 2
2. Hand quilt Dear Jane with big stitches using perle cotton 
3. Move other quilts forward
4. Set up a prayer team and a beta group to hold me accountable for my writing
5. Complete all coursework for my doctorate
6. Lose 40 lbs. 

Plans

1. Continue babysitting the little boy grand children 4 days a week for 7 more months
2. Lead a summer small group on "Hearing God"
3. Complete all coursework for my doctorate
4. Not start any  many new quilts
5. Drink more water
6. Eat less sugar
7. Get more exercise
8. Read my Bible from cover to cover. 
9. Journal more often
10. Shipshewana Retreat in April is booked
11. Joined 12 ufos for 2018 
12. Joined 6 & 6 for 2018
13. Participate in Rainbow Scrap Challenge
14. Go to India in in Nov to encourage women. Anyone interested in joining me can ask for more details at  grammakiss@gmail.com 
15. Prepare messages of hope and healing for women, especially former prostitutes. 
16. Lose 20 lbs.

I dream a lot more than I do. I do set goals that are doable but don't always do them. I plan a lot more than I accomplish. What can I say? I am a dreamer. In order to do this, I have to shut the computer off more often. I have been practicing this this past month and have completed the 1857 Album Quilt.

 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Phil 4:13

Blessings,
Chris

6 & 6 for 2018 Challenge With Pomegranate and Chintz

Meredithe has a new challenge for 2018. 

6 & 6 for 2018

Simply choose 6 ufos that could be carry-overs from the 2017 list

and work on 6 new projects throughout the year. 

You can read more details here.

I was not planning to start 6 new projects next year but you never know what could happen. 

My 6 ufos list for this year. 

1. Serendipity

   

   The plan is to make remaining blocks in the designated colour each month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. 

2. 1857 album Quilt

   

   This one is so close. Only 12 blocks left to applique by hand then assemble and machine quilt.

3. Disappearing 9-Patch

   

   I made this one several years ago. All it needs is a border and quilting. I thought I could practice some domestic machine quilting with rulers. 

4. Shades of Pemberly

   

   Started this more than 10 years ago. Those 70 degree triangles still have me scratching my head but should be easy enough to connect all those rows evenly. I hope. 

5. Biblical Blocks 2

   

   This is one of Rosemary Makhan's patterns I started in about 2004. There are only 6 more nine inch squares to make then assemble the thing after removing all the freezer paper from behind all the appliques. 

6. Dear Jane

   

   I am finally going to hand quilt this top that I started Oct 2009 and completed Sept 2014.
   I will be doing the big stitch technique using perle cotton. I am aiming to do a bit every day.   

Blessings

Chris
(there are at least 3 drunkards path blocks in this post. Can you find them?)
linking with

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2017 Dreams, Goals, Plans Progress

I have been looking at the year ahead making plans and setting goals. This is my list from a year ago. Let's see how I did.

Quilt Dreams (What I want to do)

• Start 150 Canadian Women  Started in May. Got 6 blocks made and about 30 ready to stitch.
• Start Stonefields    Gretchen and I discussed doing it together this Jan. This will  now have to wait until Jan 2019.
• Start Caswell I wish.
• Make significant progress on Morrell  Completed several foundation pieced saw toothed blocks. I plan to make some more of the 24 broderie perse blocks in 2018. Well, at least one.
• Make progress on AWS  Completed 2 applique blocks. 
• Complete to 100 blocks of Bright Jane  54 done so far and again plan to make more for the Rainbow Scrap challenge
• Complete the rest of  BTCT blocks Finished 8 for a total of 18 completed. Working on 5 with 2 not yet started and I dream about the border. So looking forward to all those leaves and cherries but they will probably wait until 2019.
• Complete Ben Biggs  In my dreams but it was on the 17 ufos list for November. I prepped the border swags and cut out a few corner buds but not much else. 

Goals (What I should do)

• Complete doctorate. Still slowly working on book reports and outlines.
• Complete 6 quilt tops. Completed 5.
• Quilt 6 quilts. I have a few small flimys to practice on. Machine quilted 5 that I took to Poland.
• Not write anymore goals. I keep writing lists is that the same thing?

Plans (What I did do)

• Visit Poland for Easter    Done. It was amazing
• Shipshewana Retreat November with Di Ford Hall.  Done, It was amazing. Retreat and room booked for April.
• Do another Whole30 program to find out what foods are aggravating my hands.  Tried twice but only lasted 9 days each time.
• Promote my book and sell enough copies to cover the cost of publishing.  Yes and not yet. Web site is finally up.   www.chrisczarnataforster.com 
• Q@F quilt retreat at The Quilt Farm in spring.  No go.
• Blog at least once a week   Been blogging several times each month. I took lots of time in June to put blocks up on the design wall, take pictures and write up posts for some of the 17 ufos for 2017  instead of real work then took the summer off because I took a mission trip to Rwanda Africa. It was more than amazing.    

Blessings, 

Chris

2018 UFO Challenge With Patchwork Times

I like a challenge and patchworktimes has a ufo challenge for 2018.  You choose 12 unfinished projects to work on for the year. I suppose it is similar to pomegranate and chintz 17-ufos-in-2017 except they will tell you which number on the list to work on each month.  (I was a bit hasty making this list and plan to revise it slightly)

1. Serendipity   (I might work on some Bright Jane blocks each month like I did in 2017)

   

    BOM from  Sentimental Stitches 2012.
   The plan is to do the RSC each month to complete the remaining blocks then assemble it to flimsy status.

2. 1857 Album Quilt  

   

   Another BOM from Sentimental Stitches 2016-17. 
   I have 12 blocks to complete then I want to assemble it and machine quilt it. 

3. Ben Biggs Wedding Quilt  

   

   Yet another BOM from Sentimental Stitches. There seems to be a pattern here.
   I will be happy to get a few more of the 25 blocks made. This one is machine appliqued. 

4. 150 Canadian Women (I plan to move this one to the 6 & 6 New quilts list since I only have 10 of 150 blocks made and started it in 2017 so it really is more a work in progress than a ufo. I will give Ben Biggs a second month since there is so much more work to be done in it.)
5. Bally Hall Birds (This is another I am moving to the 6 & 6 list since I have  yet to put in a stitch because I just started it. I will work on my Morrell Sampler here instead.)
6. Disappearing 9-Patch 

   

   Made this several years ago. Just needs a border and I can practice some rule work with my machine quilting.

7. Disappearing 4-Patch
8. Shades of Pemberly

   

   Lots of 70 degree triangles to connect then machine quilt this one started more than 10 years ago. 

9. Biblical Blocks 2

   

   Started this one in 2004. Most of the hard work is done except removing all the freezer papers behind the applique. 

10. Biblical Blocks 2 (I am taking 2 months with this one because I really want to complete it including machine quilting.)
11. 1718 Coverlet. 

    

    Started 2015 and made about 16 blocks. 

     
12. Birdy Wreath (Another that I am moving to the 6 & 6 New list. I started it at a retreat in Nov. I guess I will put Beyond the Cherry Trees here. The plan will be to complete the last 7 of 25 eighteen inch hand applique blocks.)

    

    This will be the center block of something in the future. Started it at the Shipshewana Retreat. 

Wish me luck. It will be a surprise each month which number is picked. I will do a blog post at the end of each month to show my progress. 

Blessings,

Chris

Several More 17 ufos for 2017

The initial goal of the 17 ufos for 2017 was to revisit 17 unfinished projects and add a few stitches to progress them along. If a completion took place than that is a bonus. I completed 4 ufos and made substantial progress on several others. However, there are a few on the list that I have no intention of trying to move forward at this time.

For example, on my list were a disappearing 9-patch that only needs a border and to be quilted and a disappearing 4-patch that is so simple but I will have to find it, organize it and figure out how to complete it. The plan was to practice my machine quilting skills and I have started playing with rulers. But not right now. There are, after all, only 24 hours in each day and little boys occupy a lot of those.

This red and white sampler will remain in the project box for a while longer. There are more blocks made than show in the picture but not sure where they are. In a box somewhere. I did an amazing feathered star with embroidery but it is hiding. I will let it stay hidden for now.

This $10 sampler will remain in its box for now also. I cannot decide how to complete that center so will not fret about it for now. I need a deadline and a purpose for my quilts.

My completed Civil War Dear Jane quilt has been kicking around since I completed the top three years ago. I have finally decided to hand quilt it with big stitches using Perle Cotton and a wool batting. But I have not yet stretched it out and layered it. I need to clear off some of the paper work that is scattered all over my quilt room tables. I am, after all, still working on my doctorate if way too slowly.

In two weeks I drive out to Shipshewana for the fall retreat where I will be starting not one, not two but possibly 3 new quilts. I am taking workshops with the infamous Di Ford-Hall from Australia. I met her when I visited there two and a half years ago and have been waiting for an opportunity to learn from her. Do I need to start more quilts? NO. Of course not. Do I want to start more quilts? NO. Not exactly. But I love every quilt of hers I have ever seen. And I have already paid for the classes and the kits.

In the meantime, I have injured my right wrist and will have to let it rest up for the next couple of weeks so I can go the distance at the retreat where all three workshops will be focusing on hand work. I should probably stay off the computer, but I still have to change diapers on two little boys who were not exactly thrilled when I presented them both with big boy underwear this week. The first term is half over and my daughter just got her placement. She has so much reading to do for this intense one year masters program and now she begins her 500 placement hours.

I have been thinking about goals for next year. Crazy things like completing one block per week for each of the ones I am presently working on. That would add up to completing a block a day. So that is not practical. But what about a block per month? That would have me complete the BTCT, Morrell and Antique Wedding Sampler by July 2019. Doable. But what about the Di Ford new blocks? And Bright Jane and  . . .

Wait I hear a boy crying so I get to grand parent some more. In the meantime, I did complete one more BTCT block. This will satisfy my one-monthly-goal-for-october .

BTCT  Block # 14

Blessings,
Chris
Linking with: 17-ufos-for-2017
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