Time to list my second quarter intended finishes for the Finish-Along. I’ve got a list of 10 here, plus a couple not yet started that I want to get done in the same time-frame. Unfortunately, I will have even less time to sew than I did for the first quarter, so I’m sure I won’t get them all done, but I never know ahead of time which ones I will or won’t finish.

1. Vertical strips charity quilt. This one is a simple QAYG method that is both tedious and boring. I thought it would be fast, but I’m not convinced it is fast enough to be worth the tedium. But, I want it done and out of here! It is about a third done.
2. An entry for the Twenty contest. All assembled, needs some quilting and binding etc.
3. Ugly 4-patch squares. I took some really ugly 4-patches (made by someone else) and added frames to make wonky blocks. I plan to quilt these QAYG style, they still need layering and basting.
4. Scrap-centered blocks for a QAYG style quilt, these are basted and have started quilting, lots more to do.
5. Kaleidoscope quilt, wallhanging. Basted and I started quilting. Again, lots more quilting to do.
6. Basket quilt, wallhanging. About a quarter quilted.
7. “Corral,” wallhanging. Started quilting.
8. Pink and green thing. About a third quilted.
9. Quilt for our guest bed. Top is in diagonal rows so I can quilt it row by row, starting in the center and adding rows as I go. I have not started quilting yet.
10. Almost forgot another charity quilt (lap size). I thought I would have it done by now so didn’t put it on my initial list, but it isn’t done. It needs a bit of border to reach the desired size, which will need quilting, and it needs binding.

You may notice a lot of “started quilting” in this list. Some have just enough to stabilize the piece, others have a little bit more done. It depended on what designs I wanted to try out before turning to the next project.

I watched an old episode of The Quilt Show the other day, I’m not going to say which one, and a well known quilter (which I will call BNQ for Big Name Quilter) said (I paraphrase), “You don’t have to finish every project. And don’t give them to charity, they don’t want ugly quilts.”

WTF? I was shocked! Not give your “ugly” quilts to charity? How can she presume no one will want what you don’t want? Granted, there are some charities that are fussy about what they receive, but there are plenty of others who will gladly take your quilt no matter how ugly you think it is. After all, “ugly” is in the eye of the beholder. I’ve made plenty of quilts I thought were ugly, yet others who saw them thought they were lovely. Ms. BNQ made her comment while sitting in front of a prize-winning quilt she’d made (and I assume thought was lovely since she was proudly showing it off) that I thought was damned ugly. Ugly is a matter of opinion.

There are some quilts that you shouldn’t donate – such as, if they would be hazardous to children or will fall apart with the first washing. And not every quilt will suite every charity, because needs vary. Some groups collect quilts for cheering up young patients. They will prefer colorful quilts that are soft and cuddly (flannel backs are nice). Others collect quilts to distribute after disasters. They want anything that will keep people warm and stand up to hard use. Ugly is fine, as long as the quilt is warm and durable (they often prefer polyester battings for warmth). And some collect art quilts to auction off – sure, they don’t want ugly, but we’re back to who decides what is ugly?

If you have an ugly quilt, there is a charity somewhere that will take it. Or wait for the next disaster, they seem to happen every year or two, somewhere in the world. But ferchrissakes, don’t throw away anything that could keep someone warm. They will love it no matter what it looks like.

Now the other part, not finishing every project, I sort of agree with. You don’t have to finish the project you started. But that doesn’t means toss it if you can possibly make something else from it. If you didn’t ever put those swap blocks together because the size differs? Add a wide frame around them and trim to size, make it wonky if you like. Sew them together and add borders until you’ve got a bed-size quilt. That one fabric faded badly and you wonder if it will last? Cut up the rest and use it in a scrap quilt. Never quilted that top you made in a mystery quilt because you didn’t like the result? Someone else will love it.

Get it done, donate it, and you’re rid of it. Throwing it away wastes not only the earth’s resources (wait until I get ranting about what cotton farming does to our topsoil), but your time and effort. Maybe you learned something from the experience, that’s fine but it doesn’t mean it’s okay to toss it. Cut it up, sure. Learn to free-motion quilt on it, or give it to a new long-arm owner to practice on. But finish something and by all means, donate the result. Just pick the right charity.

Another week and I am still working on the horse quilt. I am determined to get this one done, but have had little time in my sewing room. Next week might be better, lots of rain in the forecast. That means less time in the garden and more time indoors.

I managed to get the lower segment sewn on, and now I am not happy with the result. There’s a huge empty space of background between the two lower left horse blocks and the rest of the quilt. I have a lower right corner that begs for one more horse block (I do have one more horse I can use), and the entire thing is longer than I wanted.

This project is intended to be a cuddle quilt for our couch, it doesn’t need to be 7 feet long! So I am seriously considering shortening the thing. I think one horse block, tucked into the empty area, will be enough. It’s going to take some cutting and new strips added, but this quilt is for me, and I want to be happy with the result. Though I’m sure it will be just as cuddly either way.

Maybe I should re-title this post sewing progress, as I have not done any actual quilting. I should be, I have three tops basted and ready, but got sidetracked.

I completed Round 2 of the Improvi-Robin, creating this:

I had a blast doing this one – slightly wonky log cabin blocks casually set in a pale tan that matched the pale tan in the Round 1 portion (the darker rectangular area). I love how the light background makes everything float, totally changing the look. Hard to believe this quilt started with this.

When that was done I put more strips around the horse blocks:

The picture shows my layout, but I stalled here. I need more strips, and I’m out of scraps. I pulled fabric from my stash but haven’t cut into it yet. Now I’ve taken the blocks off the design wall to make room for my latest project, which I will post about later because I haven’t taken any photos yet.

And I finally, after more years than I care to count, stitched a sleeve onto the back of this small wallhanging:

It started with a leftover block from the one quilt my grandmother made (actually, she only made the top). My mom removed the original flowers to use them to replace some worn-out ones on the full quilt. Then she gave me the block, which consisted of muslin square with four clusters of leaves. Some of the leaf tips hung off the edge of the square, and a few more were in the seam allowance.

So I carefully unstitched some of the applique, added a border, and stitched the leaves back down. Then a fellow quilter gave me the vintage GFG units. They are made from feedsacks, and too irregular to stitch together (maybe why they never made it into a quilt back when they were made), but perfect for applique.

I hand quilted it, but never did that last bit of attaching a sleeve. Until now. It proudly hangs on my office wall, cheering the place up.

The Free Motion Project’s quilt along is still stippling. Week 5’s lesson was stippling in a block. I chose this block from my orphan-block charity quilt, and stippled in the background of the block with variegated thread.

This quilt is now all quilted, so I will need to find another project to use for the next lessons. Week 6 is stippling in sashing, I’m thinking maybe that table runner I listed for the Finish-along will do for that one. But not until my new Juki gets here, which I bought to use for free-motion work. Any day now!