Just this once I am going to be Done. on. Time! Ha! Just to find out what it feels like!
Welcome to My One Monthly Goal with Elm Street Quilts
Well, there is really only one thing to say about late November/early December if you have school age kids in Australia!!! But I suggest you plug your ears first! Here it comes…….. “Aaaaaggggghhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!”
Thankfully, I believe the worst of the concerts and end of year break-up parties and special excursions and graduations and farewells and etc. etc are done with, and the end is in sight. School is out for the summer in a week’s time….. which will bring it’s own joys and challenges, but also hopefully, more sewing time. I really, really hope more sewing time. Because there are several projects I want/need to get on top of. Which leads me to…..
My One Monthly Goal for December
On the top of my list to finish for December is my Vanuatu Turtle Quilt. Here’s where we were at on the 24th of November.
And this is where I need to get to by New Year. A completely finished version of this…..
Some background info in case you are new here….
This quilt is my project for the Splash of Color QAL at Busy Hands Quilts. A quilt along that encouraged everyone to choose their own project, as long as it fit the theme of black and white, with colour highlights. Then it was up to us to keep up with a set of deadlines for quilt construction milestones.
Currently the milestone on the table is to have a finished quilt top (flimsy). The whole way along I have been running down to the wire to get each milestone done before Myra’s linky closes. And of course, my current status is no different….. the opportunity to link up a finished quilt top will expire on Monday.
But I am getting there….. yesterday I added the first layer of the turtle appliqué. I was going to sew the appliqué down today but I like to machine appliqué with the batting under it. And the batting I rinsed out last night is not dry this morning…. of course after a record-hot Spring we had showers early this morning………
Anyway, I should be able to get the aqua appliqué layer sewn down tomorrow, and then once the red pieces are ironed on I am calling this flimsy done.
So that just leaves the finish line…… a completed quilt. The linky for finished quilts opens on the 2nd of Jan 2018. Technically I have until until the 15th Jan to be linked up. But, I hereby declare that I intend to have my quilt done by the 31st of December, thereby being ready BEFORE the last linky opens, rather than throwing my URL under the descending roller door of a rapidly expiring linkup, again! Can I do it? With OMG at my back, anything is possible! 🙂
Why such enthusiasm to get the Vanuatu Turtle Quilt done?!
Good question! Well, I need to put this quilt to bed (so to speak) so I can get on with some new exciting projects for 2018. Otherwise I fear it will end up on my UFO pile.
There are two things that I am currently planning for Clever Chameleon next year that are making me really happy just thinking about them. Both are BOM style projects that will be available for you to follow along with if you wish or to go back to over time. I hope at least one might appeal to you.
Exciting Project 1
The first project is a joint BOM quilt with Joy of “Days Filled with Joy”. We are going to be doing a skill-builder quilt. One that focusses heavily on techniques that you can use to texturise or embellish a quilt. We are still finalising the details, but I can tell you it will be a house block quilt and will start a little way into 2018 after all the New Year dust has settled. This one will be very informal and lots of fun. I’ll keep you posted as we get closer to launching.
Exciting Project 2
I am thrilled about my second big project for 2018 because it will complement my weekly colour board posts very nicely! It is the brainchild of Jen from Patterns by Jen, and involves a monthly Color challenge. This one kicks off on the 1st of January 2018, so not long to go now!
Jen is doing a colour challenge BOM quilt project, with free patterns and instructions available to you from her website. She has asked for a small group of quilt bloggers to support her by either making her blocks or something else in her colour of the month. I have opted for the second option and will be doing a Beary Colourful quilt. Twelve appliqué bears in Jen’s 12 colour challenge themes. Oh happy day! This one is making me wriggle with anticipation already!
I will be giving away the instructions for each bear each month on the same schedule as Jen. My aim is to get some of those scraps moving from my sewing room…… want to join in?! I’ll keep you posted on this project as it develops too.
And of course, linking up to One Monthly Goal at Elm Street Quilts! There are a lot of goals linked up this month! Go check it out!
Wishing you all a fabulous December!
P.S. Also linking to Confessions of a Quilt Addict, Crazy Mom Quilts
Wow. That is going to be an awesome quilt. Thanks for linking up with Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal and good luck with your project. I’ll be following along on your color challenges each month – sounds like fun!
Hi Patty, I’ll look forward to your company on the colour challenges. 🙂 Hoping it will be a blast! And a scrap buster too.
Oh, wow – I can’t imagine having both the holiday hooplah and the end-of-year push combined in one season! For us in the U.S., that’s two separate issues with a half-year between them pretty much. Yeah, that must be crazy! I’d be therapy-screaming, too. 🙂 LOVE the turtle start! And I’m quite interested in the skill-builder that’s emphasizing embellishing. Looking forward to seeing it.
Hi Lynette, Having lived in Europe last Christmas I have finally realised just how crazy we Aussies are for cramming everything into a few weeks like this. And then winter is grey and dull and we could do with a celebration or two, but there is nothing. I do hope you will join us for the skilll builder – we are going to explore some techniques that are hopefully less familiar to people as well as some oldies but goodies. It should be fun. 🙂
I absolutely love your Splash of Color quilt. Of course you can meet the deadline — go, go go! The plans for 2018 sound great!
Thanks Sandy. You made me smile… that’s a nice gift for a weary evening.