Finished Feels So GOOD!!

First of all, thank you for your votes/encouragement to finish up some of these UFO's. The feathered stars got two "votes," the 12 Days of Christmas also got two. The Scotland blocks are also "in the running." (Actually, of those three projects, the Scotland blocks are the most likely to be finished during the next 12 months.)

Finished feels good, doncha know?!!

I am finished with my last quilt-for-hire of 2008. YIPPEE!! DeAnn asked if I was going to post it on the blog. "Do you want me to?" "Oh yes! Absolutely!!"

So, for DeAnn, and the rest of you, here is her quilt:

quilt by DeAnn Farris, 2008

You can't really see the quilting from afar, so here it is, up close and personal...


It is quilted in both blue and yellow thread. The back looks pretty good too, if I do say so myself...


But even better than looking at the quilt, is looking at this...


Be still my heart!

Going through all of my UFO's has really got my motor revving. I'm raring to go! But Christmas is coming, what am I going to do? Aha!!!

I took a LOT of pictures yesterday, from my Box of Possibilities.

Some might call it a box of discards or orphan blocks, but I see it differently. I have a hard time throwing ANYTHING away, because you never know when you just might need it...

Take for example, the making of this quilt: (the picture was taken before I blocked it. yikes.)

"WE HAVE SEEN HIS STAR"
Wise Men Still Seek Him
Suzanne Kistler 2003

"WE HAVE SEEN HIS STAR"

Wise Men Still Seek Him
close-up
Suzanne Kistler 2003

I made this star a LONG time ago, when Jan was working on her Lone Star book. I only made the star part, and it didn't seem finished. I wanted to add light coming down to the world, but had no idea of how to do that. zip. zero. nada. I put the star aside, until Jan was working on her Diamond Quilt book. I suddenly had the answer...I could do diamonds!!

I started cutting and sewing (my usual method of quiltmaking). Draft a pattern? But why? Well, here's why:


This was my first attempt. Rather than look like light filtering down from a star, it looked like a rocket taking off. The light was headed in the wrong direction.

I abandoned this one, and the second attempt was successful. It was incorporated into the finished quilt, and you've already seen the picture. The final quilt was a success, and Jan included it in her book. Quilter's Newsletter also liked it, and in 2005, it was selected as their "Christmas Memory Pattern." I'm not sure if they still have it available, but they might. I couldn't find a link to the pattern, but you can see what's on the cover of that particular issue and find the info to track it down...

Anyway, back to the wayward rocket light. Of course I couldn't throw away all of that piecework, not a chance. I might need it sometime, you know?

And I'm thinking that I know just what I'm going to do with it today. Perhaps I'll post pictures tomorrow. And on that, I'm off to "create."

oh wait.

Pat expressed her disappointment at not "winning" the quilted Christmas card. Should we try it again? Leave a comment on this post, and I'll draw a name for another card on Tuesday 12/9. I do get up early, so you probably want to comment by Monday if you want in on the action... ;) Oh, and Jan? Sorry, you can't win twice, but you can still comment... ;)

Good luck!!!