More to do in 2012

Sorry this is text heavy.  There are pictures at the end.

In 2011, I actually managed to finish some UFOs that were languishing in my sewing closet for years.  This was due in no small part to the UFO Challenge held on the off shoot of my favorite online quilting group.  CQ-4-CBee is a subgroup of Cyber Quilters set up for special projects and challenges.  I only finished 3 of the 9 quilts I posted in the beginning of the challenge.  I also gave away one of the tops I listed and took apart a top that wasn't working the way I planned.  That left me with 4 of the listed UFOs on my challenge list.  I also participated in the 100 Quilts for Kids Challenge and the Hands 2 Help Challenge.

I've learned that having a goal with an end date really kept me focused and I was able to bust lots of stash and finish a few more UFOs.  For 2012, in addition to the 3 challenges I posted about yesterday, I have joined a few more to keep me on target.  Although most of these Quilt-Alongs and Challenges have end dates, there is no pressure involved.  If I am unable or unwilling to continue, it is not a problem for me or other participants.

I plan on participating in 3 monthly challenges:

The 2012 NewFO Challenge at Cat Patches  invites participants to start 1 new project per month.  The term NewFO was  coined in response to the UFOs all of us claim to be working on.  It encourages everyone to start something new without feeling guilty about finishing.  I definitely like that.

The Monthly Make It Group 2012 hosted by the Felt Fairy  is committed to making at least 1 new item every month.  The item does not have to be quilty to participate.

In addition to these challenges, I also plan on an additional scrap challenge.  The Scrap Attack  over at Stitched in Color encourages quilters to finish a quilt made mostly from scraps by the end of March.

I will also be trying to complete One Crazy Quilt Block per month.  The finished block will be at least 6 inches.

The last challenge I plan on taking part in is the Building Houses from Scraps project.  This group is making one tiny house from scraps each day.  At the end of the year, each quilter should have 365 tiny house blocks plus a larger house block for the center of the finished quilt.  I absolutely love this idea, but have not completed a block yet.  The blocks finish at 3 inches and I am really struggling with the size.  I cannot keep the seams straight and the blocks will not lie flat.   I will either have to enlarge the block or expend my energies elsewhere.  I am pretty much resigned to the fact that tiny is not my thing.

When I first read through the list of  groups I have signed up with, I felt it might be overwhelming.  After examining my goals for next year, I realized that  challenges are a good fit with my goals and that many of them overlap.  For me, that is an excellent reinforcement.

I worked on a new Disappearing 9 Patch quilt yesterday made from 5 inch floral charms that have been sitting in my closet for years.  The floral charms as well as the tone on tone solids were cut from scraps.     This quilt is designated for the local women's shelter.

The buttons for all of these groups (with the exception of the Crazy Quilt Blocks which is no longer accepting members) are on the sidebar.