Needlework Tuesday - New Project vs Completeing a UFO

Needlework Tuesday is a regular weekly post where I share my last week's various needlework projects.  By sharing, I find that I get a lot more accomplished as I want to have something to share with you in each post.  You are invited to add a comment with a link to your recent needlework post.  This way we can encourage each other in our stitching.

On the weekend, I was able to deliver the twins to their new home.  My little nieces were quite taken with them and had them cuddled in bed along side them that evening.  the two are cuddled in their travelling gift bags, couldn't put them all the way in as they wouldn't be able to see where they were going. Pattern is from Bernat, Baby Jacquard Florals, free membership required to access pattern.

Two more tea wallets.  Daughter thought it was funny to use coffee themed fabric for a tea wallet.

Actually, the one on the bottom is a tea wallet, and I changed the upper one to hold those long coffee sachets.  Use a 7 x 7 inch square on the inside and sew 4 sections.

More coffee themed fabrics.  This time I am making a lunch bag.  I saw one made up on Regina's website, and thought it would be fun to sew.  I followed the link to Pink Penguin for the in depth tutorial.  The instructions are quite good, though they miss telling you to sew the boxed corners before cutting. I was able to complete the bag in a couple of hours (lots of interruptions) and no hand sewing was involved.

One side with conversation print coffee labels

Other side with little coffee pots.



Looking down inside, you can see the draw string lining, will keep anything from falling out.

 

As you have probably noticed, I find it easy to start new projects.  I generally find it hard to stick with them to completion.  I have boxes of UFOs (unfinished objects) hiding around the house.   This year I am working real hard to keep any further ones from joining that status.  So far so good. 

 

 I did start these mitts for my sister.  I have been working on them every day.  I have one more row for the second colour in the pattern.  I think they are turning out very well.  I am stitching both mitts at the same time using the magic loop method.  To keep them straight, I have pinned a note on the ribbing of each mitt that tells me which mitt and which side I am looking at.  It really has helped.  To the left of each mitt is the thumb gusset.  i have a few more rows to go before I set those stitches aside and continue just with the body of the mitt.  I'll get back to  the thumbs later.  It's not as bad working with this thin wool and 2.5 mm needles as I thought. 

 

I have two other UFOs that are bothering me.  Not that I don't want to work on them, but that I haven't managed to get working on them.  I am telling you about them here, so that if I don't show you progress, you will ask me about them and nudge me along.

 

The Bird Quilt

I am completing this top at a  request from a friend.  She bought the BOM for her mother back  1999.  Her mother worked on the paper pieced blocks as much as she could until she was stopped by her Parkinsons. My friend had asked me years ago if I would finish it.  Of course.  She wanted it done while her mother could still enjoy it.  Unfortunately, my friend passed away before she could give me the pieces.  Two years ago I met with her mother and she gave me the completed blocks and other bits and patterns.  I quickly finished the blocks and started on the sashings, and then It languished.  I found it hard to work on as it made me remember my friend and all the wonderful times we had together. 

 

The Scribbling Women Quilt

In April 2011, I read and reviewed the book Scribbling Women by Marthe Jocelyn.  This book cried out to me that it needed a quilt made to accompany it.  I started on it right away. It got pushed aside for some reason.  Then my nephew passed away and again it was pushed aside.  Weeks later my father became very ill and very little quilting was attempted.  Them my father passed away and even less stitching.  That brings me to today.  Much more stitching is happening and I am determined that after the Bird Quilt top is completed, this will be next on the wall.

 

Now that I have admitted these two UFOs to my readers, I'll need to keep at them and see them through to completion,and yes, you're allow and encouraged to remind me of this.

 

Even with these two on my plate, I did come across another project I want to start: The Temperature Scarf.  I immediately thought of Marie from Daisy's Book Journal and sent her and email.  Since she was already planning to write about it, I thought I would link to her post.  This is on my list and I'll get it started as soon as I find yarns.  I only need to knit two rows a day, so not a big imposition on my time.

 

And so it goes.  Finish one project, start another, pull out a UFO  and work on it.  As long as I am finishing and my net count of projects on the go gets smaller by the end of the year, I'll be happy.

 

Do you have a project that you need encouragement on? Leave a comment/link and tell me about it, then I'll encourage you while I am working along on my UFOs.

 

Sarah, over at Lit and Laundry, has a snow theme happening in her projects this week.  Lucky for her that they don't involve any shovelling.

 

ps. the contest in last week's Needlework Tuesday post is still open for entries.  Four quilt patterns from Babs 'n' Jas are available to be won.