WIP Wednesday #25 -- Working on my UFO's

Last week, I really took a look at all my UFOs piling up. So many had been abandoned! I set a goal to work on three that week. I'm proud to say I did keep my goal.  Even if I didn't finish three UFOs, I did work on three UFO's.

• First, I finished piecing my Honey Honey quilt. Yay!  (Check that one off my UFO list!)

• Second, I worked on my Fractured Flower Quilt.  

I didn't get very far. I'm mad at it again. Honestly, I'm debating on putting it in "Time Out" again. Then I argue with myself "but I'm so close!"  All that truly remains is sewing my rows together and adding a border. Then it will be ready to quilt.

The reason this has been just sitting around for months is because it's not perfect. This is very hard for the mathematician in me. The math is correct, but my execution of it wasn't. Ugh! I know where I went wrong, and am kicking myself for the mistake. But oh well! Can only move forward. 

Here, you can see I've sewed row 1 (a corner piece) onto row 2:

Fractured Flower Quilt

I have to unpick this because I just CANNOT live with something like this. It will bug me to no end, making it so I never want to see this quilt and embarrassed for anyone to see it. 

Fractured Flower Quilt

But, I am working on it.

• Third, I've prepped a LOT of fabric for my Old Italian Block. (Yes, I know I originally planned on working on a different UFO, but I needed something fun to work on.)

Right now I have 166 fabric squares cut. 

Old Italian Quilt

And more fabric I've purchased at local quilt shops as well as an order from Hancock's of Paducah. 

 

I'm keeping to a schedule. 

Linked up to Freshly Pieced here.

Language Lessons

Conversation on the way home from Kindergarten this afternoon after taking MK's friend home:

MK: Bye! Bonjour!
Me: Bonjour?
MK: Doesn't "bonjour" mean "bye?"
Me: No. "bonjour" means "hello."
MK: How do you say "goodbye" in French?
Me: "Au revoir."
MK: "Au revoir."
Me: Very good.
MK: Do you know any words in Tokyo Spanish?
Me: Um. No. In Tokyo, they speak Japanese.
MK: Oh.

(Any other Better Off Dead fans out there?)

WIP Wednesday #24 - Update on WIP Goals

On my last post, I set myself some goals this week about my ever growing UFOs in my WIP. I set a goal to work on three projects this week, attacking the problems head on. 

I've worked on my Honey Honey project. The top is all done. Hurray!

Honey Honey quilt

This pattern can be found here.

I'm still working through my list for this week and will report back next week on how it went. 

Linked up with Freshly Pieced here.

Attacking the UFOs!

I have so many UFOs! Lots of UnFinished Objects!

(This picture is so apropos, don't you think?)

I've started to feel weighted down by my ever grown WIP pile. So many of these projects I get very close to the finish line...and then they just sit there. Right now, I'm looking at my sewing table.  My Fractured Flower quilt is just sitting there right next to my Honey Honey quilt. The only thing I have left to do on both of them is to sew my rows together. Easy peasy, yet it sits there. Underneath both of these are stacks of paper waiting to be prepped for my Old Italian quilt. And don't get me started on everything else.

Instead of just finishing something I've already started, I'm eyeing new projects. (Curse you Pinterest!)

I've had to restrain myself from starting this project I found here (thanks to Pinterest. Just kidding about that 'curse you' back there.)  

 

I tracked down a copy of the Feb 2013 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting for this pattern. 

Should I really be starting a new project?

But this new one looks so exciting, new, and fun.

I found this short and to-the-point blog post entitled "How Do You Beat the UFO Blues." Basically, she says we need to know the why before we can work on the how. 

So, I took some time to examine WHY each one of my half-finished projects are being left unfinished.  Each one has been abandoned for one reason or another. I've made a goal this week to work on 3 WIPs this week, which means tackling the problems head on. 

Project: Honey Honey

Reason UFO: Tension issues. The thread is showing through. I need to either unpick it and stitch again or just stitch it over again.

Project: Fractured Flower

Reason UFO: It's just not perfect! I know, I shouldn't lament this as nothing is perfect. I just have such a hard time when I know mathematically this should work and it doesn't. I just need to push through this and finish it.

Project: Big Block Baby Quilt

Reason UFO: First, I needed a walking foot. I ordered it online, and it is here now. I want to stitch in the ditch before doing some free motion quilting. Second, I needed to practice my FMQ. 

Real Salt Lake Game

Where have I been? Busy. 

One of the fun things I've been able to do lately is go to another Real Salt Lake game with the entire family. We were lucky to score tickets to the semifinal game between Real Salt Lake and LA Galaxy. What a crazy game! It went into overtime where RSL sealed their win. Amazing game play.

The whole family after the RSL Game

At the start of the game, MK needed help from R to hold up her scarf to welcome RSL out onto the field. 

C is just cheesing it up for the camera.

Cheering on the RSL Team

During halftime, MK snuggled up to R. He's got a scratchy beard while he takes part of Movember and is rubbing her cheek with his whiskers. I love the look on her face! And, little stinker she was, she wouldn't keep her hat, gloves, or scarf on even though it was so cold and windy.

 

C had stayed home sick from school that morning. I wasn't sure if we were going to take him, but he was doing SO much better even if he didn't have a ton of energy. 

 C cheering on RSL

S and me bundled up against the cold cheering on RSL

When I told S we'd be going to watch the RSL game he told me "one day I want to be a real soccer player." 

 Me, C, S, MK during half time

Me and R. I'm not used seeing him without facial hair!

Me and hubby 

We love going to the games. So much fun. We'll be going to a lot next season as well--We got season tickets for the next season.