May 2016 Progress & News

May has been a funny month, I feel like I haven't achieved but as I'm typing this progress report I'm really surprised by how much I have actually done, I'm in conversations regarding Christmas in July Blog Hops and, as my daughter Flicky is home from Uni for the Summer, I've done numerous clothing repairs for her.  My biggest progress was in finally starting a twice-monthly newsletter - more of that in a bit.

Here is a rundown of what I have worked on in April and you can click any image to go through to the post and read more:

I finally shared with you details of the FPP Seahorse pattern I tested for Juliet @Tartankiwi

I finished my Exploring London series blog posts, took you on a whistlestop trip Exploring Austin and started a new series Exploring Japan, with info and pics from my trip there last October.  You can find all my Exploring posts here on these two blog pages.

I took part in the Benartex Bali Blog Hop creating a new block quilt pattern called Kukulcan - click images below for my tutorial.

I made a test sample of my current project for Benartex and modified it to make the final project and wrote up the pattern for the next issue of Modern By The Yard.  I can't share the projects with you until the magazine is released but I can show you the fabric I'm using for the magazine version.  Full fabric details are in my current newsletter (early June 2016 1:2)

As mentioned last month, much of my travelling time has been taken doing Sashiko and I was excited to share my progress with you throughout this month.  I was also able to use my relatively new skills again to repair jeans for me and for Flicky this month too.

Another repair I shared was to Flicky's tweed coat.  

I've also altered a duvet  set for Flicky's bed bringing the size down from a King-size to a Queen and resizing the sleeves and bodice on a satin dress though I haven't shared my process for these last two.

 

There's news from the NYC Metro MOD Quilt Guild.

Firstly, I'm the new Vice President of the guild and very much looking forward to working with the other officers and guild members over the next two years and secondly I've joined the guild's new Improv: Beyond The Bee.  I've already finished my first three blocks for May's Queen Bee, Jenny and shared them along with my process and thoughts here:

I gave a binding demo at the May guild meeting and I will be writing up a tute to share on the blog but haven't got around to it yet.  I also made three signature blocks for NYC Metro MOD Quilt Guild officers who are stepping down.

 

For me, the biggest news of the month has been the creation of my newsletter.  I wrote this post explaining how it'll work and there are currently two newsletters available - you can click through to both of them here (1:1) and here (1:2).  If you'd like to subscribe to have future newsletters email directly to you, you can do so here - and, I'd love it if you'd let your friends know too :D

I finally shared an Art Quilt that I started last July at Quilting By The Lake so at least there's been one piece of quilting for you to peruse this month!

For June, I'm currently taking part in a social media experiment called 36 Shares in 30 Days - each day throughout June I'm sharing posts from 12 other bloggers and they're sharing mine too and we're noting the impact this has on traffic to each of our social media sites.  I'm using my Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest accounts to share the posts so if you'd like to take a look at the tutes and other great info shared you can click through to each below.

  

This coming weekend Flicky and I are off to the NYC Metro MOD Quilt Guild's summer retreat at Ladore in Waymart, Pennsylvania and I'm wondering if I'll be able to cross a couple of quilts off my UFO/WIP list by the time I get home on Sunday?  Wishful thinking?  I'll let you know next month!

Time to take a look how my UFO/WIP List looked at the end of April;

and let's compare it with the end of May - those last 5 columns on the right are all finished work:

Completed - May / April / March / February / January

Can't get over how much I'm achieving though I'd like to move more of the WIP/UFOs to the completed side rather than adding newly completed projects.  I'm using the web app Trello, a digital notebook, you can read more about it here in my January Progress Report.

and here's my updated UFO/WIP list at end May 2016 

I'll carry on including the list in this format too so you can click through to the blog posts and read more but I'll also include my Trello boards because these are such a great visual of my progress.

Quilts

Bear's Paw quilt - NYC Metro MOD Quilt Guild Bee Quilt - started December 2012
Transparency quilt - started 2012
5 baby quilts - started 2012

Skillbuilder quilt - started January 2013

Giant HST quilt - NYC Metro MOD Quilt Guild Bee Quilt - started December 2014

Shirt quilt - started 2014

Cloud 9 circles quilt - started January 2015

Aviatrix quilt - started 2015

Batik animal quilt - started 2012-2015

Improv curves quilt - started 2015

Sliced jelly roll quilt - started 2015
8 Snugglies - started 2015
8 Point Star Quilt - started March 2015
Sashiko/Kantha quilt - started July 2015
Kukulcan quilt - started May 2015

Completed:

Jelly roll quilt -  started December 2015/finished January 2016
Quilting By The Lake quilt - started July 2015/finished January 2016
Sliced improv block quilt - NYC Metro MOD Quilt Guild Bee Quilt - started November 2013/finished January 2016
4 Snugglies - started 2015/finished February 2016
4 Snugglies - started 2015/finished March 2016

Quilt Blocks & Pattern Testing
Completed:
Timeless Treasures NYC Metro MOD Quilt Guild challenge - started/finished February 2016
Seahorse FPP testing for Tartankiwi - started February 2016/finished March 2016
NYC Metro MOD QG Improv: Beyond The Bee blocks for Jenny - started/finished May 2016
3 Guild Officer signature blocks - started/finished May 2016

Hand Sewing

Cross stitch - lilies - started 2003
Coffin hexies - started January 2013
Hexie hexies - started 2014

Completed:
Hand quilted quilt - started September 2013/finished January 2016

Clothing

Flicky's dress - started 2012

Flicky's skirt - started 2014

Boxer shorts - started January 2015

Completed:
Boxer shorts - started January 2015/finished January 2016
Flicky's PJ bottoms - started January 2016
Flicky's PJ bottoms - started February 2016
2 Liberty Aprons - started February 2016

Textile Crafts

Pirate dolls - started 1998
Flicky's book cover - started 2010
Jelly Roll block cushion - started 2013

Xmas cushion - started 2013
Flapped tissue case - started 2013
Snail block - started 2013

Fabric game - started 2014
Fabric book - started 2014

Create fabric covers for 2 canisters - started 2015

Tula Pink storage containers - started December 2015
Name Badge - started February 2016

Completed:
Mini butterfly cushion - started December 2012/finished January 2016
Pincushion Organiser/Thread Catcher - started February 2016
1 Slouchy Bag - started March 2016
13 Pixie Baskets - started/finished March 2016
Modern By The Yard Issue 1:2 sample test project - started/finished May 2016
Modern By The Yard Issue 1:2 Project - started/finished May 2016

Textile Art

Quilting By The Lake - Series 1 - started July 2015

Quilting By the Lake - Series 2 - started July 2015

Repairs

Replace worn blocks on Simon's quilt - started November 2015

Restuff and mend teddy - started 2015

Repair various clothes for family - started 2015

Completed:

Replace buttons on Button quilt - started November 2015/finished February 2016
Repair handles on felted bag - started April 2012/finished February 2016
Repaired quilting lines on Yuma quilt - started/finished March 2016
Flicky's and Chris' jeans repair - started/finished May 2016
Flicky's tweed coat repair - started/finished May 2016
Flicky's satin dress sleeve refit - started/finished May 2016
resizing Flicky's king size duvet set to a queen size - started/finished May 2016

To keep track of all related blog posts in one place I've created a page you can click through to and see this post and each of my monthly update reports; you can click through to it here.

Have you sworn to clear your UFOs/WIP this year?  How are you going about it?  Let me know if you start using the Trello app too.
Do share your ideas and progress, you might just inspire someone to do the same :D

Clicking on an image will take you to a new page of crafty goodness :)

 

Disclaimer: 

This post is for informational purposes only, no payment or commission is received on click-throughs to links shared.

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Linky Parties This post may be linked to some great Linky Parties, always a great source of inspiration too.  If you click through to my 'Fave Linky Parties'  page you can see where I like to share my work.