2014 NewFOs Challenge - January

Just over two weeks ago, I started to notice this cute badge on some of the blogs that I was visiting.  This was about the same that I was clicking my way through blogland and visit the blogs that were participating in Vicki’s (Two Bags Full) 2014 Grow Your Blog Party.  I still have barely made it through a quarter of the blogs but this badge kept calling my name.  So this morning I finally clicked on it and found myself on Barbara’s blog, Cat Patches.  I am so glad that I made that one final click to the 2014 NewFO Challenge.

As a new quilter, I have been able to keep up with the quilts that I start.  In some respects this is a good thing.  The only problem is that leaves me out in the cold if I want to join any of the quilting UFO challenges that you can find around blogland.  To have UFOs you must start NewFOs plus this challenge is a great excuse to buy more stash.  What quilter doesn’t like to add to their stash. 

So for the month of January I have 2 NewFOs. 

1.      Merry Mayhams New Year’s Day Mystery Quilt 

Last year my friend introduced me to mystery quilts on New Year’s Day. As January approached, she asked me if I was going to participate again.  I couldn’t make up my mind until the last minute.  The worst thing about that was I didn’t do the prep work so I spent my allotted time on New Year’s Day making half square triangles.  At the end of January, I have 6 complete and 8 more are in the final stages out of the 64 blocks that I need to complete the quilt top. 

 

 

For more information about the mystery quilt, visit Merry Mayhem's Mystery Quilt Facebook page by clicking here 

2.      Eddie Walker’s Pickledish (Gameboard) Quilt
 

This workshop was offered through my local quilting guild.  Our instructor and pattern designer, Eddie Walker is a local quilter who is taking older patterns and making them modern with new methods.  This quilt typically was hand pieced or paper pieced to get the proper curve.  Eddie promised an easier way that we wouldn’t be pulling our hair out.  Would you believe that piecing those little wedges is quite easy using Eddie's method?  It did help that I have a great little machine, Baby Lock Audrey now the Amelia, that can stitch an accurate 1/4" seam.  Right now I am stumped on the way it is beginning constructed.  I don’t think that I like the two color combination on the arches.  So I need to sit down and sew together a “scrappy” block and see if that is what the problem is.  If not I will continue on with my two color arch combinations.

 

 

Well, that is a pretty good start for January.  Now to figure out some fun things for February with my guild’s quilt show registration closing on the 21^st, you will probably find my guild challenge on here and anything else I think I can finish by the time of the quilt show at the end of March. 

You can find myself and the other quilters who are participating in this challenge at January NewFO Challenge.  Enjoy!

If you are interested in checking out my local quilt guild here is our website, Tri City Quilters’ Guild, and our webmistress would be thrilled to see some more “likes” on our Facebook page, TC Quilters. 

~ Happy Quilting ~