UFO Busting Tip #11

I am really getting excited about the classes we will be taking from Pat March 10th & 11th.  The Saturday class is her
"Wild and Free" - create quilts with personality  

The class is a 6 hour class.  Pat's description of the class is:
Learn Pat's tricks to "punch up" your applique quilt backgrounds. No more neutral tan or beige backings.  Bring on the Color and the pattern to make your quilts sing! Pat's classic and popular "Mama's Garden" is the project quilt.  Then we will spend the day making the most spectacular background for your applique.
Sounds like a wonderful class to me.  I really am looking for the inspiration to break out of having the same background for every applique section.  This should really help me break an old habit.

The second class  which is also 6 hours will be on Sunday afternoon.
"The Magic of EASY Machine Appliqué" - draw, cut, machine stitch, so easy anyone can do it!

Pat's description of the class is:

Fast, Fun and you learn ALL of Pat's tips for making soft fusible appliqué! In class you will create a sample to test  your stitching. She walks you through each step of the appliqué process, from cutting to getting a great size blanket stitch on your machine.  For your project select "Little Blue Bird" or your "Wild and Free" project (if your group is having both workshops).
I am looking forward to learning Pat's applique technique.  You can go to Pat's website and learn about all of the workshops she offers.  Maybe you can get her to some to your guild soon.  www.patsloan.com

Now back to the UFO busting tips we've learned from Pat. 
UFO busting tip #11-Take What You've Got And Go

We all have them.

• That set of blocks that never got increased enough for a quilt.
• A single block or two from a workshop
• a set of swap blocks that came 'out' of the swap due to color (or something OTHER reason)
• or a group of blocks that you decided you just didn't like the fabric choices enough to move on.

You may even have a set of Dear Janes, or maybe just FOUR Baltimore Album blocks instead of 16, or how about that BOM project that you lost enthusiasum over?

There are plenty of opportunities for these blocks!
Option 1

Turn those small bits into other projects by looking at them with a critical eye.

• Can you take the set of blocks and make a small wallhanging? Give it as a gift or use as a table topper?
• How about taking blocks and making them into tote bags, or pillows?
• Several blocks set side by side make awesome table runners!
• Turn the blocks on point and make a LARGER quilt with fewer blocks... set with alternating fabric squares and magically an even Bigger quilt appears!
• How about placemats, coasters, hot pads? 

Lots of these project can be converted and called D-O-N-E and even GIFTED! Gotta love it!

If you love the blocks but don't really feel like doing the rest.. DON'T!!  Permission granted. ...

((I Shelia like to interject here that there really are no Quilt Police......you can do whatever you want to do with what you have in your quilt kingdom.  You are the Queen of your quilt castle!  So if you decide to make a pillow out of an orphan applique or pieced block it is perfectly legal....there will be no quilt police to arrest you.) 

This is a set of my blocks and bits from 2 round robins, a gift and another random bit.

I may still set them together..or I might take parts and give them homes as other smaller projects!

Option 2
Now hang in here with me.. this is really quite an awesome option! Take a group of our blocks and challenge yourself to set them in a sampler.

Really.. this can be SO FUN! Here is what you do

• Find fabric that ties the blocks all together color wise.
• Put them up on your design wall
• Now lay them out in a pleasing manner in rows or columns (or more complicated settings but this works great)
• If some blocks are too small do a sashing all around them.. get the rows or columns so the blocks are the same width or height to be sewn side by side
• Pick a sashing size (or not!)
• Sew the rows or columns
• Border it and there you go.. a 'free' quilt of blocks you have already done

This antique quilt was done in this manner (I like to think!). It is one of my 'true' treasures.. I love what the maker did! She used random blocks... and then controlled the color. Mostly blue, gray and cream. But she has some red blocks, some lavender & Pink fabrics... along with a bit of brown.

A lot of my friends are good at putting blocks into columns and make wonderful quilts.  This is a technique that I need to perfect and get somemore projects done.  This will definately be one of the techniques I will use as I progress past the first six projects I have slated to complete.

Look at that triangle. I bet she was learning how to do this and had this one block

what do you think? 

Oh... see that tan triangle over the black/white ticking?

It's appliqued!

*** So what can YOU do with is tip??? ***

Take a look at your UFOs in progress. 
See if you can find some blocks to either re-purpose or to use in a 'sampler'

So Pat has given us some wonderful ideas here to help finish our stash of UFO's, just one more of her tips to go............Hope you are working along with us in getting your projects completed.

I'm off to work and then the dentist today (YUCK!).

Happy Quilting,

Shelia