Tuesday, August 25, 2020

OMG! I Met My Goals for August, Early! What Should I Do With Myself?

 Oh my gosh, you guys -- this is a rare surprise.  There are still 7 whole days left in the month of August, and I just realized that I have finished all of the quilting goals I'd set for this month.  Finished them EARLY.  I know, right?!  Who IS this imposter, and what has she done with the REAL Rebecca Grace?!

And it's not like I was wimpy with those goals, either.  Let's recap:

August Quilting Goals:

  1. ✅ Finish cutting out the next four blocks for MMBB & move them off the cutting table.
  2. ✅ Trim excess batting and backing from Spirit Song quilt
  3. ✅ Make the binding for Spirit Song
  4. ✅ Digitize & machine embroider a label for Spirit Song; appliqué to back of quilt
  5. ✅ Machine stitch binding to the front of Spirit Song
  6. ✅ Hand stitch binding to the back of Spirit Song.  Launder & photograph.
  7. ✅ Decide what's getting quilted next and load it onto the long arm frame
  8. ✅ Piece one or more of those MMBB blocks that are printed up, cut out, and ready to sew
  9. ✅ Launch & promote Weekly Long Arm Linky party, beginning August 4th

My Spirit Song quilt, renamed Sermon Scribbles, is completely finished.  You can read more about that one here:


I finished all four of the blocks for my version of the Moda Modern Quilt Blocks that were printed up and ready to start at the beginning of the month.  Twelve blocks down, 36 more to go on that one.  To see more about that project, click here:


And my fourth Long Arm Learning link up published automatically an hour ago, just as scheduled.  If you're looking for today's LAL linky party, click here!  I've been learning so much from what other machine quilters are sharing in that space.


I also managed to finish all of the items on last week's To-Do list.

Last Week's To-Do List:

  • ✅ Piece backing for tumbler outreach top pictured above (next in line for quilting!)
  • ✅ Load tumbler quilt on frame
  • ✅ Select pantograph and thread
  • ✅ Quilt tumbler quilt
I'm not sure the pantograph I chose (Wild at Heart) was necessarily beginner friendly, but it was one that I owned, the scale was right, and it came out better than expected.  Win!  This quilt will be donated to a pediatric patient in one of our local hospitals, through the Charlotte Quilters Guild.



So, I find myself with a whole freebie week at the end of August, with everything crossed off my quilty To-Do lists early!  What should I do with it?  

I think my goal for this week should involve a project that I've been neglecting, something like this tumbler top that languished for over a year in my Purgatory closet...  This week, my goals are going to be about anti-procrastination.

This Week's Tuesday's To-Do List:

That's it, just the one thing.  It's enough.  It's just a 40" x 40" baby quilt, and all of the pieces are cut out, but I stalled out because I was unsure of how I wanted to construct them.  I'm still unsure, except that I know I want to actually piece them rather than doing an appliqué method.  So I need to get these out again and figure out where to start -- do I build out from the center circles, or do I start at the top and work my way down.  And I need to decide whether a 40" x 40" quilt is even big enough to be useful to a 2-year-old or if I should enlarge it somehow...  Ugh.  Dread.  See?  This was supposed to be a "quick and easy" baby gift two years ago.  I want it off my list of works in progress projects left abandoned!  One goal is enough for this week!

I'm linking up today's post with the end-of-August One Monthly Goal link up at Elm Street Quilts, and with To-Do on Tuesday at Home Sewn By Us.  

20 comments:

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

congratulations - it seems you must be concentrating on your list more or something you are getting things checked off one after another!

Ramona said...

Great job on completing all of your goals for August! I'm looking forward to seeing how you go about sewing your clam shell quilt together. This is a favorite of mine and I love your big shells. I have yet to make on myself, so will enjoy watching your progress. Happy last week of August!

Marly said...

Congratulations on some lovely finishes! Good luck with that baby quilt.

Sharon said...

Congratulations on your early finish! Whatever will you do with all of that extra time?

Danette said...

Love your quilt and congratulations on finishing it early! Your baby quilt does appear to be a lot of work, even though it is only 40 x 40. Although, I think that it is large enough for a toddler. I have many WIPs that have been languishing in my cedar chest. Sometimes it is tough to get them completed.

Cheree @ The Morning Latte said...

Holy wow, did you eat and sleep in your sewing room too? :oD. Great list of accomplishments and you've successfully tackled a pantograph! Way to go! Now that wasn't so scary, was it? August has a week left--plenty of time to finish that abandoned quilt! Good luck!

Roseanne said...

Hi Rebecca! HAHAHAHAHA - whatever will you do with yourself. Hmm. You could start a new project, you could go outside and skip around the neighborhood with joy . . . I'm certain you'll come up with something to do. Fourth link up already - Can't wait to check it out. And a tumbler quilt - someone else I follow just made one. You both make me wonder why I haven't followed suit?! Thanks so much for linking up today! ~smile~ Roseanne

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

You got a lot accomplished this month! Way to go! And sometimes having just one thing on the list for the coming week is the best idea, because then there's nothing else to get in your way of accomplishing it. Have a great week!

piecefulwendy said...

Well done, you!! I'm celebrating with you on your finished tasks. IMHO, I'd leave the baby quilt at 40 x 40 - two year olds love to carry things around with them and they don't sit still long, so I think a 40" quilt would be perfect, even when used to cuddle. So there ya go. My two cents. It's a cute pattern!

Plumdelice said...

Wow, what progress you've made! I'm so impressed and you Sermon Scribbles is fabulous. I'm enjoying reading the blogs on the linky parties, too.

Karen's Korner said...

How nice to see all those ticks. Well done and good luck with the next list.

Kathleen said...

Must feel so good. My OMG is killing me. I keep thinking this will be its last day on the design wall, but no.... Now my son and his buddy are visiting for a few days; nothing much will happen until Friday. But, I am determined to get this finished this month. Love knowing you accomplished what you wanted to!

Kathleen said...

Must feel so good. My OMG is killing me. I keep thinking this will be its last day on the design wall, but no.... Now my son and his buddy are visiting for a few days; nothing much will happen until Friday. But, I am determined to get this finished this month. Love knowing you accomplished what you wanted to!

Deb A said...

So focused on accomplishing goals this month. Great job and what a beautiful quilt.

MissPat said...

Well now I don't feel so bad. I have a baby quilt all pieced since February, waiting to be sandwiched and quilted. The baby (next door neighbor) is now 8 months old and I feel guilty every time I see him. It's been too hot in my house to spray baste the quilt and wrestle with it on my domestic Bernina. But rain and cooler temps are in the forecast, so maybe this weekend it will happen. Oh, and I think 40" by 40" is big enough for a 2 year old.
Pat

Vicki in MN said...

Well I am officially jealous as I am way behind with things for August!! Congrats on finishing early:)

TerryKnott.blogspot.com said...

How wonderful to have finished EARLY!! Although, it's been awhile since I remember that feeling!! You will get the process figured out for that abandoned project and you could always add a couple pieced borders to the top and bottom to make it a more toddler/preschooler size appropriate quilt. I hope to have enough quilting done next week to participate in your Linky party. . .I'm so slow quilting along on my domestic!

PaintedThread said...

Well, I love Sermon Scribbles. The quilting is fabulous - I'm sad washing it minimized your quilting efforts. Regardless - still think it's awesome.

Patty said...

Beautiful. Thanks for linking up with Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal and congrats on your finish!

Preeti said...

I love Spirit Song. No, scratch that - I am in love with Spirit Song. I love everything about this spectacular and beautiful quilt. You may change the name to anything you want but I will always fantasize about being lovingly entwined in the joy and hope that is the Spirit Song!!!