the last UFO of 2011

Though the officially assigned UFO for this month was my Garden Variety quilt, I finished that quite early this month...thanks to working ahead in other months.

With that completion, I'd finished 11 of 12 tasks for the 2011 UFO Challenge.  I was feeling pretty good about what I had finished, but still a bit guilty for not finishing that one last project.  I didn't want to get so close and not finish.

I've been putzing along, working a little here and a little there, but I think dreading the set-in seams kept me working at an even slower rate on this Lone Star-Whig Rose quilt.  But I've had the last few days off and decided it was time to dig in and finish the top.  I knew I could do it - the appliques were nearly done and the star was together before the challenge started - I just needed to DO it!

There are 4 squares and 4 triangles that get sewn into the star to make it square.  The squares have been done a while and the triangles were getting there. 

After about a whole season of Desperate Housewives (yay Netflix!), I got this far this afternoon and tried to call my mom to see what she was doing tomorrow.  (Maybe talk her into sewing these into the star?)  She didn't answer and I couldn't sit still knowing I was so close, so I took a chance on waking up the sleeping hubby and started sewing.

(After a quick google search on just how to sew these silly things in there!)

I got this far and Emma decided she was S-T-A-R-V-I-N-G.  She's fed canned food twice a day and has crunchies all the time, but when it gets near mealtime, you'd think she was dying.  I think each corner got worse and maybe it was because I had "help," but I think it was just beginner's luck.

We have a finish!

And it lays flat!

Guessing it measures about 50" square.  (= lazy)

Now what to do with it?

It was started to be a wedding/anniversary gift for my brother-in-law, but that marriage ended more than 7 years ago (yep, it's been a UFO for a while).  I've thought about giving it to my ex-sister-in-law because maybe she deserves it, but I'm not sure she'd want it.  I've also debated donating it for some sort of raffle fund-raiser, but many of us know how poorly those often do.  Any ideas?  (Yes, yes, I know you'd all be happy if I shipped it to your house...)

So let's review where I started in January:

8 projects needing finishing, divided into 12 months of tasks.  (Don't be fooled by the one in the upper right - it's a photo of the quilt from the pattern and was a kit I ordered in the process of making the 2011 blog post-list!)

And now we have:

8 finished tops! 
(Oops - I got the wrong photo in there of the Lone Star-Whig Rose, but you've seen the one above and know it's finished, right?!)

I'm pretty darn proud of myself for getting them all done, though a little surprised that none of them have been quilted and given away yet!

(One I do have plans for, but don't need it until July, so you know I'll be finishing it IN July!)

Now I'm truly ready for the 2012 challenge.

Bring it on, Judy!

In a day or two, I'm going to put together a few more collages to show what else I got done this year because though the list is shorter than it was for 2011, the projects are bigger!  And it's fun to see them all together.  Makes me feel super productive.

Happy quilting!

Katie