Making Progress

I know that it is common for people to come up with a Word of the Year. They do this as a way to stay motivated or on task throughout the year; and for many people, it works. You can even take a quiz to help you come up with the word that may be "your" word. I've never done that, but I had to pick a word for the day (yesterday, actually), I'd have to pick two - Attitude and Ambition

After posting yesterday about my stack of units to trim, I decided that I don't HAVE to trim all those flying geese and HST. Nope! Instead, I GET to trim them so I can make quilts for two very special people. 

Attitude! It's all about attitude.  

So I changed my rotary cutter blade and I got busy trimming. 

All 144 flying geese units are trimmed and put away. Yay! Now I get to work on other projects until the next clue is released. 

Yesterday, I said that I am not totally convinced that I chose the right fabrics for the blue/navy and red/dark red combinations, but after these flying geese were pressed and trimmed, I'm thinking that they aren't so bad. 

Yep! I do like how these flying geese units trim up so nicely. This no waste/four at a time method is easy, efficient and accurate. Here's a sampling of the two different sizes we've made for the mystery. 

I was feeling a bit AMBITIOUS, so after returning home from taking my husband to physical therapy, I decided to tackle trimming the HST I need to make for two other projects. Not only did they get trimmed, but the pinwheel blocks got sewn too. I need to press these, but I'm very happy!

If the picture above doesn't show that I was productive, maybe this one will. 

It was a good day and now I GET to work on other projects without guilt. :-)

Quilt Reality Check Time

At the end of last year, I decided to join the Diary of a Patriot Mystery Quilt  

I also decided to make two quilts because one of the size options is perfect for a Quilt of Valor. So I'm not making two identical quilts, I am swapping out my reds and blues between the two quilts. Sounds all good, right?

I was sewing along, keeping up nicely with the first two clues. I was feeling pretty good about staying on top of both quilts, while also keeping up with the multitude of other projects on which I'm working. 

Clue 3 was released January 31st and I quickly pulled and cut the required fabrics and got sewing. As usual, I am working on more than one project at a time, and all was going well. I was productive, got all my units sewn and then reality sunk in. 

It was time for a reality check and face some cold, hard truths...

1) I am still very happy that I decided to make two QOVs during this mystery. 

2) I enjoy making flying geese using the method in the mystery - making 4 at a time is very easy, efficient, and accurate.

Here's where the truth part comes in... 

3) I will admit that I am NOT going to enjoy trimming all 144 flying geese units (72 for each quilt). 

4) I am not sure that I love my fabric choices for the navy/blue combinations (red/dark red in my second quilt), but I'm going to stick with it. (FYI - the colors in these photos are not true representations of the actual colors.)

5) I am happy that I realized early in the process that my navy fabric is directional and has subtle lines running through it. 

6) I am NOT embarrassed to admit that I had to redraw my diagonal guide line on more than one small square in order to keep those subtle lines running in the same direction.  :-) 

7) It probably wasn't a wise decision to sew half square triangles for two other projects at the same time that I was sewing these flying geese blocks. I've already trimmed 96 HST in order to make 24 pinwheel blocks; but now I have to trim these 144 flying geese units AND 112 HST for one of the other projects. At the time, I had a desire to sew, not press or cut. Now I better find the desire to trim - and put in a new rotary cutter blade. 😂

My mantra for the next foreseeable future is, "Quit complaining and get trimming! These flying geese will NOTt trim themselves and they WILL make the quilts even more special for the recipients." lol

Everything is pressed and ready to be trimmed.

I have a couple of pinwheels already made, just to keep me motivated.  lol

If you don't hear from me by next week, call my husband and ask him to check on me, please. 😉