It’s been a fun month.  And busy.  A week at the beach with all of the family – great weather and a week of the best weather we’ve had in over 10 years that we’ve been going to Phillip Island.  And being joined by our Hungarian exchange student and Lucy’s host brother from France made it even more fun.

But the most exciting thing happened the day we returned from holidays when Lucy came home from 12 months in France.  It’s great to have her home.

And then Eszter’s parents and sister arrived from Hungary and stayed with us for a week or so.  A very full house but so much fun.

To finish off the month our gorgeous eldest daughter Ella turned 18.  We celebrated on Australia Day with about 50 family and friends at Sewjourn.  And the celebrations continued with a party with her girlfriends on Saturday night.

But now the holidays are almost over – back to school for the younger two .  Rowing and netball have started again and with Lucy changing schools the past couple of days of holidays were filled with getting books and uniforms sorted.

But, I did manage to do a bit of my first UFO for 2017 – the Lucy Boston quilt.  I completed another one and a half blocks and have started another.  Not sure if that truly counts for substantially progress  but I figure this is a UFO that I will work on continuously between the year.  (Note I didn’t publish this post at the time as I was waiting to get photos but still don’t have photos of  them all so maybe in next month’s post!)

So which one on the list is next?  I think  No. 7 on my list – the Kaffe quilt which just needs the binding finished as it’s still a busy few weeks.  I missed the cut off for Meredithe’s link up for this month  (even when I first did this post a few weeks ago….) but you can look here if you want to see what others are up to.

So as we are heading to the beach today a portable project is the best for me to start with…..so first UFO on the on the list is my Lucy Boston POTC blocks.  Here’s what the original quilt looked like:

(Image from http://lindafranz.com/shop/lucy-boston/4)

But I’m piecing mine in Liberty fabric with a natural linen for the borders.  I started this quilt in June 2015.  So far I’ve only completed 1.5 blocks!  

Lets see if I can ‘substantially progress’ this UFO over the next 3 weeks…..

Hmm, Meredithe has listed the ‘rules’ for 17 UFOs in 2017 and she says ‘Projects can be anything you’ve already started (UFO = unfinished object), quilts, knitting, crochet, it’s up to you.’  She also notes ‘Don’t worry if you don’t have 17 projects’.  Well, on a quick count (and I’m sure there could possibly be more buried in the sewing room somewhere but can’t really search as it is being used as a bedroom for our 19 year old French guest at the moment) I am ‘lucky’ enough to have 29 UFOs to choose from!!

So……here’s my complete list with the first 17 the ones I intend to work on in 2017 but with the others listed just in case I feel inspired to swap priorities! (Hope that fits into the ‘rules!’)

1. Ella’s quilt – needs last border attached, quilting and binding
2. Medallion quilt – half pieced
3. French Market Medallion quilt – some blocks pieced
4. Sue Spargo Wool Embroidery – needs embellishing
5. Don’t Look Now cushion – needs cushion constructed
6. Lucy Boston quilt – only a few blocks pieced
7. Kaffe quilt – needs binding finished
8. Granny Square quilt – blocks to be pieced together
9. Mini Design Boards
10. Blue and brown quilt – needs quilting and binding
11. Circle quilt
12. Swap quilt – needs binding
13. Yoyo curtain – for Sewjourn – been in progress for um, many, years!
14. Green and orange Drunkards Path – needs quilting and binding
15. Charity quilt – needs binding
16. Sashiko cushions – one embroidery to complete and 3 cushions to construct
17. Hexagon quilt  – finish handpiecing hexagon strip, applique to background, quilt and binding                                                                                  _________________________________________
18. Meredithe’s quilt’ (this is one from a pattern of M’s the name of which escapes me just now) – needs piecing completed
19. Yoyo quilt
20. Handpieced diamond hexagon quilt – only one or two blocks completed
21. Crocheted cushions (for Sewjourn)
22. Triangle quilt for bunk room at Sewjourn – finish piecing, quilt and bind
23. Purple and mustard cross quilt – needs quilting and binding
24. Garden Divas Quiltmania – needs appliquing, quilting and binding
25. Purple and mustard cross quilt – needs quilting and binding
26. Amy Butler quilt – needs last border, quilting and binding
27. Prints Charming quilt a long quilt – finish piecing
28. Hamish’s quilt – needs quilting and binding
29. Amy’s quilt – needs quilting and binding

One of the best ‘rules’ of this challenge is that the aim is to substantially progress the projects not to actually finish them…..but of course any finishes are a bonus!  Anyone else keen to join in?  Pop over to Meredithe’s blog to find out the details (and see some of her amazing work at the same time).

Back tomorrow with the first of my UFOs.