January UFO is finished!

One of my first posts this year was about the APQ UFO Challenge. I had shared my UFO list on the blog earlier and the fabric panels I was going to use for this month's #6 UFO. Well I finally got the project done last night!!

Out of the two panels I was able to make a wall hanging, 4 pillow covers, 7 coasters and 6 postcards which will hang on a picture frame!

The coasters were finished much the same way as the postcards. I used two layers of batting instead of one, practiced a little free motion quilting and then stitched around the outside of the coasters through all the layers. I then used pinking shears to trim the edges. This was much easier than using binding and since this was a small project trimming worked just fine.

I practiced a little free motion quilting on the borders of the pillow and the wall hanging which you can see here. I need still need lots of practice and this project was just perfect for that!

I feel so good about the APQ UFO challenge! If I can really work on 12 UFOs this year then it will definitely help clean out stuff in my stash!!

As I was working on my free motion quilting I realized that not only did I need practice but I needed some sort of instruction. And the timing was perfect, as I reading my various blogs I ran across a reference to a Machine Quilting Block Party that Leah Day was hosting. For $5 a month I get a block pattern and instructions on how to free motion quilt the block. I thought that it would be totally worthwhile and something that would give me a chance to work on my skills throughout the year. Leah Day has so much information on quilting, and everyone who has watched her videos only had wonderful things to say about her. I am anxious to get started and pick out my fabric of this project. Should I stay with the colors she chose, should I make it scrappy, the possibilities are endless! I am hoping that I'll be able to make use of some fabric in my stash!!

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