Once upon a time, I was all about Blocks of the Month. I really loved the convenience of having the pattern and fabric mailed to me once per month by my local quilt shop. I thought – how easy is this? All I have to do is stitch together one block per month!
So, I signed up at Addies’ Quilt Shop in Cochrane, Alberta for the All About Bears block of the month. The pattern was designed by a lady named Dorothy Baker in 1999. Yes, 1999 – 17 years ago! Here is a photo of the designer and her finished quilt….
Things went pretty smoothly for awhile. I was keeping up – making one block per month. Then, slowly but surely, I started to slip – I was getting a new block in the mail when I hadn’t yet finished the one I was working on! I got a little bit sweaty and anxious but I feverishingly continued stitching. I dutifully appliqued the bears to the creamy background fabric and secured each piece by hand stitching a blanket stitch using embroidery cotton floss. Once the block was finished, I lovingly placed it in a see-through tupperware container. Well, somewhere in the mix of the 18 month of blocks, I got distracted, starting working on something else and quit! I quit for 17 years. The tupperware container was moved around my sewing space about a dozen times. Each move necessitated a “block review” so to speak, but I was not inspired to finish the project.
Then one day, I met a talented and very accomplished Calgary art quilter named Margaret Jones Jessop. I was privileged to interview Margaret in her brand new home several times. Margaret’s home had to be completely reconstructed; she lost everything in Calgary’s massive flood of 2013 including her many UFO’s. She said to me, “Why did I spend all that time and energy working on those projects if I was not going to finish them? Now they’re all gone forever.” Margaret’s words struck a chord in my heart.
When I got home, I pulled out the completed blocks from my tupperware container and tried to figure out a way to use them all in a quilt.
Even though I had not finished all the blocks for the pattern, I decided then and there to finish the quilt and put it to good use. Maybe a charity quilt? From Fabric.com I ordered some creamy tan flannel 108″ backing fabric (going via Ebates.ca first, of course!) and pulled out some brown and pink and teal fabrics that were in my stash. Sashing and borders were added.
A quilt sandwich has been made.
The bears need eyes and the quilt needs basting. After that is done, I will tackle some free motion quilting on it with my wonderful new Christmas present!
My quilt will not look like the designers’, but it will be done and I’ll be satisfied with it.
I happen to have three blocks left – patterns and fabric.
Does anyone want them? Leave me a comment on my blog about your UFO’s and three random comments will win these blocks. I will mail them to you. Perhaps you can make a sweet little quilted bear pillow for someone you love.
Take care
Kim
Love your bear quilt Kim. It really is so different to the designers. I guess that is what I love abut patchwork and quilting, the diversity of ideas different people come up with using the same pattern. Why don’t you make some cushions or a quillow using the 3 left over bear patterns.
I have numerous UFO projects. Including the first quilt I started for me, 32 years ago in 1985 (A giant Dahlia centerpiece for a double bed quilt). Life has always gotten in the road of projects being finished for me. now have 3 quilt tops started for me, that have not progressed much past what was completed at a workshop. Whilst I never seem to have time completing projects for family members and friends, and in particular the grandchildren. Maybe I chose the wrong pattern or colour combination for me, and that is why I ave never finished what I started.
I have a few UFO’s lurking around in my sewing room. At least one of them has been there unattended for 2-3 years. Another one just got left behind 2 weeks ago! Right now I’m sewing frantically to finish a quilt for my son for Christmas. Fingers crossed that it gets done!
Kathy – Thanks for your comment. Merry Christmas to you and to your family. I’m sure you will get your son’s quilt finished.
I have probably 7 UFO’s that I will be tackling in the new year. Projects I keep putting off…But no more! My ADHD gets a little crazy with new projects. I just get too excited!!
Too excited indeed Britney! It’s hard to stop that “new project” adrenalin rush.
UFO’s — where do I start!?!?! I’ve only been quilting for three or four years, but I have managed to accumulate close to twenty at last count. That number would have been even higher if my LQS didn’t have a Fall UFO Challenge that recently ended. That, apparently, was the incentive I needed. I finished six of the seven projects on my list, including two queen-size bed quilts. Now, I’m working madly to complete four more Christmas gifts in the next two weeks. If you don’t use the remaining bear kits, they would make a great start to a charity quilt for kids.
Wonderful comment! I’m so glad to read that you finished some of your UFO’s, not matter what the impetus. Way to go!
I just finished my oldest – 8 years- and it felt really good. I have 4 more to finish and that is going to happen soon. I inherited some ufo’s when my dil’s quilter aunt passed away, these are on the list to be completed soon also. I don’t want anyone to have to wonder why I didn’t finish my quilts when my time comes.
I don’t think it’s fair to count the “inherited” UFO’s as real UFO’s.
I not only have multiple UFO’S in my sewing stash, I have millions of them dancing around in my head!
Oh well, keeps me entertained!
Nikki
Yes indeed Nikki. Dancing in your head. That is wonderful.
Your bear quilt is adorable.
I have NO UFO’s… I am a little OCD and I just have to finish a project. It’s a curse… hahahaha
Yes Yvonne. I understand completely. This bear quilt was my only UFO and now it’s done. Yippee!
I love your bear quilt…….super cute! I have far more UFO’s than I am willing to admit too. One time my granddaughter Cloe wanted to start something new and she had at least 4 projects going…….I told her she needed to finish a couple of them before starting something new…….Her reply was “So exactly how many quilts do you have started and not finished” ………sew busted! LOL!
Good for Cloe! She’s so cute.
I think I’ve started ten more quilts since I talked to you. I have to get over this!! But, every time I teach a class or take a class, I start another one. It’s just so exciting to start quilts. Mind you, I’ve finished a few too, so that’s good, right?
Well I have about 10 in various stages. Some will end up with a different life than I first imagined. Sometimes I just need to put things aside for a while and wait for new inspiration to strike! Love your bear quilt!!
Christa – I concur! Sometimes we just have to put our projects aside, breathe a little and we get some renewed vigour. Thanks so much for stopping by.
Love your quilt, I have so many that I am not sure I will ever finish them. But, I am working on them one at a time. Will not start a new quilt until I get them under control at least some what under control, then I will look at giving some away, ones that I know I will never finish myself.
Kim – that sounds like a spectacular idea! It’s just like a book I’m reading called Bird by Bird. The title basically means – when you are overwhelmed with a task, distill it down to one facet of the task and tackle that and get it done. Then on to the next. It’s really the only way to get a big job done! Thank you so much for reading my blog and taking the time to leave me a comment. It’s much appreciated.
Hi Kim,
I just stumbled across this post about your “All About Bears” quilt. I’m the designer of the pattern and I love the way you finished your version of the quilt. Would love to see how you quilted it.
By the way, the photos you posted wasn’t me, it was a lady named Carolyn Van Wonderen from New Zealand and her quilt which won a 2nd place ribbon at the Auckland Festival of Quilts in 2014.
Oh my gosh Dorothy! Thank you so much for your comment. I didn’t know that was not you with the quilt. Do you have a photo of yourself with the quilt finished? I’ll post it on my blog for sure. My “All About Bears” is still in my small quilting pile in the corner of my studio, but I shall get it to next. Kim