Starting at the Finish with Country Threads – January 2014

Country Threads, the unique Iowa quilt shop in a chicken coop has posted quilting fun on their blog called “Chicken Scratch.”  You can join Charm School, the 2014 Free online Sampler Block or the UFO Game for 2014. That is not all there is, but the “game” sounds interesting.

Participants make a numbered list of twelve UFO’s. This is all on the ‘honor system’ and you monitor yourself. At the beginning of each month the number is posted on the blog. You match the number with the number on your UFO list.  You finish that project, photograph it and send photo to Country Threads before the end of the month. The quilts/and/or projects are posted on Pinterest. Every three months Country Threads will draw a name for a $50 gift certificate. At the end of the year they draw a name for a $100 gift certificate.

http://country-threads-chicken-scratch.com/?p=3070

Check out Country Threads’ Pinterest page to see all the UFOs that are no longer categorized as such!

http://www.pinterest.com/cthreadsqs/

How simple does this sound! Make a numbered list of UFO’s. Sheesh, what is the big deal! Well, first of all it was not as easy as it sounded to make a UFO list. I know this abbreviation is supposed to be “UnFinished Object,” but I remember when the definition meant “Unidentified Flying Object.” Funny how both of these seem to apply here. These unfinished projects fly here and there and never seem to – well, you know, finish themselves!

Not yet committing to the challenge, it was time to call a “committee meeting” to help make a list. After all One certainly did not want to start to finish what had already been started until One knew if One had all the fabrics to actually finish. Yes, it does sound like an argument with Oneself when One entered the fabric closet. But the bears were listening.  The blocks are here, where is the sashing? To sash or not to sash? One likes it that the bears do not comment back. One wonders if One pre washed that red. It is next to the white, best be sure. No sashing? Would a border take it to the “done” requirement? WAIT, the point of this is DONE! All these questions and inner arguing is why these blocks have been here for way too many years.

O – look, straighten your glasses and look at this red, it could be the back! And – and look at this.There is enough for the binding!  One can hear the Bear Paws applauding!  That settles it – I am IN. Love the red and white in January rolling into February. This top could move to the machine quilter and possibly be home for February.

Come ON – just FINISH something!  (Yes, One is talking to Oneself again.) By the end of the year the list will be quite an accomplishment and One will ‘bear’ly remember this argument.

Here it is. Bear Paw blocks are TOGETHER and One is calling the top “FINISHED.”  Three cheers for this four block challenge! To give you ‘bear’spective it measures 32″ square.

I will admit this top was an easy finish, but I will not admit how long it has been at that stage!  One is busy bowing to the bears’ applauding!  Thank you, Thank you!!!