Mid Month UFO Report

We are past the mid-way point of the month, and I'm doing a quick evaluation to see how I'm coming along with my UFO of the month. My goal was to prepare and machine quilt 12 sampler blocks. All of the blocks were slightly different sizes, so I decided to sash all the blocks and cut them to the same size. I now have all the blocks sashed with the brown fabric, and have double checked to make sure all the words on the sashing strips are right way up. That's one of the downsides of using directional fabric - you have to decide whether you care about the direction or not. And if you do care, which I do for this project, you have to cut and sew each piece carefully to get everything copacetic!
All the prep work is done for each block - I have cut 12 pieces of batting (from leftover scraps) and cut or pieced 12 backing blocks.

I am starting to make good progress on the quilting, and really enjoying working on this size of a project. The blocks are 14", so no shoulder strain, no struggling to maneuver a quilt around, and no trying to push it through that small throat space in the sewing machine. It's such an easy size to practice machine quilting.

It has also been fun to try to figure out how I can do as much continuous line sewing as possible with each block in order to avoid all the stopping and starting. I like quilting the arc shapes on these star blocks. I am using my Machinger gloves so I am not as likely to quilt my fingers to the block! Gosh... these gloves are looking d-i-r-t-y and well used!


This 'trip around the world' block has been a lot of stops and starts. I am marking the lines with the hera marker and it is working well. But stitching straight lines is not as much fun as quilting arc shapes!

I think I am right on track with my March UFO and will have all the blocks quilted by the end of the month. I'm starting to think about adding a "quilt-as-you-go" border. I've never done that before, so that should be interesting!