2017! New Year, New Resolutions

I haven't blogged much but I've still been busy in my sewing room over the month of December. One of the projects that I have been working on, is a quilt that I will donate for the Relay for Life fundraiser in my hometown. I pulled these fabrics for that quilt at the beginning of December.

I selected yellow fabrics because all cancer survivors wear yellow as a symbol of their survival against cancer.

I donated a quilt back in 2015 for this same fundraiser. I try to give as much as I can to different charities and other fundraisers.  I actually know the couple who won this quilt.

The man who won it is a cancer survivor and his wife was a substitute teacher to me when I was in school. I no longer live in my hometown but I try to help out there when I can. 

This 2017 Relay quilt went together very quickly for me. The pieces are large and with chain piecing, the blocks come together very quickly.

The pattern is called Nighttime Blossoms. Originally I had no plans to make this quilt but that's what I love about keeping my old magazines. I love going through them and discovering quilts that I had previously dismissed. I also dismiss some quilts that I previously tagged to make. It's amazing to see how my vision changes (sometimes drastically!) from one year to the next. I really don't like to make quilts twice but I may make an exception for this one!

Since this one was fairly quick, I didn't take many pictures during the process. Here's the layout.

I quilted this quilt using my midarm since I want more practice and want to justify making that purchase! Here's a small peek at one of the blocks and the quilting.

I did allover swirls on this quilt. I felt like it was the best option for quilting quickly and just fit with the pattern of the quilt. I just need to attach the binding on this one. Followed by a wash and dry. Then it can be taken to my hometown where they will sell tickets on it to fundraise donations for the Relay for Life event there.

My Fundy guild is also making a donation quilt and is asking for blocks from members. The idea is to construct a block using your initials. Mine are JAD so I came up with this.

Jasmine And a Dragonfly

I am not the greatest at figuring these cryptic blocks but I'm ok with the result. 

As for my 2017 resolutions, I would like to tackle my large WIPs pile. These are most of them...

Each one of those cases contains a WIP. Sometimes it's just a fabric pull and pattern. Other ones have blocks at various stages, some have cut fabric....lots of different stages of the quilting process. I would like to get through these containers this year....maybe it's wishful thinking but I'm going to try! These 14" square scrapbooking cases from Michaels work perfectly to contain projects. I've picked up quite a few over the years. You can usually get them for $4.99 regular price. I've gotten them for $2.99 at times ;) I absolutely think they are essential to my sewing room. 

So besides all these WIPs, I would also like to make use of my overloaded scrap bins. I'm hoping to make a block a month from those bins....once I figure out what block I want to make. More on this to come....

And of course I'm sure a few baby quilts will be tossed in the mix. Those are sort of unpredictable when they come up ;)

So what are your 2017 goals?