My goals for the next three months: April, May, and June, include several from the first  quarter. I did get a couple of projects finished that were listed on the first quarter: the table topper (which was featured on the SewCanShe blog last week) and the wall hanging for the Put a Little Heart in Your Quilt Blog Hop.

I’ve made progress on some of the projects on the list from the last three months, finished a few other things that didn’t make it on the list in the first place (squirrels), and have to set aside some to finish when I return to this house in the fall.

You can visit all the projects linked here.

1. The Elephant Quilt is waiting for it’s turn on the longarm in my village. Is now waiting for the flange binding as I quilted it Sunday afternoon on the longarm. I’m hoping this one won’t be a UFO much longer.
2. Minecraft Quilt for my grandson. I’ll need to work on this one before he loses interest in this computer game and moves onto something else. I’ve got the fabric. The patterns can be found here. Here’s hoping I can get it done before we visit him this summer.
3. Twelve Strawberry Pincushions. I’ve started four but haven’t finished them. I have many little tee pees sewn and waiting to be filled. These are easy, fun, and quick to make. My goal is to make a bunch of these to include in my AZ village quilting group’s fiber arts center fundraiser. I suspect getting that center will take a lot more fabric and flour to make it a reality. We’re hopeful to meet our goal in a year.
4. Two Container Pincushions. I bought these cute little cups at Goodwill before Christmas. These pincushions would make great gifts although, I might keep one for myself. I will use the same technique as the pail pincushion described here on Tu-Na Quilts: The First Reveal—What’s Inside the Stocking?
5. Pillow for My Living Room. Several years ago I found this free pillow pattern from Cluck, Cluck Sew that I first saw here. I’ve still got plans to make it as I think Tu-Na Helper would like to use it when he watches (naps in front of the) TV.
6. Four more Container Pincushions. I’ll be making some of these for sale with the proceeds donated to the fiber arts fundraising efforts. But I will strive to get these four done before I leave here in May, hopefully. I’ll be using the technique that I used when making the pail pincushion which is posted here  except for the pan which I’ll use Lori Holt’s pattern found here.
7. Little Dresses For Africa. If Tu-Na Helper and I take our usual northern route home next month, we’ll be coming very close to where Melva Loves Scraps lives. In anticipation of that happening, I’ve asked Melva if she’d like a sew date for a couple of hours. It’s been decided, at least between the two of us, that we’ll set aside some sewing time and I’ll help her make some Little Dresses for Africa using these fabrics that were in bundles that I bought at Goodwill. I think there’s enough for at least half a dozen cute little dresses. Melva worked hard over Lent to make dresses for the Shoebox Project and I’d like to contribute to the cause in the way of my helping to make a few more. You can see what she finished during that time here. If we go another route, this project will have to wait until our annual migration trip south in the fall.    
8. Catching Z’s project which I will feature on April 26th as part of the 30 Blocks in 30 Days Blog Hop hosted by Creatin in the Sticks using the pattern Catching Z’s found here. It’s something Tu-Na Helper also needs when he’s “watching TV.” 
9. Art with Fiber. I’ll be participating in this blog hop in May and will be using this photo transfer paper to print a pic from my computer and quilt it. You’ll just have to stop by to see it on May 23rd.
10. Wish Upon A Star. I’ll be participating in this blog hop on May 21st. Star blocks are some of my favorite ones to make. I made this bee block and sent it away last year but I have enough fabric in my North Dakota house to make myself a quilt with blocks just like the one below that now lives in Montana. The pattern is found here. Will I make more blocks like the one above for this hop or will I chose a different star project to showcase? I guess you’ll just have to stop back in May to find out.
11. Where Flowers Bloom. I’ll be participating in this blog hop in June. I’ll be using fabrics I found last summer on the Quilt MN Shop Hop and this pattern (unless I change my mind). One thing is for sure, I hope I’ll be posting that project at least as a finished top along with all the other participating bloggers between June 11-15. At any rate, I should have a good start on it.
    

    
12. New QAL. I’ve designed a fun block as part of a new quilt-a-long that will be announced May 1st. I’ll be hosting that bi-monthly QAL, too, and will keep you posted. My fabric choice for this quilt will be spots and dots (it may be a lesson in what not to do). There will be 12 block patterns available centered around a fall/autumn theme. Sorry; no peaking at the patterns ahead of time as they will remain a mystery until they are revealed. My block isn’t set to be released until September so I can’t leave a pic of it at this time.

Unfortunately, I can’t reveal too much about those last five or you’ll have no reason to come back and visit during the hops. But I need to complete those projects so I have something to blog about on my hop day.

Anything else that I make that is not listed above is just a squirrel. 

What I Learned Today:

1. There is always hope. Hope that I learn something each day. Hope that all will be well with my family and friends. Hope that life continues to be fun. Hope that I can finish at least a few of these projects.
2. About the only way ALL of these projects will be finished this quarter is if I hire someone. But that’s not going to happen so we’ll see just which ones I pick to progress forward and which ones will have to wait.
3. I find some lessons difficult to learn. For example, I posted about how good it felt to be caught up with my February Bee Block here on the Bee Inspired blog thinking that just might be incentive enough for me to work to stay caught up. The very next month, I promptly fell behind and finally posted my finished March blocks  a few days ago.
4. I tend to get easily distracted by squirrel projects.
5. Life is too short to get hung up on not reaching goals. If I keep repeating that statement, I just might convince myself that I truly believe it.
6. There’s truth to that old saying “Out of sight, out of mind.” I’ll be heading north in about a month and rediscovering another set of unfinished projects that need to be moved along but I simply can’t remember what’s on that list. The things I don’t finish here will just have to wait for me to return in the fall.
7. My list is growing. I better devote more time to work on these items. But we went to a pickle ball gathering last week in our village and it sounded like fun. Evidently, pickle ball is the new, fun activity for seniors to do. My village just voted to build 6 more courts. Hmmm. I might have to try that sport.
8. If I had to list a one-word goal for the next three months, it would be ENJOY. That should cover everything I will do and see and something I will strive to be aware of each day. Now that’s a goal that’s attainable and worth reaching every day.

Question: What is your one-word goal for this quarter? My one-word goal for this second quarter is enjoy.

Thanks for stopping by and do come again.

Karen, Tu-Na Quilts

Linking to:

2018 Finish-A-Long on She Can Quilt