WIP Wednesday and January UFO Check-In

Judy L. at Patchwork Times is having a challenge to finish up 12 languishing UFOs in 2012; January's number was 5, which on my list was to prepare half of the applique pieces for the setting blocks of the 1996 Piecemakers' Calendar quilt.  And I prepared all of them and have started the long applique handwork process which will probably take another year, so I'm declaring victory for January.  The other "half", when it's chosen, will be to go back and prepare applique or embroidery to complete the actual main blocks.  Number 1 is the pick for February; on my list that means I will have to machine quilt and bind my Aunt Maggie's quilt top, which I don't have a picture of yet... it predates my blog, but it's not nearly as old and neglected as the Piecemaker's quilt.  It feels so good to get working on something that has sat around for so long.  Seriously... 3 kids have been born since then, and one is in High School!

It's WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced, and I do have a few progress photos of my more current projects.

Orca Bay: a tiny bit of progress, but it's now hanging out on a new, more spacious design wall!

Crumbs: signed by all the school students, quilted, binding machine-stitched on and now being hand stitched to the back.  ALMOST done and ready to be signed over to Cedar Tree for the auction.  This is just a teaser photo; hopefully tomorrow will be the big reveal.

My other auction quilt, working title "Play Ball!": top finished this week.  It's about 65"x85" and will go onto the Megaquilter next, as soon as I piece a back for it.  I like how Bilbo acts casual, as if he's not plotting how to jump up on the quilt as I take the picture!

In knitting, I finished my Nautilina shawl, the second shawl of my 12-shawl challenge, this morning but still need to weave in the yarn ends and block it, so here's another teaser photo.  I really loved working with this yarn and used every last inch.  It's my handspun from a batt by Butterfly Girl Designs.

No progress this week on Farmer's Wife blocks, or cleaning my sewing area.  A tiny bit of spinning went on yesterday.  But mostly this week it's been grading, grading, grading.  And I have laryngitis, so teaching was real interesting today!