April Progress and May Goals

Occasionally I think that I should stop doing this post but then I have a month like April and I'm glad that I sit down and take the time to look back and I'm actually surprised. April, it turns out, was a really good month.

My goals were pretty simple because I knew I'd be doing things like making masks and dyeing tea towels (my COVID contributions). Here's what I set as my goals:
- piece the flower applique top and start quilting it. I did get it pieced and eventually got some batting but needed to hold off on quilting until the mosaic was done because of the mess near the longarm.
- make the symmetry cat quilt top - I need to add 2 borders and then it will be ready to quilt
​- finish the Pleiades II quilt top - I completely changed direction on this and turned it into a veterans quilt kit
- grout the last mosaic wall

I can't take the full view photos until I move the fans out of the way. That will happen this weekend for sure because the basement is about to get a serious deep cleaning. But here's a teaser photo to prove that I did it so I can count it as an April finish. That's the BIG accomplishment of the month and it marks the end of my mosaic hobby. I really enjoyed doing these walls but I just can't do these hobbies that involved a lot of VOC emissions. It's the same reason that I do almost no fabric painting anymore. I just can't handle the fumes. But I'm glad I did all 3 projects and they make me really happy when I'm working/playing in the basement.

But in terms of time investment, April was all about community service. I started making masks in March and continued well into April eventually making over 180. Then I quilted 3 veterans quilts and now I'm in the middle of dyeing and selling dozens of tea towels to raise funds for our local food pantry. I've already sent off $480 in checks to the organization and I have loads more to dye and sell.

I finished 2 veterans quilts of my own this month and finished a new top. After my cutting marathon this week I have a total of 8 veterans quilt kits cut out and ready to piece. I want to spend most of May quilting so I'll probably limit my sewing time to veterans quilts. I don't really have excitement for any particular new project at the moment but hopefully something will gear up in my little brain soon.

Finally, I finished 2 crochet projects. Both of these will be donation blankets as soon as some of the local charities start taking them again. In only have 7 UFO projects! I didn't think I'd ever hit a number that low.

My March stats were:
Starting UFO 12 (15 in 2018)
Finished YTD 4
Started YTD 1
Ending UFO 8
Veterans quilts made - 2
Veterans quilts quilted - 13
Fabric Postcards - 8
Pet Beds 5
Garment 
​Placemats - 12
​​Quilted for others - 2
​Crochet projects - 3

My current stats are:
Starting UFO 12 (15 in 2018)
Finished YTD 5
Started YTD 1
Ending UFO 7
Veterans quilts made - 4
Veterans quilts quilted - 16
Fabric Postcards - 13
Pet Beds 5
Garment 
​Placemats - 12
​​Quilted for others - 2
​Crochet projects - 5
COVID masks - approximately 180

My goals for May are:
- dye and sell another 4 - 5 dozen tea towels
- Quilt 2 quilts for Mom
- Quilt 2 of my own veterans quilts
- Start quilting the vintage flowers quilt
- Quilt and finish the cat quilt.

That means a lot of time down in the basement and I'm cool with that because I have some very nest mosaic walls to look at there.