Mary at Country Threads is hosting a “Dirty Dozen UFO Challenge”. Essentially you pick 12 unfinished projects and number them 1-12. Each month she picks a number and that’s the project you finish. Read more about it at Country Threads.
I thought this would be a good way to tackle a few of my UFOs. So I’m jumping in. I showed you my projects a week or so ago but I need to make an updated list…yep. It’s changed already. I found more..and eliminated some.
1-Virginia Bound:
This one is a top…sort of. I have the center section done.
This is the original quilt….
But..when Kelli and I were in Moline for a quilt retreat with the Mississippi Valley Quilters years ago, I saw this one that someone else did….this…
It’s applique around the outside. I think I want to do something like this. The lady that did this June. She had awesome quilts for the show and tell.
I love the look and like the challenge of trying something a little out of my box. I might not get it completely finished in a month but I sure can try.
2-Churn Dash Shirt Quilt
This is my shirt quilt. When #2 is chosen, I will made the decision on whether to put a border on this or not. I’ll also get it quilted. It’s time.
I love the quilt…no borders is growing on me.
3-Hawk’s Nest
This isn’t really even very far along. I have the triangles..and I have the fabric.
The finished quilt looks like this…
It’s a Bonnie Hunter pattern. I’m using up a BUNCH of bonus triangle to make this. All I really have is bonus triangles…nothing else is started so I wonder if that even counts as a UFO.
4-Hawaiian Sunset
If you’re a long time blog reader, you know I’ve wanted to do this for YEARS. It is for sure getting done this year.
In the last 9 months or so I even bought a few more fabrics for it. Seriously, it’s time for this to get done!
5-Scrap Bargello in Plaids
I’ve made this quilt before…
I adored it. Over the years as I’ve deboned shirts I’ve cut more strips to make another. I gifted the first one and thought I’d love to make one to keep.
Here’s the book layout of the quilt.
It’s easy sewing and look forward to tackling this one.
6-Garlic Knots
Several years ago a blog reader gifted me a bunch of batik scraps. All were on the small side. About the same time Bonnie Hunter was making this quilt, Garlic Knots. I thought the batiks would be perfect.
So over nap time over the course of a week or two, I cut out this quilt. It sat and then last fall I sewed about 10 of the blocks together, then it got put away again. It’s time to get it out and finish it.
7-Floribunda
This is Bonnie Hunter’s quilt: I have most everything here to make this. I collected floral scraps over the years. There was enough for me and Kelli both to make the quilt. Kelli ended up taking the fabric and cutting strips for us both.
That’s as far as the quilt got.
It suppose to look like this. (Picture from Bonnie’s blog) The free pattern for this quilt is HERE.
8-Oregon or Bust
This is another Bonnie Hunter quilt. It’s from the book Scraps and Shirttails II. I have long wanted to make this ever since I found Mary from Country Threads version.
I collected shirts for several years as Mary’s version was made with only blue and orange 100% cotton upcycled shirts and I wanted to make mine like hers. I am as in love with Mary’s version. I have the shirts deboned but that’s as far as I am. I can’t wait to make this!!
9-Sofie’s Quilt
This is a quilt of a friend of mine. They found it in grandma’s cedar chest. They asked if I could quilt it. I’m super nervous about this as the white background is thin. I think I’ll consult with my friend Carla from Longarm Quilting Inspirations about this.
I LOVE the design. I’d like to replicate this quilt.
10-Sugar Bowl
This is another FREE Pattern from Bonnie Hunter you can find HERE.
I have some strips cut but that’s about it. This finished quilt (Picture from Bonnie’s blog) suppose to look like this….
11-Show Off
This is a free Quilted Twins pattern. This is a 100% cotton recycled quilt. (Find the pattern HERE)
Kelli just made on in all blues…
I have to admit, I wish mine was all in blues.
12-Holy Toledo
This is cut out but that’s it. It would sew together pretty fast though. This is another Bonnie Hunter quilt. This one is from Scraps and Shirttails II. I LOVE this book.
There are more project too…. I need more months in the year. I am putting these here though as I’m not going to make this so strict that I don’t enjoy it. I’m giving myself permission to substitute other projects in if I want…or do two projects in a month if I want.  (It likely won’t be the two project thing but here’s to wishing)
I am numbering remaining projects and letting myself choose either project…the corresponding number from list one or the corresponding number from list two.
I have a
1-red spider web quilt…
2-black spider web quilt started too but forgot to take a picture.
3-I have this wool project…I’d love to get this done. I have the frame for it already..I just need to finish the inside.
4-I need to stitch the stems and make this into a pincushion. That wouldn’t take long at all…but, I have to do it.
5-I have scrap vortex that I started- It’s the project in the bag on the left in the photo below. Some asked what Scrap Vortex is. You can find more about it HERE. Scroll to the bottom..it was a quilt along.
6-I have this project in the basket on the right, with the red square in the middle. I’d really love to finish that up. It was so fun to make.
7-I have this baby quilt cut out….
It’s this pattern…VERY simple and would be quick to finish.
It’s a free pattern on our blog find it HERE.
8…and this baby quilt…same quilt as above.
9-I also have this quilt I started for my grandson Scotty. I’d love to make this for him for Christmas-or his birthday but that’s in July. It’s a Crooked Courthouse Steps quilt with Mickey in the middle of the blocks.
10-Double Wedding Ring Quilt
I hope to get to this soon but I want to put in on here in case I “forget” about it. I want this finished.
11-This is my Quilted Twins Mystery. This needs to get tackled too. I have the first blocks done…I need to make the alternate blocks.
12-I have other things too…these were started back in January….
With that making a second set of 12, I guess I’ll start in on another set of 12.
1. These were started last fall….I have since passed these on to the Cresco ladies to finish up for charity so I guess they should be deleted…but I’ll keep them here so it seems like I finished something…okay??
Here are a couple projects I was putzing with. There are two projects here so I’ll count them a #2 and #3….they are just baby quilts. 
…and of course, the dog quilt. I want to make that too. That will be #4.
There are more projects…These are the ones I just found….
#5-This is a simple rectangle quilt. I cut out rectangles from white and black shirts when I was making Jasper’s baby quilt. This is destin to be a quilt for a wedding so this might be bumped in at some point.
#6- This is my finished Civil War Tribute top. It needs to be quilted. I’m afraid if I don’t put it on the list, it won’t get done.
#7- Another top I’m afraid won’t get done is Bricks in the Barnyard. This might be a wedding gift. We’ll see. If so, I might have to bump this in at some point.
#8- This is just a charm square top. I bought pieces for it at a garage sale several years ago. I ended up finally getting it together as a top…but not quilted. I do have a backing though so it shouldn’t take long.
Oh my word. Did you tally that all up? 12+12+8= 32…. I have 32 projects is some state of being started. That doesn’t count two quilts that you all don’t know about that I have on the burner and will be submitted soon. OH MY WORD!! No wonder I feel so bogged down in the sewing room.
I don’t want to get so bogged down in these UFOs that I don’t have fun quilting. I don’t want to not be able to start any new projects so I’m joining in on the challenge and doing the best I can.
I also want to be creating some original designs of our own and submitting them. All of the UFO sewing has to fit in between that work.
So…here we go. Starting TODAY you can count me in on tackling, or at least progressing some of these UFOs. I know one thing for sure, I am not going to have this many UFOs by the time 2021 rolls around.
Again, HERE is the link to Country Threads….I can’t tell you how excited I am….I hope Mary picks the number soon so I can see what project I’m going to be working on!!
What ever happened to the quilt blocks that we all sent you? Or did I miss something?
Betty I think you must have missed it. I finished it back in 2018… http://www.joscountryjunction.com/quilt-finish-my-birthday-quilt/
Maybe if there are any of your UFOs that you are not mad keen on you could auction them in your blog. I’m sure you’d have bidders.
You have a few quilts that are very close to being finished. You should Dave Ramsey them! Start with the one closest to being done and finish it; then the next closest to being done! It will create a snowball affect and you will feel like you are getting much accomplished! Lol!!!
Don’t forget, Bonnie is releasing the new leader/ender project today! She said no triangles, so this is another project to add to your list.
You might be closer than you think on Hawk’s Nest. Adding 44 to the 479 should bring you to 523. I am assuming here this is your count of HSTs already completed. Your notes to yourself look the notes I leave to myself!
All I can say is each of these quilts are beautiful! You do wonderful work.
Best of luck on attaining your UFO goals, Jo!!
You have a wonderful ton of fun to come! Will be grand to see all these come along to a finish. For me? I can’t stand a flimsy awaiting quilting. They get done lickety split! Can you set the goal of quilting 1 a week until all are quilted and bound? When that is done commence on getting the next one to flimsy? Choose the closest to done. Then use the furthest from done as a L/E? Then when the one is done, the L/E becomes the main project and the next becomes the L/E? And certainly can include your new designs as an ongoing L/E.
It’s a great game to finish them off!
Betty from Canada: Jo does a good job of using what we send or she moves them on. I missed a post once when she showed my first mailing. Jo tries to post on all the mail. I know she might miss one or two at times. She is a busy mom, grandmother who is not feeling 100%. Have a Good Day
hahaha. It is obvious that your favorite part of quilting may be the cutting out! I also am hoping to move projects along with the dirty dozen…have numbers and need to tag the projects before I go to Country Threads…on the plus side I have 6 quilts out to the long-armer (all of them bigger quilts) and already have the binding made! patting my own back.
I also fell in love with Hawaii Sunset when it first came out. But have not pursued it. Maybe when that number comes up for you, I will join in and start mine. I will have to start collecting the fabric for it and maybe do some cutting in the meantime. I just am not sure of the right color for the green and pink.
Thank you Jo for inspiring me to clean up and organize my sewing space. I found 8 unfinished U F O’s to work on. When the room is clean I will get busy and hopefully finish and ship all these babies to their recipients
Looks like it is Number 5 for July!!
I should do this too so I can get some things in the finished pile instead of the UFO pile!!
Thanks for the inspiration.
On that antique lone star quilt, put a piece of muslin (the size of the batting or thereabouts) behind the quilt top that matches the background fabric color and quilt it. That will give added stability to the thinner fabric. I would also quilt the background more heavily, just to add to that stability.
Number 5 – Scrap Bargello it is! Jo, I made this quilt, too, and love it – I should make another one. Gosh, you did a much better job showing your Dirty Dozen or should I say Dirty Three Dozen? Connie and I should have done better! Yikes! I’m sewing my blocks together tonight and will finish tomorrow. Then try to get it quilted. I’d rather sew on something new!!!
Hi Jo-
Is there a pattern for the Civil War Tribute quilt? I would like to add that to my “make someday list”.
Thanks
Jo – I like the idea of more than one list! That gives a bit of flexibility of what I want to work on… I have been quilting since the early ’80s and I still call myself a ‘beginning’ quilter, not because I am new, but because I am really good at ‘beginning’ new quilts! lol
Jo, I so love reading your posts! I really, really do
I too love how the applique border on Virginia bound equally as much as the black square inserted in the border. Love it!