Mapping out a Quilt Challenge Plan
Two years ago—on Halloween of all days—I kicked off the wildly ambitious “52 Quilts in 52 Weeks Challenge.” And honestly? I was flying high for a few weeks… until I realized my old website just wasn’t up to the task. It couldn’t support comments, community, or the bigger vision I had for documenting this journey. So I hit pause on the quilt challenge plan.
Fast forward through two years of me bumbling my way through WordPress, stalling out more times than I’d like to admit, and finally (finally!) getting things up and running—this blog feels ready. And so am I.
I think it’s time to start mulling over the possibilities!
So let’s rewind to one of my earliest posts, dust it off, and republish it here as a “where it all began.” It’s equal parts nostalgia, spooky season enthusiasm, and a reminder that sometimes we just have to jump in, even when we don’t have it all figured out.
OH! And while you’re here, check out my new quilt-themed tees HERE! (sneak peek below)!
Original Post from Halloween 🎃
A PLAN IS BREWING!
~Stitch and chat with me!
Week #52: Happy Halloween! I’m writing this on Halloween day and so excited to share what I’ve cooked up in my cauldron for the Hoops & Hoots 52 Quilts in 52 Weeks quilt challenge plan.
So today (ahem) OFFICIALLY starts the 52 Quilts in 52 Weeks Challenge. I’m excited and nervous all at the same time!
As I mentioned in that original post, I’ve been dreaming of building up this online quilt community and tackling the solar systems of UFOs (unfinished objects) that I have piled up in my quilt studio in various stages of planning and execution. So I concocted this wild idea to launch a “52 Quilts in 52 Weeks Challenge”!
I may need therapy soon! Oh wait, quilting is my therapy, well I guess I’m in the right place!
So my mind has been simmering on how to tackle this challenge with at least enough forethought so that I’m not left with a half baked (or half-simmered, if I can keep the cauldron theme going) plan at best. I like setting myself up for success, don’t you! Even if I miss the mark here or there, I’ll be getting a TON done!
Like I say to my therapy clients in my day job: we’re going to make mistakes here and there, all of us, all of the time. It doesn’t matter that we fall off the (hay)wagon, it matters how long we stay off.
Go Big or Go Home
So this is my quilt challenge plan. Go big or go home – 52 Quilts in 52 Weeks! If I get behind, I’ll just grab the wagon rail and jump right back on! I’ll be blogging about my progress, my projects, and the stories behind them all!
Here’s a glimpse of my initial plan. I’m not wedding myself to it, but I needed a general plan for the next few weeks so that I have a roadmap of sorts. I’ve also included tasks (not shown in this pic) each week to build out other quilt projects that are only in the earliest stages. These projects will need a block or 2 each week so that I’ll be able to finish the project over time.
I’ll also be working on some projects that are not yet started, some Leader-and-Ender projects, and scrap blocks along the way. More on each of those in the coming weeks!
(This pic is of a really fantastic blog planner template I used from productiveblogging.com – check them out!)
Halloween Spider Web Quilted Table Topper
Okay so this week I’m posting the Spider Web project I wrapped up just in time for Halloween! Heads up, “just in time” will likely be a very prominent theme this year!
So I found this Spider Web Table Topper tutorial on My Cotton Creations blog and just knew it would be perfect for all of the leftover (and some new addition) Halloween and matching fabric I had in my stash. This makes a great stashbuster!
Made of strips, this was super fun to put together. I hand quilted it with “big stitch quilting” using silver metallic DMC thread in hopes that it would be like an iridescent spider web! Too cute! I wasn’t as pleased with the supposed water soluble marking pencil that I used to freehand my spider web arcs. I won’t be posting a link to that brand since the mark is very challenging to remove – but if I find one I love later, I’ll post a link to that brand.
Project Supplies
You may have noticed the quilt clips and even barrettes I used when I was attaching the binding – whatever works! I bought my clips on Amazon and they came in the adorable tin pail container (pictured here). The pail design doesn’t go with anything in my sewing room, and I don’t even think I got to pick the design when I ordered them, but it’s so stinking cute I don’t even care.
You’ll also notice some fun fabrics in the spider web quilt – ghosts, and even a rustic Halloween print on cream. The cream print was originally purchased from Connecting Threads years ago as part of a cute trick-or-treat bag project kit. I made two of those bags for my 2 kiddos and they’ve used them for years since.
Even after this UFO finish, I still had lots of leftovers of the Halloween fabrics to use in many more scrap projects. In fact, it could be quite the Easter Egg hunt to find this fabric in many of my upcoming projects this year! See below for the pic of one of the treat bags – the other one got shipped off to my son at college last week!
And, oh my gosh, can you even get over the monogrammed pumpkin that my mother-in-law decorated?! She made one for both her house and mine (after I begged!)… she passed away last year and we miss her so so much.
See you all next week for Week #51! Happy and safe Halloween ~ Please keep those babies safe with some tips here (another blog maintained by yours truly for Southeastern Behavioral Health!).
Today’s Note
Reading this back now makes me smile. The Spider Web quilt is still one of my favorites that had sat in a drawer for far too long, and my monogrammed pumpkin from my MIL is especially dear. Two years later, I may not have finished all 52 quilts (and of course I’ve started many more). For now, I’m just glad this little corner of the internet finally feels like home again. It feels good to open the door, sweep off the cobwebs, and invite you back in…
How about you? I’d love to know—how many WIPs are hanging out in your sewing space right now? Drop a number (or a confession!) in the comments. Don’t worry, no judgment here—it’s all part of the quilting journey, and I’ll be sharing more about my own mountain of WIPs in an upcoming post! This will be a season of quilt finishes!
