MPS member Jean Kelly, who is also a member of the Portland Modern Quilt Guild, is Queen of the UFOs, a designation she earned at the PMQG’s December meeting last night. How did she earn it and what did she win? Read on.
A year ago at this time the PMQG issued a challenge to members to complete their unfinished quilts (UFOs) during 2015. Organized by PMQG member Sam Hunter of Hunter’s Design Studio, the challenge called for members to pay $10 to register the projects they wanted to finish during the year. Participants were to check in with Sam at each monthly meeting.
For each finished project displayed during that meeting’s Show and Tell session, Sam would issue a ticket for a drawing to be held during the December meeting. Half the money collected would go to the guild and the other half would go to the person whose name was drawn.
Jean was one of 42 members who took on the challenge. Not only did she finish more UFOs in 2015 — a grand total of 10 — than any other participant, her name was the one called when the drawing was made. Jean won a cash prize of $210, with the same amount going to PMQG to support its programs. We call that a win-win.
Jean’s final UFO project of the year was Put a Bird On It , a gift for her son’s girlfriend:
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| Put a Bird On It, 64″ x 76″ |
Jean started with a mini charm pack of 2½” squares and strips of gray background fabric, following the general directions for a Jelly Roll Race Quilt. She added an appliqued bird and a 5½”border. Then she collaborated with longarm quilter Coleen Barnhardt of The Quilted Thistle to come up with quilting designs to showcase the bird and enhance the negative space outside the birdcage.
Can you see the quilted birdcage? Here’s a close-up:
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| Quilting Detail |
Coleen, who specializes in hand-guided free-motion quilting, quilted a lovely filigree design near the top of the birdcage, adding spirals and pebbles in the remaining negative space. Quite an accomplishment for someone who has been quilting professionally for only a year!
Here’s the happy longarmer . . .
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| Coleen Barnhardt |
. . . and the happy quiltmaker:
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| Jean Kelly |
Congratulations on winning the UFO challenge jackpot, Jean, and on completing a record number of quilts this year!
Well written! Looking forward to seeing Jean with a crown since she is the Queen of the UFO's! Great collaboration between Jean and Coleen, you both rock. Vickie
Way to go, Jean! I especially love this quilt.
This was such a fun project – and I must say that Jean actually had a few more quilts "almost" finished that she didn't claim because the binding wasn't finished. She was super productive and well deserving of the Queen of the UFOs title 😀