This year’s 100 day project has been underway for three weeks now, so I figured it’s time for an update!
I mentioned my plans for this year’s project at the bottom of my quarterly goals post. I’m doing #100daysofsaroystitches and have a list of ~10 different projects that I’m hoping to either make significant progress on or completely finish before the 100th day arrives in mid-July.
No significant finishes to report yet, but here’s what I’ve worked on so far:
Trinket blocks. Although the sew-along still has a few weeks left, I finished all 41 of my blocks in the first week of the 100 day project. I got on a roll with the paper piecing, and decided to go with that momentum. Next step for this one is making the top, which I expect to start on in the next few days. I want to have the top completed by May 3 so I can show it to my students in our final class session at Sparkly Elephant.
A hanging sleeve for last year’s 100 Day Project. This had been on my to-do list for a while and I’m happy to finally have it done! The rainbow quilt is now hanging happily on the wall in my freshly painted sewing room.
Bob Ross challenge. I picked up the fabric bundle for this year’s Cherrywood Fabrics challenge at QuiltCon. After brainstorming a few ideas, I’ve come up with a totally text-based design that highlights the 8 color names that Bob Ross used frequently in his paintings. I will be doing a LOT of tiny paper piecing to make this work — each letter finishes at 2″ tall. (I’m using the Alphabet pattern by Diane Bohn for the letters, which I have to shrink down to 2″.) I made two colors before taking a break to switch projects, so there are six more to go.
My mini quilt will be quite different than the quilts I’ve seen in past Cherrywood challenges — they usually feature a lot of applique and art quilting techniques, and mine will be a ton of piecing and a pretty modern design. But I’m excited about it and am enjoying the challenge, and that’s really the point!
Pantone quilt challenge. This is my second time participating in this challenge (the first was two years ago in 2017) and I’m using it as an opportunity to turn the design I created as part of The Quilter’s Negative Space Handbook Blog Hop into an actual quilt. Coral isn’t a color I use very often, so translating this design into such this coral-orange-peach palette has been something new!
I’ve quickly discovered that a big part of this project for me involves simply paying attention to whatever project feels motivating that day, and running with that feeling. That’s been fun so far.
On the flip side, this is the most open-ended and least defined 100 day project that I’ve done. My previous two involved doing something very specific each day — drawing a pattern, making a quilt block. The more free-form nature of my project this year makes it harder to feel like I’m progressing. Writing this round-up was actually quite helpful in reminding me that “oh yeah, I’ve gotten a lot done in the last 3 weeks,” so I think I’ll plan to do a round-up every week or two from now till the end.
We’re 20% through the challenge and I’ve worked on four different things. If I keep at it, I know I’ll start to see some great finishes by the end!
