January 350 Blocks Report
Posted on February 1, 2024 by prairiemoonquilts in 350 Blocks ProjectJanuary was not kind to us here on the ol’ ranch. We had some severely brutal weather, and our furnace could not keep up. I don’t think I’ve ever had to spend so much time and effort merely to survive. And I hope we never have to go through that again. If this old house doesn’t kill us before we can get out of it, we’ll truly be blessed. Add to that, a frozen toilet drain, my truck not starting, and a couple of sick animals, and I’m certainly glad to see temps back in the 50s for a while, even if the furnace still isn’t functioning quite right. I ventured out yesterday for the first time in over 3 weeks. It felt weird to drive!
It’s very difficult to sew with blue fingers, so I did not get much accomplished in January. Did I mention we were busy trying to just survive? I was trying to meet the monthly goal, and ended up short with only 13 blocks.
Last fall, our guild had a rummage sale, and I bought this tiny little kit for $1. It made this block, so I sewed it up and promptly added it to my orphan block pile:
And I made 8 blocks for a veteran’s quilt for the guild that I’ll show you later. The others were for a mystery quilt that I can’t show you yet, but eventually . . .
How did you do in January? We only had to make 15 blocks, and I couldn’t even do that, so I hope to do better in February, especially since it’s a Leap Year and we get an extra day!
Leave a comment and fill us in. I’ve updated the Project page (which also took me awhile). Frozen fingers do not cooperate for typing, either!
Our goal for February is 25 blocks, for a year-to-date total of 40. Hopefully, I can catch up!
If you want to play along and don’t see your name listed, just let me know. I hope I’ve gotten everyone who’s signed up so far, but it might be safe to say my brain was frozen, too, so mistakes could be made!
Here’s hoping for a better February!
PS: To those of you who are still waiting on prizes from me — I’m behind on everything, but hope to get caught up on all of that soon, so don’t give up on me. I will work on getting them sent out over the next couple weeks.
January was brutal here as well. Between repairs for Uncle’s frozen water lines and the water freezing at my sewing studio I’m over cold weather. I am just thankful that none of my cows decided to calve. I only made 3 blocks even though I brought my sewing machine and related paraphernalia home with me before it got so cold. I’m ready for July to thaw out.
Wow I hear you. We had windlashing rain and tides that destroyed much of the Maine coast. We are far away and up a hill, but the destruction was worse than recent hurricanes. I am glad to see the back of January. However I spent lots of time in the sewing room/ 109 blocks. Currently I have 7 projects out… need to stop working on so many at once.
Well you did way better than me. I made a big fat 0!
You deserve kudos for making as many as you did! Fingers crossed that your furnace makes it to the end of winter.
I was just busy with other things 3 tops quilted, one awaiting customer pickup, one bound and on the bed — before the first really cold snap, too! — and the third with just about one side of binding left to stitch down.
I also cut pieces for blocks of my Sparrow quilt to take away to my guild retreat this weekend.
I’m calling it a very productive January.
I’m going to keep worrying about you two until you get in your new place with a new furnace & insulated pipes! Take care.
We had colder than usual weather for about a week in fentral Texas but not as bad as other places
I did knuckle down and get a baby quilt made. That was 30 blocks and made 2 table runners. that was another 8. Now I am hiding in my sewing room, sewing to the sounds of outside work on our home. 30 year old house and the builder cut a lot of corners
Roof not flashed properly. Brick not done right. It has been a mess. Most of the new roof is done. Hoping they will be able to start putting the brick back soon
I have to get busy on a queen size quilt
Wedding present. Making one of my favorites. County Line. It’s a lot of cutting but once that is done it goes together fairly easy. Anyway happy with a total of 38 for January
Amazing month for me, especially compared to the trials many of you have had. Made 36 blocks in Jan. Finished piecing had quilted and then bound 4 quilts. Only one was totally new; started after Christmas and is now ready for gifting. The other 3 were ones started, laid aside finished the tops and had quilted and now bound and 2 ready for gifting and 1 Sparrows wall hanging for me. A great month. Large throw started for a baby gift and another Work in Progress or UFO out and now to sew the finished blocks together, add 2 borders, have quilted and bind. Hopefully by the end of Feb.
I did 98 blocks because I got 11 UFOs made.
Sorry you had so many things go wrong in January – what a month. I hope February will be kinder!
I can only count 2 blocks being the front & back of a bag I made using 2 9patch blocks.
Total for the month is 2!
207 blocks completed in January. Completed 3quilts.
Well you did better than me…..I got 3 blocks done.
I am behind on my Exploding Heart quilt top…so one row pieced counts for 1 block.
The other 2 blocks came from fabrics that I am trying to organize.
We also had a terrible run of weather…and since my sewing area is in the basement I could only work until I went numb. Hopefully the weather here in East Tennessee will start warming up and I can really start cranking out some blocks.
Glad you survived the miserable weather! Stay warm and safe.
Ten blocks for me … better than my zeros the last two months of 23🤪. I did get seven quilts of valor bound and cut my ginormous scrap pile into usable (for me) shapes!
A round 100 for me this month.
Although I worked on appliqué blocks every day but one, I was only able to finish 5 blocks. Hopefully, I can finish more in February.
Only one but it was appliqué !
When do you move? Hopefully before more ice!
We travelled for a couple weeks so only 40 blocks for me. I grew up in a drafty old farm house so I can relate. I remember the frost on the inside of the windows above my bed. Have you tried a space heater?
I made 214 blocks in January
I’m sew excited to report that I finished 42 blocks this month. We had a block lotto and I had hoped to win with 11 Double 9 Patch red blocks. But alas no winner here, but half of those blocks did go to the pot to be with others for a charity quilt. I did finish 6 other regular 9 Patch blocks as well as 9 Morning Star Blocks (not my favorite to piece I don’t see many of these in my future!) And in an effort to finish my challenge for the Mid Atlantic Quilt Show I completed 3 Carrot 2 Beet 3 Onion 4 Corn and 4 Watermelon blocks and they are stinking cute.
I’m so sorry to hear about those low temperatures. It is horrid to be so cold. And add wet on top of that (Maine early in January where my daughter lives) it has been nasty.
Hopefully the weather will become more temperate in you area.
Piece.
I am so sorry for everyone who had a horrible January. The worst thing that happened in our lives was my niece lost her baby in the womb at 3 months. Of course, she and her husband are devastated.
I made 15 blocks in January, delivered 2 quilts to great-grandgirls, made another baby quilt using heart blocks that I had with my orphan blocks, and cut pink squares for a big heart baby quilt. One foot in front of the other and I’m wearing a coat in the house to keep warm.
January was brutal here in the Midwest also. I have a new house and one of my transom window cracked. I think the only reason it didn’t fall was because we had those windows tinted. I was on a roll the first part of the month and then we got sick. UGH. I managed to complete 48 blocks.
49 for me, which surprised me.
But I did go to a Retreat which helped. We got to the Retreat and the next day it snowed 7.75”. We did not care because we had Friends, food and fabric❣️
Hope everyone with hardships see better days ahead.
31 blocks for me. January was mostly uneventful, except for 15 inches of snow one day. I was stuck at home (not complaining!), so got a lot of sewing and cleaning done. Hope the coming months are better for you! At least the days are getting longer, and we actually saw the sun today – boy, was it bright!
January was brutal! I got star storm pieced and it is ready for trimming and putting together. since there are 10 sections for the quilt I will count it as 10 blocks. at least it is a start!
I thought my name was on the list last month but I don’t see it today. Count me in. I completed 94 blocks in January. It was cold here in Alabama also but my sewing room has it’s own unit so I keep it nice an toasty in there. As for the prizes? As long as I haven’t receive it I have something to look forward to. Take your time!!!
Total blocks for January: 46. I managed to be productive in the 10 days of snow and ice. The blocks are sewed together; now finish pressing the seams and a border. Have an ongoing project but still like to cut and sew.
Thanks for continuing this for another year with all your hardships. We had no frozen pipes this year but really cold ,,,0 to 10 is COLD for middle Tennessee
We had a stretch of cold weather and now we’re in the high 40s and 50s, which is very strange. The grass is turning green and some of the bulbs are peeping through. Meanwhile, I was busy in the quilt room, with a block total for January of 81!!
I got only 23 blocks made in January. We had several days of that bitter cold too and the heater I use in the sewing porch just couldn’t keep it warm.
Hoping for a better February.
Hang in there. January was brutal. Where and when do you think your mystery quilt will unveil. I can’t figure out when Sew Sweet starts things. Let me know because I would love to do yours.
l
Missouri weather this January has been a boost to my quilting habit. A little over 2 weeks totally hibernating in my house…yielded a total of 193 blocks completed on three different projects! YAY me!
Sorry your January wasn’t kind to you! I started and completed a quilt with 20 paper pieced cowboy boots for a client. It took much more time that I had anticipated. I did manage to get 63 other blocks done for a total of 83.
First a big thank you for being a grand prize winner!
I made total 175 blocks. Made 3 quilts.
We had the opposite here in Western Australia, stinking hot, well over 100 for days on end. That is still better than freezing to death IMO. Wouldn’t it be nice if Nature would share it out a bit better hmm?
I made 35 blocks in January, shared over several different projects.
I managed 2 blocks of a 10 day prompt! I cut a lot of fabric for blocks this month. I might just pull off 40!
I managed to sew 10 blocks and cut fabric for the Upscale Plaid QAL before my arm said no more. The weather in January was a tossed salad, it went from -43 C to 10 C above, crazy!
I spent January trying to finish up some UFOs, and got 8 done. I made 42 blocks, all going for various UFOs. I hope to get to play with a few new projects in February.
I spent January trying to finish up some UFOs, and got 8 done. I made 62 blocks, all going for various UFOs. I hope to get to play with a few new projects in February.
Sorry about that. The second message with 62 blocks is the right one.
I made two extra long twin bed flimsies for a total of 80 blocks.
I managed to get 30 blocks done. Started and finished piecing a quilt top. Hopefully finish by Valentine’s Day. Pattern Love Letters. This is a great start for me. Hopefully I can keep it up in February.
Oh I hate being cold! Sorry to hear of your troubles…wish I had known I just gave away a space heater I could have sent you🙁. Cool and dreary here in the NW, good to be reorganizing the sewing room.
Making progress and finally at a point that I can break and sew some. I started Mad Dash to try and use some of my scraps. Got 10 blocks made, 4 string blocks, 6 for Fractured heart, and 1 glitter block. So 21 for me. Not too bad.
8 blocks for January
It was brutally cold!
Hope you’ve thawed out! Furnace troubles are no fun. I finished 45 blocks in January–I had a lot of fun making trees with my green strings.
I finally had a productive month. I made 42 blocks and quilted and bound one small quilt. I have, however, discovered that I need to make 5 more quilts besides working on this scrap quilt that I am making to use up scraps. Oh my, a quilter’s job is never done. LOL
Always good to read your posts! Sorry weather has been unkind there. I completed 36 blocks in January and one hand quilted wall hanging. I’m hoping to finish at least one quilt a month and so far am keeping on track with progress on another hand quilted lap/baby size quilt.
I made 90 blocks this month……in spite of being quite sick part of it. Most of these blocks are simple simple using up scrappy fabrics. I am turning these blocks into community service lap size quilts. Ready to start quilting them myself now. A good spring coming now.
9 blocks for the month.
14 blocks for me so I see I almost met the goal.
Started January with high expectations – a block a day for 2 days. Total 2. Haven’t even looked at sewing area except to move things around to make room for a hospice bed. There’s been 3-4 visitors a day. Our three grown children with their own responsibilities took turns spending a week at a time with me. All of this seems lame compared to your January. When we lived in Montana, we took turns sitting on the furnace, the kind that took a lot of space in the living room, and we dealt with frozen pipes and cold car engines. I seem to have worn myself out and my daughter called the paramedics Wednesday night. Luckily, I got to come back home. I hope we both have better February’s!
How are we to February already? I was able to complete 45 blocks in January, which finished two tops. It is nice to see the progress. With the weather you have been having it is a good thing you have a lot of quilts to wrap up in. Best wishes for warmer days.
Hope your furnace hangs in there until you move. Here in Maine the weather has been so strange. Rain with hurricane force winds. Small snow storms but nothing big. I’m thinking when it happens if will probably be a loo-loo.
I have been finishing up quilts. Finished 5 and have 5 more to go.
For blocks this month I’ve done 193. Quite a few of them are from a temperature quilt that I’ve been working on. Cute little houses. As cute as they are, I’m getting tired of them. Just December left.
Hope your February goes so much better than January.
I started out the month by spending a week and a half of major cleaning and organizing of the sewing room. I then started processing scraps and joined in on the tiny nine patch sewalong. Imagine my surprise when I totaled up my blocks for the month and had 98! I hope to keep the momentum going this month.
122 for January. Finished one top and put together 6 of 12 blocks for sew along. Today is the annual Sew Day for QOV, so hope to finish most of the blocks for a full size top. Also have coming up this month, finishing both of the two just mentioned, plus sandwich and quilt a thow-size quilt. Sounds like a lot to get done, but most are large blocks w/subsections already done. Hope spring arrives for you sooner than later.
Brutally cold month in Alberta, -54c with windchill. Mostly just tried to survive and keep the animals safe. i made some clothes for the grandkids, 8 potholders , 64 Road to Oklahoma blocks, a Christmas wallhanging which I will count as 4 blocks), and a Fall tablemat which counts as 6. A productive month sewing wise. 74 blocks?
I made 62 blocks during January. It’s not to bad for the start of the year.
Oh no, ‘hope that things are going better for you. I managed to get only 1 block sewn in January.
Oh no! I simply could not survive without heat. It must have been terrible with frozen pipes, frozen vehicles, frozen quilter. You need a wood burning stove for backup for something. That is what we have. We keep the shed filled to the brim with wood and coal every year.
I made 27 blocks in January.
I am happy – and surprised – to report that I actually made 87 blocks in January. I felt like January got off to a slow start as far as sewing went. I did take the time to do some reorganizing and cleaning up in my sewing room. I wrote down some monthly and yearly goals for my projects. I am trying to stay focused on getting some UFOs completed…and only occasionally start something new!
I managed 220 blocks in January, most of those were tiny nine patches and just a few blockhead 5 blocks. I kept praising my furnace everyday as it ran continuously. Thanks Shelly!
We had some colder than usual weather in Georgia last month, and our furnace had trouble keeping up in our drafty old house, but I know it was much worse in other areas. It meant lots of time in the sewing room though. I ended up with 72 blocks for the month.
everyone is doing g good. I have been busy doing art if different things. I have made myself go to the sewing room and sewing 20 us minutes each day.
so for the month of January I have gotten 486 blocks done. wanted to do 500 but fell short.
thanks so much
That doesn’t sound very easy 🙁 I do hope this month is an easier one for you. YOu did well to sew what you did.
During January I completed 22 blocks.
Sorry for the late response Shelly. I had 54 blocks this month. 20 New Year’s Mystery, 6 Sherry McConnell’s 2023 BOM, 20 Celebration blocks and 8 Made with Love Blocks. I have assembled several tops and quilted one, so that consists of my sewing this month.
January: 139 blocks
https://zanasninis.blogspot.com/2024/02/january-350-blocks.html
I sympathize with the survival difficulties! We also live in an old house, and I have a furnace and three sinks on outside walls that all like to freeze. Not feeling warm enough for days on end is depressing.
Not many for me – just 5 blocks. Did quilting and some sewing but not completed blocks. Also did some cross stitch for winter themed decorations.
I had a quiet month with several snow days-good for sewing. I worked on 4 quilts:
Boston Common-8 blocks and all pieced
Kaleidoscope-4 blocks (paper pieced with 32 pieces per 6 inch block)
Hummingbird-18 blocks (quick and easy)
Echinacea-14 blocks and top finished
So….44 blocks total
I had 26 blocks for January – 2 Mini Mosaic for a guild workshop; 3 Trixie bags to be sent along with my sister Jane’s quilt (last sister quilt – yay!); 2 blocks for our outgoing guild president’s quilt; 9 blocks for guild charity quilts; and 10 blocks for my Virtual Textile Community’s Tula Pink 100 block challenge.
Shelly, I’m so sorry you had to go back in time and live in the olden days through our ice cold January. Spring needs to get here fast!
I am off to a bang with 165 blocks for January. Fingers crossed I can keep it up. I am ready for spring weather. I’ve had enough cold already.
Oopsie – late to the party.
All counted and I have 18 blocks, different sizes for January. The 9 patches are in full swing at the quilty group so I’ve kept them separate for the February count.
And I have a notebook to make sure!
I put together 58 blocks in January. Not too bad for the month we had!
I put together 51 blocks in January. 50 were for charity quilts that go to local schools/homeless shelters. The 1 was my January block for my 2024 block of the month quilt I am following.