Remember the Stormy Seas quilt blocks? It’s another project that is very long overdue for some attention. There are 26 completed blocks in that stack.
The last time I showed these on the blog was in 2012, when I posted this picture of 25 of the blocks.
I unearthed the project box and found a block partially sewn in it, including the needle and thread that was left in it as it seems I was in the midst of sewing a unit for the block when I put it down. I have no idea when it was that I left that partially completed block, but it was years and years ago.
This is the Stormy Seas project box. Each one of those little glassine envelopes contains all the shapes for a block. – there are 15 blocks still to be sewn as well as that partial block that’s partially sewn. I had printed all the shapes for each Storm at Sea block right at the beginning, when I had planned the Stormy Seas quilt.
What does any of this have to do with a personal challenge? Well, I’m challenging myself to finish one Stormy Seas block after I finish each Peony Quilt block when I get started on all that delicious pink batik sewing. There are 19 more blocks to do for the Peony Quilt and only 16 blocks to complete for Stormy Seas. So, if I can stick with the challenge, before I finish making the Peony Quilt blocks all the Stormy Seas blocks will be done. Whether I can stick to this personal challenge I have no idea, but I’m going to try as I know I’ll love the Stormy Seas quilt when it’s all done. So this may mean that I’ll have two quilt tops finished in very quick succession – which would be rather wonderful!
“Stormy Sea”
We had severe thunderstorm watches and warnings most of yesterday. A few times we saw lightning and heard enormous peals of thunder and then had torrential downpours – but they only lasted for a few minutes. Then the storm seemed to have moved on but then there would be more and that repeated throughout the afternoon and evening.
Jake isn’t the least bit disturbed by thunder. He stayed up on the top perch of the kitty tree most of the afternoon.
Baxter isn’t disturbed by it either. But he had taken over the favoured cushion on the couch as his afternoon spot.
Quilt Obsession 
So glad to see your posts again. I love your honesty about putting down a project YEARS ago. Honestly, every time I clean out my sewing room, I find the same thing. Some things are so old I can’t remember when I began them and have to struggle to remember what I was doing. (But that doesn’t keep me from buying new stuff, of course!) But in my mind’s eye, all of it will be finished one day. Well, I’m 66 now (good grief, how did that happen?) and starting to think that if I don’t finish some of them soon, I may be one of those sad ladies who dies and leaves a roomful of unfinished projects for her children to sort through. I LOVE the idea of your challenge, incorporating two projects at once. Thank you!
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I’m glad to be blogging again. I don’t think I realized how much it’d missed it until I started again. Plus it is a great resource for me – finding out how long I’d left the Stormy Seas project really showed me that. I’m going to try to use this challenge going forward – so that when I start a new project (which I know I’m going to want to do), I only work on it in conjunction with another unfinished project.
Cathi
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Cathy it is gorgeous and well worth finishing. Makes me wonder why projects get abandoned because I have so many in so many different stages. I guess starts are much more exciting but at least you have formulated a great plan. Good luck! X
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I know I’m going to love it when it’s done – finally. I have no idea why I left it sitting so long – but now I’m determined to finish it.
Cathi
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Love those lagoon shades.
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Now I can’t wait to see it finished – I’d forgotten all about it, which is awful!
Cathi
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Your Storm at Sea quilt is going to be absolutely stunning. I’m a firm believer that for some projects, it is important to take breaks to work on something else, before one returns to the earlier project. But this quilt is going to be enjoyed for generations, once you are able to finish it.
QuiltShopGal
http://www.quiltshopgal.com
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Thank you! I know I’m going to love it when it’s done. You’re right – I’ve found a few projects over the past year and finished them, after they’d been left for more than a year or two. So taking a break doesn’t have to mean they’re going to be unfinished forever. I think getting the two quilt tops finished around the same time will give me a real sense of achievement.
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Morning Cathi, ya’know that’s what I’m going to do too, I’m going to challenge my self as well. I have one n the frame and a grandmother’s flower garden blocks that must get finished. Yup….. challenging myself…. sometimes we just need to.
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I think maybe doing a two-project challenge will be the way to go for me going forward – that way I get to start a new project as long as I work on an old one.
Cathi
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Great challenge! I know you will stick with it! 🙂
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I think this challenge will give me the best of two worlds – working on a new project while finishing an old one.
Cathi
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Storm at Sea is a fabulous block. I read Margaret’s comment, and 66, well I am almost 77, a long time friend of 63 years (!!!!) has just had her 77th birthday. Yes, I too find projects that have lingered for way too long and so deserve a finish. Another friend rolls a dice at the start of each week, each number assigned to a particular project, and that is her quilting or sewing for the week .I am not brave enough to even think of trying it. The Peony blocks will be amazing, so one Peony, then one Stormy, a variety, and the toon will now have a dilemma to showcase that decision.
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I’m hoping having the two projects on the go will mean I have two tops finished in quick succession. I tried jumping from one project to another a few years ago and found that that didn’t work for me, so I’m going to try this idea of working on two exclusively for a while. I can’t wait to see how the ‘toons differ from post to post.
Cathi
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Good luck with your challenge! I’m looking forward to seeing both quilts finished. Also, I love your pictures of Jake and Baxter!
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Thank you! I’m hoping that making the challenge I’ve made to myself public will make me stick with it! Jake and Baxter make it easy to take photographs – they both are so willing to pose.
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I remember those blocks! It’s amazing what you find when you start to open boxes from long ago, isn’t it? LOL
Great pictures of the cats and that’s a good toon.
My cat Sparkle heads for the basement when she hears thunder. Haze wants outside to get wet in the rain.
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I can’t believe I’d forgotten about the Stormy Seas project for so long! Now that it has been found, I’m determined to work on it! Almost all my cats have seemed to like thunderstorms.
Cathi
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Great idea Cathi! I’m so easily distracted that I too have found partially completed blocks with needle and thread still in one of the blocks waiting for the next stitch. I start to clean up my sewing room and find a bunch of tiny Little scraps that I used for starters and get distracted from the cleaning process and start to make tiny little patches to do something else with those tiny little scraps. It seems that I am constantly in a distraction mode. I like your idea of doing two things at once. In fact I’ve been known to do more than that. But the trick is to finish those two things. And watching you will encourage me to do the same. As always I love your posts.
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Finding a portion of a block sewn with the needle left in it was a new one for me! I have many projects on the go at times and partially made blocks aren’t at all uncommon but not one left like that. It has to be at least four years that that it sat like that. I think there must have been an announcement of a new Inklingo collection and I was so excited about it that I just dropped everything!
Cathi
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