15 min to stitch, PHD update, kids, and fabric

This is my 15 minutes to stitch challenge update (as of Sunday the 18th) as well as my PHD and 6 &6 update.

This year:  60 out of 77 days
This month:  16 out of 18 days
This week:  7 out of 7
77% is where I am at.  

 
To earn my PHD I must finish half of my UFO's with a minimum of 12 to finish AND any new starts this year.  Here is my progress:

To my credit, I have been working very hard on some very difficult UFOs.  Justin's Medallion and the Sliced Quilt are pretty detailed and intricate. The Sliced Quilt  top was done but  I wasn't satisfied with the border and am doing some more piecing for a better result.  I decided I want houses all the way around instead of just the top and bottom.  I badly wanted a flimsy, but it just needs more detail.

This is what I started with:

This is what I ended with:

Justin's Medallion is nearly pieced and will be a flimsy soon.  It is partially sewn together.

As far as my new starts go, the Santa quilt I started in January is basted and ready to quilt.  It should be done this week.  The other new starts for the 6&6 challenge are two of the very same quilt.  I brought the fabric to cut out while at a teaching convention this week.  I realized that I actually have enough fabric to make two quilts - one for my son and one for myself.  I had no intentions of making two, but decided it is faster to cut out two now then one now and one later.

This is the pattern I am making in duplicate.  Below it are photos of the fabric I cut out this week.  I designed this several years ago for my sister.  I made this quilt for her and she made one for me as part of a family round robin.  Five sisters/sisters-in-law with mom all sewed on it together over the course of six months.  I loved it and wanted one for my son.  Now I get one too.  This photo shows me (right) with the sister who got the quilt (left).

Here are my fabrics and the cut pieces.

This is my 6 and 6 new start for the month of March.  Every other month is a new start and the oposing months are UFO's.  I would not have started these duplicate quilts this month if it weren't for my training out of town.  I like to make good use of away time in the evenings at the hotel.

Now onto some other things in the quilty world!  Last summer my niece came to visit and received my one on one attention for nearly a week.  She loves to sew and I let her go through some of my scraps.  I taught her how to make simple stars and she was hooked.

Well, she texted me a finished flimsy this week.  I am so proud of her.  The funny part is that she badly wants to start a new quilt but her mom said she had to finish this one first.  She is SO a FUTURE quilter!  She is twelve years old.

Here is Abby with her quilt last summer.

This is her finished top.

Two weeks ago I went to the fabric store with my daughter who had her baby and two little kids (her niece and nephew).  I know how hard it is for kids to go to the fabric store so I had them make a list of things for a fabric scavenger hunt.  They didn't know it would be on fabric, but they listed things they liked like jeeps, dinosaurs, crayons, piano, etc...  I made a list and they had to find those things in the fabric store on fabric.  The store people loved it so much they said they might make a list for children to find when they come in with their moms.  Cool!

I am linking today with:

15 Minutes to Stitch @ Katie's Life in Pieces
Esther's WOW
Linda at Sew, Stitch, Snap, Share
Kelly's Needle and Thread Thursday
Lorna's Lets Bee Social
Midweek makers with Susan
Weight Loss Wednesday with Jennifer
WIP Linkup with Silly Momma Quilts