March and April 2025 Furtle - Fettle Those Finishes Update

March and April Review / Furtle

As defined by Mini Archie, ‘Furtling’ means ‘having a rummage, a delve, a look at the contents of something’. So I have furtled around to see what I have been doing this month and now I’m going to furtle around the blogs of anyone else who links up over at Archie the Wonder Dog!

-Janine at Rainbow Hare on 2/28/2019

To socialize with my online crafty friends I'm linking up with Mini-Archie, one of my favorite online personalities, and his person for the monthly progress link-up from Fettle Those Finishes! 

Continuing weekly stats here for possibly linking up once a month with Kate at Life In Pieces. My 2021-2024 goal was to stitch at least 15-minutes 50% of the days in the year. Now, the goal is any number of minutes in a day for 50% of the year since I've got an almost 10-month old puppy. I want as much time with him to enjoy our time together. 

• Week 9: 7 of 7 = 100 %
• 53 minutes/day average across 7-days
• Week 10: 5 of 7 = 71 %
• 44 minutes/day average across 7-days
• Week 11: 7 of 7 = 100 %
• 86 minutes/day average across 7-days
• Week 12: 6 of 7 = 86 %
• 58 minutes/day average across 7-days
• Week 13: 6 of 7 = 86 %
• 59 minutes/day average across 2-days
• Week 14: 5 of 7 = 71 %
• 45 minutes/day average across 2-days
• Week 15: 7 of 7 = 100 %
• 58 minutes/day average across 2-days
• Week 16: 7 of 7 = 100 %
• 67 minutes/day average across 2-days
• Week 17: 7 of 7 = 100 %
• 134 minutes/day average across 2-days
• Week 18: 3 of 3 = 100 %
• 26 minutes/day average across 2-days
• March 26 of 31 = 84 %
• April 29 of 30 = 97 %
• 2025: 100 of 120 = 83 %

March and the first half of April were totally busy at work and then flew by so fast. The second half of April was a scramble to 'catch-up' on all the postponed responsibilities and an unexpected change in Management of my team at work. The Puppy is getting bigger and more mature, but he's still a puppy. Sewing continues to be on the back burner. Fitting in a few minutes of sewing does help me keep sane so I am trying to put a few minutes in here and there. 

Focus continues slowly on my projects planned in 2025 see my Furtle planning post HERE.  

Projects Half Done Progress update:

There were 52 projects already started before January 1, 2025 (up from 46 in 2024). The below screenshot of my projects from the spreadsheet provided (and a little expanded) by QuiltingGail is my 'official' list with reference numbers used throughout the year.

As of April 30th, 4 projects have been completed (Blue Highlight), 2 UFO's and 2 new projects. 3 projects completed this month (Green Highlight on completion Date), 1 UFO and 2 new projects. 7 projects progressed this month (Pink Highlight), 3 UFO's and 4 new project. 

How did sewing go?

March and April Projects Completed:

1) Mend Bandanna and Jeans Quilt 1: Dogs and people daily use  wore some holes in our chair covering Bandanna and Jeans Quilt 1. Mending Bandannas and Jeans Quilt 1 was 2025 Project 8 completed in for 1-hour and 57-minutes.

2) Mailbox cover version 3: Tried to start this last September, but then Wiki came along and I didn’t have the mental/emotional space to get it done. Now that he’s 9-months old, we had a happy medium of him walking nicely over the spread out tarp and pattern on the floor and putting him in the pen while I did things where he couldn’t “help”. The cover is put on the mailbox on the nights when the sprinkler system runs as the well water contains contaminants. See the discoloration of the palm tree trunk in the background. It would take more energy and coordination than Mr. Hubby Bear or I have to move the sprinkler head and change the landscaping around the base of the mailbox. Last cover was made about 2-years ago but the silver reflective was on the outside and it didn’t wear well. We will see how long this one works with the brown hardier side facing out. Mailbox cover version 3 is 2025 UFO 50 completed in 3-hours and 18-minutes.

3) Mending Osky's socks: After finishing the Mailbox cover the day before with one sewing machine set up for outdoor thread also used to mend Osky’s socks, Nellie and Hacki prodded me into getting them done. Mending ~30 Osky Socks is 2025 Project 10 completed in 51-minutes.

March and April Projects Progressed:

1) Moon Garden Smitten2 (2025 UFO 7): Block 5C assembled and attached to complete the Month 5 milestone. Smitten2 Month 5 completed in 49-hours and 59-minutes out of 219-hours and 54-minutes on the entire quilt top of 16 Months. Block 6B was laid out to start the assembly. Month 6 in progress for 6-hours and 30-minutes.

2) Tula Pink's Alchemy Row 1 assembly continued after the trip to Chicago in February. Alchemy, a 2022 BOM, (2025 UFO 6) has Row 1 has progressed in 70-hours and 54-minutes out of 119-hours and 28-minutes on the entire quilt top so far. 5 of Unit 1C are in progress.

3) & 4) Embroidery 101 has started with an Alphabet Sampler Page and January Stitches. I've received supplies, cut my sample fabrics and even started a test page. I'm so pleased to have started adding thread to fabric.

5) Tux Collage Quilt from the Jacksonville Modern Quilt Guild (JAX MQG) workshop with Phyllis Cullen is 2025 Project 6 in progress for 13-hours and 23-minutes.

6) Honeybee Quilters guild workshop with Gail Renna of the Deb Tucker's Studio 180 Studio Abstraction pattern. Abstraction Quilt is 2025 Project 7 in progress for 20-hours and 4-minutes. First block is assembled.

7) JAX MQG 2020 BOM + MQG 2025 Sew Along: Pulled out the 7 JAX MQG blocks to make and add the 6 MQG blocks to make a new quilt. I've sorted the fabrics already selected to join the MQG Sew Along to create the new 6 blocks. Any MQG member has access to the patterns for free.

March and April Stats:

• 3 Completed
• 7 Progressed
• 50 UFO's remaining
• 5 2025 started projects remaining

What did you get done in March and April?

Link-Ups:
* Mini Archie's April 2025 Furtle Around The Blogosphere as #3

* Ms P Designs - April PHD in 2025 as #4

* Life in Pieces - Stitching Stuff Week ? of 2025 as #TBD