Blog Posts

2019 Finish-A-Long Q1 WINNERS!

4/30/2019

The time has come to officially wrap up Quarter 1 of the Finish-A-Long by announcing the winners and awarding some wonderful prizes from our fantastic sponsors. We had a whopping 553 finishes for the first quarter of 2019, which is really impressive you guys, keep it up!

Without further ado, here are the winners picked by Random Number Generator for Q1 of the 2019 Finish-A-Long:

The winner's choice of One Large 12 Spool Collection from Aurifil goes to Ann who blogs at Brown Paws Quilting and she finished this gorgeous Summer Sampler quilt that she custom quilted:

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The $80 Gift Certificate from Sew Sweetness goes to Michelle who blogs at From Bolt to Beauty and she finished 11 Jane Market Bags for her children's teachers (here is just one of them):

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The $50 Gift Certificate from Mad About Patchwork goes to Sandra who blogs at Musings of a Menopausal Melon - mmm! Quilts and she finished this lovely cushion/pillow cover:

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The $50 Gift Certificate from Fat Quarter Shop goes to Melinda on IG @mamasan_gerber and she finished this large hexagon pouf:

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The $25 Gift Certificate from Sew Me A Song goes to Melinda who blogs at Quiltn in Wilton and she finished this bright and cheerful child sized quilt:

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The 3 PDF Patterns from Happy Quilting goes to Liz who blogs at Yorkshire Quilter and she finished this beautiful scrappy charity string quilt:

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The 2 PDF Patterns from Charm About You goes to Gretchen who blogs at 120 Blocks and she finished this fantastic Jelly Roll Rug:

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The 2 PDF Patterns from Blossom Heart Quilts go to Janice on IG @tangibleculture and she finished this lovely cross stitch ornament:

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The 6 Month Subscription to Make Modern Magazine goes to Anja who blogs at Anja Quilts and she finished this really fun quilt:

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The 2 PDF Patterns from Bonjour Quilts goes to Jennie who blogs at Jennie's Threads and she finished this gorgeous sampler quilt:

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The $30 Fabric Voucher from Hillstitches goes to Pippa on IG @pippaspatch and she finished this wonderful duel sided table runner:

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There you have it folks, quarter one of the year is officially wrapped up! Congratulations to all of our winners and a big thanks to everyone that played along so far this year.

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The 2019 Finish-A-Long - My Q2 List

4/13/2019

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Howdy folks! Here we are starting up the second quarter of the year and I'm ready to make my list and I think I'm going to set some self imposed deadlines. I have to be honest, if I have deadlines, then I get the projects done. If I don't...well they languish forever, so deadlines it is. Simple enough, right?

This being said, I'm keeping my list short and sweet because I don't want either of these to be carried over next quarter!

1. Bee Sewcial Flower Quilt - I have about half embroidered, so I need to finish with the hand stitching and then put this baby together. My self imposed deadline is June 17, 2019.

2. Triangle Bee Sewcial Quilt - The top is finished, need the back finished and then quilting. My self imposed deadline is May 31, 2019.

Two quilts seem doable, right? Well we shall see, the key will be to focus on actually working on these projects and not adding anything new!

Have you made your list and linked up yet? If not, you still have plenty of time, the linky is open for 5 more days and you can find it HERE. We would love to have you, even if it is your first time playing along.

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2019 FInish-A-Long - Quarter 2 Link Up!

4/10/2019

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Hello everyone! It is time for Quarter 2 of the Finish-A-Long (FAL)!

As you can see, a new quarter of the Finish-A-Long is starting today. If you missed participating at the beginning of the year, you can join us now for a brand new start. Those of you who did join us for the first quarter, thank you and I do hope you finished some things and plan to continue on with us for Q2.

So let's get to it!
You can now link up your list of projects that you want to finish in Quarter 2 of 2019. We are hoping that the FAL community will inspire you to work on your unfinished projects this quarter, and to get them finished!

Our 2019 Finish-A-Long Hosts

The 2019 FAL is hosted by a great community of bloggers. This year our hosts are:

Sandra - Sew of Course - Ireland
Marci - Marci Girl Designs - USA Louisiana
Leanne - She Can Quilt - Canada
Ella - Throw a Wench in the Works - USA Georgia
Karen - Capitola Quilter - USA California
Lynne - Tinking Along - USA Maryland
Izzy - Dizzy Quilts - Canada
Sarah G - Sarah Goer Quilts - USA California
Sarah Z - Cedar Fork Stitches - USA Montana
Julie - That’s Sew Julie - USA Iowa
Sharla - Thistle Thicket Studio - USA Kansas
Nicole - Handwrought Quilts - Canada

For those of you who are new to the FAL, here is an explanation: The Finish-A-Long is a community aiming to motivate and encourage each other to complete those unfinished projects that are hanging around, sometimes for far too long. At the start of the quarter you post and link up a list of projects you hope to finish in the next three months. Then, at the end of the quarter, you link up each successful finish from your original list.

Each linked up finish is an entry into the draw for wonderful prizes from our sponsors. There is no penalty for not finishing a listed project, so feel free to make your list as long or as short as you wish. The 2019 Schedule and Rules for the FAL are on my permanent 2019 FAL page, let me know if you have any questions.

Our 2019 Finish-A-Long Sponsors

Here are the fantastic and generous sponsors for Q2 of the Finish-A-Long. you can see each of their prizes listed under their logo. Please think about visiting them and saying thank you for their their support of the FAL.

Winner's Choice of 1 Large 12 Spool Collection

$80 Gift Certificate

$50 Gift Certificate

$25 Gift Certificate

3 PDF Patterns

2 PDF Patterns

1 Six Month Subscription

2 PDF Patterns

$30 Fabric Voucher

Make your Q2 List of Unfinished Projects

So now it is time to sort out the projects/UFOs/WIPs that you want to finish over the next three months. Take a photo of each one and make your list. If you like you can use our Finish-A-Long Planner to list your projects and keep track of progress. It also has all link-up dates for the year, and the hashtags that we would use. Or use any method that works for you. Please ensure that you have at least STARTED your projects - pulled fabric with a pattern is considered a project started - and remember it is only a FINISHED project that will get you an entry toward the above listed prizes. So while we love to see your bee blocks, the "finish" is when they are a completed, usable project.

Post Your Q2 List

Post your list either on your blog, on Instagram, or on Flickr if you prefer. If posting on social media (Flickr, Instagram), it will be very helpful if you tag your list with #2019FALQ2yourname (where yourname is unique to you). Using the same hashtag over the quarter when sharing project progress or finishes helps the host to make the connection to your original list quickly and easily.
IMPORTANT: Don't forget to link up your finishes at the end of the quarter! We will be posting a reminder on the blog and on Instagram, but do keep an eye out...

Link-up Your Q2 List

The 2019 Q2 link for your list of proposed finishes is now open below, on my blog and on each of the hosting blogs. You need only link your list once, on ONE host blog, and the link will show up on all the host blogs. If you are using Flickr or Instagram, post a mosaic of your projects and put your list in the description. Don't forget to include your unique hashtag.
If you need a little help, Katy of The Littlest Thistle has a great tutorial on how to link up if you need it, and Marci has a post on how to link up from Instagram.

Join the FAL Community

We also ask that you become part of the FAL community. Please check out the links of others - visit and comment on their lists. We all need encouragement to get those finishes done, so please share some of your own too.

If you want you can follow us on Facebook: Finish-A-Long and/or on Instagram: @finishalong, too. We'll post encouragement during the quarter and reminders when the finishes link up opens at the end of the quarter.

When creating your list there is one thing to remember - No deductions for not completing something so - Aim High! Nothing to lose!! Well now, get that list together and get linked up.

LET THE FUN BEGIN!

Feel free to use and share the FAL button at the top and this one too:

Remember: you only need to link up at ONE hosting blog and it will automatically show up on all hosting blogs.

An InLinkz Link-up

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Q1 Finish-A-Long - How Did I Do?

4/9/2019

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Hey Ya'll! Every quarter I like to check in and hold myself accountable to the Finish-A-Long. So how did I do? Oh first let me remind you that I and none of the hosts are eligible for prizes so we play along just because we love the Finish-A-Long. Ok so now that is out of the way, back to how I did. Well I bet you can guess, whomp whomp another quarter goes by that I don't finish anything.

BUT...I did make progress and that is something..

I worked on embroidering each of these improv flower blocks from my Bee Sewcial members. This has been my in-between project, you know sitting at the Dr. office, riding in a car. So I've been slowly adding stitching to these blocks. I think I'm about half way done with them. I'm approaching it like, "slow and steady wins the race."

So there you have it, worked on one, didn't touch the others. I do hope you had a more successful quarter than I did. The link up is still open for a few more hours so don't forget to link up all of your finishes! You can find the link up HERE.

Even if you didn't have a successful quarter (like me) then join us for Q2! Make your list and link up starting tomorrow. Even if you have never played before or a seasoned veteran, we would love to have you.

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2019 Finish-A-Long - Reminder to Link Up and Tutorial Week!

4/6/2019

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Today I'm popping in for a quick reminder that the Quarter 1 link up for all your finishes closes on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at 11 pm EST. So you still have a few more days to finish that project or two and link them up to be eligible for prizes. The link up can be found HERE or on any of the 2019 FAL hosts blogs.

A few reminders for linking up:

Please only one finished project for each post that you link up, so that each finish can be an entry in the (random) prize draw.
Please include a link to your original list in each post of your finishes (on Instagram the link is the unique tag #2019FALQ1yourname to be used in the Q1 list post, and in any Q1 finish post).
Please visit some of the other participants and leave a friendly comment, we all love to get those!

I also wanted to share with you that we just wrapped up "Tutorial Week" which has been part of the Finish-A-Long since it's inception. The tutorials are varied, interesting, and usually helpful, so take some time to investigate and visit the blogs below!

April 2, 2019 - Sandra of Studio Sew of Course - Playing with Log Cabins
April 3, 2019 - Sarah of Cedar Fork Stitches - Easy Gingham Potholders
April 4, 2019 - Sharla of Thistle Thicket Studio - Easter Bunny Zipper Pouch
April 5, 2019 - Nicole of Handwrought Quilts - How to Bury Your Thread Ends

And whether you had a lot of finishes, or none at all this quarter, or you missed Finish-A-Long Q1 altogether, you can always join in for Quarter 2 which is taking off on April 10th, with the link up opening for your List of Proposed Finishes. We hope you will join us!

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2019 Finish-A-Long - Quarter 1 Finishes Link Up

4/1/2019

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We have reached the end of Quarter 1 of the 2019 Finish-A-Long already!! Of course, that means it is now time to link up those finishes from the list you linked up in January. We had a record-breaking 233 lists linked up for Q1, and we hope that you have been able to complete a bunch of the UFOs on your list. If you haven't, we'll do it all over again for Quarter 2...

The 2019 FAL is hosted by a great community of bloggers. This year our hosts are:

Marci - Marci Girl Designs - USA Louisiana
Sandra - Sew of Course - Ireland
Leanne - She Can Quilt - Canada
Ella - Throw a Wench in the Works - USA Georgia
Karen - Capitola Quilter - USA California
Lynne - Tinking Along - USA Maryland
Izzy - Dizzy Quilts - Canada
Sarah G - Sarah Goer Quilts - USA California
Sarah Z - Cedar Fork Stitches - USA Montana
Julie - That’s Sew Julie - USA Iowa
Sharla - Thistle Thicket Studio - USA Kansas
Nicole - Handwrought Quilts - Canada

Each finish you link up will be in the draw for great prizes, so let's give a huge thank you to our fantastic sponsors:

Winner's Choice of 1 Large 12 Spool Collection

$80 Gift Certificate

$50 Gift Certificate

$25 Gift Certificate

3 PDF Patterns

2 PDF Patterns

1 Six Month Subscription

2 PDF Patterns

$30 Fabric Voucher

The 2019 Quarter 1 link for your finishes is now open below on my blog and on each of the hosting blogs - you only need to link on one blog for your finish to appear on all host blogs.

Link-up "Rules":

Add one link for each finish. If you want to link a round up post of all your finishes, use that link to enter one of your finishes and then link the rest of your finishes separately. Please, only one link per finish, as your link is an entry into the randomly drawn prize draws.

Please ensure that the photo (Instagram or Flickr) or blog post you link up contains a link or reference back to your original list so that we can verify your entry (make sure it is from the appropriate quarter, too). On Instagram the best way to do that is to tag your photos with #2019FALQ1yourname (where yourname is unique to you), this makes it easier for us to match your finishes with your list, which also should have this tag.

Please become part of the FAL community. Check out the links of others and leave a comment. We all need encouragement so let's applaud each other. The 2019 FAL Facebook page is HERE and you can follow us on Instagram @finishalong.

Our hosts will also link up their finishes to share in the community but they are not eligible for any of the prizes.

The Q1 Finishes link will stay open from now thru 11 pm, EST, Tuesday, April 9, 2019 - as we are global, you might want to check your time zone to determine your last possible time to link. You can also see how much time is left below the linked up images on the right. It is best to link up your finishes early and if you have a last minute one, add that one later so you don't miss out. The prizes will be awarded as soon as we can verify all the entries and do the drawings. We will post the winners on each host's blog.

Lastly, don't forget to start making your Q2 list as the next LIST link opens on Wednesday, April 10, 2019.

2019 Q1 Finishes Link Up:

An InLinkz Link-up

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My Fringe Blouse

3/22/2019

3 Comments

Hello! I had the privilege to test the new extended size and cup range of the Fringe Blouse and Dress pattern by Chalk & Notch Patterns. I say privilege because Gabriela has the most detailed, well written patterns. I have made several Waterfall Raglans and a LOT of girls Waterfall Raglans but hadn't tried any of her woven patterns. When I was offered the opportunity to test I jumped on it. The testing took place right after Quiltcon so it was nice to get back to sewing immediately once I got home.

I have a rather large stash of fabrics so I dug deep and found this light blue floral polyester blend that has been in my stash for at least 10 years. I washed it, hung it to dry and was able to cut the blouse out of 2 yards of 58" wide fabric.

One of the things I love about Chalk & Notch Patterns are the attention to details in the directions. They really walk you step by step and you never question what to do at any point, which is really nice when sewing up a style you haven't tried before. I was afraid this fabric was going to be fussy to work with since it is really slippery but I never had a problem.

I chose to make View A as I liked the sleeve option and the front having the crossover button detail. I cut out a size 18 C/D at the top and graded out to a size 20 in the waist. I cut the bottom "skirt" out as a size 20. The top portion fit perfectly but the waist was still a bit snug right at the seam line so I ended up letting out the four waistline darts just a tad (2 in the back and 2 in the front.) Now the fit is more comfortable. Since I'm 5' even and the pattern is drafted for a taller gal, I shortened the upper bodice by 1" and think I could go a little more next time. The length was perfect as is. Other than that I changed nothing else with the pattern.

I am thrilled with the back of this garment, no pulling, it looks nice and feminine. This blouse will be in constant rotation this spring for sure.

The updated Women's Fringe pattern is available now and on sale for a limited time. Head over to Chalk & Notch Patterns where you can find the PDF to purchase. I highly recommend the pattern and can honestly say it is very flattering on a variety of figures and sizes. Gabriela wrote a very extensive blog post on all the updates and sizing information so if you have any questions you can find all that information HERE.

I feel like a clothing blog post can't be complete unless I have an out take. I don't know if you guys remember the show, "My Name is Earl" but the main character on the show could not take a photograph without his eyes being closed and for some reason as an adult the same applies to me. This photo shoot was taken by my husband and he took about 75 photos and SO MANY my eyes were closed and of course it is always the photo I love the most. HAHA oh well, so here it is.

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My First Podcast Interview

3/20/2019

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I posted last week that I was scheduled to be on Pat Sloan's American Patchwork & Quilting Podcast on Monday, March 18, 2019 and I was! Pat contacted me a few months ago and I'll honestly say I thought it was a mistake. Who me? Apparently it wasn't a mistake and yes indeed she did want to have a chat with me. I filled out a "questionnaire" of sorts and then Pat turned that into a basic script for the show. The segment was going to last 15 minutes and I knew basically what we would be discussing.

The afternoon of the interview I was extremely nervous as the show is live. I wasn't worried about what I would say or what we would talk about but rather that my phone would drop the call or have cell phone issues. Thankfully all the worrying was for nothing as my phone behaved itself. A few minutes before the show Pat's producer called and informed me of what was happening. Pat hoped on and we chatted briefly and then the music started playing.

I can truly say that it was the fastest 15 minutes of my life! If you have ever met me in person then you know I can be quite the talker especially when it comes to quilting/sewing. Mrs. Sloan is such a professional, she kept the conversation flowing and reined me in when I was blabbing too much. We spent some time at the beginning talking about how I got into quilting, this transitioned into talking about the Finish-A-Long that I've been managing for the last two years and participating in since 2012.

I was thrilled to be able to talk about the FInish-A-Long and give it even more exposure. We truly want you all to play along with us! So I was just a chatting away and then Mrs. Sloan gives me the "we only have one minute left" and I'm thinking, "Are you kidding? Where did the time go?" We didn't even get to chat about half of the stuff on the script! Oh well, maybe next time, right? LOL

That just about sums up the experience, it was really fun, just like having a chat with an old friend about a subject you could talk about forever. No reason to be nervous and the best part is that I have this image (above) for forever proof that I was on a HUGE radio show and had my 15 minutes of fame.

Truly the best part is that it is recorded and you can listen to it now or later! So if you have some time and fancy to listen to the show you can find my Episode 414 HERE. If you take the time to listen, thank you and let me know what you think!

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Exciting Stuff Coming Up!

3/16/2019

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I'm popping in here today to share some exciting news...I'm going to be on the American Patchwork & Quilting Podcast on Monday, March 18, 2019!!! The show will be available for you to listen on Monday after 6 pm EST on Pat Sloan's Blog HERE. You can just open up her blog on your computer, turn the sound on and have a listen. Not complicated at all! You can also listen and subscribe via ITunes.

If you have ever been curious to hear my Southern drawl, then please check it out next week. Hopefully I won't be too nervous as the show is live and you will quickly see that I can be quite the talker when it comes to sewing and quilting!

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2018 Q4 Finish-A-Long Winners!

2/11/2019

2 Comments

We are at the last post to round off the 2018 Finish-A-Long. Today we are celebrating 392 (!!) finished projects in Quarter 4 of the 2018 FAL. So many of you are joining in and getting their UFOs or WIPs out of that dark corner, and into the limelight to be shown off as a finish. If you are in need of inspiration go on over and have a look, there were so many great makes. And of course, thanks to our many generous sponsors, we are finishing off the quarter and the year by announcing the lucky winners!!

Without further ado, the winners picked by the Random Number Generator of the 2018 Q4 FAL prizes are:

The Q4 Winner of the $50 Gift Certificate from Fat Quarter Shop is Kate who blogs at Life in Pieces and she finished this adorable Halloween themed quilt:

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The Q4 Winner of the 3 PDF Patterns from During Quiet Time is Helene on IG @30hela and she finished this lovely rainbow solids quilt :

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The Q4 prize of the $25 Gift Certificate from Sew Sisters Quilt Shop goes to Heather who blogs at Peachy Pages and she finished this Dresden Ohio quilt:

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The Q4 Winner of the 2 PDF Patterns from Quilting Jet Girl is Cheryl on Flickr at Paisley Crazy and she finished this pretty quilt that she gifted as a wedding present:

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The Q4 Winner of the $20 Gift Certificate from Sew Me a Song is Mary and she blogs at Quilting is in My Blood and she finished this Floating Hexagons quilt with a wonderful quilting pattern:

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The Q4 Winner of the 3 PDF Patterns from Happy Quilting is Celine and she blogs at EspritPatch and she finished this Tabor V-neck top:

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The Q4 Winner of the 2 PDF Patterns from Charm About You is Teresa via IG @misdosbichillos and she finished these super cute house ornaments:

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The Q4 Winners (3x) of the 6 Month Subscription to Make Modern Magazine are:

1. Melanie who blogs at Mel Meyer. She finished this rainbow Sew Together bag:

2. Kat who blogs at Craftaholic Kat. She finished these cheery Christmas pillows:

3. Debbie who blogs at A Quilter's Table. She finished this Bee Sewcial group quilt inspired by Gwen Marston:

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The Q4 prize of the $25 Gift Certificate from Studio 39 Fabrics goes to Leslie via IG @sugarhousequilter and she finished this Accentuate the Positive quilt in warm colors:

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The Q4 Winner of the $25 Gift Certificate from Tartan Kiwi is Magdalena via IG @magdalenadetz and she finished this English paper pieced pillow for her living room:

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The Q4 Winner of the Minikins bundle from Sew Sweetness is Robin via IG @robinbirdrobin and she finished this lovely Christmas tree skirt for a friend:

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The Q4 prize of the $50 Gift Certificate from Mad About Patchwork goes to Jan via IG @snell.jan and she finished this fantastic floral quilt:

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The Q4 Winner of the 2 PDF Patterns from Blossom Heart Quilts is Sheila who blogs at Chez Budsmam and she finished this cute mini tuffet:

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The Q4 Winner of the $30 Gift Certificate from Clover & Violet is Helen via IG @archiewonderdog and she finished this drawstring knitting bag for her Mother:

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Congratulations to all the winners! Thank you for playing along with us in the fourth quarter, and we hope you are joining us in this new year. We love to encourage you to finish up all those WIPs and UFOs, and to see what great makes will be finished next time.

This post officially finishes up the 2018 Finish-A-Long and we want to give a huge thank you to all of this years hosts: Sandra, Marci, Leanne, Karen, Izzy, Lynne, Ella and Felicity. Each of you made this task of the FAL easy and enjoyable. A gigantic thank-you to this years sponsors, we truly appreciate your prizes and sponsorship this year.

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2019 Finish-A-Long Q1 WINNERS!

The 2019 Finish-A-Long - My Q2 List