Green Bargello (Update)

I started this quilt top way back in Sept 2008. Shortly after I found Bonnie Hunter's website Quiltville.com When I first seen this pattern, I had to make it! Her method of making it seemed like something I could do, and so I printed the pattern off, and went shopping for fabric. I got all the strips cut, 1 set of 28 strips sewed together and one set of six subcuts sewed together for the first panel. Then frustation took over the feeling of happiness. I soon figured out that, it sure wasn't going as easy as she made it look. I had trouble matching all the seams, and kept having to rip out more stitches than it seemed like I was even sewing. And then, I found other patterns that was easier and more fun to make, so I grabbed a big Ziploc bag, gathered up all the fabric, the instructions, and all the parts I had been working on, stuffed them in there, zipped it shut, and labeled the contents. Without realizing it, I had just started something that would soon turn into a very bad habit! Yes, I had just officiolly aquired my first UFO! (Unfinished Object)

How was I to know, that it would be months before I even looked at that bag! And, in the coming years, many other bags and boxes also joined it in the back of the closet.

In the years since then, I have learned many things about making quilts, that I didn't know back then. Some of those techniques, helped me drag that ziplock bag out several times, re do a lot of the work, the right way, and up until today, had brought the quilt top to atleast 1/2 done!

This week Stashbuilders a Yahoo group I belong to, started a week long sewing bee. I chose to work on this quilt top. I have gotten a lot accomlished today! I started the day off, with 2 completed panels consisting of six subsets of 28 blocks. Another six subsets cut but not sewn together, for the third panel. And, 28 3" X 20" strips to sew together, cut into 6 subsets and then sew them six together for the last panel.

I chose to go ahead and sew all the strips together first, then got them subcut.
Next I started sewing the 6 subcuts that I had done already together. Lots of seams to butt together, pin, and align properly. I did grow weary a time or two, and had thoughts of going on to another one of my goals that I had listed for the sewing bee.
But, then, I decided that I really needed to stick with this until I got the panel done. And I am really glad I did.

I now have 3 completed panels, and the six subsets to sew together for the last panel of the top!

I took some pics of what I started with, and some of my progress today as I sewed.
the first several pics are of the first two panels, the sub-cuts, and the 3" X 20" strips. The rest is what I did today!