Quarter One of the 2016 FAL is Open!!
It may be difficult to believe but here we are....the first Quarter of the 2016 Finish-A-Long - where did 2015 go?!! (And why are there still things on my list that were there at the beginning of 2015? Answers on a postcard...)
Adrianne from On The Windy Side has done a magnificent job of hosting the 2015 FAL - thank you, Adrianne! Thanks also to all of you who participated in 2015 and welcome to any newcomers - if you have any questions, please shout!
As revealed in an earlier post, the 2016 FAL is going global - a community of bloggers across the world will be jointly hosting the FAL, and the hosts are:
For those of you who are new to the FAL, it is a place to find motivation and encouragement to complete those unfinished projects which are hanging about becoming UFOs. At the beginning of each quarter, you post a list of projects you hope to finish in the next three months, and then at the end of the quarter, you post a link from your blog, Flickr or Instagram of each successful finish from your original list. You don't have to sign up for every quarter (although I'd recommend it as it's really helpful in moving those WIPs/UFOs along!), you can dip in an out as you wish. You must have linked up a list of proposed finishes at the start of the quarter in order to be eligible for linking up your finishes (and prizes!) at the end of it.
Each finish is an entry 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 (I tend to prefer the long version, that will come as no surprise, I suspect!). The 2016 Schedule and the Rules for the FAL are on my permanent FAL page, let me know if you have any questions. Leanne has written a very useful post which covers what your list needs to include, extra help linking up, and other things; it's well worth a read!
Here are the fantastic and generous sponsors for Q1 of the 2016 FAL - you can see each of their prizes listed under their logo:
Wouldn't it be great to win one of those prizes? You know what you have to do...
For the 2016 FAL, we will have the return of a tutorial week at the end of each quarter, between the opening of the link for finishes and the day that link closes - watch this space. If you have a tutorial that you would like to share, please let me know.
It's time to round up the projects you want to finish over the next three months: take a photo of where you are now and make your list. Please ensure that you have at least started your projects (pulled fabric with a pattern/plan count as started) and remember that it's finished projects that will count, so while we love to see your bee blocks, the "finish" is when they are a completed, quilted quilt. (It doesn't have to be just quilting projects, though, knitting, embroidery, etc. are also welcome - I've linked up several 'non-quilting' projects in the past and it's nice to see a variety of crafts across the FAL.)
The 2016 Q1 link for your list of proposed finishes is now open below, on my blog and on each of the hosting blogs. You only link your list once, on one blog, and that link will show up on all of the hosts' blogs. If you are using Flickr or Instagram, link a mosaic and put your list in the description. Katy of The Littlest Thistle has a great tutorial on how to link-up if you need it.
We also ask that you become part of the FAL community: please check out the links of others and visit and comment on their lists. We all need encouragement to get those finishes done, so please share some of your own, too. (I'll be attempting to blog my finishes as I (hopefully) come to them, rather than leaving most of them to the end of the quarter as I usually do. Although I always plan to blog them as they happen so I'm not holding my breath, but I'm hoping that this is the quarter where all that changed.)
My list is, erm, extensive. Yes, that's the word. Far too extensive to put here so I've done my usual and created a separate page for it (find it here); it's also on my FAL lists page. (I do that because it's easier for me to find it during the quarter/at the end, you don't have to have a separate page!)
Now it's your turn. Get those lists together and get linked up. The Q1 linky party will stay open until 11pm EST, 16th January - as we are global, you might want to check your time zone to determine your last possible time to link. (The link closes at 4am, 17th January for those of us on GMT.) If in doubt, there's a little count down on the bottom right of the link up telling you how long you've got before it closes. When I'm cutting it fine, I like to keep an eye on it, just in case I've got the time conversion wrong!
Remember: you only need to link up on ONE hosting blog and it will automatically show up on all hosting blogs.
Good luck!!
P.S. It wouldn't be a post without a photo or two of Archie, now would it? This was taken on Boxing Day, as he laid at my feet (and partly under the quilt I was quilting):
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| You can't even lift your head round here without someone pinching your spot... |
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| What are you hanging round for? You've got WIPs and UFOs to finish - come on, get on with it! |
Yes, I'm in, Archie.
ReplyDeleteYou need to give me plenty of "Woofs" to keep me going, however, please.
Off to check what I have to do...
Thankyou . . those prizes look massive . . my prize will be just finishing something!!! Woo Hoo!!!!
And they're off! I shall be keeping a keen eye on your progress over the next 3 months, and with luck and a following wind, I'll be joining you in April for the next quarter, once CoH is finished and on its way to the UK. Best of luck to everyone.
ReplyDeleteI need all the help I can get, I hope Archie gets a treat for everyone of our finishes!!!
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