One Finish and More Progress

    The past few weeks I have been focused on finishing UFOs and pulled a couple to work on. The child's top was pieced last year.  I used flannel for the backing and finished the quilting. The binding is made and hopefully a church friend will bind.

Next I pulled 16 saw tooth stars, pieced 4 more, cut sashing and pieced this small charity top.  

     Some months ago I was teaching my church quilt group about partial seam blocks. I pieced one in the demo and had all the background fabric cut. I didn't want that block to just sit any more. Last week I pieced a total of 18 plaid partial seam blocks which is enough for an on-point setting. I chose setting fabric and cut the triangles. This photo shows when I was auditioning the fabric.  I will wait until Wednesday's church quilt day for the final setting and start sewing together the top. 

   It feels good to move UFOs along to the finish and I hope I can make more progress on them.

Stash Report for 2025

        this past week - Used: 3.25 yds Added: 0 yds

So far this year –Used: 96.045 yds Added: 38.5 yds

        Net decrease 57.545 yds

I'm linking up with Alycia's Finished or Not Friday. Hope you check out what others are making.

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

A Quilt Finish and More

     Monday I pieced all the Rick Rack blocks into a top with sashing and cornerstones. The block can be easily pieced from 2 ½” strips. I found the pattern from Carol Thelen. You can watch her tutorial on YouTube and there is a link there for the free pattern.

     Tuesday I picked 90 lbs of pears from a friend's tree. Some years I have canned pear honey or preserves. I usually freeze a lot of cut up pears. Last year I shared pears with Sally and she shared her pear chutney and the recipe so this year I plan to make pear chutney.

    Wednesday quilt group met at church. We had a small group because many were on vacation. We chose a backing and sandwiched my Quick Quarter Quilt top. When I got home I decided to quilt our Village quilt and make the binding. I quilted overall FM swirls. Here it is quilted and trimmed. Another will add the binding.

     Friday and Saturday I quilted my Quick Quarter Quilt. The binding was finished Sunday evening.

     I sent my latest QOV top to my sister's guild in NC for them to finish. Now to pull another UFO to work on and then make some pear chutney. 

Stash Report for 2025

    this past week - Used: 2.5 yds Added: 0 yds

So far this year –Used: 92.795 yds Added: 38.5 yds

    Net decrease 53.995 yds

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

Quilt Progress and Happy July 4th

     This week I made some progress on quilting projects. I added simple borders to Kenny Koala but he will wait for quilting.

     I quilted a simple continuous FM motif on my Trip Around the World and meandered the busy border fabric. A church friend will bind for me so it counts as a finish.

     I sewed together all the columns of my Quick Quarter Quilt. This is an Eleanor Burns pattern from her book Quick Trip Quilts and uses 18 fat quarters for lap size. I have chosen fabrics for a breaker and outer border. I think the top is a lot prettier than it appears in the photo.

    That is all my sewing for the week as I've been tackling weeds in the yard most mornings before it gets too hot.   For this July 4^th holiday I plan to enjoy BBQ with son John and a friend. We will probably hear pops from neighbors' fireworks but I don't plan any. I hope others will enjoy a safe and happy day.

I'm linking up with Alycia's Finished or Not Friday. 

Have a great day!

A Couple of Finishes

     I love to sew things for family so when GD Lily requested a seashell pillow for her bedroom, I wanted to make one. Since we don't have JoAnn Fabrics anymore, I had a little trouble finding the right fabric to use. I created my own pattern from an internet photo that she shared. For dimension I cut 2 layers and stitched lines to create the sections.

After stuffing the sections for a front and back,

I sewed the 2 halves together, turned right side out and stuffed more. Here is GD Lily with her seashell pillow.

     At the last church quilt day I sandwiched a child's quilt and Saturday I finished the quilting. It is not my favorite quilt but I hope a child will enjoy it.

     I spent some more time cutting up scraps; however, not enough to record a change to my stash report this week.

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

March Block a Day Finish and More

     For several years Pat Sloan has hosted a March Block a Day sew along. This year the block was a half log cabin block with a larger center. I chose to raid my 2 ½ “ strips for all the greens I could find. I cut a few more to get the contrast of light and dark. I started using brown squares for the start but added some greens later for more interest. I chose the overlapping squares layout and only made 20 blocks for a 4 by 5 setting to make a lap quilt. I FM quilted swirls. Here is my finish with a simple border to frame.

     I have been thinking about making many small gifts that I can give as a thank you. I usually make a lot of mug rugs so I wanted something different. Saturday I decided to make quilted journal covers. I finished one.   Then I pulled batting scraps and pieced 14 “Franken-batting” pieces for 14 covers.

 I thought about using orphan blocks. I was able to finish 3 more journal covers.

However, I think it takes longer to use the orphan blocks than just using fabric scraps.

   This week I have more journal covers to make and a baby quilt top to quilt.  

Stash Report for 2025

this past week - Used: 2.6 yds Added: 0 yds

So far this year –Used: 53.795 yds Added: 7 yds

Net decrease 46.795 yds

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

Pink Potato Chip Finish

     I discovered the potato chip block on YouTube like many other quilters and was interested in using my scraps. One of my sisters said her granddaughter only wanted pink so I pulled all my pink scraps to make her the Pink Potato Chip quilt. I used the block variation with a lighter round after dark center 2 bricks.

I had to cut a few more strips to finish the 30 blocks. The quilt measures about 64 by 76” .

    I recommend the potato chip block as it is easy, made with only one size unit, few matching seams, and several color value variations can make it more interesting. You can also easily change the size brick unit or even the number of rounds. Search YouTube or Google and you will find many tutorials and inspiration. Give the potato chip block a try.

    Yesterday I made good progress quilting my March Block a Day quilt with half log blocks and should have it finished by Monday. After many days with lots of lawn and garden work, it felt good to get some quilting done.

    I'm linking with Alycia Quilts for Finished (or Not) Friday. Hope you check out what other quilting are doing. 

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

Two Finishes

     I finally spent some time quilting after time in the garden or on home projects.  First was this Fat Quarter Four Patch ( free pattern from Fat Quarter Shop) quilt which was a church group project for a family who suddenly lost the father/husband several months ago. It was pieced from many of his favorite shirts. I pieced them into the top and quilted. Joan added the binding. It will be a special hug of memories.

     Next is a comfort quilt. The top was pieced by the Cresco ladies of Iowa. I added the side borders and quilted FM swirls. Someone else will bind.

There was no change in my stash report for the week.

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

QOV Presentation and Another Finish

      My local quilt guild, Greater Columbia Quilters, has a sub group whose focus is Quilts of Valor. Last Wednesday they presented quilts to 5 veterans. The second from the right received the “Stars Like Spaghetti” quilt that I made following Alycia's pattern and quilt along.

     I spent some time piecing pink potato chip blocks. I had to search my stash for a few more dark pink fabrics. Here is my stack of 30 finished blocks which will make a 60 by 72” quilt.  Hopefully, soon I will lay them out and sew the top together. 

     I took a little time to play with some green scraps to create 2 mug rugs for St. Patrick's Day.

    A few weeks ago I sandwiched my “Hometown Charms”. It was Pat Sloan's Block Wednesday in 2022. Friday I finished the quilting using Leah Day's Echo Shortcut overall motif. Sunday I sewed the binding on and here is the finish. 

Yay! That is one more off my UFO list.

    Stash Report for 2025

this past week - Used: 4.25 yds Added: 0 yds

So far this year - Used: 30.115 yds Added: 3 yds

Net decrease 27.115 yds

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

Another Finish

      With the unusual winter weather in South Carolina I was stuck inside a couple of days. The ice and snow made for a great time to work on quilt projects. I sandwiched 3 quilts and finished the quilting on one. This was the free BOM in 2022 for A Quilting Life. 

 They offer one each year and you can find out about this year's BOM here.

    I also made a special pillowcase for a friend's birthday and then I made 8 mug rugs for gifts.

Stash Report for 2025

this past week - Used: 11.25 yds Added: 0 yds

So far this year - Used: 21.25 yds Added: 3 yds

Net decrease 18.25 yds

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

Another Comfort Quilt Finish

    I have been on a roll finishing and here is another comfort quilt. The pieced top was donated and long and narrow. I added wide side borders and quilted. I took the opportunity to practice the FM feather meander all over the main part. Although far from perfect it gives a nice texture.

Then because I love feathers, I quilted long feathers in the wide borders. Here is close up of the front

and here is close up of the back quilting.

   I cut more scrappy pink brick units for more potato chip blocks and currently have 12. I have more bricks cut so will continue making blocks. Hopefully 30 in all for a 60 by 72” quilt.

    I'm linking up with Alycia for Finished or Not Friday. Check it out for inspiration.

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

Second and Third Finish of 2025

     My quilting year is off to a great start finishing UFOs. My second finish is a comfort quilt for my church quilt group. We were given several tops pieced by quilters in Cresco, Iowa. I added a border of HSTs to this one and quilted.

I practiced a floral meander with some a few leaves and some simple meandering also. In the HSTs I quilted a continuous motif then swirls in the outer border.

     Then I pulled a quilt top that was already sandwiched so over the weekend I finished quilting this improv red, black and white quilt and machine sewed on the binding. It will wait to be gifted to someone.

     I like patterns that use brick units; however, I had never pieced a potato chip block so I decided to try a few with pink scraps from church. Pink is the color of the month for the 2025 Scrap Challenge. I pieced two blocks and decided to pull more pink scrap strips from my stash.

Maybe I will make enough pink potato chip blocks for a large lap quilt.

Stash Report for 2025

this past week - Used: 2 yds Added: 0 yds

So far this year - Used: 5.5 yds Added: 0 yds

      Net decrease 5.5 yds

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

2025 Yearly Goals and First Finish

    My list of UFOs has been updated and quilting supplies organized so I am ready for a productive quilting year for 2025. My goals are the same as for last year.

1. Finish UFOs

I have a priority list of 12 UFOs for family, friends and myself plus 6 charity/comfort UFOs. Many are tops waiting to be quilted. After these are finished, I hope to pull other UFOs and move them forward. It will be difficult to resist the temptation to start something new when inspiration hits.

2. Reduce fabric stash

I am blessed to have a significant fabric stash from which to pull. However, I would really like to reduce the space it takes.

3. Control and use scrap fabric 

I have worked to establish a scrap user system; however, I would like to use it more frequently. I know there are numerous lovely pattern that can be made with the pieces already cut.

     The first week of the new year I am off to a great start with my quilting goals. I sandwiched 2 tops. Saturday I quilted my “Stars Like Spaghetti” QOV from Alycia-Quiltygirl. Now it is trimmed and ready for binding which friend Jan will do.

Stash Report for 2025

this past week - Used: 3.5 yds Added: 0 yds

So far this year - Used: 3.5 yds Added: 0 yds

Net decrease 3.5 yds

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.