Progress on Comfort Quilts

       As I was planning to be out of town visiting, I packed quilt projects in progress that I could easily work on when I had a few minutes and I made a lot of progress on a few. First I added a simple border to this top (pieced by someone else) to increase the size and then pieced a backing so we can sandwich it Wednesday at church quilt group. I am wondering what else it might need to be more interesting but maybe quilting will be enough.  

     Next I laid out my blue green potato chip blocks and sewed the top. I will probably add a simple narrow border to frame it and control all the seams on the edges. Potato chip blocks are my current favorite scrap pattern for a fast simple quilt because it has no nesting seams to match and looks so different depending on choice of fabrics.  

     Then I worked on my “Rainbow Crumb Chain”. I cut and sewed the alternate blocks with the black strip and pieced the top. I added a 2” border to help control all the seams on the edges of the crumb blocks.  

     I had some time Sunday afternoon so decided to try a fun new challenge - making continuous bias strips and sewing them to some improv petal (Orange Peel) shapes. I was inspired by Sherri Lynn Wood.   An 11” square made 3 yards of bias 2” wide. This is a technique I want to practice more. It is difficult to get them to lay flat but I did okay.  

       Stash Report for 2026 (finally updated correct year)

this past week - Used: 1 yd Added: 0 yds

So far this year - Used: 67.385 yds Added: 8 yds

Net decrease 59.385 yds

I'm linking up with Alycia for Finished or Not Friday  

Have a great week and enjoy sewing, quilting and creating.

Progress on Many

      I did not post last Monday because I didn't have anything to share. The week was spent with family and in the garden. This past week was a different story and this post is photo heavy. I spent more time in my sewing room and made progress on many different projects.

     I used red, white and blue scraps to make 2 mug rugs that will be small thank you gifts for a couple of men.

     I spent a lot of time on projects for my church quilt group. I quilted a small comfort quilt (40” by 40”) that someone else pieced. It will be good for a baby or someone in a wheelchair.

    Next I pieced the “Squiggle” blocks, a group project, into a top. The design is from Carol Thelen.  

    I also added sashing and a border to create this child's quilt top. The rows were pieced by another group member. 

    I finally took time to work on some of my own projects. I pulled 20 UFO blocks. I had already chosen a sashing fabric from my stash and laid out the blocks for my plan. The blocks were leftover after I made this "Wild Rainbow" quilt for a great niece 

and will be similar with different sashing, cornerstones and border.

     Lastly I pulled fabric for my GDs collage dorm quilt and hope to get busy on it soon. With all of those projects I did not use much fabric from my stash. I won't count the fabric used until I cut units which I hope to do this week.

Stash Report for 2025

this past week - Used: 0.25 yds Added: 1 yds

So far this year - Used: 59.01 yds Added: 6.5 yds

      Net decrease 52.51 yds

Have a great week and enjoy sewing, quilting and creating.

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.

Many Small Finishes

     For the past few weeks I have been busy making quilted journal covers and finished the last 5 for 18 total.

  I thought you might be interested in seeing more about my process. I adapted a free pattern from The Wooden Bear. You can find the original pattern here. I pieced the tops, then sandwiched and quilted.

Next it got trimmed to the 10 1/2” by 16 1/2”

and then sleeves are sewn on.

A standard composition notebook fits well.

These will be gifts to a group in August and I'm happy to have them made so that I can focus on a UFO.

     A few months ago I went with my sister to a small quilt show. She bought a quilt top and asked me to quilt it for our great niece. I finished the quilting. She will bind it.

     Last Wednesday I did a demo for my church quilt group on an easy 5 fabric Trip Around the World pattern. Wednesday I got my center pieced. Saturday I added borders. I chose the color palette based on the colors in the border fabric  and shopped for stash for fabrics.  I used almost every inch of the fabric to add a wide border.

      My church quilt group pieced little houses using the free “Village”pattern by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. for Moda Fabrics. I created an alternate setting in EQ and pieced the top. It is really cute.

Stash Report for 2025

this past week - Used: 5.5 yds Added: 0 yds

So far this year –Used: 65.545 yds Added: 38.5 yds

Net decrease 27.045 yds

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

Busy Quilt Room

     Today we take time to celebrate Veterans Day and honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. Thanks to all Veterans.

A special way quilters say thanks is by making Quilts of Valor. I have 2 QOV tops ready. Saturday I prepared the backing which hopefully will be sandwiched Wednesday and ready for quilting.

    My sewing room was busy the past week with quilting projects and I have a lot of progress to show. I have been on a mission to finish comfort quilts. I quilted this maroon and pink and Sally with bind.

Here is a close up of quilting.  I used Angela Walters' ferny feather in the border.

Next I quilted this leafy log cabin.

Here is a close up of quilting.  The border motif is from Laura Lee Fritz. 

Then I added the check border to make this donated top wider and it is ready to be sandwiched.

I appliqued the leaves on Grandma's Flowers top and pieced a backing so it is ready to be sandwiched. The flower units were hand pieced and donated to my church quilt group.

Over the weekend I pulled out Thanksgiving/fall fabric scraps and pieced 7 mug rugs, pieced batting scraps and cut backings. Sunday afternoon I was able to finish 4.

      A large amount of fabric from my stash was used this past week. Sadly, it did not make a visible difference. I will just have to keep working at using stash. I started looking back at quilts that have been started and/or finished so far this year and thinking about my list for the new year. I have made many more comfort quilts than I worked on my own UFOs. I will share the details closer to the end of the year.

        Stash Report for 2024

           this past week - Used: 13.905 yds Added: 0 yds

So far this year - Used: 129.66 yds Added: 44.625 yds

              Net decrease 85.035 yds

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

Two Finishes

     It has been too hot to work outside so I have spent several days quilting and it feels great to have 2 finishes. First, the “Ribbons and Pinwheels” is finished and ready to be gifted.

It began as I was sent a photo of a quilt from Pinterest and asked if I could make one like it. I found the free ribbon (bow) block and used EQ to plan the alternate pinwheel blocks and the rest of the quilt. Almost all of the fabric came from my stash.  

I quilted a FM meander in the center and swirls in the outer border. I think it turned out lovely for a little girl.

    Second finish is a comfort quilt for church. I adapted the “It's A Snap” pattern from Fabric Cafe to use a little more than 3 yards of fabric for a little larger quilt to finish at 48 by 66”.

I quilted a FM meander in portions and a dot to dot motif in the dark green blocks. I quilted FM swirls in the border. Another member will sew on the binding.

Stash Report for 2024

this past week - Used: 3.33 yds Added: 0 yds

So far this year -Used: 70.205 yds Added: 30.875 yds

Net decrease 39.33 yds

     Another UFO is sandwiched and already being quilted.  I will be helping at Vacation Bible School this coming week; however, I hope to have some quilting time in the late afternoons if I'm not too tired from the fun.

Hope you are enjoying the July 4^th weekend.

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” - Philippians 4:13

A Finish and More Tiny Pinwheels

    The past week I made good progress on the tiny pinwheels but I'm getting tired of making them. I pieced a set of 16 yellow pinwheels and pieced the 64 HSTs that will be the 16 pink pinwheels. I only need to make sets of light purple and light pink.

     When I was ready for a break from sewing pinwheels, I quilted an Illusion block I Spy quilt and have it ready for Joan to bind. For the quilting I did a simple meander.

I also spent a couple of hours quilting another comfort quilt for church but it is not finished.

    I am almost finished going through boxes of fabric that was shared by a couple of quilters. I'm passing a box of Christmas fabric on to my sister's NC guild as well as a bunch of precuts from MaryAnn's stash. I will be taking a box of fabric to my church quilt group as well as a couple of MaryAnn's UFOs. Even though I have many UFOs of my own, I could not resist adopting a few of MaryAnn's UFOs. I added to my stash some wonderful large pieces of white on white from MaryAnn. I have an idea for which I will need a large chunk. Since I was adding to my stash, I reviewed some fabric pieces and pulled a few yards to be donated.

Stash Report for 2024

this past week- Used: 3 yds Added: 7.75 yds

So far this year-Used: 62.735 yds Added: 30.875 yds

Net decrease 31.86 yds

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

“The only mistake is the one from which you don't learn.” - Henry Ford

Small Finishes

     My mission to reduce my fabric stash has taken a hit but maybe not too badly.  Last week I was gifted a couple of boxes of Christmas fabric from the family of Joyce Crider, a quilter, who passed. I am still going through the fabric to decide what I might keep and what can be shared for charity/comfort projects. Then I will update my Stash Report on what I keep. In one box was an unfinished small project which was partially hand quilted. I added some machine quilting and binding to finish it so it can be enjoyed. 

 I finished quilting the string bricks comfort quilt for church quilt group. 

 I also finished piecing the 4 Patch On-Point top

as well as added borders to 2 charity tops. 

     I made a start on a quilt for my granddaughters' cousin. The aunt saw a picture on Pinterest that she loved and asked if I could make one like it. I was able to find a great selection of fabric in my stash and started cutting. 

Just this morning I made a slight change to my the design. This is my EQ plan-2

and the first bow block.

It was really helpful to lay out all the pieces on a design board to keep up with how it would go together. As I piece more, it should get easier.  There is a lot more piecing to be done.

Stash Report for 2024

this past week- Used: 6.875 yds Added: 1 yd

So far this year-Used: 49.985 yds Added: 20.125 yds

      Net decrease 29.86 yds

     I accomplished more on quilting projects than I thought since I  spent a lot time working in the yard and garden fighting weeds and planting. I set out 2 more tomato plants and plan to give away the last of the seedlings. It was a rainy day Sunday and more is expected today so I will be inside sewing and quilting.

I'm linking up with Alycia's Finished (or Not) Friday.  Check out what others are doing.

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

“The only mistake is the one from which you don't learn.” - Henry Ford

A Little Progress

     After spending a couple of mornings in the yard, I'm happy with how my vegetable garden is growing. Less progress was made on quilting projects. Several afternoons I pieced charity quilts. I pulled 30 scrappy orphan 6” four patches with plain alternate blocks and the top is almost together.

     Wednesday at church quilt group I started quilting one and chose border fabric for 2 tops. Our associate minister is preparing for a mission trip and asked for more pocket prayer quilts. Sunday afternoon I finished 25 for him to take.

Our group started making these a few years ago when Shabby Fabrics shared the directions on a video. No other finishes this week and no change in my stash report. I hope to finish the quilting on at least one this week.

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

“The only mistake is the one from which you don't learn.” - Henry Ford

Work on Charity Quilts

    The past week I spent time in the garden as well as in my sewing room. I made progress on several charity projects. A few months ago I found some units left over in 2011 from a baby illusion quilt. I made a few more to get 30 and Sunday finished piecing this “I Spy” Illusion top. 

I pieced a HST border from orphan units and added a plain border to a charity top that is now 51” by 56”. 

I quilted this Golf Stepper which was pieced by a church member and another member can add binding.

Even working on all these projects, my fabric stash did not change.

Stash Report for 2024

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

So far this year-Used: 43.11 yds Added: 19.125 yds

Net decrease 23.985 yds

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

“The only mistake is the one from which you don't learn.” - Henry Ford

Busy Week of Sewing

      Last week was busy and yet I feel great about all that I got done. I was able to work in my yard 2 days before rain came. Here is my first bearded iris bloom of the season.

I wore a mask since pollen was so bad. The air is more clean after the rain which left big yellow patches on the ground where the pollen collected in puddles.

     In my sewing room I worked on numerous projects. I cut a kit for a comfort quilt which someone else will sew, pieced 3 comfort quilt backs, and quilted one comfort quilt. This is the first time I have used the FM swirl hook motif.

With this link you can learn how Angela Walters quilts this motif. I plan to work with that motif more to get comfortable stitching it. Here it is quilted before binding.

I used the Jellyroll Twist free pattern from Fat Quarter Shop except I used charm squares instead of a neutral fabric. Joan has it to add the binding.

     Tuesday a guild meeting our guest with a trunk show was Annette Ornales of Southwind Designs. I got this cute mug rug pattern which she designed and made it easily in the afternoon after her visit. 

     Late in the week I pulled personal quilt tops to work on. I sandwiched 2 that had backings ready. Saturday I started quilting on my 2023 March Block a Day quilt (from Pat Sloan) and should be able to finish this week. It feels great to get projects moving along.

Stash Report for 2024 

  this past week-   Used: 3.91 yds Added: 4 yds

So far this year- Used: 41.11 yds Added: 18.125 yds

Net decrease 22.985 yds

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

“The only mistake is the one from which you don't learn.” - Henry Ford