A Couple of Finishes

     For many reasons I haven't done much quilting or sewing recently. Finally I had some time.  I pieced 7 cardinal blocks which will make 2 wall-hangings. With one extra I made a mug rug.

The cardinal is from the “Dressed in Red” pattern from Debbie Mumm's book Seasonal Samplers Autumn and Winter Book 2 .

    Saturday I finished quilting the “Woven On-Point” with partial seam blocks and made the binding. I quilted a simple meander for the center blocks and feathers in the on-point border. Sunday I sewed the binding on half way. Here is a photo without binding.

     At the August meeting of my quilt guild I demonstrated and showed faux flange bindings on placemat samples. I had a few finished and others in stages. This past Wednesday at my church quilt group I shared the technique. Friday I finally finished stitching the bindings on my unfinished samples so they are ready for gifting to Meals on Wheels clients. The faux flange can really add a pop to a project. If you don't have enough fabric for a traditional binding, a faux flange binding can save the day and it is still a double fold binding.

    Members of my congregation folded over 1000 paper cranes. I spent 3 mornings helping string cranes for the church display. This is only half of them. They look really nice.

     I was out of town for 3 days recently for a PW retreat on St. Simon's Island, GA. This was my first visit. I especially enjoyed the beautiful old oak trees.

Stash Report for 2025

this past week - Used: 4 yds Added: 0 yds

So far this year - Used: 120.88 yds Added: 42.5 yds

Net decrease 78.18 yds

“When life gives you scraps, make a quilt.”

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

Mug Rugs and More

      My church quilt group has been asked to have a show of our quilts and other projects such as placemats and pocket prayer squares. The past Wednesday at the meeting I started sewing hanging sleeves on quilts for the show in March. Over the weekend I made 6 more hanging sleeves that we have to sew on. I made a sample mug rug to show the sandwiching process and binding in progress. We may give away a mug rug or two to someone who visits our display so I made another stack of 4 mug rugs to have on hand. 

      I usually finish them pillowcase style without binding as I do placemats. If you are not familiar here are the steps. 
1. piece the top 
2. layer batting, then backing right side up and next top right side down. 

 3. sew around the outside edge with 1/4” seam leaving an opening for turning. 
4. trim any excess batting and backing and turn right side out. 

5. Press neatly turning in opening, then top stitch 1/8” around edge to close. 

6. Finish with quilting. 

 I also add a tag for those not familiar with mug rugs.

I'm a Snack Mat  (aka mug rug)

I'm bigger than a coaster, smaller than a placemat.

Perfect for holding your cup plus a little snack on the side. 

Use me and don't be afraid to spill on me.  Just wash gently

in cold water, dry on low and I'll be good as new.  Enjoy!

    Church quilt group is making a memory quilt for a friend who lost her husband suddenly. Wednesday we sorted and deboned his shirts. I brought home some and cut out pieces for several quilt blocks that I plan to piece before our next meeting.

     I pieced a simple placemat top so another member could learn how to sandwich and finish it pillowcase style. Here is her first finish.

     My younger GD wants to decorate her new bedroom for each holiday. I made a couple of pillowcases for St. Patrick's Day.

      Stash Report for 2025

this past week - Used: 3.115 yds Added: 2.66 yds

So far this year - Used: 24.365 yds Added: 3 yds

Net decrease 21.365 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.

Quilting Progress Before Thanksgiving

       I'm looking forward to a busy week with family and still making some progress on quilt projects. I am continuing on a roll piecing and quilting comfort quilts. I pieced the center of our SQG group color palette Friendship Star project.

For most of the joining I was able to piece large units and then I used the partial seam technique in the middle. Joan has it now to add the borders.

    I finished the quilting on "Grandma's Flower Garden" comfort quilt.  The hand pieced hexi flowers were donated.  

*Update  -  The green binding is on for a total finish and a perfect frame.  Sorry there are some shadows. 

I FM quilted a leafy meander.  It is only the second time I have used that motif and I got more comfortable quilting as I worked. 

I finished 3 more Thanksgiving mug rugs which have already been shared.

I also finished 5 Christmas mug rugs.

I pulled another UFO project and cut sashing and cornerstones. Maybe I will have time to sew the blocks into a top.

Stash Report for 2024

this past week - Used: 2.25 yds Added: 0 yds

So far this year - Used: 118.005 yds Added: 44.625 yds

Net decrease 73.38 yds

My cacti have started blooming beautifully for the holiday. 

I have so much to be for which to be thankful. I hope you all enjoy a great week and time with friends and family. Happy Thanksgiving!

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.

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

Mug Rugs Finished and Goals

        The weather was perfect for Thanksgiving Day and I enjoyed visiting with the crowd of 31 family members. I am thankful my brother and his wife hosted. All my siblings were able to be there. It was a very special day. I hope you had a wonderful holiday. After family guests went home, I was able to do some quilting.

How I did on last week's goals:

1. Quilt more on “Celtic Fantasy”. Done.

Sunday afternoon after the holiday celebrations were over, I quilted a couple of hours. I struggled deciding how to quilt the black area. I finally sketched a motif I was happy with. I practiced on a fat quarter sample.

I also marked registration lines for the center. I quilted with purple thread so it only shows a little and you probably can't see it in the photo.

2. Finish some snow people mug rugs. Done.

I didn't think I would get them all done so fast. I got carried away with making mug rugs and finished 29. All except one are on their way to their new homes. It was great to use up some scraps of fabric and smaller pieces of batting as well as some large holiday prints for backings.

Stash Report for 2023

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

So far this year- Used: 102.42yds   Added: 42 yds

Net decrease 60.42 yds

Goals for this week:

1. Quilt more on “Celtic Fantasy”.
2. Start quilting a charity quilt.

Have a great week and enjoy some time for quilting.

Lots of Mug Rugs In Progress

       I love this time of year with cooler temperatures, fall colors and family holiday gatherings. I am looking forward to Thanksgiving this week. Family time takes priority then quilting projects second so I don't expect to get a lot of sewing/quilting time and that's okay.

Here is how I did on last week's goals:

1. Make a few more small gifts. Done.

When I was looking through my stash of Christmas fabric for a border fabric for “Oh My Star”, I pulled a fabric with squares of adorable snow characters. 

 I especially love the snowlady with quilts on her arms and thought it would make great mug rugs for quilting friends. I have pieced 12 snowlady tops

and 12 snowman tops.

2. Finish piecing Christmas “Oh My Stars” top. Done.

The top is finished. I thought about adding another border but could not find a fabric that I thought looked good so the quilt will just be small. It is a free Pat Sloan pattern and she has directions for a wider border than the basic pattern.  I made the outer border an extra inch wider than that. 

3. Quilt more on “Celtic Fantasy”. Not Done. 

I should not have listed this as a goal since I knew I had a lot on my schedule plus a long weekend trip to visit family.

Stash Report for 2023

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

So far this year- Used: 99.92 yds Added: 42 yds

Net decrease 57.92 yds

     I'm expecting family Wednesday afternoon through Friday so no sewing will happen during that time. I hope to get a little done today and tomorrow.

Goals for this week:

1. Quilt more on “Celtic Fantasy”.
2. Finish some snow people mug rugs

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Happy Monday Sewing

     We had rain most of the day Sunday and this morning started with thunderstorms so it should be a great day to stay inside and sew.

How I did on last week's goals-

1. Finish last of the blanket-stitching on Celtic Fantasy units. Done. Now the challenge will be sewing all those unusual curved seams; however, that will not happen this week.

2. Continue March Block a Day Done. I have 48 blocks made so as is the top will finish at 48” by 64”. I am thinking of adding sashing to make it larger; however, I'm not liking it with sashing. Maybe I just don't have the right fabric for it or it doesn't want sashing. Here are some of the blocks with a light blue-purple sashing. It would definitely need a cornerstone to pop.  

   
   
   

3. Finish paper-piecing Easter basket blocks into mug rugs. Done. I made 2 for granddaughters and the one with a border went in the mail to a friend.

              

4. Start piecing Rainbow Challenge quilt top. Done. I have made a great start, although I find I need more scrap squares of orange and aqua. I guess those are not colors I use as often.

Stash Report for 2023

this past week- Used: 0.5 yds Added: 0 yds
So far this year- Used: 34.05 yds Added: 21 yds
Net decrease 13.05 yds

Goals for this week:

1. Continue progress on my guild Rainbow Challenge quilt top.

2. Plan for participating in the Hands 2 Help challenge 2023

You can find out more about it at Confessions of a Fabric Addict's blog.

Have a great week with some time for quilting.

“When Life gives you scraps, make quilts. “

Remember Our Veterans

    The weather here is not cooperating for a Veterans Day parade; however, they are remembered and appreciated. I love Alycia's latest Quilt of Valor mystery, “Long May She Wave” and look forward to making time to finish one to share with a veteran.

   On other projects I have a few small finishes and progress on a couple of larger ones. I have spent most of my craft time piecing; however, one day I will make time for the quilting. I finished several fall themed mug rugs and put them in the mail with Thanksgiving cards. Here are the most recent 2 embellished with silk leaves.

    Wednesday at church quilt group I put all my kaleidoscope blocks on the design wall and have them pinned by rows ready to sew into a top.

    Next I made progress on the “Celtic Fantasy” quilt. It is quite the process designed by Ricky Timms. Some weeks ago I made the 6 large freezer paper templates with are repeated in each quadrant and I have designed the templates for the Celtic appliques. The process goes like this. 1- iron the freezer paper template to the right side of the fabric, rough trim.

2- stay-stitch close to the edge and mark registration lines in the seam allowance before a neater trim.

All except the center template are made 4 times. Paying attention to the grainline uses a lot of fabric for the odd shaped pieces.

Here are the first 2 fabrics on the design wall. It doesn't look like much yet because the appliques will be the focus.

I have several quilts with more regular curve piecing.  I hope I will not struggle too much with these irregular curves.  That is why it is important to do the stay-stitching and registration marks. 

Thank you to all our veterans.

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

Stay safe and healthy while enjoying some time sewing and quilting.