Merry Christmas

Christmas is here, but it will be very quiet. It will be just the 2 of us today and tomorrow, so I suspect we'll do what we do other days.  I'll sew and Dave will probably golf (in his golf simulator).  A Christmas movie or two may be watched of course.  I do have steak planned for a nice supper tonight, and a ham for Christmas Day.  At some point tomorrow we'll Facetime with the grandkids.  They'll all be here for our delayed family Christmas on Monday, so we just have to be patient.

The final Christmas gift sewing is nearly done.  Hand stitching the binding, and adding some embellishments will be the last steps.  

The snowman 3-yard quilt is a completed flimsy finally.  It's the perfect size to be a cuddly couch quilt.  Yesterday I posted about needing to clean, but the only thing cleaned off is my ironing board.  The borders and leftovers of this project were cluttering one end of the ironing board.  And now it's all cleaned off - scraps sorted to the appropriate bins. 

And the binding on this little UFO (28" square) was finished in the car while traveling to and from sporting events this weekend.  The background was a kit called Feel the Churn that I bought on a shop hop a few years ago.  After sewing that little wall hanging together right away, I felt it was kind of boring so it has hung in the closet ever since.  It really needed something appliqued onto it for color.  And this fall that is exactly what happened.  The orange and green batiks all were scraps leftover from a big quilt (Cactus in the Cabin). 

Merry Christmas to everyone!  

A need to clean

 

What does your creative space look like?  Mine needs a good cleaning and reorganizing before the New Year.  Enter at Your Own Risk - that door hanger has become reality.

My sewing room/studio is a large basement bedroom so I have plenty of space for sewing.  And way too much space to fill up with supplies, UFOs, PIGs, and WIPs.  It has a huge long closet that actually looks somewhat organized in this photo. Don't be fooled by that glimpse of organization.  The closet are is actually reaching the chaos stage again lately. 

And I'm ashamed to show you what I've stacked on the floor and on a chair just because I'm not sure where I want to put things or I'm too caught up stitching to put things away.   

Next to my cutting station is a low bookcase with baskets on top that hold some kits and patterns that I want to keep on the radar.  I've gotten into the bad habit of hanging block sets that I'm working on from the front edges of those baskets.  Three on-going Quilt of Valor block sets are currently hanging there, instead of in the closet. 

This whole room needs a big deep cleaning.  But I'll even settle for some surface organization at this point. 

Design Wall Monday - Dec. 22

We were basically NOT home all weekend, so there isn't much of anything to report.  At least not on the sewing front.  I've fallen way behind in reading blogs and commenting.  But we did get to see both daughters' families over the past couple days.  I'll spare you any photos of deer hunting grandsons or wrestling granddaughters. 

On Friday, the 5th clue for Bonnie Hunter's mystery was posted.

It was an easy clue - directing us to use the Clue #1 units in basically an Ohio Star block.  Added to the Clue #1 units were 4 matching purple squares, and a neutral center square.  These are 6" finished blocks and I'm guessing the rest of the units will make alternate blocks and maybe sashing or borders.  Or there could be more units.  It's a mystery after all.

A week ago I showed a kit that I wanted to make as a reward if I got some things done on the list that were priorities.  Well, I totally forgot about the January mini quilt in that Spools series. I believe this one will move to the head of the line of new projects - but only if I get some other things done this week.  We are not doing our family Christmas until the 29th, so I'll have this week to finish up a couple of Christmas gifts.  Hope I get them done in time.  

The other project that is close to a finish is the snowman 3-yard quilt.  All of the rows are assembled now, so I just have 2 narrow borders to add.  

I'm linking up today with:

https://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com/ 

https://songbirddesigns.blog

RSC25 - Week #51

Only 1 more week and 2025 will be in the rear view mirror!  I'm hoping that my scrap bins yield lots more quilts in 2026.  I'm also hoping those scrap bins are more empty by this time next year instead of overflowing. 

I have extra scraps to play with this week after receiving a box of FUN from blogging friend Nann.  She had sorted out a few bags of scraps in colors that she knows I love to play with, like red, white, and blue.  Naturally I had to dig right in.

The red, white, and blue bag didn't just contain scraps - it also contained some small blocks.  I'm guessing these were left over from some of Nann's projects or maybe even came from one of the estate sales she has been to. The 2 blocks similar to Snails Trail are already paired up with some batting and backing to make mug rugs as they are the perfect size.  That darling churn dash block inspired me to make more using one of those strips of red star fabric. The flying geese are tucked in with other QOV bits and pieces that will probably end up part of a sampler quilt. 

It didn't take long to cut pieces from her scraps for 4 more churn dash blocks that will finish at 6".  These are now sewn and in the stack of blocks for future Quilts of Valor.  

A real treasure was tucked into the bag - most of a jelly roll with a RWB nautical theme.  So many possibilities for these strips!!  The prints include crab, lobster, octopus, compass - such a neat jelly roll.  I'm giving some thought about what to make with these.

I've "webbed this first section of the String Stars quilt.  My original plan had been to just use the cool colors, but now I'm thinking if I use all colors then it can be much bigger.  That means this will definitely continue into 2026 because I don't have any warm color blocks made yet.

Let's go see what else is happening with scraps this week . . .

https://superscrappy.blogspot.com/ 

Wrapping up another week

Yesterday we had horrible high winds - 60 mph plus.  The howling wind woke me up about 4:30, and I just couldn't get back to sleep. So I finally got out of bed at 5:30.  I should have just made some coffee and gone down to the basement to sew, where the wind noises would have been minimal.  But instead I sat down at my computer in my PJs, and tried to catch up with blog comments and some genealogy research.  The coffee didn't happen until about 6:30.

I did make use of that extra early morning time to finish the binding on the Cat Tails table runner.  This will be a gift for my daughter's neighbor.  I used a deep aqua on the back, and green for binding.  It's a simple 60 degree runner pattern using a border print.  I have more of this left and have a plan for something for myself.  That will have to wait for the new year.

Next up yesterday was some sewing time to work on a couple of on-going projects.  Only 1 row remains to be sewn for the snowman 3-yard quilt, and then the borders can be added.  Maybe that will all happen today.  

I also finished sewing the Clue #4 units that were cut out for the Bonnie Hunter mystery.  I've only made 9 sets so far for this clue.  Clue #5 should be posted this morning.  

This and that

 Wednesday turned out to be a non-sewing day except for a little handwork on binding.  By the time I did a little Christmas shopping, a lot of grocery shopping, baked a batch of cookies, and some laundry there just wasn't time to spend at the sewing machine.  But it was nice to check off a couple more things from the To Do list. 

Quilters are just the most generous people!  Imagine my surprise yesterday when the postman rang my doorbell instead of just leaving our mail in the mailbox across the street.  He had a box that was much too big for that mailbox.  My blogging friend Nann shared a wonderful "curated" box of goodies with me. (https://withstringsattached.blogspot.com/)  She knows my style so well, and has fabrics sorted into bags even.  Plus, as a retired librarian, she recommends on her blog the best books to read.  And she even tucked in a book she had recently found in a used book sale.  It's actually out of print, so an old copy is a really lucky discovery.  I can read it and pass it along to another avid reader when I'm done.

One of the little bags contained a stack of lavender 30s reproduction squares and 3 lavender snowmen squares.  The snowmen just made me smile immediately, and I'm picturing these making a really cute pillow or placemats.  

Midweek already

Happy birthday to my younger daughter today!!

I couldn't resist sharing an "old" birthday photo.  This was birthday #1 in 1984.  Notice the Christmas tree behind her - IN the playpen?  This kid was walking at 9 months, and climbing everything, so a friend suggested putting the tree and presents inside the playpen to protect them from baby hands.  That only slowed her down for about a day because she pushed a chair over and climbed right in.  And yes, I'm happy to say that she's an adventurous adult.  Happy birthday Laura!!  Hope the husband and kids spoil you at least a little bit today. 

The binding is finished on last year's Saturday Sampler.  A month from now we'll be starting the new Saturday Sampler program at The Pin Cushion.  When we did the big Show n Tell I saw lots of other gals had added a border.  So, I also added a medium width border to my flimsy before having it quilted, and I think it really finishes it nicely.  

The backing is a subtle floral, and I used the lighter of the tan fabrics from the quilt for binding. I love how it was quilted too - also done at The Pin Cushion.  

The pattern is Stranded On the Prairie by Mariah Knight, a talented local pattern designer and long arm quilter.  The design is an interpretation of stranded knitting designs.  We received 1 row pattern each month.  https://knightontheprairie.com/

There is more binding to do before the New Year arrives. 

Feel the Churn is the UFO wall hanging that I embellished with leftover pieces from a big quilt.  I can't bear to throw away scraps that are large enough to use for something else.

And the Cat Tails runner is quilted, with the binding ready to hand stitch.  This fabric just makes me smile every time I look at it.  The green binding should pick up on the stems and leaves of the flowers at the base of that fence the cats are sitting on.   

Tuesday To Do

Hmmm . . . no items to check off the To Do list as finished.  It was a busy weekend, with not much time spent sewing.  Monday was also a non-sewing day.  But I did a lot of THINKING about sewing.  LOL

The Sew Vintage Christmas party was Saturday afternoon, and just as enjoyable as anticipated.  That is one of my favorite groups of people.  We each made a small stocking (about 6" high) and filled them with a small gift.  The stockings got a number and we drew numbers to determine which one we received.

Other than some cutting of binding strips for a wall hanging, Sunday was a totally lost day in terms of sewing.  There was an afternoon Jackrabbit women's basketball game.  We've missed 3 home games this year already due to weather, so it was good that we made it to this one finally.  Jackrabbit won over Ball State by 19 points!!  Go Jacks!!

Interesting items were in last week's Countdown to Christmas box. The most interesting things were the wooden quilt block charcutier board, and the bias type tool kit.  Sew-in labels, a pouch pattern, and a collection of quilt related wrapping paper were also pretty nifty.

Hopefully I'll get some good sewing time this morning, because this afternoon I'm going to get a root canal.  Dental visits are high anxiety events for me, even when it's just for a cleaning.  So the root canal will definitely raise my blood pressure. 

Design Wall Monday - December 15

There are 2 small Christmas gifts I want to work on this week, especially since I'm facing a deadline.  No photos to share until after Christmas. Shhhh . . . it's a secret.

The pieces are all cut for one of those secret gifts.

There is one Christmas gift that I can show - at least the fabric.  This adorable cat fabric is destined to be 2 projects.  The first project is a table runner to be gifted by my daughter to her neighbor.  The top is done and it shouldn't take me long to quilt and bind it.  The second project will probably wait for the new year and is for ME - a tote bag.  

Progress continues on the snowman themed 3-yard quilt.  More rows are ready to add, and I can FEEL the finish coming soon.

Plugging along on the Bonnie Hunter mystery . . . clue #4 is easier than I thought it would be.  Half rectangles can be tricky, but she had some really excellent cutting instructions for these, and they came out perfectly even without using her specialty ruler.  A few more Clue #2 units are cut as well.  There are also some additional string blocks in the works.  These will all make great Leaders/Enders as I work on those Christmas gift projects. 

Two new kits for mini quilts are coming up on my To Do list. This one is going to be my reward for checking some things off my list this week.  The temptation to just dive in is great  however!  But I'm trying to hold off until the gift items are finished.  

I'm linking up today with:

https://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com/ 

https://songbirddesigns.blog

RSC25 - Week #50

Week 50 - I just can't believe 2025 is almost over!!  It was painful to write that 5-0 for this week, as time is flying way too fast.  

The 4-Patch Fun project is coming along.  When I left this last week it was 3 blocks wide by 4 long.  Now it's 4 x 5.  Forward progress!  The zig zag layout is working out nicely, and as I add more blocks in lots of colors it will get better and better I think.  This will continue to be an RSC project well into 2026 most likely because the blocks are only 6" finished.  As is it's only 27" wide, which means it needs to grow much bigger to be useful. 

The red, white, blue set of 4-Patch Fun blocks are sewn into 4-sies so far.  That set also needs a lot more blocks to make a Quilt of Valor.  

In between other projects this week, these half neutral string blocks have been accumulating quickly.  Once trimmed and the phone book foundation paper removed, my plan is beginning to take shape. 
 

String Stars - this is another idea I had saved to Pinterest and forgotten about until now.  I think I'll just use cool colors for this one - purples, blues, greens. The string block basket has a lot of those colors already sewn, and almost no warm colors.  Mostly I'll need to add more of the half neutral ones to the mix for star points.  These are also 6" finished blocks - so it will continue into the new year in order to have enough.  

This afternoon is the Christmas party for our Sew Vintage group.  We have winter weather again today, so hopefully everyone can make it.    

Let's go see what else is happening with scraps this week . . .

https://superscrappy.blogspot.com/ 

Finished (or NOT) Friday

Today I have ONE thing finished, and ONE thing not finished.

The 5th and final pillowcase for the grandkids is finished.  It's tucked into Jack's Christmas stocking now.  Each grandchild gets a new pillowcase every year in their stocking.  Can't fight tradition, right!! 

The Not finished item does have forward progress.  This is the snowman themed 3-yard quilt I've been working on.  It doesn't have a deadline, so hasn't been a high priority.  The blocks were all made and sashing cut, so now that the pillowcases are finished I can get back to working on it again.

This morning the 4th clue will be released for the Lupines and Laugher mystery quilt by Bonnie Hunter.  I've made some units for each of the first 3 clues and plan to spend a little time today playing with Clue #4, whatever it might be. 

I've been plugging along with some binding this week.  So maybe by next Friday there will be another finish to show.   

Check out more finishes at
https://alyciaquilts.blogspot.com/

One more pillowcase

 

The solar system pillowcase is finished and in a Christmas stocking.  Now I just have one left to finish for the grandkids. 

Tomorrow morning, the 4th clue will be posted for Bonnie Hunter's mystery.  I've been using her first clues to use up a lot of scraps of light blue, pink, purple and neutrals.  Wonder which of those colors we'll play with next. 

Keeping busy

One more pillowcase is finished, and tucked into a Christmas stocking.

The other 2 pillowcases for grandsons are pinned and ready to sew.  Today may not yield much sewing time, if any at all.  But I should be able to finish them by the end of the week.

I've had the scraps out for neutrals, light blue, pink and purple this past couple of weeks, so that I could pull some options for the Bonnie Hunter mystery as the clues are posted.  A few more units for Clues #1-3 were added yesterday.  But there were a lot of purple scraps too small for the mystery units.  So I used some of the skinnier purple strips to make some string blocks, to add to the stack that I worked on at various times for RSC during the year.  These string blocks are only 6.5" square, with some being all purple and others being half purple with the other half neutral.  I think I have a plan for some of these.  

Lots of progress

Both of the pillowcases for the granddaughters are done, and tucked into their Christmas stockings.  The swimmer print used on the cuffs was something I ordered from Spoonflower.  The rose colored fabric for the main part of the pillowcase was purchased last week to go with that print.  It really picks up on the rosy pink in the print.  

The pillowcases for the 3 boys are all cut and kitted up.  One is even pinned into the "sausage roll" and ready for that first seam.  I love this technique because there are zero raw edges anywhere in the pillowcase.  

A few more units for the mystery quilt have been added.  These are units for Clues 2 and 3.  I really enjoy working on these in between other projects, and don't feel any pressure to "keep up" with the mystery.  There is no rush, so I'll just keep adding a few here and there.  

One more Christmas "goody" has been made - Rosemary Spiced Nuts.  It's a recipe I found on Pinterest years ago, and I only make them around the holiday season.  Our Sew Vintage group has our Christmas party next Saturday, so these are all ready to take to the party.  

It's a good thing that we went to see Olivia's orchestra concert last week, because she broke her right wrist in 2 places on Sunday while sledding with friends.  That will put a damper on both swim team and orchestra while it heals.  I feel so bad for her.    
 

I wonder if the orthopedic clinic offers a group rate for families.  Her twin brother isn't quite healed up from his broken ankle yet.  He's now in a walking boot after several weeks in a cast and one of those knee scooters.  

Design Wall Monday - December 8

What a difference a week makes!  We've had lots more snow.  Snow days are perfect for sewing.  The guild Christmas party was Saturday morning, and we broke up early because several inches of snow had fallen in 2 hours.  We got about 5" total here.  Plus a little more came on Sunday afternoon. I'm pretty sure we've already had more snow than we saw all of last winter.  

The Countdown to Christmas box from Missouri Star has yielded some fun and interesting things so far.  There is a charm pack with a pattern for cat and dog shaped mug rugs, and the acrylic templates were included  There is a coffee mug - already added to the 3 I've already collected.  A small binder with storage sleeves inside will hold charm packs and applique temples.  

There is a pillow pattern along with the plastic alphabet templates needed to applique the WELCOME or any other word onto the pillow.  There is even a package of fusible to use.  The charm pack from earlier in the week could be used for the pillow too.  So that covers the first week of surprises.

All of the blocks for the snowman 3-yard quilt are finally sewn, pressed, and trimmed.  Now I can just focus on getting them into rows - and in the correct order.  The goal is for this to be a flimsy by the end of the month.  

I'm getting a late start on the grandkids' pillowcases this year.  The math/science print has been in the stash for awhile.  The NASA prints are newly purchased.  These will be good for 2 of the boys I think.  

The solar system fabric has also been in the stash for a couple of years.  It's time to use it up.  The black print and the tan one are some options for cuff colors.  I haven't decided yet which one I'm going to use.  

The swimmer print will work for cuffs for both of the girls because both are swimmers. 

One other plan for the week is to continue working on the clues for the Bonnie Hunter mystery.  We've seen 3 clues so far, and I have a good start on them.  The colors really make me think spring.  And it's a nice change up from red, white, blue or some of the darker colors I've been sewing with lately.  

I'm linking up today with:

https://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com/ 

https://songbirddesigns.blog