I saw this motif on a carpet at a hotel.
I was reminded of it when I was sewing the Triumphant Block 1. The designs aren’t exactly the same, but this one reminds me of what is going on with the Triumphant quilt.
Carpet Inspiration
Old Town Back
The back of Old Town is done. I have sewn the binding, so it is ready to be applied after the quilting is done. With all of these chores done, the quilt is ready to go to Colleen for longarming.
I used a really nice wisteria print from Philip Jacobs. I had two pieces, which means I bought it twice, but I can’t remember where. The colors fit perfectly with the Old Town top.
The blue swirly prints were leftovers from the Half Hexie Star quilt. I wanted a little bit of that fabric on a quilt I will probably keep.
So, on to quilting. I have to arrange that, but hope to take another quilt at the same time.
Started Triumphant
I started Latifah Saafir’s Triumphant Mystery quilt. It is a lot of cutting and I have to re-learn how to use the HuRTy ruler. Well, there are three of them in use for this quilt, so HuRTys!
I cut a bunch of pieces wrong, because of my misunderstanding of the instructions. Fortunately, I have enough fabric to make a few mistakes. I am struggling to get the flip of the ruler(s) from A pieces to B pieces correct. I am trying to be more careful as I don’t have infinite fabric.
Pillowcase Day
I sent off the next pillowcase for my youngest nephew the other day. He should have received it by now.
I was able to see him on Mother’s Day, but didn’t really get a chance to talk. I do know that his next big adventure is heading down to Santa Barbara to attend SB Community College. I wonder if he will take these pillowcases with him?
26 Projects 2025 #5
Finished May 2025 Quilt Projects
None this month- this is depressing! I might put major progress in here going forward or omit this section until I have a quilt finished.
Finished (for me!)
May Donation Quilts
Finished Bags and Small Projects for May
- Christmas Pillowcases
- Vervain Belt Bag
May Projects Ready for Quilting / In the Quilting Process
May Projects In the Finishing Process
- Nothing now
All the WIPs
WIPs are projects on which I am working. This means that I am past the cutting out of pieces stage, some sewing has taken place.
- La Passacaglia – I am working on the border, but need to work more and harder
- Chain Link – I made a little bit of progress on this during the past few days. I have high hopes I’ll be able to finish it soon.
Cut Out & Stopped
- EPPic
- Oxbow
- Rose Petrillo bag – I found the pieces for this bag cut out, but not sewn.
Still UFOs
I still have UFOs. Who doesn’t, after all? A project in the ‘UFO’ category means I am stalled, it hasn’t been worked on in awhile or it is waiting its turn to be worked on. The list is a lot shorter and the projects are newer, for the most part.
I am annoyed that some of these are still UFOs. I have to give myself credit for completing some of them last year.
- Handbag Sampler – I found the blocks! I found them in a bin I thought I had thoroughly searched! I also found the fabrics carefully stored together. Hooray!!
- Self Portrait: started in 2006 at a class at Quilting Adventures in Richmond, Virginia. After a brief burst of inspiration, I am stalled on this again. As one of my oldest (I am pretty sure) UFOs, I put it on my blog and out into the Twitterverse and Diane suggested that I not consider this as a self portrait. I think that strategy is a great idea. I am now trying to think of a new persona for her.
- Serendipity Lady – I am still planning to take this piece to be framed. It might need a bit of quilting first.
- Fabric of the Year 2020
- Fabric of the Year 2021 – I may combine 2020 and 2021 into a COVID edition.
- Fabric of the Year 2022 – yes, I added this one to the list, but this is the last one I plan to do.
Old Town Top Complete
I finished the Old Town quilt top over the weekend! Hooray! I am so glad it is done.
It is pretty pink. Pretty in Pink? I don’t think it screams ‘little girl’. It does remind me of my childhood bedroom.
Now just to make the back and then I can take it to be quilted.
Various & Sundry 2025 #5
Admin
I updated the quilt gallery with this year’s one completed quilt. I am optimistic there will be more!
Projects, Classes, Patterns, Techniques & Tutorials
I was able to watch the Sew Sweetness Live Show this month again. At about 10:50 in the Live Show, Sara showed a sweater that she crocheted. OMG! It looks amazing. I never would have known that crochet could look so great!
I was reading Today’s Quilter the other night. A recent issue had a bag and a project portfolio pattern in it. I looked at the designer and then went down a rabbit hole looking at her Etsy shop and blog. She has some interesting bag patterns, including several free patterns that would be a good test on whether her pattern writing style fits my pattern reading style. 🙂 I also like the name of her shop: The Folk Art Factory.
Christa Watson posted a new walking foot quilting tutorial.
Thanks to SueG, I found Scissor Tail Quilting has a library of blocks to use if you need some inspiration.
Tools, Books, Fabric, Notions, Services & Supplies
In the Sew Sweetness Live Show, Sara talked about Lazy Girl Slicker**, which is a type of iron on vinyl. In the past I used Pellon VinylFuse on my Half Moon Modern Chubby Charmer**. Almost 10 years have passed since I made that bag and it is holding up well except for the VinylFuse. It isn’t terrible, but the seams didn’t hold up well. I wonder how this Slicker product would compare?
This is what a non-Clover Wonder Clip looks like when you try and open it. I don’t know where the rest of it went, because parts of it flew all over my workroom. Buy Clover Wonder Clips!** I don’t own stock in Clover, but maybe I will look into buying some.
Despite Quiltmania going out of business, Willyne Hammerstein has published the next EPP book in her series. The word on the EPP street is that it will not be sold in the US. Start making plans to go to Holland!
Exhibits and Organizations
Media & Articles
You know how men post pictures with measuring tapes of their giant fish? Here is a take-off of that kind of photo/video in a quilt shop from Calliope Quilts.
NQR
If you are interested in a article about what is happening at the Library of Congress and how the LoC works, read this article from Scholarly Kitchen. Write your Congresspeople even if you think they already agree with you. Check out Lorraine Woodruff-Long’s Mailstorm IG post for some good ideas about how and what to write.
**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this website.
Half 16 Patch Sashing Top More Progress
Well, I thought I had done more than I have actually done. Or that’s the way it feels.
I put this quilt up on my large design wall and it turns out I have a whole bunch of sashing/blocks left to do.
I put the sashing/blocks along the outside so I could see the full extent of what I had. With so much white, the outside of the quilt melted away into the design wall.
It turns out that I have one full sashing/block on the machine, but I still need about 13. I have more than a week until I want to hand it in at the guild meeting.
It has an interesting look. I think when I make the next one I need to be more selective about the colors I choose. I need to have one color used as alternate patches in all the blocks.
Old Town Corners Look Cool
I couldn’t help adding a picture of the corner as I was assembling the last borders. I think the whole effect is really great.
Sorry for the strange lighting. There was actually some sun at my house when I was trying to take the photo.
Progress on Half 16 Patch Sashing Donation Quilt
I have made good progress on the Half 16 Patch Sashing Donation top. I used the 2.5 inch squares as leaders and enders as I worked on Old Town. It was getting too big for the small design wall and that helped to spur me on to get Old Town finished. I wanted to see this top on the large design wall. I feel like I am almost finished!
Old Town Checkerboard Complete
DH was out of town all week with the Native Sons at Grand Parlor. I didn’t go as I had to work and hold down the fort at home. Instead of cooking dinner (hooray for microwaves!) I sewed and the Old Town second border is now complete.
I keep looking at this piece and marveling at how different it looks with borders. OMG! So much better. Who knew a border could do so much?
Gift Pouch
I went out to lunch with Sue and Carrie before the guild meeting last week and came home with a great pouch that now keeps a lot of random things in my handbag organized.
One of the things I love about Carrie’s adventures in bagmaking is the discussions we have about the process. This time we discussed installing the zipper for a long time. Carrie brought a Dollar Store pouch to show as an example of how she would like to do the zipper in the future and we were able to compare the two pouches.
Carrie’s Tote
Carrie shared the pattern she is using for a few tote bags. When I saw it, I realized it was the pattern we discussed and she bought at Golden State the last time we visited together. Then she shared the bag she made.
The pattern is very similar to the Essentials Tote I made for Cyndi and Sue S.
Carrie’s bag uses some lovely textured fabric that looks like it would wear well. The handles are also nice and wide.
I am so proud of her. Her bag making skills have really taken off and I am so inspired by her fearlessness at trying new things.
Christmas Pillowcase Project Continues
I spoke about the pillowcases I wanted to make for ‘new’ family members that have joined since the last time I made pillowcases for the nieces and nephews. I gathered the fabric and was planning on slowly working through the 8 I needed to make when I had time.
Well, I had time at work when I had to listen to a meeting, but didn’t need to participate. I was able to cut and trim. It is really good, because my hands are busy which helps me pay attention.
Then, while I was sewing the endless bits for the Old Town borders, I used the pillowcases as leaders and enders. Suddenly, the pillowcases were done! More than 6 months early! WTH?
Now they get to hang around waiting for November. I plan to write cards and package them up now so they are ready to go.
Moving Forward on Borders
I continued to work in dribs and drabs to get another border on Old Town. This one is a pieced checkerboard border.
I considered stopping work on this quilt at the plain border. I decided to soldier on because I already had made hundreds of 4 Patches.
I am amazed at how different the quilt looks after adding that checkerboard border. I know I only photographed half of the quilt. I stood and looked at it for a long time trying to figure out why that one border made such a difference.