The next pillowcase for my nephew is not yet sent, but will be soon.
I really like the colors in this fabric. I don’t think he is taking the traveling theme to heart. Oh well.
July Travel Pillowcase
26 Projects 2025 #6
Finished June 2025 Quilt Projects
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Finished (for me!) June Donation Quilts
- Sidewalk
Finished Bags and Small Projects for June
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June Projects Ready for Quilting / In the Quilting Process
Chain Link Top finished I still have to make the back and the binding, but otherwise
this is ready for quilting.
June Projects In the Finishing Process
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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
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.
Blue Improv #2 Grows
While I worked on the Chain Link top, I used blue improv piecing as leaders and enders. I am really enjoying watching the improv piece grow as my blue scrap pile shrinks.
I still have a big pile of pieces that I am working on enlarging. As the scrap pile shrinks it gets harder to match up pieced units and make them bigger. Still, I seem to be doing it and I am having fun.
Various & Sundry 2025 #6
Short version this month.
Projects, Classes, Patterns, Techniques & Tutorials
The other day I shared a top that AngelaB made. She shared the source, which is great, because there are several other free patterns there that would be great for donation quilts.
As mentioned, Lynette gave us a bag trunk show at our recent meeting, which was great! I loved seeing her bags. I always love talking to Lynette about bags. She shared a couple of designers she likes. One was Minki Kim. I have heard of her, but I took some time to peruse her website. There are a couple of patterns there I might like to try. One of the patterns in which I was interested was the Crepe Case for Scissors. I like the idea of a small handle on the case.
Most of the links to her shop seem to be broken, but if you go to the Sewing Illustration, there are a lot of patterns, including Minki’s to look at. The double pocket folder is a really interesting design. I looked at the free patterns, but wasn’t interested in any of them.
I bought the Joni tote on a whim. It is from Sew Hungry Hippie and I really like the shape. It comes with a video as well.
Another site that Lynette mentioned was Geta Grama. I took a look at the free patterns and was pleasantly surprised to see some interesting ones. I thought the heart pouch had interesting construction. If you need some easy zipper pouch tutorials, I saw two there. I liked the Chic Bin pattern, but decided I would sew a couple of patterns I have bought recently before I buy another one.
Exhibits and Organizations
Pantone released the winners of their color of the year quilt challenge.
**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.
June 2025 Donation Blocks
Hooray! I have some blocks to report. 44 is a good number. I had to start on blue strip blocks even though I didn’t make a white improv quilt after I finished the white strip donation top. My blue scrap drawer is overflowing. I can’t shove anymore scraps in it, so here we are.
I really like making these strip blocks. They are so much more fun than the Half 16 patches, though it could just be that I was sick of them because Sidewalk came out really well.
I plan to use the blue strip blocks for another Sidewalk quilt. The blocks are the same size and I am not done with that Sidewalk design yet.
Triumphant Again
The way this piecing is going is I cut a lot wrong, then I figure it out, cut it right and piece cool units together. This is the case with Blocks 4 & 5.
However, I like this quilt, am pleased with the fabrics I chose and am learning a lot.
Except for a couple of background strips, these blocks are done and I have the patterns for blocks 6 & 7. I plan to work on this weekend.
More Blue Improv
I have slowed down a little on the Blue Strip blocks, mostly because I am running out of strips. I am, however, putting smaller pieces of fabric together to make chunks of improv piecing for another Blue Improv donation top. The chunk on the left is the largest piece so far, but I am making progress on others as well.
My blue scrap bin is emptier. I can close it now.
Not So Triumphant
After out Triumphant week off, I am back to cutting out pieces. Well, I am back to trying to cut out the pieces. There are very few this week as we are on the borders, but I am struggling with those #@%^ HRT Bs again.
I watched the video, which is very clear, and cut several pieces wrong. I am now watching the video again,but stopping it, doing the step and then watching more. I just can’t seem to wrap my head around this ruler. I am glad she came up with the mystery quilt as it is a good way to try out the tools.
Now I have the Color 3 (turquoise) pieces cut and am about to add some Color 6 (red-violet) pieces. Fingers crossed I can trim these to the correct size.
More on Pet Beds
I keep filling pet beds and I am still working on my most recent.
We aren’t filling them up as much with schnibbles any more, but just how much is something I have to confirm.
As mentioned, the schnibbles don’t wash well and become giant lumps that pets can’t mold into a comfy shape. I knew this and it worried me, but I was happy to be using my schnibbles for something.
We are now filling the pet beds with Poly-fil** and batting. I am confused about whether we aren’t filling the pet beds with schnibbles at all or only a little bit. I have already stuffed this one a bit, so am now wondering if I will need to remove the schnibbles, put them in a different type of bag and hand them in separately to fill the cubie?
**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 blog.
Aneela Hoey Projects
Saturday’s trunk show inspired me to look at the (photos of) the Aneela Hoey patterns I have made. I have a tag for them, but realized I hadn’t tagged all the posts correctly.
In looking at this list, I realize I have only made 1 project from Aneela’s book, Stitched Sewing Organizers. Most of the others were sewn from stand-alone patterns. I know my friend MaryM has made more. I’ll see about getting the book out again and making another project from it. There is one big organizer that I keep looking at.
BAM Meeting with Bags
The BAM meeting was good yesterday. I loved the Bag Trunk Show that Lynette did. I admire her work so much and she is a fantastic presenter. She was super well organized. She brought the patterns as well as the bags, which was really nice and stepped up the trunk show game!
She talked about the designers she liked, starting with Aneela Hooey. She showed the patterns as she talked about the bags she has made including the Boxy Clear Pouch, the Kit Supply Tote, and several others, which I haven’t made. She then talked about the patterns she has made from the stitched Sewing Organizers book, which I have also discussed and used for patterns, including the 2-in-1 Case. I have made a lot of Aneela Hoey Patterns, but Lynette, I think has made more. I tend to make several of the same ones.
She also likes to make Minki Kim patterns. The one she talked about was the one she used to show all the different interfacings when she did a skillbuilder demo at a meeting last year. It is kind of a dome shaped bag in the center of the photo with several examples.
I love bags, bag patterns and other people’s bags so this was a great trunk show for me. I especially love Lynette’s work. I think I am a pretty good bagmaker, but I have a lot to learn from her.
The presentation started off with a quilt that Lynette made as part of a challenge when the guild was young. All of the quilts were shown in November 2011. It was great to see her quilt again as it was one of my favorites from the bunch.
The other thing I was thrilled to see at the meeting was Bonnie’s Holiday quilt. She worked really hard on it at the 2024 Retreat.
Show and tell was pretty good. I showed Sidewalk (unquilted) and talked about my plans for the Blue strip version.
Blue Strips
I finished enough of the blue strip blocks to make another Sidewalk quilt. This will be the third blue strip donation quilt I have made! Apparently, I use a lot of blue. I am really excited to try the Sidewalk pattern with these strip blocks.
This is not all of the strips blocks I need. It is the group I put up on the design wall as I was making them.
I have made a little dent in my blue scrap drawer. I can probably close it now. I plan to keep making these blocks until I have used most of the strips. I did find that a lot of the scraps are smaller than 4.5 inch strips, so another blue improv donation quilt is in my future, too.
Chain Link on the Wall
Putting Chain Link up on the design wall the other day made a huge difference. I could finally see what was going on with this quilt. I made good progress over the past couple of days and am pleased that this quilt is finally going in the right direction.
In the photo, the fabrics look plaid. Except for a couple of gingham charms, there isn’t any plaid. The rainbow stripes contribute to the effect, I think.
I worked really hard on putting the strip sets together. It is a tedious task, but had to be done, so I just got on with it. Once all the blocks were in place, I could see what was going on with this quilt. I could see how to put it together and the way the design was supposed to work. I don’t know why I couldn’t see that before.
Now on to chunking.
Truimphant Block 3 Finished
I cut like a demon at Sew Day, so the pieces were ready to go when I was. Having the pieces cut, having fewer pieces and being more familiar with the process meant I was able to finish Triumphant block 3 in record time.
I am all caught up and have a break for a week until the border instructions are posted.
Yes. This top is in sight of being done. Hooray!
There are some pieces I would have cut differently, though I am sure Latifah had her reasons. I prefer large pieces for the background – as large as possible. I’ll have Colleen quilt over the intersections of the background, however, and I am sure by the time I get it back I won’t care. LOL!
These are large blocks: 20 inches finished. Right now this is a large Nine Patch that is 60 inches wide.
I find the shapes that I can make with the HuRTy rulers are really different from other shapes. I looked at Latifah’s other patterns and didn’t see anything appealing. I hope she has a “Design with HuRTy rulers” course.
Chain Link Takes Center Stage
I finally took Sidewalk off the design wall and replaced it with Chain Link. No, Triumphant gets no time on the design wall. LOL! I have a lot of quilt projects happening at the moment. This is the result of starting so much.
This isn’t actually all of the blocks. I have to find a step stool and put the last two rows up at the top. It is enough for me now to see what is happening with this quilt top.
As you can see, I have a lot of the strips sets to make. I think this quilt will go together quickly once those are done.
It is so much easier to get a grip on this design when I can see it.