Tag: Doing Good

Starting Sidewalk #7

In the category of TMI, I had some dental work done yesterday and spent some time clearing out my email inbox, but otherwise laid on the couch and was a potato. I did get some stuff done over the weekend, which made me happy.

White Color Strip / sidewalk blocks
White Color Strip / sidewalk blocks

I got some fabric as a gift a week or so ago and decided it would work really well for my next White Strip donation top.

The White strip blocks had been laying around not inspiring me. With the new fabric in hand, I cut it up at SueS’ Sew Day. With that done, I was able to sew large and small squares to the strip blocks to come up with these larger blocks on Saturday. 

Sidewalk #7: White Strips in process
Sidewalk #7: White Strips in process

Most of the blocks have been sewn so I need to start chunking. I was able to use almost all of the gift fabric, which is great. 

This is a very different look for the white strip tops I have made in the past. This top will also straddle two series of quilts, Color Strip and Sidewalk.

July 2026 Donation Blocks & Quilts

This Month’s Blocks

I am thinking of making something with the pink 16 Patch blocks, but I haven’t decided what yet. Also I don’t have enough and have moved on to Color Strip blocks.

Yes, I am back to making Color Strip blocks in white and pink. I finished the white set I started awhile ago. I want to make another Sidewalk quilt. I wasn’t up for starting it, so I began making pink Color Strip blocks. I chose pink, because the pink scrap drawer is too full.

This Month’s quilts

Finished: Sidewalk #6: Green

Sidewalk #6: green - finished
Sidewalk #6: green – finished

I powered through the chunking of the Sidewalk #6: Green and was able to finish. I wanted to get one of the Wheelchair quilts up on the wall, so I needed to finish the Sidewalk quilt.

I really need to make the Half 16 Patches more colorful. The alternating white squares in the blocks means the quilt is primarily white which maybe isn’t so great for a donation quilt. I thought about using a color for the 8.5 and 4.5 inch squares, but am pretty sure I don’t have enough of any one color and am not sure scrappy would work with this design. I’ll have to think about it some more.

Sidewalk #6: Green- back
Sidewalk #6: Green- back

The back took longer than I expected as I used a lot of smaller pieces. Still, it uses up a lot of greens that I probably won’t use. Also, I get to add to my ‘Fabric Used” spreadsheet and up the number of donation quilts the guild gives away.

Wheelchair Quilt Tops

2026 Wheelchair quilt top #1
2026 Wheelchair quilt top #1

BAM is collecting wheelchair quilts for the veteran’s hospital in Palo Alto. We had planned a sew Day, but our Sew Day had to be cancelled, so I made one top at Super Sew Day and am working on another one.

We are all working to the same pattern from Sunshine Linus.

Both quilts use some Moda fabrics I won as part of the UFO challenge. As per the pattern, I cut the fabric up into 9.5 inch squares and sewed them together.

2026 Wheelchair quilt top #2 in process
2026 Wheelchair quilt top #2 in process

I had enough squares for at least one other, which I am working on now.

I didn’t include a back for the first one, but will sew a back for the second one. I have to sew this together first.

Someone else will quilt it. I didn’t cut off the corners as I thought the longarming would be easier if that step was done after quilting.

Sidewalk #6 In Progress

Sidewalk #6: Green in progress
Sidewalk #6: Green in progress

I have been collecting various blocks using 2.5 inch squares for forthcoming donation quilts. I finally had enough of the green half 16 patch blocks to make another Sidewalk quilt.

I started putting the blocks together in chunks on my small design wall, but couldn’t look at the whole thing until Cool Four Patch Fun was off the large design wall. I did a fair job spreading dark and light greens across the quilt. I don’t think this will take me very long to put together. I might have it done for the next meeting.

There is a lot of white in this quilt design. I think I need to try one where the large center blocks are a different color. White isn’t great for a donation quilt and I am sure I can find enough of whatever color to make a good looking quilt.

Finished Ends n.25

Ends n.25 top finished
Ends n.25 top finished

I finished Ends n.25 a few weeks ago. I just handed it in and made time to post about it.

The background doesn’t provide the required contrast to make the oranges and yellows stand out. They don’t, however, blend together either. 

This is a great example of what is fun about making donation quilts. I can play around with fabric combinations that I wouldn’t otherwise consider for my own work. I guess making backing is a little of the same.

Ends n.25 Back
Ends n.25 Back

The back, like the back for Ends n.24, uses some old solids that have been around since the dark ages.

Started Ends n.25

Ends n.25 top
Ends n.25 top

Almost as soon as I finished Ends n.24, I started Ends n.25 using the same background fabric. I got the background fabric for free somewhere and never used it, so here we are.

You can see that there is a shortage on the bottom right so I’ll have to add something in there.

I am still working through the edges of the back of Orange You Glad, which make up the color in this quilt. I have a few other red and orange edges that I added in, some still hanging around from the back of the Lobster table runner.

May 2026 Donation Blocks & Quilts

Blocks

I am close to having enough of the green blocks to make another Sidewalk quilt. I am still collecting grey, black and red  16 patch blocks for a QST quilt.

I have slowed down on making the white strip blocks, but will get back to it.

Quilts

Finished Ends n.24

Ends n.24 top finished
Ends n.24 top finished

I finished Ends n.24 pretty quickly, but have just had a chance to post about it now.

The edges I used are on the older side, including Orange You Glad, and were waiting for a new home and/or a new life. 

Ends n.24 back
Ends n.24 back

The fabrics for the back were even older. I used some solids from a bin of solids. Some of them I think I used in Mary Mashuta’s Pushed Neutrals class about a million years ago.

Started Ends n.24

Ends n.24 start
Ends n.24 start

I have been trying to fit the making of another donation top into my flurry of sewing. I feel like I have been doing so much. I have to acknowledge that some of the problem is design wall space. I finally started a top after taking the Warm Four Patch Fun off the design wall.

Welcome Ends n.24. Can you believe I have made 23.5 of these quilts? Yes, I have made that many over 9 years. It is kind of astounding, but also makes perfect sense. I keep producing quilts and Colleen sends the edges back. Thus I have the edges of bunches of quilts and if I don’t do something with them, they would just pile up.

April 2026 Donation Blocks & Quilts

Blocks

Quilts

Completed Sew Day Tops

Sew Day donation top
Sew Day donation top

The two tops that I worked on at Sew Day with Sue and Lee Ann are completed tops.

After I did some Pre-Sew Day work, we were able to put together a total of two quilt tops in addition to the larger top that the rest of the group put together. I am much better at working on my own. I was pleased that Sue and Lee Ann joined me without me having to say anything.

Lee Ann was kind enough to take the blocks for this one home and put the quilt together. 

Sew Day donation top
Sew Day donation top

The blocks I made also became a quilt top very quickly, thanks to Lee Ann. The blocks are 8 inches by 8 inches, so the quilt ended up being about 40 in. x 40 inches, which is about the size I like to hand in. 

Lee Ann has kindly agreed to quilt them.