Phew - a Successful Fundraiser!

 The Sew Powerful goal was $250,000 - and it was met and even $20,000 higher. More purses were sent in than ever before.  Here are 48 I sent in, but only 30 of them were from my official Sewathon efforts.  guokdmate Ellen made purses, and they were mailed with this batch.  And in total o raised $7,800.  Obviously I know the nicest people. 

And now that the Sewathon is over, I have been thrilled to get back to a quilt I’ve been working on all summer.  It’s individually quilted squares of fabrics I love.  And now I am joining them in a quilt as you go fashion, which I also call reversible quilting.

There are a couple of designers who create fabric I love.  Marcia Derse is one such designer.  It’s hard to tell but this quilt has 10” borders all from one of her fabrics, and 4 blocks are also from this sort of collage-y fabric.  And I can’t wait to see the back - a lot of low volume fabrics.  

I know I’ll do some purses soon, and I have a whole tub of denim that I want to do something with.  And I threw some lovely stuff on the design wall.  Hmm, what to do, what to do?  

But a big thing will happen.  My left arthritic thumb is awful.  It’s so bad I’ve been working with my right hand to quilt and pin and clip.  So awkward.  But the pain - Oy.  And I don’t want to live on drugs, like I did the decade before my knees were replaced. So I’m thinking about what can I get ready to work on with my machines - I know cutting and hand quilting will be out of the picture for 6 to 8 weeks.  So, just thinking ahead…

Busy Hands, Happy Hands

It is August already.  Yes, time seems to be speeding up again.   The worst of the hot weather and storms is over 🤞, and we are heading into my favorite time of the year.  The dozen Sew Powerful purses for this month have joined June and July - I’ll ship these purses next week.  Wednesday former guild president Lauren has arranged a Sew Powerful workshop here with three others.  It’ll be fun.  I’ve made kits so that we can focus on the mechanics of the pattern.  

Evenings I hand quilt with No 8 Perle cottons.  And as I’ve said before, it’s too hot in the summer to hold a quilt on my lap.  So this summer’s quilting project is an odd one.  But I love it.  I can’t imagine anyone else looking at this quilt and thinking they must have it. 

These are all 15” squares, batted with wool and backed with something low volume. These squares are from fabrics I love.  And I’m not sure I can explain why.  But each one delights me.  The last five still need to be quilted, but I can already see the finished project.  Grey grunge will be perfect for the interior sashing and the border.  Currently this quilt is 60” x 75”.  I’m thinking of a way to make it wider.  

The bottom three blocks are all from a favorite designer, Marcia Derse.  I’m thinking a quilted 6” strip  down both sides would nicely unify these odd blocks. 

But here’s what I’ve really been working on.  September is the Sew Powerful fundraiser and Purse-a-thon. I’m getting my materials together and am even asking the grandkids to contribute.  People in my building were so supportive; I had a special dinner last week for a few of them, including my note writer Lynne.   And my Weight Watchers group was so generous.  This year, before asking them to help fund the supplies for the purses I make, I want to show them that I don’t take their support or money lightly.  So using my scraps I have made bowl cozies - 56 so far.  

  

Very satisfying.  Here’s to September! 

Christmas 2025: End-of-the-year Wrap Up

This news is the biggest!  What do you notice about the  picture? Yes - that is my right hand, and I am totally left handed.  But my left thumb has been very ouchy, arthritic and overused. This inflammation means no quilting.  But it’s what I do every night. So 8 weeks ago I started my journey to ambidexterity. The first few nights were awful - I couldn’t even hold the needle.  I kept referring to my left hand so that my right hand could see what it was supposed to be doing.  And , my right-hand quilting is now pretty good! The best bonus is that I can switch hands for a change of direction.  My thumb is still ouchy but can handle a wee bit of quilting, 

Both hands have matching protection!

And this has been my practice piece for right-handed quilting! 

This recent finish pleased me a lot.  It is my Summer 2025  project.  I cut 8.5” x WOF strips from various grunge fabrics and spent summer evenings holding just long thin batted and backed strips and quilting.  I thought I would  go for  a corner log cabin layout.  But it looked so plain.  So I cut the yellow quilted strip into 8.5” squares and began to fool around with this layout. I used what Sharon Peterson calls reversible quilting and what others call quit as you go QAYG.   You can see the grey connecting bits in the front.  The back I almost like even more - see picture below.  For backing I used any low-volume fabric, and I love the effect. 

This is nothing but a fabric I love.  Marcia Derse is the designer, and I have loved her work for over 10 years.  I don’t know what I am going to do with it.  But I love it and will figure something out.  

And look below.  Purses.  Always Sew Powerful purses. This was the December dozen, which means I sent off 144 purses this year.  And I already have the beginnings of January’s dozen on the design wall.

The good quilting fairy has been whipping up various pouches and zip clutches. And some have already been gifted.  It’s a luxury to just play in the studio with fabrics and zippers and create fun little things! 

Last year I did a big bed quilt for stepdaughter Jen.  These pillows are from her leftover fabrics 

This is my 100 Day project. Quilt Buddy Lauren suggested this project to our guild.  10 of us have responded, and each of us gets to determine what they want their project to be.  Some, in the true spirit of 100 Day Projects, are working on something daily.  But I have tailored these 100 days around a black and white scrap project with the outcome being a useable quilt.  Here it is in its pin-basted form.  And currently I am quilting it and figuring how to incorporate some hand quilting   See the picture below?  My eye needs help.  So I am experimenting with stitching around the nine big blocks in the center of the blocks. 

And here’s the end.  This picture above has three of my favorite things in it.  First, my grandson under the quilt.  Second, my grandson taking the picture - look in the mirror.  Third, this quilt.  I love it, I loved making it, and I love that Ryan wants it and how good it looks in his apartment.  I also love that Brandon is sleeping on the sofa bed we passed on to Ryan. The same sofa bed where the boys and I used to have sleepovers. 

This holiday season was good.  I prayed last year for one more winter.  And that will be my prayer again. The holidays are constantly changing and evolving.  While we may yearn for traditions  and faces of yore, we must constantly  adapt and look forward. Here’s to 2026. 

Fabric Crushes

 I have had four distinct fabric crushes, and I’m always surprised when I find something I love so much.  The first was from a Bonnie .Christine AGF line, “Hello, Bear.”  

The second was fabrics from Marcia Derse.

And then I discovered Janet Clare and her Wordsmith line.  Like the other two so far, these fabrics are now out of print.  

And now I’ve discovered Seth Apter and his line Storyteller.  His fabrics have a collage-ish look with muted colors.  (Note:  I almost included e bond  in this post.  Her first line was Glyphs with the most interesting mostly black and white prints.  But now she’s gone waaay too colorful). Let’s see how long this crush lasts! 

Crushing on Fabric

Sometimes when looking at fabrics, I fall pretty hard.  Designer Janet Clare did some wonderful stuff for Moda with a line called Wordsmith.  I've made several quilts simply because I love working with these fabrics.  Grandson Sam has one of these quilts, and I can't even remember who has others.  When I got low on one of these fabrics, I would look at Etsy and buy more.  This line is way out of print, and it's time to simply let them go.  I think I may have enough for one more quilt, not counting the one that is below.

Recognize this pattern?  Of course you do.  It's a Trip Around the World.  Granddaughter Natalie is graduating from Iowa State next month and starting a job in Moab, Utah soon after.  I'm hoping she will take this quilt with her.  It's light but warm and will be entirely hand quilting within another week.  

I love off-center spiral quilting, and this is being finished just as the weather turns warm.  

Another set of favorite fabrics is this line from Marcia Derse.  I discovered these at QuiltCon years ago, and as I recall one of my guild mates put these fabrics on my radar.  I now have two bed quilts made from these fabrics.  Now I'm working on a headboard.  How it will be mounted and hung is a question for another day.  But I do think it's going to complete our bedroom.  I'm always looking for new fabrics to crush on.  Brigitte Heitland of Zen Chic comes the closest to a designer I crush on.  Her fabrics are for another post!

A Big One - Finished

When I finish a bigger project that can't be photographed on the floor, then I ask John to hang it over our balcony while I go outside to take the photograph.  But this quilt needs two people to hold it. So my brother Doug came over and took these pictures. This is a new bed quilt from a collection of favorite fabrics, and I hand quilted it.  I worked fast the past month because as it gets warmer, this quilt is just too much to keep on one's lap.  It has a terrific airy feel.  The pattern is The Libby Quilt by Erica Jackman.  

A new version of American Gothic, featuring the back of the quilt.  

 My current bed quilt features the same fabrics, most of which are by designer Marcia Derse.  And these fabrics have been my crush for almost 10 years.  Next up?  a headboard using these fabrics!

Yoshiko Jinzenji* and Carolyn Friedlander* Walk Into a Bar and Meet Marcia Derse* and Maura Ambrose**

 Several Chicago Modern Quilt Guild buddies and I went to Camp Stitchalot in November 2016.  Carolyn Friedlander, quilter/fabric designer/architect taught a workshop in needle-turn applique.  I brought along some of my favorite fabrics and found some plain open-weave fabric to work on.  Actually I cut the fabric from a panel of Yoshiko Jinzenji fabric.  I am proud of trying needle-turn applique, I'm glad I know what it is, and I also know I will not do it again.  However, I do love these circles.

 After finishing the applique I sewed these panels back into the fabric from which it was cut.  Yoshiko Jinzenji is a Japanese quilter/fabric designer whose aesthetic resonates with me.  The minimalism and whimsey?  Yes, please.  And then some more!  Google her - she does fascinating work.  I was lucky enough to take a workshop with here at QuiltCon 2015.  Read about it here. 

At this same QuiltCon I took a class from Maura Ambrose in sashiko techniques.  And now it's the only kind of quilting I do.  This wall-hanging needed something more, and the circular stitching is perfect, IMHO.
What to back this with? Another favorite fabric - one by Marcia Derse. This fabric has remained one of my all-time favorites.

With this new piece hanging above my sewing machine, I had to find a new home for "CandyLand." It's at the base of the studio stairs. What a cheery piece to see every time I come down the stairs. (and yes, the bottom of the stairs is storage for all kind of stuff...)

Changing Gears: From Quilts Back to Purses

 This quilt - the 4th in my pre- and post-election series - makes a nice dent in my Marcia Derse fabric collection.  I'm pretty sure this particular design is from Blue Underground Studios, but of course I can't find it right now. I have loved the fabric that is the background for this quilt.  But it's finally gone.  Time to move on.  This quilt is 90" x 96" and another wonderfully soft one.  The quilting is all straight lines and suits the overall design perfectly.  Time to fold it up as it waits for its rightful owner to claim it.  Not sure who that will be...

These are the purse fabrics.  I'm not crazy about them personally.  But I know they will sew up into purses that some Zambian young ladies will love.