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. 

The Summer Quilting Project featuring GRUNGE

It is just too darn hot to sit evening with a quilt on my lap and stitch.  But stitch I must.  So…. I love grunge fabrics a lot. And I have a handful of colors, thanks to the terrific stock of grunge at Sew Modern in Arlington Heights.  I’m cutting width of fabrics ranging from 8” to 12” wide.  Using scraps of leftover wool batting and whatever low volume fabrics for backing, I’ve pin-basted and cane easily hold this small amount on my lap.  Once all the fringe pieces are quilted, I’ll connect them using a common quilt-as-you-go technique.  That design will take shape once all bits are quilties.  What will it be?  How big will it be?  Great questions.  And I don’t know! 

Enlarging A Favorite Quilt for a Favorite Grandson

 

Grandson Sam is renting a house in Lombard along with his brother Jack and a third roommate.  Just because they are living close to us doesn’t mean we will see them with greater frequency.  Sam went to Northern Michigan State, and one fall we took a road trip to see him - Sam was a sophomore,  and I gave him a quilt.  Since then almost any event we are attending, Sam is quick to tell me he uses his quilt nightly and has washed it a lot. Recently he told me he bought a queen bed and kind of gave what was on my dining room wall ( see below) a longing look - it is a smaller version of what I made him years ago.  I asked him if he’d be interested in a bed version of this quilt. All of the fabrics in this quilt are out of print, but grunge pairs nicely.  These fabrics were originally from a collection by Janet Clare called Wordsmith.  And most important to my eye, there’s a color in this quilt - it’s grey/green/touch of blue - that feeds my soul and is so hard to describe and match.  But this one grunge works! 

So I removed the binding of the dining room wall quilt and began to make borders.  It was 60 x 80”.  And with the borders it is now 90” x 110” .  Using the quilt as you go method, the two sides went on, and then the top and bottom.  The final step was binding.  It’s gorgeous. And the texture is wonderful.  The body of the quilt is hand quilted with a wool bat.  The borders are machine quilted with a cotton bat. And the back of this quilt is all Art Gallery fabrics, which have an almost silky feel.  

I have loved looking at this quilt on the wall for a couple of years, but I ann also happy to look at this fabulous new quilt! I think I’ll leave it up for a while!   And a final word about favorites: Sam is my favorite grandson.  But so are Ryan, Jack, Brandon and Ben. 

Summer Quilt - Finished!

Summer Quilting is so much different than quilting in the other seasons.  Evenings I quilt.  Cool and cold days are perfect for sitting with a quilt and stitching.  But in summers?  No way?  Not to mention that my body temp is always 10 degrees warmer than John's.  So for several summers I have "summer quilted", meaning that I will hand-quilt a block at a time and then join these blocks using Sharon Pederson's Reversible Quilting method.  

A few months ago I saw e Bond's fabric collection Glyph at the Crimson Tate (an indy quilt shop in Indy!)

website and fell in love with five of her fabrics.  When they arrived, I fondled them a lot and realize that these were not fabrics to be cut up into little bits.  So I cut 10" squares and used the Attic Windows setting.      I found enough leftover wool batting and Frankenbatted with abandon.   Since I was going to be quilting these 30 blocks by hand, of course I had to find some Art Gallery fabrics for the backing, all neutral scraps.  Most of these blocks just have a simple spiral.  After all, it's the fabric, not the quilting, being featured.  And full disclosure:  there is one fabric included not in the Glyph collection although it is Art Gallery.  

I love how the back looks.  There is no rhyme or reason to the arrangement.  All I know is that the back of this quilt is wonderfully soft.  Each block is 12" so this quilt is 60" x 72". 

It's only late July.  I may have to find another summer quilting project!  

ADHD sewing

 

So many unfinished projects, both in the house and in the studio.  There is an underlying sense of not quite being able to settle down and focus.  On anything.  But slowly the house projects are being finished - kitchen lighting - check. New dining room table - check.  Soaker tub removed - check.  Closet being built - almost there.  What has made everything tolerable is that our contractor works very very neat and is easy to absorb into our daily lives.  For a while I thought I’d have to move my studio out to the dining room, but that just hasn’t been necessary.  So I’ve been able to start projects, sew with abandon, and not give thought to finishing anything. 

The new dining room table?  It's 62" round.  But with one leaf it's 62" x 80" oval.  Perfect for a table runner I saw on Instagram by @tygeroting.  Everything they do catches my eye.  I like the design, the fabrics, and the quilting.  And since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I'm trying hard to capture the feel of this runner.  Here's what I have so far:

Most of these fabrics are ones given to my by some of my special quilty friends, namely Melissa and Sarah S.  Ive been saving them until I figured out what I want to do with them.  Quilty Lynn send me some "bone" fabric when I was doing the broken bone thing in 2020.  And of course a little bit of Zen Chic's punctuation fabric has to be included.  If I named quilt runners, I would have to call this one "I get by with a little help from my friends." Since I am going to be doing some hand quilting on this runner, I need to wait until I have some wool batting.  Which leads me into my next unfinished project.

I loved how Natalie's graduation quilt turned out, and I still have more of that wonderful fabric line "Wordsmith" by Janet Clare.  So I whipped up another "Trip Around the World" with these fabrics. Grandson Sam had one of the first ones, Natalie has one, and I am not sure who this one will go to.  But the backing is there and ready.  So is my final roll of queen-size wool batting.  If I ever clear off my tables, I will then be able to pin-baste and get this ready for hand-quilting, but not until the fall.  

Speaking of Janet Clare, who designs for Moda Fabrics, a recent line of hers is Geometry.  I like what she does, so I bought a couple of charm packs (5" squares featuring the entire collection).  In a moment of insanity I started a project.  I don't know what it's going to be and literally just played around.  It became obvious that I need greens, so I put away what I was doing and ordered 4 greens.  And here they sit.  I'm pretty sure I'm making 8" blocks that I will put on point.  But I have a feeling this isn't going to happen for a while.  

 

And always I think about Sew Powerful purses.  Usually I act as well.  But after sending off that last box of 20, I've been slow to restart.  So far I know I have these fabrics for 2 flaps, and there are straps. I have fabrics set out - it's just a matter of focusing and assembling.  My goal is to make some purses and leave them a various stages of completion.  A fellow guild mate is interested in setting up a workshop of sorts, and these step-outs would be useful!  But onto the project that I am currently in love with...

This last project features five fabrics from a e.bond's Glyphs fabric collection, which I found at Crimson Tate.  The absence of colors as well as the designs appeal to me.  And I'm always in search of a summer quilting project, meaning something small that I can work on without getting hot!  I've cut five 10.5" squares from each of the fabrics, and I'm setting them using the Attic Windows design.  I had enough leftover wool batting for thirty 12.5" blocks and I found enough neutral Art Gallery fabrics for the backs of these 30 blocks.  Although each block will need some hand quilting, it must not take away from the wonderful fabrics but yet must unify the six fabrics.  I love the simplicity and sparseness of the spiral design.  These 30 blocks will make a quilt that is 60" x 72".  It is a Quilt As You Go sort of project, one that I've done several times.  Look at the entry from December 7, 2021, my Broken Wrist Quilt.  I sometimes call this method of quilting reversible quilting, and I learned it from Sharon Pederson's books on Reversible Quilting.  It's not easier or faster than regular quilting - it's just a different way of approaching quilting.  

I think as the house projects draw to a close, some of these projects will also find their way to the finish line!  

The Broken Wrist Quilt

Does this quilt do anything for you?  I love it for several reasons.  It was one of the first things I worked on with my broken wrist.  I had just had the pins removed (without anesthesia, just a local - stupid Covid - don't ask) and was doing rehab.  And I'm sure this project helped the rehab along. I've always admired quilts using the selvage edges of fabric.  So I went through my stash and cut off the selvage edges, about a 2" strip.  I also set out scrap strips.  There are no seams on these blocks, just fabrics overlapped and foundation pieced onto 12.5" squares of muslin.  Each of the 35 blocks was batted with wool, quilted individually (perfect summer quilting) and then joined in a quilt-as-you-go technique.  The backs of each block were scraps also.  Nice way to use up these odd bits. 

This quilt doesn’t have an owner yet.  Which is fine with me.  I need to hang on to this for a while, admire it, and reflect on how difficult some of this work was as I was healing and rehabbing.  It pleases me very much.  60” x 84”

Looking Around the Studio

This time of the year that makes me think about what needs to be finished before I start anything else. Many  quilters, including ones in my guild, are so good about setting goals for the year and then analyzing how well they accomplished these goals.  One Quilty - yes, I'm talking about Laura Hartrich - has even made a quilt of how well she did on one year's goals.  While I am impressed, I have no desire to even begin that sort of heavy- duty thinking! With some minor talk of moving and downsizing (no, it's not happening - yet...), I have begun to cull through books and gadgets I don't use to find new owners.  This book?  It's lovely.  My sister got it for me before we left for Kenya.  It' beautiful - it just needs a new owner!

I came across this quilt top I started last spring. Quilty Eileen used this pattern and shared her ruler with me. It was perfect for the cake layer of fabrics I had.  The gentle taupe, teal, grey, and whites appealed to me.  So did this unique way of working with hexagons.  It's all pin-basted and I'm doing my own machine-quilting on this.  The batting is Warm and Natural, and this quilt is heavy.  I can only work on it in small stretches.  But I like how it's turning out and am mostly glad it will be finished soon.

Here's the same family of fabrics used in a different way.  Ever since I discovered hand-quilting, I look for things I can work on in the summer.  Holding a quilt to work on in the winter is heaven, especially in this house.  But in the summer not so much.  Here's a link to my blog post from last January when these blocks were in process.  Now?  Each one is quilted and needs to be joined to the others.  Currently it's in three rows.  This will be 85" x 85".  One of my favorite things about this quilt and the reversible process is the back.  Each block is backed with a different Art Gallery fabric and batted with wool.  Now, what to do with these two quilts?  TBD...

And finally, another apology for all the times I have said I don't do cute.  Because I do!  Look at this little pink koala who eats red eucalyptus leaves.  My sister was holding her sick granddaughter Eloise when I was finishing the koala baby quilt.  Elo was curious if koalas could be pink or purple.  So in the midst of trying to downsize my stuff and finish up UFO's (another post is coming tomorrow...), I needed her to know that yes, Koalas can be pink.

Three Projects in Process

By in process I mean the ones that are actually started and not just ones that are in fabric piles on the studio floor - more on those in the next post.  You know I'm a sucker for jelly rolls and layer cakes.  I saw this line Thrive by Natalia and Kathleen and loved the gentle graphics and color.  Against this background of a dark cool grey?  I'm in love.  As I put these shapes and colors together, I kept thinking of how I want to hand-quilt this.  So I made nine 29" blocks.  Each center is a 10" square from the line.  There are 5" squares and 2.5" squares.  Circular quilting?  Yes!  But circles are easier to do in small bits, not as a large quilt.  So I have batted each one of these 9 blocks with wool and an Art Gallery fabric backing.  They are pinned and edges have have been zigzagged.  Voila - my next hand project.  Still looking for an 18" template.  And then I will join these blocks in my reversible fashion. 

Another project in process is this grey-black-white log cabin.  So far there are forty-two 14" blocks.This layout of diagonal furrows pleases me, but these blocks are set aside for a day when I'll try another layout.  It's nice to have all the black and white and grey logs put away for a while.

And the last project I just started this morning.  I have loved working with peppered shot cottons - I started accumulating them 4 years ago.  This morning I was trying to explain to John what these shot cottons are and realized that I have three projects in the living room that are all made from shot cottons - see the end of this post.  The pile is dwindling but still sizeable.  I have been thinking about a Rail Fence design.  You can see below what I have so far.  Each block is 10.5".  It's pretty in-your-face - does it need toning down?  All I know is that I am going to keep making blocks! 

As I worked on the Rail Fence, I realized I have almost enough for a full-size Trip Around the World.  So the strips are cut, just waiting to be sewn.

Here's the thing about these meaty peppered shot cottons - they feel great and have a nice weight.  They are a dream to quilt because their weave is very open and looks good with my primitive sashiko quilting.  I know I want to hand-quilt this Trip.  I'm not sure about the Rail Fence.

This was from a jelly roll of shot cottons. 

This Glam Clam was hand-pieced and hand-quilted.  These curves almost made themselves. 

The quilt that started my love affair with peppered shot cottons.