Wednesday Workings, July 9, 2025

 

Katniss is complete.  This is a 2025 UFO for me with five more to go on this year's list.  The red stripe is the binding which is all prepared and the white stripe is the back.  I am very happy with this project from Kim Diehl called Garnets and Lilies.  

I plan to pick up where I left off on Autumn Love.  I will be revisiting the project this week so I have some hand sewing to do in the evenings.  I am on the last side of binding on Knickers that might get me through tonight.  I should have a finished Knickers to share with you on Sunday.  Also will be able to claim used on Katniss and Children's Zoo since I am close to a complete on it.  So those numbers will change in a positive way.  I am thinking about Kid's Kingdom for Children's Zoo...any other ideas?

When I started trimming down the twelve blocks of Children's Zoo, I found a missed embroidery section in the penguin's eye.  I corrected that right away because missing now would be a big mistake.  Gives me pause to look twice on the blocks to make sure I completed all the embroidery.  So far this has been the only mishap.

This is the next step after squaring up the blocks.  All the blue markings on the blocks will vanish when washed so no iron hits these blocks until it is quilted and bound.  Otherwise the blue markings will set and that is not wanted for sure.

Here it is on my design wall coming together.  This is a bright quilt with the turquoise inner border and the multi color sprockets.  The sprockets fabric was a great find in Rosie's sale room.  It is 60" wide; pretty unusual size that works.  The zebra will go between the panda and the rhino.  Once the eye is embroidered on the penguin it will fit nicely next to the lion and the platypus.

That's it for today.  Going to be a hot one today in San Diego...hot for us San Diegans that is =^.^=

   

Design Wall Monday, July 7, 2025

Here is Katniss at the start of Sunday.  I had just two blocks to go before being able to move on to the next step in the process.  I am getting anxious.  Katniss is going to be specular.  I hope to get through the applique in the next day.  Honestly, I am ready to be using my Phaff  =^.^=  This applique doesn't go so fast!

Tomorrow marks ONE YEAR OF RETIREMENT!  Where has this past year gone?

Sunday Stash Report, July 6, 2025

Finished the binding while sitting outside on the patio with DH on the 4th.  We stayed home and had hamburgers cooked on the grill.  Listened to the not too far away fireworks that were all around us.  This quilt is part of the charity projects I sew up for Sunshine Quilt Guild.  The Guild supports efforts at Rady's Children's Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House.

On Thursday Jo, Kathy, and I volunteered our time at the San Diego County Fair acquiring signature blocks that will be used for charity projects we call Community Quilts.  The two on the wall in the back left are examples of completed quilts.  Jo was putting together with her blue sewing machine quilt tops made with the signed blocks we collected between the two days.  The green quilt is one I made that signatures were being gathered making it one step closer to complete.  That lovely quilt behind us is Sunshine Quilt Guild's 2025-2026 Opportunity Quilt.  I have tickets one/$1 or six/$5; let me know if you want to be included in the drawing for this queen sized quilt.

Pop  Medley has a back and binding prepared so it now gets counted in the Used category!  Also in the Used category are the fabric from stash to create parts and full requirements for four Community Quilts.  So a big used this week!

I have just two blocks to finish the applique on Katniss.  Will share more on Katniss tomorrow.  Oh my, this project is looking fabulous =^.^=  I have yet to cut into the fabric to finish Children's Zoo (sashing, etc.), my cross stitch project.  I need first to get Katniss off the design wall...it is too crowded right now.

Used this week: 22 yards 
Used YTD: 202.75 yards 
Purchased this week: 0 yards
Purchased YTD: 78.25 yards
Net used in 2025: 124.5 yards

Wednesday Workings, July 2, 2025

Moving right along with the applique on Katniss.  Three blocks done (top row) and six more to do.  Making great progress on the project.

Quilts arrived from Kerry yesterday, Knickers and the Lattice Baby Quilt for charity.  I have binding prepared with plans to stitch down on both of them today.  My first priority in hand stitching will be Katniss =^.^=

Another community signature charity quilt was finished.  My volunteering will be tomorrow.  The booth looks really good.  

These are the volunteers today.  Booth set up with two completed community signature charity quilts mounted to the left of the booth and one on the table to the right along with lots more signature blocks to be signed.  Our Opportunity Quilt for 2025-2026 is in the middle with chances available to win.  We will also be sitting down at a sewing machine showing how quilts come together.

Also brought in the mail is this very summery table runner by Fig Tree & Co. called Popsicles.  I have scraps aplenty to put this one together.

Enjoy this beautiful Wednesday =^.^=

Design Wall Monday, June 30, 2025

 

The applique is coming along on Katniss.  It is taking about three hours to stitch each block.  At this rate I have a week left before the next steps in having this part done.  The bias bar worked well for the "X".  I definitely recommend it for smaller pieces of bias tape.  The ease with centering the seam on the underside is really a treat; just what the tool is supposed to do.

Here is the rest of my applique pieces for the remaining seven blocks.  I use the Avery label method for my applique shapes.  Using a full Avery label sheet, trace or photo copy the shape onto the sheet.  Cut out the shape and press onto the right side of the fabric.  Cut the fabric ~1/8 around the Avery label.  Position on your project and applique it down.  Remove the Avery label.  The label can be used more than once.  It sticks amazingly well.

Also stitched are all the units for the outside border.  13 will be used for each side.  I will wait until the top is done before these are assembled.

Sunshine has a booth at the San Diego County Fair again this year.  We will have stoppers by sign our community charity project blocks.  I have made two quilts from signed blocks to display and this is the second to be made into a top for stoppers by to sign.  Painters tape was adhered to the back of the signature part of the block to keep the fabric stable.

This is the start of a third top for stopers by to sign.  Sunshine's booth will be open for showing the quilting craft on July 2 and July 3.  Come by and say hi...oh and sign a community charity project block!

Hope your July is awesome =^.^=

Sunday Stash Report, June 29, 2025

 

The zebra is the last block to stitch for Children's Zoo cross stitch project.  I have some fun fabric to use for getting this into a small quilt.  The animals are not true to their natural coloring; at least a few are not.  The turquoise will be the inner border or frame around each 9" block which there are 12.  The stripe will be the binding and the final piece will be for the sashing as well as the back.  I will be fitting this into the sewing queue.  I have already counted the fabric in, but not yet at that point to call it out.

Katniss is coming along fine.  I have all the smaller blocks stitched into the larger block.  The nine blocks are on my wall with the sashing that will come next once the applique is done.  The applique will be where the four smaller blocks point together.  On the right side you can see the strips that will be used for the inner border and the last pieced units for the outer border.  The same white stripe used in the sashing is planned for the binding.

Here are the pieces needing prepared for the applique.  I will be working on this today.

These are the units ready to go for the outer border.  All the red squares have their center lines drawn and ready for stitching.  There will be 13 border units for each side with a corner stone of a solid red.

Didn't purchase any fabric this week and nothing to claim as used either.  These two projects are coming together quite nicely.  Hopefully they will claim as used next week along with Pop Medley that I didn't put together a back for yet.  Now let me find time in my sewing room =^.^=

Used this week: 0 yards 
Used YTD: 180.75 yards 
Purchased this week: 0 yards
Purchased YTD: 78.25 yards
Net used in 2025: 102.5 yards

Wednesday Workings, June 25, 2025

 

Happy Wednesday!  These are the 36 blocks needed for Garnets and Lilies by Kim Diehl.  I will be calling my project Katniss. I am not at a stop, but the next part involves making bias stems.  The instructions call for a 3/8" bias bar, which I don't have right now.

I did order them with delivery expected Monday.  I will be moving on to the next steps in the meantime.  Each four blocks get sewn together and then there is the inner border pieces to stitch.  Lots of preping involved in the 36 leaves as well.  I will be busy until they arrive.  The bias bars make easy the stems of the applique portions.

Sorry for the quality of this photo.  The "X" in the center of the block is what I will be using the tool for.  There are many ways to accomplish this task, but the fabric is a bit heavy for me to consider other bias tape tools I already have in my tool box and simply making them by hand.

Panda was finished in my Children's Zoo cross stitch project.  Zebra is quite far along too.  I was surprised the zebra called for this color floss, but animals in this zoo aren't always in line with the real McCoy!  My Children's Zoo stitching is nearly done.  Next nighttime project will be Autumn Love's applique parts.

Today is a DH family dinner at King's Fish House in Carlsbad.  We all get together once a year around this time when his nephew comes to town.  We will be missing one of DH's brother and his better half this time around due to some surgery and grandchild sitting.  We are looking forward to being around family today.

Enjoy your Wednesday =^.^=

Design Wall Monday, June 23, 2025

 

Garnets and Lilies by Kim Diehl is on my wall today.  I am building the 36 stars currently.  There are three blocks using 12 reds.  The three gingham prints, the center of the stars, are scattered in each of the groupings.  

I have some marking to do on what remains to be sewn.  There will be some applique in this project using one of the ginghams and wait until you see the stripes =^.^=  This project is a 2025 UFO.  I think this one will be called Katniss.  

The top of the Pop Medley quilt is all sewn.  Need a back for this one that I will be seeking from my stash.

We had a fun time, probably too much fun...yesterday between Old Town and Little Italy.  Taking the trolley is so convenient.  Margaritas along with salsa, guacamole, black bean dip, and fresh chips were prominent in the three places we enjoyed.  Certainly can't do a day like this too much!

Sunday Stash Report, June 22, 2025

 

This project is called Pop Medley by Beverly Delaney (Quick Quilts #91).  I try to bring a simple project to Rosie's on the Fridays when the group meets and this was the one for this past Friday.  I took some time to use my Accuquilt cutter to cut the 3 1/2" halves of these blocks.  It calls for two blocks of each fabric in rainbow colors.  My friend Marla's sister had started with a few blocks and left me with some fabric, but my stash filled in most of it.  It took quite a bit of unsewing after the day at Rosie's URGH because I failed to notice that there is also in the design calling for the 1 1/2" strip to change not once or twice, but four times at it travels through the top.  In what was given me there were two different fabrics.  Like a dunce I hadn't studied the pattern and low and behold left the pattern at home.  So I went merrily on the chain piecing journey all day.  When I got home and checked the pattern...oh my gosh!  My seam ripper came into play nearly all day.  Two more strip fabrics were found in my stash to fill in the missing fabrics.  I suggest you read the instructions before you begin; certainly not the way I did it =^.^=  The borders were to be a dark brown fabric.  You can see I changed it out to something a bit brighter.  I will be sewing this all together in the coming week.

I have about half the blocks done on Garnets and Lilies.  It is best to work with one sewing machine on a project to keep the seam allowances the same.  There will be more to share with you tomorrow when I have it back up on my design wall.

DH's birthday is today.  We will be heading south towards downtown on the trolley later today.  Not sure where we will end up.  We like adventures with new experiences.  No telling what this lovely day has in store for us.

No change to my stash report, but that will change next week when Pop Medley is completed into a top.

Used this week: 0 yards 
Used YTD: 180.75 yards 
Purchased this week: 0 yards
Purchased YTD: 78.25 yards
Net used in 2025: 102.5 yards

Wednesday Workings, June 18, 2025

I finished the snake and started the eleventh block, panda.  The next two blocks are pretty much all #310 black floss.  I have one full skein left.  Fingers crossed I don't run out before I can get through the last, twelfth block, the zebra.  

Once Children's Zoo is finished I plan to get back to the hand sewing portions of Autumn Love.  I have the scarecrow done which was the fifth part.  I have to refresh myself with just where I left off.

As for machine sewing Garnets and Lilies is under the needle.  I have to make 36 of these units.

I have four done today before I start in to sewing.  Just finished Aqua Fit class, my Starbucks Venti Iced Latte, and a trip to the U.S. Post Office.  It is the second time this week to mail goodies out.  Tiffany and Mom are the recipients of these packages.  We are going for City Tacos today and I have about 48 minutes left in my Audible book, Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble.

Have a great day everyone and stay safe my friends =^.^=

 

Design Wall Monday, June 16, 2025

This is the charity project I was working on trying to match up the stripes.  I started off trying to use up leftovers of the signature blocks.  More signature blocks were added along with scraps from two projects made years ago.  At the time the salt and pepper fabrics was a fabric find that was awesome.  Vivian at the time had a huge collection of the shakers.  I made a quilt for her from this fabric.  I think she has a smaller collection these days, but I hope she still has her quilt.

Since I made this into a quilt top already, blue painters tape has been put on the back of the where the community will adorn them to keep the fabric stable.  The actual signing part will determine if this was a good idea or not =^.^=  I hope to meet up with Lorna for choosing a back and more fabrics with a bug or picnic theme to use up the rest of the 12 signature blocks also leftovers from previous charity quilts with an add or two.

I will be using these fabrics, plus a few more yet to be located in my stash, for another Lattice Baby quilt.  These 5" squares come from my mom's stash.  I don't know what project she was working on, but these are too cute not to use up and the peacock solid will work well with them.

That's it for me on my Design Wall this week.  What's on yours?

Sunday Stash Report, June 15, 2025

Kerry shared this pattern with me recently.  It is called Lattice Baby Quilt by Amy Smart.  All of this is from my scraps.  I used the playful 5" squares as a back in a previous project.  The blue pulled it altogether and there was just a few inches left of the stripe.  I will be sending it off tomorrow for quilting along with many other projects.  I will be making another one of these designs with some fun 5" squares that came from my mom's stash.

The last part of this week has been going through my garage stash looking for novelty fabric that measured 3/4 yard.  My mom likes making pillowcases so I made her a bunch.  The used count this week is primarily from pillowcase kits.

I have another charity quilt in the works.  I am painstakingly matching up stripes.  There were a few signature blocks left from the charity quilts shared with you on Wednesday's post.  I certainly didn't want them to not have a home.  Come back tomorrow when I will have photos to share.

The Finishing Kit arrived yesterday for the 2025 Liberty Box project called Gleaming.  I haven't worked on this project yet, but gathered all that is needed to make the quilt.

Used this week: 25 yards 
Used YTD: 180.75 yards 
Purchased this week: 4.25 yards
Purchased YTD: 78.25 yards
Net used in 2025: 102.5 yards

Happy Father's Day!  This also is the day DH and I celebrate our Anniversary; now 40 years together.

 

Wednesday Workings, June 11, 2025

My Children's Zoo project has another block finish with the monkey.  The next block is the snake that will be green with the yellow diamonds on it's back.  I like how the designer made it less scary by including a baseball cap.  Can you guess what color the cap will be?

Tuesday at guild I won the $10 prize for having completed one of the UFO goals.  Happily that is the second time I have won the prize.  I also picked up two UFO kits that our San Diego Fair coordinators can be done in time for our booth on July 2 and July 3.  Well of course they would be done.  With Christy's help in quilting; a piece of cake!  I have a Hungry Caterpillar fabric to hunt down for this one's back. 

I changed part of the back that came with this kit.  The butterfly green with a fleck of blue worked better with the main part of the back and with the top.  The snowman strip will go back to Lorna to be used in some other kit.

The rest of my day will be ironing the many tops and backs before the package goes together to mail to Kerry.  Have I mentioned previously how much the task of ironing is the last of my most favorite activities?  Right up there with dusting!  Enjoy your Wednesday.  Oh, if you happen to see my brother, nephew, or sister-in-law extend them a very Happy Birthday.