Slow Sunday Stitching

Got caught up with my red dicey blocks this week.  Still practicing to get a nice, smooth edge.  For some reason this red fabric was harder to get a nice circle.  I didn't iron it yet.  Those marks will come out.

You can read the reasons behind why I started this dicey quilt here.

Linking up at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching.

 

RSC25 Aqua

Two more dicey blocks were stitched this week.  The first in aqua.  Look at those fun neutrals! 

Our son was magnet fishing at one of his favorite boat docks.

I also stitched the last of the purple blocks:

You can read the reasons behind why I started this quilt here.

I'm linking up at Angela's blog, SoScrappy, for the RSC25 here.

Rainbow Binding

I made a bunch of rainbow binding this week in hopes to finish my charm basket quilt.  But after I made it I didn't think that it was right for that quilt.  It can wait in the binding bin until the right quilt comes along.

Homework

Now that I'm back to school for the 2025-26 school year, I need to make sure to do my "homework" to make sure my sew-to-go bag is stocked for those moments that I can get a few stitches in.

I am using Applipops to make circles for my Dicey quilt.  You can read the reasons behind why I started this quilt here.

Bear Claw Block -- An Attempt at Hand Quilting

 I found this bear claw block when my son and I sorted scraps in the quilt room.  I decided to turn it into a hand-quilting project.  I have not hand quilted anything yet.

I have gathered all the supplies needed.  With some awesome tips from Gretchen at Gretchen's Little Corner, I stitched around the center square close to the seam.  Gretchen had so many good tips for a newbie like me.  After a few stitches I realized that I better get a set of "real" needles.  The one I was using has a little spot on it that doesn't glide through the fabric nicely.  It will work until my eBay delivery arrives.  Not perfect, but definitely a lot of fun.  I am enjoying it!  That's the big deal.

Thank you, Gretchen, for answering questions and cheering me on.  I'm having fun!  I haven't been able to get numerous stitches on the needle at once yet.  I'm hoping the longer (smoother pulling) needles will help with that issue.

I finished a slow-stitching project this week.  I took the Grandma's Flower Garden pieces with me to school last year and appliqued them to backgrounds for this little 42.5" square quilt.  You can read all about it on this blog post.

In other slow-stitching news, my Charm Basket quilt has made it to the longarm frame!

 The quilt pattern is called Charm Basket by Laundry Basket Quilts.  It is an Edyta Sitar design.  I made my quilt larger than the pattern.  The baskets are wonky, but I think they are charming!  I am longarm quilting it with my Circle Lord giant template board called Loopies.  I wanted to keep the quilting simple to not take away from the baskets.  I adore this quilt!

I head back to school tomorrow, 8/4.  I'm looking forward to a great school year. Our son will be a senior this year.  He starts 8/19.

I'm linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching here.

 

Grandma's Flower Garden Small Quilt

 Grandma's Flower Garden quilt is complete.  

It measures 42.5" square.  I quilted it using my Circle Lord giant template board called Bubbles.

At first sight I thought this backing fabric was a vintage sheet.  After further inspection, I found it was just yardage that looked very similar to the waterbed sheets I had in the 80's.  LOL.  It works for this quilt.

I'm linking up at Alycia Quilts for Finished (or not) Friday.

Linking up at Off the Wall Friday.

Linking up at Melva Loves Scraps for Sew & Tell.

It was one of my goals to finish this quilt this quarter.  I'll head over to Summer 2025 UFO Club on Ravelry. and let that group know.

Linking up at From Bolt to Beauty for the Beauty Pageant.

2025 Four Patch Fun Progress (Bonnie Hunter Leader/Ender Summer 2025)

Here's my progress for the Bonnie Hunter leader/ender challenge for the month of July: 

I'm going to stick to the pink/yellow/neutral color scheme.  Can you tell that I am using vintage sheets as my neutrals?  It think they are super fun!

The key will be to keep up with the cutting so that I always have something to throw under the needle between other projects.  I have no plan how large this quilt will be.  I do need a baby quilt though to put in my stash...

I'm excited about the 2025 Four Patch Fun Leader/Ender Challenge led by Bonnie Hunter.  I pulled some more pinks, yellows, and neutrals.  Get all the details on this challenge at Quiltville's Quips & Snips!

This week I found out that my summer vacation as a substitute teacher will be cut short by about three weeks.  I was planning on going back to school on August 20.  Now I'll be going back MONDAY(8/4)!!!  Better get that longarm humming today.

Pineapple Table Runner Is on the Frame

Pineapple table runner has been promoted to "being quilted" status.

That means that I finished the quilting on the small Grandma's Flower Garden quilt.  Hopefully there will be a finish or TWO this week.  It's quilting season here!

I'm linking up at Quilting is more fun than Housework for Oh Scrap!

Grandma's Flower Garden Is on the Frame

 One of my slow stitching projects is on the longarm frame.  It will be quilted in no time.

I appliqued the vintage flowers onto a background blocks.  I put these vintage (gifted) flowers in my sew-to-go bag back in December, 2024.  I am using the Circle Lord giant template board called Bubbles to longarm quilt it.  I like the way the design looks in the negative space.  I'm not sure if I like how it looks over the flowers.  It'll work.

I'm linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching here.

 

Random Ohio Stars (Free Pattern by Bonnie Hunter) Is Complete

I'm excited to show you my quilt, Random Ohio Stars.

I started making star blocks in January of 2022 as part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC22).

I longarm quilted it using my Circle Lord giant template board called Swirls.  The binding is red with dots.

The large piece of unusual (to me) fabric on the back was a find at a Goodwill Outlet store.  The Outlet store around here is an items "last chance" to find a local home.  Things are sold there by the pound.  I bought this chunk of yardage for $1.29 per pound.  That's a great thrift find.  After a while, bins are sorted.  Items are baled and sent to remote places like Alaska.  I'm glad the chunk of fabric got to stay here in Ohio.  I never knew what it was going to be, but I think it's a great backing fabric for this quilt.

The pattern is called Random Ohio Stars.  You can find the Bonnie Hunter design (60" x 71") on her blog, Quiltville's Quips & Snips here.  I started making star blocks in January of 2022 as part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC22).

I added extra stars to Bonnie Hunter's original pattern to make the quilt 69.5" x 82".  

It was one of my goals to finish this quilt this quarter.  I'll head over to Summer 2025 UFO Club on Ravelry. and let that group know.

I'm linking up at Finished (or not) Friday at Alycia Quilts here.

Linking up with From Bolt to Beauty here.

I'm linking up at Angela's blog, SoScrappy, for the RSC25 here.

I'm also linking up at Melva Loves Scraps.

Bear Claw Mini

I'm excited to research Pinterest boards to get ideas how to quilt a bear claw block.  This will be my first attempt to hand quilt something.  The orphan block was found in a bag of scraps from a friend.

Let the research begin... How to bury a knot... what design to use... what to do with the other end of the thread... what thread to use...  I love learning new things (like this.)

Pineapple Table Runner WIP -- Top Complete

The Pineapple Table Runner that has been a WIP for years is now a completed top.

Don't worry about those untrimmed corners.  I'll do that after it is quilted.  On to the to-be-quilted pile.

I'm linking up at The Inquiring Quilter for Wednesday Wait Loss.

Bear Claw Block

I found this cute orphan block in some scraps that a friend gave me.  I'm going to put a border on it and make it a mini.  Look at that fun cat fabric.

Don't mind the red fabric behind it.  I already know that I will find a piece of aqua to use as a border for it.  Now the exciting news...  are you sitting down?

I'm going to hand quilt it!

I haven't hand quilted anything YET.  This is just the right size to start.  

Pineapple WIP Table Runner

 I made more progress on the pinapple table runner WIP that I found.  The three blocks are together.

I didn't find enough of the green fabric in the pineapple block that was supposed to be the inner border.  I'll have to see what I can find in my stash.  This project will be tabled for just a little bit...  Stay tuned.

I'm linking up at Monday Musings 7/21/25.

I'm linking up at Design Wall Monday.

Slow Sunday Stitching

This week I added two more rows to my tree.

I'm linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching here.

 

RSC25 -- Purple

Two more purple blocks for my Dicey quilt were stitched this week while waiting...

Our son attends a WONDERFUL place called Gigi's Playhouse.  It's an international non-profit organization.  It was created for people that just happen to have Down syndrome.  They do so many fun things there--totally free of charge.  Our son attends GigiFit (a once-a-week, one hour fitness class) and GigiKitchen (a once-a-week cooking class).  He loves the volunteers that make it happen.  It's a very social time with at least a dozen of his friends.  This is my "waiting" place two nights a week.

Below we are at another waiting place.  He LOVES to magnet fish.  I sew in the parking lot.

Below you can see him on the docks.  Magnet fishing is throwing a "stronger" magnet (picks up about 80 pounds) that is on a 40 foot rope into the water.  He fishes for things that are metal such a lures, fishing poles, chairs, tools, flashlights, hooks, and so much junk.  He loves it.

You can read the reasons behind why I started this quilt here.

I'm linking up at Angela's blog, SoScrappy, for the RSC25 here.

I'm also linking up at Melva Loves Scraps.

Pineapple Table Runner -- Another WIP Found

While sorting in the longarm room I found this Pineapple Table Runner.  I think I found all of the pieces AND the instructions!    Looks like it needs a good pressing to start.

Random Ohio Stars on the Frame

 I was so excited this week that the quilt room was clean enough to load a quilt onto the frame.

The pattern is called Random Ohio Stars.  I added an extra row to make the quilt wider than the original pattern.  You can find the Bonnie Hunter design on her blog, Quiltville's Quips & Snips here.

I would have loaded the quilt immediately after we cleaned the quilt room--that was the plan.  The snag in the plan was that I realized that I did not make a back for the quilt.  I think I originally made one, but it got  moved on to another project.  I normally don't put things in that bin unless they are seriously ready to be quilted.  Anywho... I spent Monday and Tuesday afternoons fussing and picking out what I would use for a back for this quilt and piecing it together.  Stay tuned... I didn't take a picture of it.

I started making star blocks in January of 2022 as part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC22).

I really wanted to quilt the little blocks I found while cleaning the quilt room (someone else's WIP), but decided to load Random Ohio Stars instead because I didn't want to tear down the Circle Lord Swirls giant template board when I knew I would use it on this quilt.  It can wait a little longer...  Hopefully it will motivate me to finish quilting this.  

Linking up at To Do Tuesday.  This link is at Quilt Schmilt -- For the Love of Fabric.

Someone Else's WIP

FINALLY!  My son and I sorted all the stuff that was given to me when a fellow quilter passed away last fall.  I can finally see my big table again.  Scrap bins are overflowing by color.  I found these blocks in her collection.  In her honor, I will put them together into a simple table topper.

I bought this Circle Lord giant template board last year.  I have not used it yet.  It's called Bubbles.  I'm considering trying it.  I LOVE circles on quilts.  I think this will be a great quilting pattern when I have a lot of negative space in a quilt--if I ever have any.  Most of my quilts are full of pieces.

 

Slow Sunday Stitching -- Charm Basket Quilt Top is a Flimsy!

 I'm excited to share with you my completed Charm Basket Quilt top.  

I made all of these baskets while waiting on my son at one of his activities or at school.  I'm a substitute teacher that works most school days.  I can sew during study halls, planning periods, and lunches.  It now measures 54.5" x 71.5".  I'm good with that size.  I love the wonkieness of the baskets and the fact that it used many multi-colored fabrics that didn't really fit into a color family bin.  I'm unsure what design to quilt on it just yet.  I'm sure I will be inspired one way or another once it makes its way to the quilt room.

The quilt pattern is called Charm Basket by Laundry Basket Quilts.  It is an Edyta Sitar design. I'm linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching here.

 

Dicey -- Purple

 Here's a purple block I made for my Dicey quilt.

Here's one in a lighter purple:

I love scrappy neutrals.  Aren't those Christmas light candles fun?

You can read the reasons behind why I started this quilt here.

I'm linking up at Angela's blog, SoScrappy, for the RSC25 here.

Happy Mail!

I was so excited when the Rouge Quilter, Janet, contacted me to let me know I was a WINNER!  She blogs The Rouge Quilter.  Look at this beautiful Thimbleberries/&ish bundle!!!

Thank you, Janet!  Wishing you many more years of happy blogging!

Slow Sunday Stitching -- Basket Handles

I finished the slow stitching on the last two handles needed for the last two baskets of my charm quilt.

 

I'll stitch them with their other basket pieces and finally be able to assemble the Charm Basket top.  The last two baskets go in the spots that the white paper pieces are at the bottom of the photo.  The ends go on the staggered, shorter rows.

The quilt pattern is called Charm Basket by Laundry Basket Quilts.  It is an Edyta Sitar design. I also stitched circles on two Dicey blocks this week in blue (Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2025.)I'm linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching here.

 

But wait, there's more.  Because I wanted to start the Bonnie Hunter leader/ender 2025 challenge (I blogged about it on Friday here.). For full details, see it on Bonnie's blog here.  I decided I needed to continue to work on a "real" project to need to use leader/enders.  I put together rows 7 through 14:

This is the right half of the quilt.  I LOVE it already.  I'm trying to visualize how to longarm quilt it...

I love the different blue backgrounds.  I have a feeling this is going to be MY new living room chair quilt.

I also love the wonky baskets.  some of the points aren't perfect.  Some of the handles aren't centered.  It looks like something my "other" grandma (not-as-much-of-a-quilter as my quilting grandma) would make.