Zip It is on the Frame

 I loaded this pretty blue/cream Zip It quilt.

Zip It is a sew along with Emma Jean Jansen on facebook here.

Kathleen Tracy Mini February Quilt is Complete

 Just as Patty the Quilt Lady predicted, the blue mini is complete.

I quilted it using an Urban Elementz design board called Marmalade.  It measures a tad bigger than the quilt along instructions because I already had this size square cut in my scraps.  It measures 22.5" square.

I backed it with this floral neutral that I had in my stash.

You can find the Kathleen Tracy Facebook group here.

I only had to take it to school with me two days (Friday and yesterday).  Here's the situation in the parking lot as I wait to go in to work.  Luckily I have heated seats.  Yep, that says -9 and we still had school.

Andrew and Patrick Sail Away Baby Quilt

On Saturday I posted my RSC26 (Rainbow Scrap Challenge at Angela's blog, SoScrappy) blue progress on the blocks for Andrew and Patrick Sail Away baby quilt.  These little 6" finished blocks were so cute that I just couldn't help myself and made the other eight.

I found this pattern in The Simple Joys of Quilting ~ 30 Timeless Quilt Projects by Joan Hanson.  I borrowed the book from our local library.  Finished block size is 6".  This will be a small quilt.  There are only 12 sailboat blocks.

Happy Groundhog's Day!

We celebrated our senior bowler last week.  Here he is being escorted by his Aunt Jo during the last bowling event in high school.  His average is about 140.  He will continue his bowling adventures with various social groups after graduation.  He loves bowling.

Pink Applique Dragon

I'm working on finishing some of the applique of a pink dragon.  This is a block that I lost interest in a long time ago because the applique just took too long for me.  I used the method where I turn the applique piece and baste it.   To me it was like sewing the thing twice.  A lady in the quilt guild was showing us this method.  I don't know why I picked the dragon... I don't even like dragons and I'm not really a fan of batiks.  The result is good.  I made stitches that were tiny, tiny, but also time consuming--but seems worth it to me in the end for a project like this.

I know I'm not doing another block of this dragon.  (Pattern from someone at my quilt guild--I don't know if they made it up or if they got it somewhere.  I no longer have the pieces...  This will be a one-block baby quilt.  I will most likely do some sort of patchwork around the panel to make it big enough.

I'm excited that I have the quilting done on the Rosebud embroidery quilt that my grandmother embroidered in 1973ish.  I will be making and attaching the binding this week.

I only worked on day of school this week due to area schools being closed.  I took my little Kathleen Tracy mini from a facebook group here. so that I could put on the binding on during my planning period while my students had music class.  It measures just a little over 22" square.  I hope to take it to work with my on Monday.  It fits nicely in my bag.

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

 

Although we've had temperatures in the negatives this week, the chickens and ducks seem to be content.  This little radiant heater seems to keep them happy when it is on warm.  It looks like a computer monitor.  It does not get hot like a heat lamp.  I usually use it when I bring home new chicks in the late fall to keep them warm.  When I go into the coop there are no chickens gathered near it, nor on the other side of the coop.  That means to me that they are not too cold or too hot.  Yes, I need to clean the coop, but it's too snowed in right now.  I can also analyze the droppings to see that they seem to be pretty even--meaning they are just resting on the 2x4 perch in the evenings and not huddled together.

RSC26 -- Still working on Blues

Working on a few projects that need some "blue" blocks.  I made four of the boats for a quilt called Andrew & Patrick Sail Away.  

I found this pattern in The Simple Joys of Quilting ~ 30 Timeless Quilt Projects by Joan Hanson.  I borrowed the book from our local library.  Finished block size is 6".  This will be a small quilt.  There are only 12 sailboat blocks.  I cut all the pieces for it at school one day in November, 2026.  I'm super cautious about taking a rotary cutter to school.

We had snow days all week except for Friday (actually the coldest day...) I had plenty of time to work on blues.  I sewed what seemed like miles and miles of strips for the True Blue sew along.  These pieces will be cut and become the corners of the blocks to set them on point.  Obviously they need pressed open and then cut.  But I'm happy with the navy blue scraps that I have put a dent into!  I tried to pick navy & cornflower blues/creams and whites ONLY.  I didn't pick any fabrics with other colors in them unless there is a fleck of silver.

This bag of fun scraps resulted in the itty bitty blues that I have from these projects.  On Tuesday a Kathleen Tracy squirrel ran out in front of me and I made this little topper using the scraps left over from working on my True Blue quilt along.  I just couldn't help it.  She has mini quilt alongs in her facebook group here.

I put it together, quilted it and added the binding.  It's ready to go to school with me for some slow stitching on the binding.  It measures a little over 22" square. I wasn't really that concerned that this would add another number to my WIP list.  Stitching a binding at school is my favorite form of slow stitching at school. I don't have to count or remember where I am.  

It's one of my goals this year to continue working on Scarborough Fair -- more blocks need to be made.  I'm not sure what RSC year I started this one.  I hope to continue as an RSC26 project.  Here's a pic of what I had made.  I like the fun look this simple quilt has that looks "jiggly" to me

I'm linking up at Angela's blog, SoScrappy, for the RSC26 here.

Aqua/Brown HST Baby Quilt Complete

I love this little 39" finish.  It will be a nice baby quilt for somebody...

These blocks were a larger quilt and abandoned because some of them didn't lay flat with the other blocks.  Interest was lost.  This quilt and a crib quilt was made from the blocks.  Win win.  Now they are finished and I won't have to move them around in the quilt room anymore.

I backed it with a piece from my stash.  The binding is the same as the backing.  I love the quilting on it that you can't see very well.  I used my design board called Marmalade from Urban Elementz.  I made a frankenbatting from Warm & Natural scraps.  My goal is to continue to quilt with my stash of scraps.  NOTHING has been purchased this year yet fabric/thread/batting wise... I can't say that for Accuquilt products.  LOL.  I had to get some new mats so that I can keep cutting efficiently.  To get free shipping, of course I ordered a block on board (BOB) butterfly die -- to be used next quarter after as a reward for having so many finishes this quarter.

2026 finishes -- 7

Here's my Fall 2025 Ravelry UFO Club Projects:

1.  Bit Con quilt -- Needs more rows of strips sewn together -- size yet to be determined

2.   Rail Fence 3.5" RSC block -- 900 blocks needed/need arranged

3.  Piccadilly Circle -- Need a few more circle blocks

4.  Kite Girl -- Needs sashing sewn and put together

5.  Folk Art Birds -- Need more birds and alternate blocks

6.  Hourglass Mini -- Needs sashing

7.  Maroon Sampler -- Needs two more blocks

8.  Dicey -- Blocks need sewn together with sashing and cornerstones

9.  Fireflies Wall Hanging -- Blocks need appliqued

10.  Tall Shoofly Block Lotto Win -- blocks need sewn together

11.  Sail Away crib quilt -- Blocks need sewn

12.  Aqua/Brown HST -- finished 1/30/26, 7th finish this quarter

13.  Aqua/Brown arrow crib quilt -- quilted, binding attached -- needs binding sewn by hand

14.  Fish -- a 12-block RSC26 project -- 2 fish sewn

15. Scarborough Fair -- Needs more blocks made

16.  Random Blue Blocks -- Hand Quilting -- In the hoop

17.  Acorn Harvest -- Quilt top needs assembled

18.  Bubble Gum Pink/Blue Quilt -- finished 1/23/26, 6th finish

19.  Green king-sized quilt -- quilted, binding attached -- needs binding sewn by hand

20.  Green king-sized quilt #2 (problem child won't lay flat) -- finished 1/10/26, 3rd finish

21.  Lupine and Laughter (Bonnie Hunter 2025 mystery quilt) -- in the piecing process

22.  Christmas Memories 4-patches sewn, need more

23.  Noel -- finished 1/15/26, 4th finish

24.   Zip It Sew Along (started sewing blocks together)25.  True Blue Sew Along (starts 1/15/26) -- 9 blocks made

26.  Kawandi 17.5" x 22" -- backing and batting sewn together.  Rows are being stitched

27.  Cameo Rose embroidery quilt -- finished 1/18/26, fifth finish

28.  King Rosebud embroidery quilt (flimsy completed by my grandma around 1973) on the frame

29.  Kathleen Tracy Mini #1 (pinwheels)

30.  Kathleen Tracy Mini #2 (squares)

31.  Kathleen Tracy Mini #2 (HST and a Square)

32.  Classic Meets Modern QA from 2014 -- block complete, need sashing

33.  RSC UFO (six blocks for a crib-sized quilt)--finished 1/8/26, 2nd finish

34.  Betty House #1 -- finished 1/7/26 -- 1st finish

35.  Betty House #2 -- some stitches done

Rosebud Embroidery Quilt -- Quilting Complete

It was a productive day off school yesterday.  I finished the longarm quilting on this Rosebud embroidery quilt.  My grandmother did the embroidery on it and assembled it in 1973ish.  I bet she would be thrilled to see it.

I quilted it with the Urban Elementz design board called Marmalade.  I think it was the best choice from the boards that I have.  I love the swirls and circles.  It's trimmed and ready for a binding decision.

I backed it with a light blue dot fabric that was in my stash.  It will be nice to get the binding on it so that I can sit in the living room in front of the TV in the evenings to hand stitch.  

I'm linking up for Wednesday Wait Loss 469.

Here's a photo taken from the driveway of "other house" where the quilt longarm room is.  The green house is where my main sewing machine is.  We "live" in the green house until the "other house" is finished.  Our son will most likely live independently in the green house.  It's a crisp winter wonderland.

I'm so blessed that my husband loves his equipment and is a pro of operating and maintaining it.  I also have to laugh when I think about our son having to walk down the hill and up the hill through the snow to get to the bus stop--just like my mom had to do to get to school.  His walk is 800 feet one way.  My mom's walk was a mile and a half one way.  I plan my school jobs so that I can wait with our son at the bus stop until the bus comes and then I am off to work in another school district.  On the days that have nicer weather and warmer temperatures he can walk to the bus stop himself.  It's good exercise.

Here's a video of me driving up to the chicken coop to feed the chickens.  This is before my husband decided to plow a path.  I should have put music with the video because if you listen closely you can hear that I'm holding my breath hoping that I didn't get stuck.  My husband secretly (sort of) watches as I drive from the tractor barn.  I know he's waiting to see if I need dug out.  Check it out here.  The ride down the hill isn't so bad video here.  Oh how our kid LOVES these videos...

The second day I almost got stuck.  You can hear my funny sound I make when I was fishtailing...  I had to back up once.  You can see that video here.

Here's the video of driving to the coop in the snow that is plowed.  Sorry for the terrible camera placement, but you get the idea.  Plowed path video.

It's a little controversial between us if he plows a path for me, or if he just lets the snow build and digs me out if I get stuck.  Of course I always let him decide.  He knows best.  The problem is that once it starts to melt and then freezes again it becomes an ice rink.  The same goes for the driveway hill.