End of Year 2025

 As we get ready to start the new year, we tend to analyze our situations.  

I keep a spreadsheet that I got from a blog years ago, and I'm sorry, I don't remember where.  

There are 57 projects on my list.  Some are patterns that I want to make, some are kits purchased at various places (Paducah, Houston, etc), and some are kits that I have created.

I have 17 quilts that need to be quilted including 3 customer quilts.  One of them is on the frame now and I hope to have it completed soon.  These are included in the spreadsheet.

My sewing studio is atrocious right now and I spent some time today putting away fabric scraps leftover from two scrappy quilts that are real close to being flimsys.

Here are some before pictures of my studio.  I think I need HELP!!!

Sewing space.  And this was AFTER I put away a bunch of scraps.

Second sewing space with trash and scraps that need processing.

UPDATE!!! After day 2 of the final countdown, the clothes basket is EMPTY

Can't even get to the sit-down.

Cutting table/side table for the longarm.

General clutter.

More general clutter.  Notice the overflowing trash.

I plan to participate in Karen Brown's Declutter Challenge starting in January.  I've tried it before and not completed it.  Maybe this will be the year.

I also follow Jenny at Prairie Moon Quilts.  She helps with organization year-round but she will have the final countdown the last 3 days of the year.

Wish me luck!!

Until next time, wishing you more stitchin time than I will have.

Rose

I may make it yet!

 The design wall looks only slightly different than the last post, but different it is.  Midnight at the Oasis is getting close to a finished top.

Finally finished the handwork and all of the blocks for the final border are complete.  But because of the lack of contrast in so many of the final blocks I will need to take it to stitchin and use the full design wall to make sure those low contrast blocks get scattered about.  

I've been using the final border for the other Jen Kingwell (Pick-a-Petal) as leader/enders.  Sixty-eight of them.

And once again, the ten-foot brick applique wall is in effect on this quilt also.  The log cabin blocks call for applique.

Do I bite the proverbial bullet? or do I machine applique them?  Time will tell.

Except for the background in the center and appliqued border of Midnight at the Oasis, these two quilts are made entirely from scraps.  And what a great feeling that is.

Until next time, I'm wishing you more stitchin time than I will have.

Rose

Linking with     Quilting is more fun than housework for Oh Scrap

                           Small Quilts and Doll Quilts for Design Wall Monday

Progress

 This one feels like it is taking forever...

I started in January of 2024. 

I am obsessed with Jen Kingwell quilts because of the scrappiness.  This is one of the two of her quilts that I have going right now.  But the applique is like a ten-foot brick wall.  I don't enjoy handwork.  So there border number one sat while I continued on to borders two and three.  Now most of the handwork is done but there is still more.  Progress, right?

I am currently working on the final border while I SLOWLY finish the applique border.  I am determined to complete this top this year.  Wish me luck.

Wishing you more stitchin time than I will have.

Rose

Linking with Design Wall Monday

Another Month Gone

 And WOW what a month it has been!  

WARNING long post with very little quilty stuff.

First, we decided to drive to Wichita to see DS again this year for DHs birthday.  We always make it a two day drive because we're old.  

We were almost at the end of the first day when DS told us that they were coming home for Thanksgiving.  DH asked "can we turn around and go home?"  No was the answer.

He was going to surprise us but because we already had two guests scheduled and he was coming with four kids, he thought he might better tell us.  So, we readied the motorhome for them to stay.

Everyone was scheduled to arrive on Saturday before Thanksgiving.  As it turned out one of the previously scheduled guests didn't make it and the other left on Monday.  

While we were in Wichita we attended Lump's (7th grade) violin orchestra concert and our youngest grand daughter's 5th grade choir concert where she had a solo.  

We ate at Olive Garden.

I also visited Beehive Quilt Shop and purchased a table runner kit.  We returned on Tuesday and on Wednesday I started cutting the fabrics.  The runner was completed in 6 days.

Although it got cleaned off before the big day, this is what it looked like the day before Thanksgiving.

When we returned from our trip, we found birthday decorations in the house.  Our daughter and granddaughter had been to visit.  Not only were there decorations, but there were also tiny little ducks EVERYWHERE!!!

Here are two examples, but most were more hidden than these.

I was told they come in packs of 100, so when we had found 96 of them, I assumed we had 4 more to find.  DD said that's not even half.

So far, we have found 233.  Apparently, they come in packs of 50 and there was a total of 350 hidden.

We have more work to do.  It has been so much fun!!!

So then comes the week of Thanksgiving.  Sunday, our daughter (took the week off) came to visit with her brother and her cousin.  They started talking about how her brother has started doing tattoos for his wife.  DD ordered all the stuff he needed from Amazon to be delivered the next day.  Monday, the kids all took a day trip (3 hours one way) to the beach.  Tuesday, DS started tattooing family members, beginning with me.  This is my first.

Wednesday, he did his sister and niece while the littles made gingerbread houses.

And then Thanksgiving evening he did one for his nephew.  

But that was after dinner and this picture of our brood.

Friday they went to spend the day with DD and black Friday shopping.

This morning (Saturday) they left to return home and I will return to the studio.  I did get to do some stitchin on Monday and Friday while the ventured out.

That was my month.

Wishing you more stitchin time than I will have.

Rose

Has it really been over a month and a half?!?!

It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly two months since my last post. Life has been busy (isn’t it always?), and while it feels like I’ve been doing a lot, I don’t have a ton to show for it… at least not yet. But I figured it was time to check in, share a few updates, and let you know I’m still here — still quilting, still stitching, still loving the process even when it throws a few curveballs.

Speaking of curveballs…

My trusty Famore' rotary cutter decided to stop closing its blade recently. Not exactly the kind of excitement I was hoping for in the sewing room! Safety first, of course, so I contacted the company to see if maybe I could fix it.  They sent me a new one and asked that I return this one. Great cutter from a great company.

 And if that wasn’t enough, the Sew Steady table I finally ordered arrived — broken. Cue the deep sigh. The Etsy seller has been responsive. I have received a refund and I'm waiting to hear when I can dispose of it.  She thought the shipper may want it for insurance purposes.

But not all news is frustrating! I did finish quilting Mary’s raw edge circle quilt, which was a joy to work on. I have one myself and I plan to quilt it the same.

And perhaps the best part of these past few weeks — I went to the Houston International Quilt Festival with friends! 

Five of us began our trip at the Tuscaloosa, AL train station.

We added one in New Orleans.

I also met a Zoom friend.

It was just what I needed: inspiration, community, and a few too many new ideas (and a few too many purchases too, but who’s counting?). 

So while I don’t have a big “ta-da” moment to share right now, I’m slowly stitching multiple projects.

Thanks for sticking around. I’d love to hear what you’ve been working on lately (or not working on — no judgment here!). Drop a comment and let’s catch up.

Until next time... Wishing you more stitchin time than I will have.

Rose

A Few Finishes and a couple of OOPS

In 2018 The Fat Quarter Shop had a quilt along with the Summer Moon pattern.  I purchased the pattern and the fabric bundle all ready to join in.  Then I said to myself, I said "Self, I don't want to make blocks that small."  So I packaged it all up and put it on the shelf.

Fast forward to 2024.  Now I'm the president of our local quilt guild and I suggest this pattern for our quilt along, and let’s just say there were more than a few moments I questioned my choices.

My First Finish of the month: The Quilt from Hell – AKA Summer Moon 🌙

Well, I did it... I survived it, and it’s FINALLY finished! Meet The Quilt from Hell (officially known as Summer Moon). 😂

The pattern itself is stunning, and the fabric suggestions were gorgeous, but let’s be real... there were so many blocks, and some of those seams really tried to break me.

But I made it through, and now I’m holding my “Summer Moon” in all its glory! It’s funny how a project that nearly made me lose my sanity can turn into something so beautiful once it’s finished. There’s definitely a lesson in there, though—stick with it, even when it feels like you’re about to throw the whole thing in the trash. 😅

So here it is, in all its "I'm done and I survived" glory. 

Second Quilt of the Month: College and Travel T-shirt Quilt 💚💜

This month, I finished another quilt that's so close to my heart— a college t-shirt quilt for a friend who’s not only been through high school and college with my daughter but was also her college roommate they're first year.  These shirts are more than just fabric; they represent years of memories, sisterhood, and unforgettable moments.

From sorority events to travel opportunities, each shirt tells a story of a special time in her life. It was such a joy to take all those cherished shirts and, in her words, move them forward into something useful.

It was definitely a bit of a puzzle piecing everything together (those letters and logos can be tricky!), but the final product was absolutely worth it. I hope this quilt becomes a keepsake that holds the spirit of her college years for years to come.

This quilt wasn't finished without its oops challenges.  I keep a tape measure stretched across the front of my longarm for two reasons, to mark the edges of the quilt so when it's advanced I can keep it square and to mark the quilting limit, so I don't bump into the belly bar and end up with an ugly line stitched.

Since UAB is the home of the Blazers, I found a pantograph called Blaze.  I was quilting away, did the ghost row and one complete pass.  Then when I went to advance the quilt, there was the oops.  I had stitched the tape measure to the quilt.  I didn't get a picture of it stitched in but here's what the end results look like.

I trimmed it away as best I could and left the little sliver to tell the story.

Then came the binding.  UGH!!  I had to buy an additional quarter yard (LQS minimum) of fabric because I was one 2.5 inch strip short of enough binding.  It actually turned out to be ONLY 2.5 inches.

My final finish for the month was quilting Mary's Stack and Whack quilt.  She used Kaffe fabric, and it is quilted with a continuous loop curve.

So, that was my month in a nutshell.  Not too shabby.

Until next time....

Wishing you more stitchin time than I will have.

Rose

Linking with:  Finished or Not Friday

Limited Stitchin Time

 I am so glad to be able to share this today.  I posted a while back about the basket quilt top I created for our in-town retreat.  And this is what we did with it.

The flowers, butterflies, and bees were signed and added by the retreat attendees.  One of our Thursday stitchers took it home and quilted it so I can hang in our stitching room.  It turned out awesome!!!

DH and I started our annual motorhome trip to Michigan on the 14th.  Four driving days with no stitchin.

But we got to see our little family from Kentucky on the way.  We actually boondocked on their farm.

Arrived at my sister's camp after an uneventful trip, for which I am very thankful.  

On our first trip to town, we saw deer, turkeys and an eagle.  Deer and turkeys are pretty common, but the eagle was a treat.  And I never have my camera ready.

I have an agreement with my sister when we come to visit.  I buy the groceries and she does the cooking.  It works for both of us.  And we eat out twice a week, sometimes more.

On Fridays they eat at the same restaurant and when we are here, we enjoy it also.  It's called Rainbow Garden, and it is in the middle of NOWHERE!!  The food is delicious.

Bil, sister and nephew

DH and myself

We eat Mexican weekly also.

Then the weather turned.  It got HOT!!  Since we share power with my sister (they have a 5th wheel), we can't run a/c without running the generator and then we end up in our separate spaces and don't get to visit so we go to town (30 minutes away) to their house.  I didn't bring my sewing machine to town, so no sewing has happened.  Who knew we would be in town for 10 days.  We still have about 4 more days in town before the weather is supposed to break.

Here are a couple more pictures before I end this post.

Have you ever seen a view like this from a Walmart parking lot before?

And finally, I don't think I would ever get used to this.  It's bedtime and check out the sky.

Being on the western side of the eastern time zone, the sun doesn't set until after 9pm.

Until next time, wishing you more stitchin time than I will have.

Rose

Still doing?

The other day I said I needed a finish.  But when I looked back, I realized that I haven't been slacking as bad as I thought.

So, here goes.  

When I did my demo in April, I passed this book around for everyone to flip through.

After I was finished, the one that is in charge of our Quilts of Valor program asked if I would make this to be used for the center of a QOV.

Sew I did. It measures about 36 x 44.  She will add borders or blocks around it to complete a QOV

Five years ago, my granddaughter, age 12 at the time, created this painting

Not thinking about pixelating I started pulling fabric and came up with this design.  This has been a flimsy since 4/2023.  I finished quilting it in May and there it sat, waiting for a binding.  This was the finish I needed.

In the meantime, while that was waiting for a binding, I quilted Jen Kingwell's Happy Birds for my friend Mary.  I quilted all of the borders and then went back to the center so I could change thread.

I was so excited to have this one finally finished and then....

Three hours of frogging (rip it, rip it).  I'm happy to say it is fixed and finished.

Sew, not a bad month and half after all.

And, for your viewing pleasure, here is a picture of Lizzie doing her nightly routine of belly rubs.

Until next time, wishing you more stitchin time than I will have.

Rose