Quilts Planned in 2024, Hopefully!

 Today I'm posting a list of quilts I hope to make, or at least progress along in 2024. This is just a list in the order I thought of them. They won't be made in this order.

The first quilt on the list is Dresden Stars which has been started. The plates are made, now the rest of the quilt needs to be sewn.

I started piecing this quilt at the November 2022 Jane Stickle retreat.

Dresden Stars is designed by Edyta Sitar.

A gift quilt (no picture) has been started and needs to be completed this year so it's ready to be gifted in 2025. I don't have any pictures to show you. I'm designing it myself but the center is the Moda Love star made with 5" squares so I'm guess I'm not really designing it, just merely adapting it.

I'm enjoying hand sewing the 2" hexie blocks which I've now named Tula Hexies. I'm not sure how large this quilt will be but I know it won't be a huge quilt, maybe a good sized lap quilt, 60" by 80"?

Hearts & Wreath is going into the hand quilting frame as soon as the marking is completed and the backing fabric pieced. I started appliqueing H & W in August 2021. 

Since the applique is finished on Hearts & Wreaths, it's time for a new applique project.  That's going to be another leaf border, this time on Blueberry Pie.

The borders have to be cut and then marked. (You won't see borders happening until Hearts & Wreaths is in the hand quilting frame and Tula Hexies is pieced.)

The pattern for Blueberry Pie is found in the Red, White and Sometimes Blue book but it's not called Blueberry Pie. You'll find it listed under Writer's Block. I thought the name was rather unimaginative so I changed it to reflect the blues used in my quilt.

The pattern in the book does NOT have an appliqued border, this is my variation. I might or might not add flowers.

The fabrics for Fire Island Hosta queen were purchased several years ago.  Can you see on the pattern it says 100" by 100"? I've never foundation paper pieced this large of a quilt, this will probably be a several years project.

At the November 2022 retreat, Judy Jansen sent a BIG tub of quilting magazines home with me with the specification that they be donated to the Sewing Box at the 2023 Michiana Mennonite Relief Sale. 

After the retreat, we had friends come for a quick, low key visit to see the new house. Linda is also a quilter and I showed her the tub of magazines. We spent all whole afternoon paging through the magazines. After awhile they all started looking the same so we took a several hours break then started in again. We actually went through the whole tub!

While Linda was browsing, she showed me a pattern and said it looks like me. She was so right!

The pattern is called Radiant Blue and is designed by Marsha McCloskey. Radiant Blue is found in the January/February 2007 issue of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting magazine. I had hoped to make this quilt in 2023 but it didn't happen. I certainly have plenty of blue fabrics!

I've also had fabrics pulled for Bonnie Hunter's Garden Party quilt for several years. Garden Party is found in Bonnie's Addicted to Scraps Book. Here is a link to quilts found in the book.

The Dancing Stars blocks are still hiding someplace in my sewing studio. I'm not actively looking for them, I'm more apt to run across the blocks when I'm not looking. If I do come across the blocks, they'll be sewn into a small quilt. Otherwise they can wait.

There are several compassion quilts that are pieced and ready for quilting and then donation. I'll quilt them sometime this year. 

The list is seven projects (I'm not counting Dancing Stars) which doesn't seem like many but several of them are very time consuming. I want to really focus on these projects and not get sidetracked by squirrels. I have decided I am not going to participate in RSC or the SAHRR this year.

What new projects are you anticipating starting this year?

Linking to Hugs & Stitches, 2024 Quilting Planning Party, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Whoop Whoop Party, Finished or Not  Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

After writing the above post, I remembered I purchased papers to foundation paper piece a pineapple quilt from Gigi @ Gigi's Thimble. I missed her sew-along in 2022 but I work at my own speed anyway. This project may sneak in this year, I think it would be a good project to take to retreats.

I wrote the above post earlier in December then I went to my sewing studio to do clean up. I kept thinking about the pineapple blocks so I pulled scraps and small pieces of whites then cut strips. I pulled out a tub that has leftovers of blues and other yardage pieces too. I spent several days cutting strips so there won't be so much prep work to do before retreat in April.

In the meantime, Bonnie Hunter started piecing pineapple blocks and showing them on her blog. I was holding out on actually piecing a block but when I saw this post, I just had to make one block, just one! I decided to make my center like Bonnie's but using blue.

The fabric used in the center is from pieces left from the border of Lady Jane.

Bonnie's quilt is so striking because she's using black fabrics. I don't get the same effect with my blues. I think I'll make the rest of the blocks like normal. This block will be placed in the orphan box.