Projects Planned for 2025, '26 & Probably '27!

I'm starting off the New Year with a list of quilts I hope to accomplish this year. The projects won't be made in the order they are listed.

First are the older projects that were listed in 2024 and carried over into 2025 - 

1. Fire Island Hosta Queen, designed by QuiltWorx - Poor Fire Island Hosta, she didn't even make it out of the project bag! A start definitely needs to happen this year.

This isn't a kit, I selected my own fabrics but they are similar to the cover picture.

2. Blueberry pie - The blue outer borders have been added but this quilt has to wait to be quilted. The applique border looks a little puckery. This will quilt out just fine when it is pulled tight in the quilting frame.

Quilting will definitely not happen in 2025, I'm planning on putting another quilt into the quilting frame this fall.

3. Elegant Garden - finish applique blocks and sew the flimsy together. Elegant Garden is an older applique pattern designed by Edyta Sitar. Elegant was not on my list for 2024 but was started when the blueberry pie applique was finished.

4. Garden Party - Thirty-six blocks have been pieced. The plan is that this will be the only project I work on at the April retreat this spring, I'm hoping to have all the posey blocks pieced by the end of the retreat. The alternate blocks will be red chain blocks which should go fast since they will be strip pieced. Garden Party is found in the Addicted to Scraps book written by Bonnie Hunter.

And the new projects planned are . . .

5. Relief Sale quilt - Elaine and I are collaborating together and making a blue & light gray 9-patch quilt similar to the one the guild made back in 2019. Elaine is doing the applique while I am piecing the 9 patches then sewing them and the applique sections together. The goal is to have the flimsy appliqued, pieced and ready to put into the hand quilting frame this fall. I've decided the name of this quilt is Rhapsody in Blue but I haven't told Elaine yet. 

6, 7, 8. Make 3 quilts for granddaughter Joanna. Log Cabin Heart, Stars & Log Cabin, & the 2024 BOM quilt from A Quilting Life by Sherri McConnell. Three quilts is very ambitious, I'm aiming for at least one quilt but three would be fantastic. All three will be out of teal fabrics. I also reserve the privilege of changing my mind about which patterns to make.

9. Make at least 1 of the bagged projects I have kitted. Two would be even better but I'll be satisfied with one.

10. Red & White Gatherings - a challenge with Lynn. We both bought this book several years ago when we saw one of the quilts on display at the Quilt Store @ the Essenhaus complex. We each need to make one quilt from the book, our own choice. 

The quilt has to be based on one of the patterns from the book but we can change it to suit our taste. I already know Lynn will be adding applique to her quilt because she always adds applique.

I'm planning to make a version of this feathered star quilt and I'm going to actually make it with red fabric, but a blue version would really awesome!

11. Possibly another blue & white quilt might happen, I have some blue embroidered blocks that needs to be made into a quilt.

12. Then there are the purple/lavender embroidered blocks that also need to be made into a quilt.

13. Around the World Four Patch - made with the two white jelly rolls I bought at MSQC in November combined with a Free Spirit Daydreamer design roll I purchased in Utah several years ago. (The Daydreamer link was one of many places to find the design roll.) Of course I'm making the quilt larger than the pattern calls for. I'll probably add fabrics left from the Tula Hexies quilt.

14. There are several small flimsies to be machine quilted by me. Should they be counted as 14, 15 & 16?

15. Hand quilt a crib quilt made in Amish style. Amish style doesn't have much piecing, it's the quilting that brings it to life. Not all Amish quilts have black which is a good thing, I can no longer see black thread on black fabric!

16. And, as if all those projects aren't enough to keep me busy, I signed up for the 2025 Designer Mystery BOM through Fat Quarter Shop that starts in June 2025!

17. Book Adventures - While celebrating my birthday last summer, I purchased the Book Adventures kit at Carolines. I thought this was going to be a little crib quilt but it's 60" by 67"! I want to have this pieced and quilted before my next July birthday. This way I'll have all those squirrel quilts that I bought on my 2024 birthday outing finished!  

If I have time (😉?), it would be fun to get out my Weird Scrappy Log Cabin blocks (also known as Quilt Vortex) and make more of them. If you do check out the link to my post written in November 2022, the link for the Call Me Crazy pattern no longer works, try this link instead.

After organizing and writing about all these projects, I've decided this is much more than a one year plan, this is definitely a two year, probably a three year plan! Maybe I can actually accomplish these goals if I keep all of the squirrels out of the sewing studio.

Linking to 2025 Quilt Planning Party, Wednesday Wait Loss, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Finished or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

2024, How Did It Sew?

I have spent 2024 trying to stick to the list I posted about last January in my first Planning Party report. At times sewing my list and sticking to the plan became very tedious, however I am very glad I persevered when I see all the quilting that was accomplished. A total of 8 quilts were listed. Of those 8 quilts, 6 are completely finished and 3 of those quilts were started and finished this year. However I did have a squirrel sneak in and run around, I'll show you that quilt at the end of the post.

Hearts & Wreaths was finished in June. From start to finish, it took a little under 3 years for this long term project.

The piecing of Dresden Stars was completed in February, sent to the long arm quilter in May then returned to me in August.

The anniversary quilt (listed as gift quilt) was pieced and long arm quilted entirely this year.

The months of June and July were spent binding comforter tops for MCC and machine quilting small quilt projects which I'm not showing in this post. You can read about them here, here, and here.

However, I am going to show you Dots and Dashes, this was the largest of the compassion quilts I quilted and donated. Quilting compassion quilts was on the list.

Most of the blocks for Dots & Dashes were completed, I just needed to piece a couple more blocks then sew the blocks together. The pattern for Dots & Dashes is found here. I may make another quilt from this pattern someday.

Tula Hexies was one of the quilts I quilted. She's staying at my house for me to enjoy. Tula Hexies was a new project I started in November 2023 and she's finished!

Radiant Blues was started and completed in 2024.

Radiant Blues is my favorite quilt of the year. I have been wanting to make a feathered star quilt for years and now I have. I enjoy looking at it displayed on the wall. 

Pineapple Blues was started at the Jane Stickle retreat in April. I innocently thought I could actually piece all 49 blocks needed for this quilt in one long weekend! I managed to complete almost 20. The rest were completed in September. She came home from the long arm quilter in November, another quilt started and finished in the same year.

The outer blue borders have been sewn onto blueberry pie. She won't be going into the quilting frame though. She measures 108" and I won't be able to have the hand quilting finished by spring. I don't like to hand quilt during summer and I feel guilty if I have a quilt the frame and not be quilting.

One of the projects I listed was Garden Party, designed by Bonnie Hunter. Thirty-six blocks were pieced at the November retreat, that quilt is on the list again for next year.

What quilts didn't happen? Fire Island Hosta was the only project on the list to not make it out of the project bag, it is also on the list for next year.

The squirrel quilt is Blessed by Nature which was a kit I purchased at Lolly's during my July birthday outing. Donna and I both pieced our quilts together in October then I sent my quilt to Calico Point to be quilted. Here she is!

Linking to TGIFF!, Favorite Finish December, Finished or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

Blueberry Pie, 2nd Applique Corner

The 2nd corner of Blueberry Pie is appliqued. You will have to settle for an indoor picture, it's been very breezy this week then it rained. I didn't want the flimsy outside in those conditions.

And, in case you are wondering, no, I never did find the missing fabric. You can't tell it though in the picture, the substitute fabric is the same value as the first fabric.

I want to add a dark blue border to the outside of the gray borders but I haven't decided how wide to make them. Originally I had planned to have all four corners appliqued but I've run out of applique energy. I can quilt faster than I can applique. I haven't measured blueberry pie because I need to trim off the selvage before adding the blue border.

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 as 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 applique border, this is my addition. The border is a variation of the center medallion from the Lady Jane pattern, designed by Nancy Rink.

I was informed by someone in the 'know' several years ago that floral couches are out of style. I don't have the patience to keep up with trends, our grandsons love that couch and would miss it if we got rid of it.

I'm getting ready to leave for the Jane Stickle retreat Wednesday so there won't be a post next Sunday. 

Here is a picture of another one of my Christmas cactus. It's a very pretty variegated salmon and white.

Linking to Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Stitching Stuff, Oh Scrap, Handmade Monday, Sew & Tell, Craftastic Monday, Design Wall Monday, Monday Musings, To Do Tuesday

Blueberry Pie

I really thought I would have this corner applique finished by today but I was distracted by another project instead.

Just one more leaf needs to be stitched onto the right side, that should happen today. 

Then I need two leaves on the left side and it's finished!

The problem (of course there's a problem!) is I can't find this fabric! I know I didn't use it all but I just can't find it. I could substitute another fabric but I'll need to take three leaves off, I don't want two different fabric leaves.

I'll look again. 😞

I was in Wakarusa last Wednesday and was surprised to see the quilt garden hadn't been cleared yet. The participating garden committees decide when their garden is 'finished'. They can't be cleared before September 1. Most leave their flowers in place until the middle of September but some want them cleared because they're ready to be finished for the season. 

We had the first frost of this autumn Thursday morning but it wasn't a hard frost. The farmer didn't have any frost on the truck windows when he went to the farm to milk his one cow at 6 AM.

Some of the flowers in the front look finished but most of them are still colorful.

I'm sure they will pull the flowers this week. Cold weather is coming!

Linking to Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Stitching Stuff, Oh Scrap, Handmade Monday, Sew & Tell, Craftastic Monday, Design Wall Monday, Monday Musings, To Do Tuesday

Blueberry Pie Applique

Applique on the blueberry pie border is making slow progress. I've lost my enthusiasm for some reason. 

The original plan had been to applique all four corners. This is the second corner and that's going to be it. This quilt will be hand quilted and feathers will quilted in the other corners.

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 as 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 applique border, this is my addition. The border is a variation of the center medallion from the Lady Jane pattern, designed by Nancy Rink.

Linking to Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Stitching Stuff, Oh Scrap, Handmade Monday, Sew & Tell, Craftastic Monday, Design Wall Monday, Monday Musings, To Do Tuesday

Blueberry Pie Borders

The borders on my Blueberry Pie quilt won't be completely appliqued, just the corners. However the applique does extend 18 or 20" on each side of the corner.

The first corner is completed and ready to show. I love it!

I wasn't sure about the flower in the point but adding the leaves made the difference.

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 as 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 applique border, this is my addition. The border is a variation of the center medallion in the Lady Jane pattern, designed by Nancy Rink.

There will be a dark blue border added the outside of the applique border when the applique is finished. 

I was in Wakarusa last week so I took pictures of the quilt garden.

Linking to Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Stitching Stuff, Oh Scrap, Handmade Monday, Sew & Tell, Craftastic Monday, Design Wall Monday, Monday Musings, To Do Tuesday

Blueberry Pie Borders

The flowers are appliqued in the first corner. The next step is to add leaves and the circles. 

I'm not sure I really like the flower in the corner but I'm not going to change it.

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 as 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 applique border, this is my addition. The border is a variation of the center medallion in the Lady Jane pattern, designed by Nancy Rink.

Linking to Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Stitching Stuff, Oh Scrap, Handmade Monday, Sew & Tell, Craftastic Monday, Design Wall Monday, Monday Musings, To Do Tuesday

Blueberry Pie Borders

It's been a year since I completed the center for Blueberry Pie. The plan has always been to add applique borders but Pie had to wait while I appliqued the borders for Hearts & Wreaths. Then I hand quilted Hearts & Wreaths so Pie had to wait even longer!

It's taken me several months to find my handwork mojo again. I enjoy hand applique, it's just all the time that goes into the preparation before I can actually applique that is so tiresome.

Finally, the applique borders for Blueberry Pie have started. There isn't much to see, just appliqued vine so far.

I have Lady Jane hanging in the dining room area. I really like the center medallion applique. 

I took the center medallion and altered it to become the border design for Bluebery Pie. This obviously isn't a professional layout but it works for me!

After the pattern was revised, I traced it onto the fabric borders, with a black Frixion pen.

I cut the bias vine fabric at 3/4" wide then used a 3/8" Clover bias tape maker to make the bias vine. When I marked the quilt, I only made a single line for the vine. 

Here is a link to the Lady Jane pattern which is designed by Nancy Rink. Nancy designs lovely patterns!

I was in Wakarusa a week and a half ago, and took pictures of the quilt garden, it's really growing!

Linking to Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Stitching Stuff, Oh Scrap, Handmade Monday, Sew & Tell, Craftastic Monday, Design Wall Monday, Monday Musings, To Do Tuesday

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.

Blueberry Pie

The center of my Blueberry Pie is finished! This was a fun and easy center to piece. He measures 74.5" square.

Doesn't he look like a woven coverlet?

I did change the pattern and made my quilt larger. Math and I don't always agree but I was very pleased when two out of the three types of 9 patches were exact the number of blocks I needed for the quilt.

Blueberry Pie is going into a closet until I'm ready to applique the border.

The original pattern doesn't have an applique borders but I'm envisioning 12" applique borders followed by a 9 patch border.  The 9 patch border will be followed by a more narrow border on the outside. 

Blueberry Pie's original name was Writer's Block. The pattern is found in the Red, White, and Sometimes Blue book which was published in 2011 by That Patchwork Place. Kelly Corbridge is the designer of this quilt. The background fabric is a light soft gray called Whisper Weave Cloud by Benartex.

I changed the name from Writer's Block to Blueberry Pie. I didn't think the name Writer's Block had anything to with the quilt! Cynthia suggest the name Blueberry Lattice but I went with Blueberry Pie.

Perhaps someday I'll make a Cherry Pie but with more pieced blocks and no applique, someday being the key word here!

Linking to Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Peacock Party, Whoop Whoop Party, Finished or Not  Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts, Oh Scrap

Blueberry Pie

Last week was a chilly week so there was no problem spending time in the house piecing Blueberry Pie.

Sashing has been attached to the checkerboard squares. The checkerboard squares plus the sashing measures 15" finished. There are 16 of these blocks and they need to be trimmed.

Only one strip of the next sashing set has been sewn.

More details about Blueberry Pie can be found via this link.

Here are answers to questions asked in comments - I was asked if I pieced the 9 patches tiny small square by square or if I'm strip piecing? Strip piecing all the way! I might have pulled a few 1.5" squares to add but not very many blocks happened that way. I'm a stripper!

I was also asked if Blueberry Pie is a candidate for hand quilting? I don't know, I am planning on a hand appliqued border and I do like to hand quilt projects with applique. But . . . . it will be awhile before the applique happens, I want to finish appliqueing Hearts & Wreaths first.

Linking to To Do Tuesday, Wednesday Wait Loss, Put Your Foot Down

Blueberry Pie

It's chilly outside, perfect sewing weather! The 16 checkerboard blocks needed for Blueberry Pie have been pieced. Sorry the color isn't good in this picture. The background is light gray.

The next step is to add sashing and cornerstones. The color is correct in this picture. I must have moved over  a bit when I took this picture.

The Writer's Block pattern is found in the Red, White, and Sometimes Blue book which was published in 2011 by That Patchwork Place. Kelly Corbridge is the designer of this quilt which I have remained Blueberry pie. The background fabric is Whisper Weave Cloud by Benartex.

Linking to To Do  Tuesday, Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Put Your Foot Down