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

Home From Retreat

Or this post could be titled 'What I Sewed at Retreat'.

I worked on several projects at retreat. First I pieced Indian Hatchet blocks.

I hadn't intended to start another Indian hatchet quilt but those triangles keep accumulating. I didn't trim the blocks at retreat, I'll do that at home. Here are a few blocks that have been trimmed.

At every retreat, Clothesline Creations gifts everyone a Villa Rosa card. Several retreats ago, the pattern was the Twinkle card. I thought it was really cute so I made blocks for a Twinkle quilt. Of course I made more blocks because I want a larger quilt. Instead of two charm packs, I purchased a layer cake at Clothesline Creations last summer during my birthday outing. I cut the layer cake into 5" squares then pieced the HST's at home so they would be ready to sew.

The fabric line I used was My Summer House by Bunny Hill Designs. The above picture is not a good picture but you get the idea. 

For my third project, I pieced 36 posey blocks for the Garden Party quilt. I had the pieces prepped for last spring's retreat but never got to them. 

I think Garden Party will be a retreat project and live in the retreat bag until next spring. The blocks have not been trimmed, I'll wait until they're all finished to do that.

Garden Party is designed by Bonnie Hunter and can be found in her Addicted to Scraps book.

Lolly's Fabrics provided door prizes during show & tell Friday evening. My name was drawn for one of the prizes, it was a project basket filled with all sorts of goodies!

I always have a great time at retreat but there is nothing like coming home and sleeping in my own bed. 😉

Since I've returned home, the farmer and I switched the east wall quilt, Radiant Blues is now on display!

Someday I want to make this quilt again but make it large enough for a bed. I'd change the feathered star size to 18" finished, or maybe even the 24" size. Colleen did an excellent job with her quilting.

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

Radiant Blues Finish!

Radiant Blues is finished! The binding has been hand stitched, the sleeve is hand stitched and the label is hand embroidered.

Coleen Gall did a wonderful job with the custom long arm quilting. For the quilting designs, I told her what I would do if I were hand quilting the quilt, she took my suggestions from there and adjusted them to machine quilting. Radiant Blues measures 76" square, a perfect size for a wall quilt.

The next group of pictures are closeups of the quilting. Some of the pictures are long and narrow but I don't know how to put them side by side.

A light blue fabric was used for the backing.

And a close up of star quilting on the back.

The label is hand embroidered. I don't know what I was thinking that  one line is over to the left side but it is how it is. The small tree and bird is a design by Gail Pan.

Several years ago my friend Linda and I were perusing through a tub of quilt magazines when she came upon a pattern that she said was me. She was so right, Radiant Blues is definitely a quilt for me to make.

I started the piecing at the end of March, the flimsy was pieced then sent to Colleen Gall to do her wonderful quilting the first of June. She was returned in July but it has taken me several months to sew the binding and attach a sleeve. 

In January I posted a list of projects for 2024. One of those projects was called Radiant Blue hereafter to be known as Radiant Blues. The pattern for Radiant Blue is found in the January/February 2007 issue of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting magazine and was designed by Marsha McCloskey.

Marsha is famous for her method of piecing feathered stars, however I did not use her method. I'm a foundation-paper-piecer and I used the free 16" no Y seam feathered star fpp pattern from Threaded Quilting Studio. I used the same pattern for the first time when I made this little quilt.

The 16" star is a different size than the size star Marsha specifies for her pattern. I made a sashing change. Another change, my wall quilt is larger than the pattern and includes 9 stars instead of the original 4.

Radiant Blues is going to hang on the east wall in our living room but not until after the Jane Stickle retreat in November. I want to present her at show & tell.

Thank you Linda for alerting me to this lovely pattern.

I love this quilt so much, I'm going to post it on every linky party I'm involved in this week!

Linking to Kathys Slow Stitching Sunday, Stitching Stuff, Oh Scrap, Handmade Monday, Sew & Tell, Craftastic Monday, Design Wall Monday, Monday Musings, To Do Tuesday, Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Finished or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

If you didn't get enough of quilt show quilts from my posts on September 22 and 29, click here to view pictures from the Quilted Twins visit to the Jacksonville show.

Planning Party, 2nd Quarter Check-in

Summer is here and not much time is being spent in the sewing studio but I'm still making progress. Here is a link to the list I posted last January.

Radiant Blues is a flimsy and has been delivered to a long arm quilter.

I'm sorry this picture has a yellow tint, I think the bright sunshine affected it. I didn't realize the picture was this way but the quilt isn't at home. You'll have to wait for a better photo until after the quilting is completed.

Dresden Stars has also been delivered to the quilter.

Hearts & Wreaths is completely finished, my first completed quilt in 2024! Hand quilting does take a long time.

I did start piecing the pineapple blocks at retreat in April. I plan to piece more blocks sometime this summer.

Linking to Planning Party, 2nd Quarter Check-in, Stitching Stuff, Oh Scrap, Sew & Tell,  Design Wall Monday, Monday Musings, To Do Tuesday, Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss

Radiant Blues Flimsy

Radiant Blues is now a flimsy! Have mentioned how much I enjoy this quilt?!

I don't know why the white fabric has a yellow tint, the next picture should look better but it doesn't 😕. 

It was a very bright and sunny day, perhaps the bright sun made the problem?

I didn't realize these pictures were this way until I wrote this post. Ordinarily I would take new pictures but I've already delivered the quilt to Colleen for quilting. You'll just have to wait until it's quilted for a better photo.

Radiant Blues measures 78" square before quilting. The pattern for Radiant Blue(s) is found in the January/February 2007 issue of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting magazine and is designed by Marsha McCloskey. 

I changed the pattern to make my quilt but the general effect is still the same. I didn't use Marsha's directions to piece the stars, I foundation paper pieced them using the 16" pattern found here at Threaded Quilting Studio. 

Radiant Blues was one of the projects listed in my 2024 Quilting Plan back in January. 

Linking to Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Finished or Not  Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

Radiant Blues Progress

The center section of Radiant Blues is completed! I just need to add the outside border. 

As you can see, I did NOT use the dark feathered star in the quilt. I was just too dark for my taste. Now I have a feathered star to use elsewhere, I'll think of something.

Here is a close up of the checkerboard in the corners. Last week I had showed you a light blue sashing, I changed my mind and went with a darker blue. It didn't take long to make the sashing and corners, strip piecing is my friend.

The fabric in between the dark sashing is a light gray fabric and is also used in the checkerboard square. You don't really see a contrast between it and the white background fabric in the stars but it is enough to make them standout against the white.

I really like how this wall quilt is looking! Of course I love all the blues! 

The pattern for Radiant Blue(s) is found in the January/February 2007 issue of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting magazine and is designed by Marsha McCloskey. I didn't use Marsha's directions to piece the stars, I foundation paper pieced them using the 16" pattern found here at Threaded Quilting Studio. 

Linking to Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Finished or Not  Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

Last Feathered Stars

Eight feathered stars have been pieced for Blue Radiance. I need 9 blocks for the wall quilt, I've pieced two more stars.

These blocks are all starting to look alike! And the second block.

I pieced a tenth block because I can't decide if I like the dark block in the center or not. What do you guys think?

Here are the blocks with the dark star in the center.

Here are the blocks with a a different star in the center.

I sewed some sashing to help in the decision. What do you think?

This next picture has the dark block in the center.

I think I like it better without the dark block in the center but I'm not 100% sure yet.

The pattern for Radiant Blue(s) is found in the January/February 2007 issue of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting magazine and is designed by Marsha McCloskey. I didn't use Marsha's directions to piece the stars, I foundation paper pieced them using the 16" pattern found here at Threaded Quilting Studio. 

Linking to Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Finished or Not  Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

Two More Feathered Stars & a Design Change

Two more feathered stars are finished for the Radiant Blues wall quilt.

I've made a slight change to the next block. Do you see the difference in piecing between the first block and the second one?

I've modified the pattern. Instead of a square at the point of the edge feathers, there is a triangle. The next two stars will also made with this modification. 

The pattern for Radiant Blues is found in the January/February 2007 issue of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting magazine and was designed by Marsha McCloskey. I'm foundation paper piecing my feathered stars using the 16" pattern from Threaded Quilting Studio.

Linking to Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Finished or Not  Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

More Feathered Stars

Here is the next group of three feathered stars for the Radiant Stars wall hanging. 

I pulled a different light blue for this star.

I'm trying to have different fabrics in the stars and in the placement of color values.

The pattern for Radiant Blues is found in the January/February 2007 issue of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting magazine and was designed by Marsha McCloskey. I'm foundation paper piecing my feathered stars using the 16" pattern from Threaded Quilting Studio.

Linking to Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Finished or Not  Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Patchwork & Quilts

Radiant Blues

The first blocks for Radiant Blues are finished! These stars finish at 16".  All of the stars are going to have a flower center.

Foundation paper piecing makes these stars turn out perfect! This block is a little dark, I like the next block better.

There is a glow to the center fabric that doesn't show in the pictures. The gold vine gives the fabric a brown tint in the picture. It's not that way in real life. The fabric  around the center is a light gray but it looks white in real life also.

I took these pictures outside but they have a dark tint to them. Hopefully the next photos will show their brilliance.

The center fabric is called Dutch Cottage and is a Robert Kaufman fabric.

It takes me two days to piece one block. Feathered stars are slow blocks to piece.

The pattern for Radiant Blue(s) is found in the January/February 2007 issue of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting magazine and is designed by Marsha McCloskey. I'm not using Marsha's directions to piece the stars, I'm foundation paper piecing them using the 16" pattern found here from Threaded Quilting Studio.

Linking to Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Finished or Not  Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Patchwork & Quilts, Needle & Thread Thursday

Radiant Blues

In January I posted a list of projects for 2024. One of those projects was called Radiant Blue hereafter to be known as Radiant Blues. The pattern for Radiant Blue is found in the January/February 2007 issue of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting magazine and was designed by Marsha McCloskey.

Marsha is famous for her method of piecing feathered stars. However, I'm not going to use her method. I'm a foundation-paper-piecer and I'm going to use the free 16" no Y seam feathered star fpp pattern from Threaded Quilting Studio. I used the same pattern for the first time when I made this little quilt.

The 16" star is a different size than the size star Marsha specifies for her pattern. I will make a sashing change. Another change is my wall quilt is going to be larger than the pattern and will include 9 stars.

I've pulled fabrics however the colors aren't quite true in this photo. And the fabric underneath the blues looks more brown than in person.

Here is a more true color picture of that fabric. I purchased this fabric several years ago to be used in a Patchwork of the Crosses quilt designed by Lucy Boston. I started that quilt with good intentions but quickly became unenthused. I made 6 blocks and made this little quilt.

I never did use this fabric so now it's time has come. These designs are approximately 5" on point, perfect for the centers of the stars.

I've laid the center paper on the fabric, perfect fit!

Here it is sewn. 

There are 3 different flower designs in the fabric, a perfect number for 9 blocks. Next post I'll have at least 1 feathered star block to show you, optimistically there will be 3 blocks!

Next time won't be next Thursday however, I'll be at the Jane Stickle retreat in Shipshewana!

Linking to Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Finished or Not  Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Patchwork & Quilts