I was able to get the first part of my binding done for 45 & Life to go. I still have to hand stitch the binding to the back but that will be my evening stitching goals. Since I’m on a deadline with this one, it fast tracks to the top of the homework list.

#1 – Jane Austen’s quilt – Hampshire Blocks

I didn’t bother touching this this weekend as the step I’m on is to sew these pieces together and that’s an at home project.

#2 – Monthly Door banner from 2024 – cut the final door banner kit – November.

—- This is on my homework to do list.

#3 – 2023 Saturday Sampler from QP.

I am at the “putting-the-inner-top-together” stage and next is step 5.

Here is step 4

At the retreat, I pulled this project out to do step 5 and discovered I messed up step 3.

This is what it looked like:

I spent a full day fixing these. Here’s what they finally became…

And then I was able to finish step 5…

There are several points where the rows meet that I struggled getting them right. I had to go through each one to decide whether it was worth fixing or just keeping it as is. I accepted a few of them but fixed a few. I love them now and can’t wait to get to step 6 at the next retreat.

#4 – William Morris BOM – I finished the January block! I still need to do the hexies for the October block and the February final 13th block. Then I can start the finishing for this. I’m almost getting to the finish line.

#5 – Tula Pink Butterfly 2.0 – Find out where I am next

#6 – Spooky Halloween – Row 2, block 3 – take a picture

I’ve started it and I’m needle turning the traditional method. I want to prep the next block as I work some in Block 3.

#7 – Tuella and Friends.

#8 – “Allietare” Bonnie Hunter’s mystery quilt from 2015 – My goal with putting this here is to start getting it into my queue. I don’t have time for it now but it’s on this list to start making its way from my head, to actually working on it.

quilt on my friends

Melanie

Last Time:

Melanie

Important info: BOM with my fave LQS, Quilt Emporium, in Woodland Hills, CA. The shop owner, Lisa Hanson designed this mystery quilt with William Morris fabrics and I think it’s super inexpensive for a BOM at $15/month. Even though I decided no more BOMs, I couldn’t help but cave on this one.

Started: 02/2025

Previous posts here, here, here, here, update #4, update #5, update #6, update #7, update#8, update #9 and most recent update #10.

This is technically the last block except the shop created two versions and we got to pick which we wanted.

I chose option 2 and this version has a 13th block. So this BOM is not yet complete but I’m getting close.

Blocks Made

Keep on quilting!

Melanie

I had said I wouldn’t do these quarterly check ins but after thinking it over decided that these are very helpful to keep me accountable on some of my projects.

1. William Morris QE BOM – started 02/2025

2. Riley Blake Door Banner of the Month – started 01/2024

• only 1 banner left. I plan to sew all the tops first and then go back and quilt them.

3. Quilty Pleasures 2023 Saturday Sampler (Jan. 2023)

4. Tula Pink’s Butterfly 2.0 – started 2023

5. Spooky Halloween (2016)

6. 250 Jane Austen – 08/2025

WIPs I haven’t worked on in a long while:

1. Tuella and Friends – 2021

2. Judy Neimeyer’s Double Wedding Ring – started Jan. 2020

2022 New Starts

3. Ornaments – I started this in December 2021 but I stitched diligently on this throughout 2022. All of the ornaments are finished and yet I wasn’t excited about the finished products. I really had one last step to do and that was to attach a piece of thread to make a hook so I could hang these ornaments on a tree or other place. However I rarely have a tree at Christmas as I usually go home to my mom’s house. As such, I was inspired to make a little table mat. I attached each ornament to the black wool. The next step is to do some ornamental stitches but I can’t decide what stitch to use.

4. Prairie something…. I haven’t started this really. I bought it and attended the class at Quilt Emporium and other projects jumped in line. This is not my product but a picture of the instructors and a reminder of the cuteness of it.

5. Mountain Mist: Apple Blossom (November 2022)

I am much further along on this but I have to take a more recent picture. I completed the first block and started the second one when I languished on this project.

2023 New Starts

6. Kimberbell: Candy Corn Quilt Shoppe – see my post about starting it here.

2025 New Starts

7. Orange Sherbert (January 2025 Road to California classes with Irene Blank)

8. Birds of Paradise (January 2025 Road to California classes with Irene Blank)

9. Tender Whispers of the heart – 01/2025

10. Allietare started in 2015 – Added this on my list to bring back from UFO to WIP.

Happy quilting friends,

Melanie

The next local mini is scheduled soon. At this point I think I have one scheduled monthly for the next few months. This is wonderful because my at home sewing has paused a bit while I recuperate from my short illness and get back into the groove of things.

Rising to the top of the list is my quilt “45 & Life to go”. I sent it out to the long armer so I can have it ready for our upcoming quilt show on 5/2. Now I have to quilt it and put a label on it so it’s ready for when I need to turn it in.

#1 – Jane Austen’s quilt – Hampshire Blocks

I’m not sure I’ll have anything to do at this retreat as I’ve got to sew these pieces together and that’s an at home project.

#2 – Monthly Door banner from 2024 – cut the final door banner kit – November.

—- This is on my homework to do list.

#3 – 2023 Saturday Sampler from QP.

I’m at the “putting-the-inner-top-together” stage and next is step 5.

Here is step 4

#4 – William Morris BOM – The next blocks to make are October, and January and the final 13th block. October is on my homework to do list but January and the 13th block are on the list for this retreat.

#5 – Tula Pink Butterfly 2.0 – Find out where I am next

#6 – Spooky Halloween – Row 2, block 3 – take a picture

I’ve started it and I’m needle turning the traditional method. I want to prep the next block as I work some in Block 3.

#7 – Tuella and Friends.

#8 – “Allietare” Bonnie Hunter’s mystery quilt from 2015 – My goal with putting this here is to start getting it into my queue. I don’t have time for it now but it’s on this list to start making its way from my head, to actually working on it.

quilt on my friends

Melanie

I asked my gardener to dig holes for some of my baby fruit trees that need to go in the ground asap. as well as extending my drip lines out. It’s been in the 80’s the last week or so so I’m considering adding a day of water. I’m currently watering twice a week but with the warmer weather I may need to up it to 3.

Happy gardening. I’m enjoying watching our short spring come about but the heat is fast approaching. Every year it comes sooner and longer while our chill months shorten.

Melanie

After my mini quilt retreat I caught a bug and that laid me out a few weeks. Not much to post about as very little of anything is happening here except work, sleep, drugs, water and food. The bare necessities to keep me going while I recover from this illness.