I started putting together the October Banner during my evening sewing sessions. I don’t generally have a lot of time but I enjoy getting one or two or 5 steps done on this homework item. This was a very interesting set of instructions and not something I remember ever doing in the past.

I usually would do the flowers at the same time but I didn’t this time because I wasn’t sure about the instructions. You have to partially sew one of the sides together and then after the rest of the sides are together then you finish sewing the unfinished side from the first step. It broke my mind. The second time around, I made sure to pin and line each piece up at every step and it came out so much better than the first one.

After the flowers were done, the next several steps were to put the pumpkin together.

And one weekend I was able to finish the rest of the banner.

November – still needs to be cut

Here are the ones that I’ve finished and posted about before:

So I’m almost done!

I still need to do

November

and then time to quilt!

Happy quilting

melanie

I finished all the appliqué on the center block. I am enjoying working on this piece. I won’t be able to start the next block until the next mini retreat so the project will be tucked away. Until then I’ll work on my next homework task.

Keep on quilting!

Melanie

Started: October 2025

Kit purchased from Quilty Pleasures in Simi Valley, CA.

Previous posts:

1. new start post
2. update #1
3. Update #2

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 and the most recent #8.

After finishing the November block I got started on the December block. This one had a few errors in the instructions. Luckily I caught them before any ripping had to be done.

I still need to finish the handwork for the September block and get the hexis done for the October block. September is part of my homework and will get done when it comes up in my queue. I plan to start the October block at our next mini retreat.

Blocks Made

Keep on quilting!

Melanie

My sewing room is still a mess. I started this mess last year when my son and I switched rooms. He took my office/sewing room and I took his bedroom. His bedroom became my office and bedroom. My bedroom became my sewing room. My now sewing room is the master bedroom of the house so it’s bigger than my previous sewing room. My office/bedroom is pretty much put together. But my sewing room is still a big mess.

All my fabric and craft stuff is in the middle of the room. A few months ago, I unearthed my sewing machine so I have a place to sew. And I have a “personal” table that has a small wool pad for ironing and a small mat for cutting. But when I need to cut bigger pieces I have to go to the living room to cut because my new to me cutting table is still in the garage. There’s currently no space for it in the sewing room.

Some of the mess is due to some projects that need to be finished and if you remember my quilt queue list- there’s probably 9 quilts that need to be quilted. I think some of the mess can be cleared if I get those quilts quilted and moved out of the way. So I unearthed my Q20 so I can start quilting again. In the process of unearthing the machine, I found this doll quilt that I quilted a couple of years ago. All that had to be done was bind it. Our guild collects doll quilts to be given to an organization who gives the quilt along with a cradle made by the local woodworkers and a doll to children in need. And when I finished this doll quilt, they had already met the need for that year so it got set aside. Well I finished the binding and it’s now ready for this coming Christmas.

And my q20 is now clear of stuff so on my next free weekend I can quilt something.

don’t freak out but here’s the mess that’s creeping up behind me..

the Q20 is behind that tower of bins. and there’s a bed back there too. When we have a guest, they sleep in my bedroom and I sleep in here.

Happy quilting.

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, and the most recent #7.

On New Year’s day, a few of us got together at a friend’s house to get caught up on some of our outstanding blocks. I had September’s prepped and ready but I didn’t feel like doing handwork. October is a repeat of July’s hexis so I jumped right in to November.

I would have gotten it done the same day except that when I got to one of the latter steps, I needed some pieces that were not part of the original cutting instructions. Luckily I had enough fabric to do the cutting but it’s not fun to get up after settling down in front of my machine to cut more fabric.

The September one is still prepped and ready to be sewed down. My friends did their August block much better than mine and turned out so much nicer.

Blocks Made

Keep on quilting!

Melanie

I received these cuttings around Thanksgiving, 2025 and for awhile they were looking the same. But suddenly, 1/3/2026, the tips were turning green so I think they are worth reporting on now:

Can’t tell by the above picture but the little nibs have green tips. Not all of them but quite a few have them.

It’s my first time growing mulberries from cuttings. These came from a member of a SoCal gardening group in Walnut, CA who posted that she had free cuttings for anyone who wanted to grab some. I happened to be out of town so my ex drove the three hour round trip to pick a few up for me. It was a happy Xmas gift that he didn’t have to pay with money for. He’s so much nicer as an ex than as a husband.

I have been taking pictures on a weekly basis and if you start at the bottom, and scroll up, it’s more accurate in terms of chronological order. However the first month basically didn’t show any difference. Maybe I’ll do it monthly after this point.

When Chawton Block (the first block or Month 1) came up on my homework / handwork to do list, the first thing I needed to do was sew all the lines on the interfacing. It took a few days but I got those done. My 790 did a great job with sewing on the lines. the knee lift made quick work of it and I was glad that I had set this aside at the last 2025 retreat to work on later.

Then I flipped everything inside out.

I smoothed out lines as much as I could. Here is where I realized that the sewing was very important. I had to sew slow and adjust constantly so that the lines would be as smooth as possible and not have weird points anywhere. I don’t know why this BOM started with the very center block to make your initial mistakes and learn from.

Once that was done, I pressed to set everything nice and thin.

I placed all the pieces where they went. The YouTube tutorial from Riley Blake were very precise at this point making use of a ruler to make sure things were exact all the way around. I’m particular and persnickety with my craft but that’s beyond me. Some may take that as not being very particular or persnickety but whatever … to each their own.

I took the parts that I could applique to each other and did those first

I’m ready to start gluing the pieces down so I can applique everything to the background. I’m hand appliquéing everything and because I did this method my stitches are not as tiny as I’ve done when I needleturn regularly. It’s making the applique quick work so far. I am enjoying the process and I hope it continues. For those who finished this quilt fast, either they are monogamously working on this or are really fast hand appliquérs or they are machine appliquéing. They all look good so how ever it gets done works.

Keep on quilting!

Melanie

Started: October 2025

Kit purchased from Quilty Pleasures in Simi Valley, CA.

Previous posts:

1. new start post
2. update #1