Tag Archives: quilting

15

Mar. ’25

A new start…William Morris BOM

My Local Quilt Shop (LQS) is finally (since Covid ) doing a block of the month (BOM). It’s a mystery and uses William Morris fabric. I swore off BOMs years ago when I inundated myself with them and would take years to finish and then in 2022 relented when my friend new to quilting wanted to do a BOM with another LQS. I have been doing a new one ever since. In 2022, I did Plum Fusion and while the top is done, it’s still not quilted. In 2023, I started the Saturday Sampler. There’s a real name to it but I can’t remember. I’m much more further along than I’ve posted about but that’s still in process. In 2024, I did the monthly door banners with Riley Blake. I’m also not finished with those although I do work on them at every retreat. And this year, in 2025, I’m doing the William Morris mystery quilt along with my LQS. The fabric is glorious and I’m doing it with a couple of friends so that always makes a BOM so much more fun.

Here’s my first block and I’m caught up!

Keep on quilting!

Melanie

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11

Aug. ’23

Quilt in Progress: Tula Pink Butterfly 2.0

I’ve been waiting patiently to get started on this kit. I actually mistakenly bought 2. I asked my LQS to order me one and after waiting a few months I thought they didn’t do it. So I pre-ordered one with Fat Quarter Shop. And it was through that process that I discovered that it wasn’t shipping until Nov. 2022. Anyway, when they started shipping I could have cancelled one of them but I didn’t. I felt bad that I had pre-ordered and figured I would find someone to buy one of them off me. And if I didn’t, I could always make a second one.

So last weekend at the Sew Awesome Gal’s quilt retreat, I opened it up finally and started playing.

I put together block 1 of the first intersection.

Happy quilting!

Melanie

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29

Dec. ’22

2022 Finished Projects

Here are my finishes for 2022.

Dancing with the Stars – Feb. 2022
Mama’s Bukid – Framed March, 2022
Glam Clam – March 2022
April 2022
Hawaiian quilt – May 2022
Rippity doo dah -June 2022
Provence – November 2022

A small project finished: Chirp Block

front
back

Finished tops….

Arabesque – October 2022
Disappearing 9 Patch – October 2022
Lucretia’s Journey – November 2022
Storm at Sea / Snail’s Trail Designer: Wendy Mathson – December 2022
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14

Oct. ’22

The top quilts I want to get done NOW!!!

Provence – being quilted

Provence is really close to being finished finished finished. I’m actually quilting the final border and I’ve got 3 sides left to quilt. It takes about 2 hours per side and I only have enough energy to do half a side at a time. If I would just focus on this it could be done in a week.

Disappearing 9 patch

I lost my center on this project. As a reminder, this was a guild sew a long hosted by a friend of mine. I used 100% stash. Now that the blocks are put together I don’t like the green and how it gets muddled with the main fabric. I wish I had used a yellow or something lighter instead of the green. My recommendation for next time is to do a practice block to see how it goes before cutting for all 12 blocks.

Arabesque

This was the September guild workshop. It’s paper piecing and I’m in a groove. I have 8 of those wedges complete and the other 8 in various stages of completion. In my head, I have Dora Carey’s instructions on how to put the wedges together and an interesting binding technique. I’m afraid if I put it away I won’t get back to it or if I do I won’t remember these instructions and will mess it all up. I want to just finish it. I also know exactly where I’m going to hang it.

Storm at Sea with Snails Trail – Wendy Mathson

For my guild’s October workshop and speaker, Wendy Mathson came and taught us this project. She has these cool rulers she calls Trimplates that make the making of these so easy! I got this little top done on one Sunday. The workshop itself was 6 hours and then I spent a few hours at home finishing it up. The hardest part in the making of this quilt was putting it all together and not losing any points. I pinned pinned pinned and sewed very slowly to get it all together. It’s not perfect especially that final seam but it’s not too bad and I enjoyed it a lot. I think I need to add some borders and this little practice project could be finished.

Happy quilting friends!

Melanie

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11

Oct. ’22

Quilt in Progress: Grassy Creek

Grassy Creek

This was Bonnie Hunter’s mystery quilt in 2020. This is one of the projects I work on while at retreats. The inner part of the quilt is finished and now I have to do the borders. I’m thrilled with how it came out.

Every stitch counts towards a finish my friends

Melanie

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10

May. ’21

This orange quilt

Finally Finished
Back of the quilt

I finally finished this quilt.

As a reminder, I didn’t make the top. I bought it at a guild treasure hunt many years ago. Someone gave the top away. I thought it was a great way to practice my FMQ. I do not make a lot of quilts each year because life is busy and I enjoy the process. This particular year I was very much into FMQ and I was intent on practicing my FMQ. Practicing on a quilt top I purchased seemed like a great idea. I think I bought it for $5. I can’t remember. But I thought it was cute and now I have a quilt ready to gift if I need a gift. Well, many years later and it was still sitting in my bag of quilt tops.

This was the year that I put it in my queue to quilt. It was quilted with my Bernina Q20 (sit down long arm).

I pieced the back and I used fabric from my stash. The only thing I couldn’t find in my stash was a good binding fabric. I decided I wanted an orange to match the darkest orange in the top and I didn’t have anything in my stash. So at the last anniversary sale from my LQS (the one just a few weeks ago), I purchased this fabric.

I’m really happy with it.

And now it is finished. And I took a picture and posted it so it’s not just finished, it’s finished Finished FINISHED!

Happy celebratory dance all the way around.

I tried hard to get this done in time for Sunday Stash but I didn’t so it will be in next week’s post.

~Happy quilting!

Melanie

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16

Mar. ’21

Grassy Creek, Clue 5a

Here are the important links: Bonnie’s Blog, Bonnie’s Website, Grassy Creek Tab

I am doing a little bit at a time on clue 5. I cannot remember when I started this clue. It must have been before last week but then we were in Fresno so maybe the week before that? I don’t know. I haven’t done much.

Grassy Creek Clue 5 – just getting started 3/16/2021

I made a couple for kicks. Then I settled in on cutting. I know it would be really easy to cut strips and then sew them up until I get these 9-patches but I’m using up scraps. So I have a bunch of purple scraps (all colors really) but I pulled out the purple ones and cut out the bit of square I needed. I tossed a bunch of bits which make me happy. It takes longer to do it this way but I’m all about the process and using up my little scraps so this is how I do it. I’ve finished cutting all my smaller pieces and have pulled out the bigger pieces to use. Soon I’ll be done and will cut neutrals. the pinks have already been cut and set aside.

Clue 4 finished –

Grassy Creek Clue 4 – Finished 2/21/2021

Clue 3 – 12/26/2020

Grassy Creek Clue 3 – finished 12/26/2020

Clue 2 – 12/12/2021

Grassy Creek, Clue 2 Finished December 12, 2020

Clue 1 – 12/5/2020

Grassy Creek Clue 1 Finished 12/5/2020

Happy quilting friends!

Melanie

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25

Feb. ’21

Grassy Creek, Clue 4 – Finished

Here are the important links: Bonnie’s Blog, Bonnie’s Website, Grassy Creek Tab

Finally! This clue has taken me forever to finish.

Grassy Creek Clue 4 – Finished 2/21/2021

I had a guild workshop to take – maybe 2 workshops? I had Jan Krentz in January and Alex Anderson in February so those two classes threw in a couple of projects in the middle of this clue and I was only able to do a little bit each weekend. It was slow progress. Now it’s done and I’ll be out of the house this weekend and will not be able to touch my sewing machine until the first weekend in March. I will be doing a bunch of handwork so my hands will still be busy.

Clue 3 – 12/26/2020

Grassy Creek Clue 3 – finished 12/26/2020

Clue 2 – 12/12/2021

Grassy Creek, Clue 2 Finished December 12, 2020

Clue 1 – 12/5/2020

Grassy Creek Clue 1 Finished 12/5/2020

Happy quilting friends!

Melanie

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19

Feb. ’21

Simple Days BOM, Step 1

The first step was released the end of January. It took me awhile to get started. I had to pick and buy fabric (yay!) and pull out my light box.

I debated whether to piece the block first or do the embroidery and chose to do the embroidery first. Later as I was stitching the blanket stitch I decided I was all wrong. I should have pieced the block first so that I could do the embroidery exactly where I wanted it. Now I’m going to piece the block as is and if the embroidery is not quite right I would just have to be ok with it.

I say embroidery but all I’ve done so far is appliquéd the fabric pieces in and blanket stitched it. I used DMC perle cotton. I had it on hand and I wanted to use it. I don’t like stitching with it so I don’t know if I will continue to use it. Sometimes I like the look of the perle cotton and sometimes I don’t. I guess it just depends on what I’m feeling when I’m looking at it. For the embroidery part I plan to use dmc floss. I almost got sucked into buying Aurifil thread 28w or 12w just because and I am thankful my practical self was able to pull me away from the urge and close that website. Maybe one day I’ll check it out. I hope so. But not this time.

The second step comes out soon, 2/25, I believe, and I’ll be behind. but that’s ok. I enjoy the quiet slowness of hand stitching.

And before I leave you, here’s the important links: Simple Days Embroidery BOM

Always Crafting,

Melanie

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16

Feb. ’21

Grassy Creek, Part 4a

Here are the important links: Bonnie’s Blog, Bonnie’s Website, Grassy Creek Tab

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted about this project. And less you think I have put this to the side since the reveal, I have not. I’m just not getting a lot done when I work on it. I saw the reveal and I love how it looks. I switched out my fabric so I’m curious to see how it will look with my fabric choices. I’m slowly working on Clue 4.

Grassy Creek Clue 4 – half done? 2/14/2021

Clue 3 – 12/26/2020

Grassy Creek Clue 3 – finished 12/26/2020

Clue 2 – 12/12/2021

Grassy Creek, Clue 2 Finished December 12, 2020

Clue 1 – 12/5/2020

Grassy Creek Clue 1 Finished 12/5/2020

Happy quilting friends!

Melanie

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