Design Wall Monday - December 30, 2024

Good Morning Quilters!  Can you believe this is the last Monday in 2024?  The next week will be a time of reflection on 2024 and making plans for what I hope to accomplish in 2025.

Here is the current status of the two long borders for the Cousin’s Walk quilt that I’m working on.    (pictured on the floor next to each other, but on the quilt they will be on the two sides)

If I work on this project a lot during January, I believe it will be completed by the end of the month.  I love it when I can see the end of a quilt, especially one with so much appliqué  on the borders.  

Here is where I was on this project last Monday:

What are your thought on quilting as 2024 ends and 2025 starts?  I am optimistic about 2025, since I can feel my list of UFOs decreasing each year.  New Years Eve and New Years Day are set aside to assess where I am with my quilting projects.  Also I am a football fan, and will be watching a lot of football, but I can do two things at once.  

Our Design Wall Monday Linky Party is below.  Please click on the link and show us your post and pictures.  There are a lot of cute projects happening, and I appreciate your blogs and the sharing you do.  Thank you!

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Design Wall Monday - December 23, 2024

  Merry Christmas!

My stockings are  hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon will be there…..in fact I have been visited by the man himself three times this month.  He assured me all three times that I am on his good list.

Here are the pictures of my three encounters with him.

At a restaurant in Lubbock, TX, early in December.

The second time, at Frankenmuth, MI while we dined at The Bavarian Inn.

 Third time, right in my home!  He came with a cute elf to visit me and even stayed for dinner.

Re my design wall:  It’s the same as last week, with my cutting error quilt up there, in time out.

I did make some progress on two borders of Cousin’s Walk that are my current appliqué project.  Last Monday I was starting on the first flower, and today I have four flowers on each border.  

I just discovered that if I starch the fabric just a little bit, it seems to needle turn under better for me.  Here’s a picture of the next little bit that has just been starched.

What are you working on this week?  Or not working on, as I understand it is a very busy family time.  If you are able to, please join in our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below and show us.  Thanks to all of you for your wonderful participation!

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Design Wall Monday - December 16, 2024

 Good Morning Quilters! 

Last week I talked about the quilt on my design wall - and how my mistake in cutting out blocks was a problem.  It is still there and, because of the problem, it is in time out, while I work on other projects.  So I prepped the center vine on two long borders for this quilt, called “Cousins Walk”:

I have the top and bottom border almost finished, and am now starting on the two longer left and right side borders.  On the original quilt, each of the four borders has a separate pattern, but I have made the two borders for top and bottom duplicates of each other, and am making the remaining two longer borders the same as each other.  Any way you make the borders, there are a lot of appliquéd flowers and leaves to make.  

Here is a picture of the top and bottom borders which are nearly finished:

The task is a long one, but taking it one little flower at a time, it will get completed.  Here is the first flower started yesterday on each of the side borders:

What are you working on this week?  It’s OK if you aren’t making much progress, as it is a very busy time of year.  I know there is a lot going on in my week, and I decided to give myself permission to take it easy.  My design wall will be waiting for me when I decide to work on it later.

Please link up to our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below and tell us all about your week.  I really appreciate all of our regular participants and their posts.  You all do so many beautiful projects.  Thank you.

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Design Wall Monday - December 9, 2024

 Good Morning Quilters!

My design wall has a new UFO on it that has some issues.  More than my usual issues.

Here is a picture of prigress:

The kit is one I bought a few years ago.  It is part of Howard Marcus Collection for a Cause series.  I cut some if the pieces years ago, and cut some more oieces recently.  And I took it to a recent retreat, intending to assemble it there.  While I was at the retreat, I discovered a major mistake I had made in cutting the pieces.  

See these two pieces?  They should be the same, but are not.

I discovered that my pieces were cut using different angles on my ruler.  Some at 60 degree, some at 45 degree.  

Here is a picture of the quilt, from the kit:

I am using the size diamonds that I have the most of to see what I can salvage from my cutting mistakes.   (I cut about 75% of diamonds at wrong size.)  Anyway, it is a new challenge to be figured out.

What challenges are you facing in your quilting life this week?  What good things are happening in your life?  I have an amyrallis about ready to show off all its beauty.  I will take another picture of it next week, when it is in full bloom.

Please join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below, and tell us all about your week.    Thanks so much for all of our faithful participants.  

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Design Wall Monday - December 2, 2024

 It’s December!   And lots f us have snow!!  Happy Design Wall Monday Everyone!

And just like that there are only 23 days until Christmas.  Time is flying by.  But as I age, I get less stressed and know that it will all get done…..or not…..but Christmas will be wonderful.  

This week I’m putting away all the fall quilts and getting out the Christmas ones.  I know some of you are way ahead of me on Christmas decorating, but I like to wait until Thanksgiving is over.

Since I don’t have any Christmas decorations out yet, I’ll share one frm a past Christmas.  My childhood metal dollhouse is decorated for Christmas, with Santa in the chimney.  I had Thyme growing in my garden that year, and the little window wreaths were fun to make.  It was very silly, but fun, decorating a dollhouse for Christmas.  I only did it once.

Maybe by nxt week I will have this year’s Christmas quilts on display and will show you some pictures,  I am looking forward to see what you are up to this month.

Joke of the day:  Christmas time is great because you can yell “DON’T COME IN HERE!” and people will think you are wrapping presents. (when really, you just want to quilt in peace and not be disturbed)

Thanks so much for joining our Design Wall Monday Linky Party.  We have so many creative people who join in and I appreciate all of you.  Thank you for participating.

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Design Wall Monday - November 25, 2024

 Happy Thanksgiving Week!

Here is a picture of my design wall:  

I have only three more diagonal seams to sew and the top will be finished.  

Also, I put the binding on two lap sized quilts.  Here they are:

The binding is not the most interest grabbing part of quilting, but when possible, I challenge myself to match the pattern on the fabric on binding pieces.  Can you see the seam on this binding join?

So even when quilters are doing mundane things, we can find ways to amuse ourselves, can’t we?

Hoping you in America have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.  I think our Canadian bloggers have already celebrated it in October.  As I am 81 years old now, I go to one of my children’s home for the feast.  I am bringing a pie.  I enjoy being a guest now and leave the main preparations to my capable children.  

What are you making this week?  Pies, turkey, and/or quilts?  I see Bonnie Hunter’s annual mystery quilt has started, but I am watching from the sidelines this year.  Are you participating?

Please join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party and let us know what you are thankful for this week.  I am thankful for all of you.  You are a blessing to me each week of the year.  Thank you!

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Design Wall Monday - November 18, 2024

 Good Morning Quilters!

This week I have been binding quilts that are recently back from the longarm machine quilter.  The hourglass quilt is now bound and ready for a label.  I thought I’d put the number of pieces in it on the label, so I calculated the number.  It’s 40 blocks by 40 blocks square, and the blocks are two inches each.  With the combination on hourglasses and half-square triangles, the total number of pieces in all the squares:  4,624.  

Here is the quilt with the binding on it:

The back of it to show you the quilting design:  It really pleases me, front and back.  A quilt that wasn’t from a pattern, and just sort of “evolved” over time.

The second one receiving its binding this last week was the strippy brown and pink quilt made from lots of different four inch squares.  It would take too long to count how many pieces of fabric are in all of these different squares.  The binding is made from the ighter small print that was in the setting triangles in the quilt.  All of the fabrcs in both of these quilts was from my stash of old fabrics.  

The blocks were made as part on an internet free project:  365 blocks in a year in 2016 by Kathryn Kerr of Australia.  Size details about this quilt:  There are 207 blocks that are 3 inches square, and the entire quilt measures 79” by 92”. 

The machine quilting is a small feather design in one stripe, and in other stripes and triangles, an orange peel.  Then she quilted two simple squares in each pieced block.  I really like what she did.  Beverly Irvine quilted both quilts.  Close up of the quilting:

Here is a picture of the quilt full on, as held up last week at the quilt retreat:

And here is the matching doll quilt, in a doll bed with my little sock monkey, and his tiny sock monkey.  

Here is a snapshot of the doll quilt, which is 17” by 28”, with 20 three inch squares.  

There are two more lap sized quilts recently back from Beverly, that need to be bound, and that will be my task this coming week.  

What are you starting, or binding, or finishing, or working on this week?  Please click on the link below and show us what you are doing.  Thanks for joining in.  I know your days are busy, and I appreciate your blogs very much.

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Design Wall Monday - November 11, 2024

:Good Morning Quilters!   And Happy Veterans Day to any of you who have served your country, or are married to someone who has served your country.  Thank you for your service.

Yesterday I got back from a four day retreat with a room full of quilters.  One of my friends there, Bev Irvine, returned some of my quilts that she machine quilted for me.   So now that I am back home, I am working on getting them bound.  

At the retreat, we have “Show and Tell” on Friday night.  Here are pictures of my part of the show.  Three quilts that are finished except for the binding, two large ones and one doll quilt.

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The binding on this one will be either the light fabric or the brown print.  Probably the lighter fabric.

This one will be bound with the navy print that is the same as the inner borders.  

 

What are you working on this week?  I will be reading your blogs and looking at your pictures during breaks from binding in the next few days.  Thank you for participating in our Design Wall Monday Linky Party.  You are appreciated.  

Click on the link below to join our own weekly “Show and Tell” .

 

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Design Wall Monday - November 4, 2024

 Good Morning Quilters!

This is the political campaign button I wore when I voted early last week.   The election workers decided that since the Peanuts character “Lucy” was not on the ballot, they would allow me to wear it.  It is probably 40 years old.

I voted early because I am leaving tomorrow (election day) to go on a quilt retreat.  My strong belief that God is in control of everything calms me in preparation for the results in either direction.  Republican or Democrat leaders for four years; we will survive.  God is in control.

Here are a few small patriotic quilts I’ve made in the past to celebrate our democracy.

While at the retreat, I’m sure I’ll be tempted to start new projects.  Please encourage me to say no, and continue on with finishing what I have previously started.  

What are you working on this week?  This past week you had great posts.  Thank you all who participated.  I am looking forward to seeing what you are starting, working on, or finishing now.  You inspire me.  Click on the link below and let’s begin our Design Wall Monday Linky Party.

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Design Wall Monday - October 28, 2024

Good Morning Quilters!

This week I worked a little more on two of the borders for Cousin’s Walk.  It looks like I blogged about these borders back in March, 2024.   Progress has been slow.  To refresh your memory, here is a picture of the original quilt:

The borders are unusual, and my version of them eliminates the center break in the vine on each side.  I am working on two borders at a time.  The original pattern has each of the four borders with different amounts of flowers.  But I decided to make mine a little less complicated.  Here is a picture of what I;ve done so far on what will be my top and bottom borders:  

These two borders are the shorter two borders.   So there are lots more flowers and leaves to go.  The good news is that this project is teaching me to be better at applique.  Slowly, I am progressing in skill.  Also, I still have three bird blocks yet to complete on the center part of the quilt.

What are you working on this week?  Please join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below and show us!  Thanks for participating; I appreciate you.

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Design Wall Monday - October 21, 2024

Good Morning Quilters!

This week was a beautiful and busy fall week here in Grand Rapids.  We were blessed by a visit of good friends from Virginia.  We visited the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park Friday.  Here are some pictures from there:

My favorite pumpkin? or gourd?

My friend Dean (from VA) with me

My friend Amy (college student here in GR)

The Design Wall Monday Linky Party begins again this morning.  Woot! Woot! Please join in and tell us about your week.  What are you working on?  What is on your design wall?  Mine is filled with bowtie blocks that are waiting for me to sew them together.  See?

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Design Wall Monday - October 14, 2024

Good Morning Quilters!

This week I worked on more blocks for the Cousin’s Walk quilt.  There are 28 bird blocks and each block has a different bird in a different small tree.  Most of the trees have a few leaves and two or three flowers.  One of the block patterns I worked on this week had a tree with 15 leaves.  After appliquing 8 leaves, I decided to stop there and not add 7 more leaves.  Here is the block: 

 The second block finished this week is this one

It had only 4 leaves, which made it much easier.  I am nearing the end, as I have only 4 more bird blocks to finish out of 28.   But, the borders are very busy with lots of flowers and leaves, so there is a long way to go to the finish line on this quilt.  I have started on the borders a little bit.  

Also, The redwork embroidery is finished on 3 more dishtowels.  Here they are:

 

:

There are only 2 more designs in the set.  They are so cute, I may do some of them again when I am finished with the last 2.

What are you working on this week?  Please click on the link below and join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party.  Thanks for joining in - I really appreciate you!

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