Design Wall Monday - March 23, 2026

Good Morning Quilters!

The week has been one of mixed productivity for me.  I’ve been assembling the Jane Stickle Indigo and Shirting quilt for the first part of the week, but now have come down with a cold.  The cold has kept me idle for three days now, and I hope to feel better tomorrow.  The older I get, the more maintenance my health takes, it seems.  I am also still in PT for my knee replacement, and it seems to be going a lot slower than I’d like.   But, I must remember the good things about my health…….my second knee replacement is over with and, praise God, I only have two knees, both now titanium!  And my cold is getting better every day, not worse.  

The bright spots for this week were the NCAA basketball tournament games on TV.  For a basketball fan, it was great.  Our favorite team (MSU) is moving on to the Sweet Sixteen, and a lot of other Big Ten teams are moving on too.  My selection bracket is toast though.  In our family bracket competition, I am in last place right now.  I picked too many upsets that didn’t happen.   I do like it when an underdog wins.

My next project will be a replica of Jane Austen’s coverlet that she made with her sister Cassandra, and her mother.  I have admired this quilt design since I first became interested in quilting many years ago.  About 5 years ago, Riley Blake came out with a kit to reproduce it and I bought the kit.  So I am now reading the directions and looking over the kit.  The coverlet picture:

The kit includes a center larger piece that in the original was done by Broderie Perse (cutting motifs out of fabric and using appliqué to attach them).  And the kit has “cheater cloth” border fabric with printed diamonds so you don’t have to sew all of those tiny diamonds together.  Since the kit has a lot of diamond shapes that have bias edges, the instructions say to use spray starch on the fabrics before cutting anything out.  I have never used spray starch much in my quilting, and would like your recommendations.  Do you use spray starch and if so, what brand do you like?

And have any of you made a replica of Jane Austen’s coverlet?  I am looking forward to this project.

What are you starting, or working on, or finishing this week?  We are looking forward to seeing your pictures and reading your blogs.  Please join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below.  So thankful for your participation.  You are a blessing.

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Design Wall Monday - March 16, 2026

Good Morning Quilters!

This time of year I spend a lot of time watching basketball, and today I will fill out my brackets, choosing which teams I think will go far into the NCAA tournament.  Our family has a pool, and it is fun to compete with my grandkids.  I usually pick Big 10 teams, but the league has expanded so much that there are now 18 teams in the Big Ten (new math) and I don’t follow some of the newer teams in that league.  

While watching basketball, I will be finishing my last block for my Indigo and Shirting Jane Stickle quilt.  I just have to make a star for the top of the final corner kite.  I feel nostalgic about finishing such a long and pleasurable project.  So I am going slowly now at the end.  I sewed the center 169 blocks together and am now working on sewing the outside triangles to each other.  Here is a picture of the quilt on the design wall today:

The missing corner kite is not there (right lower corner).  

When I near the finish of a big long project, I spend a lot of time thinking about what I should finish next.   It is fun to look through the UFOs and dream a little.  We shall see what happens next.  

The weather here has been cold and rainy, and we are so ready for spring.  I did see some spring like pictures on some of your blogs this past week and it was so encouraging.  

I also saw a Robin Tuesday, always a good sign of spring here in Grand Rapids, MI.  It is the state bird of Michigan, but winters elsewhere.  Smart bird.

What are you blogging about this week?  I’m looking forward to reading your blogs and looking at your beautiful projects.  Thanks for joining our Design Wall Monday Linky Party.  You are appreciated.

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Design Wall Monday - March 9, 2026

 Good Morning Quilters!

It was a very productive week here.  Last Monday, I reported that the indigo/shirting Jane Stickle quilt had 15 more pieces left to make.  Thirteen triangles and two corner kites.  

 I got my paper-piecing brain in gear……meaning I stood backward and upside down.  In that state of mind, with three seam rippers nearby, at the ready……I tackled all the thirteen remaining triangles and one of the two remaining kites.  While paper piecing, I make every mistake you can make.  

Mistakes I made this week:

1)  adding a piece too small to cover the intended piece of paper, my favorite mistake.

2) sewing two pieces of fabric to the paper, but then discover they weren’t both “right sides together”

3) Sewing a shirting fabric to the paper when it was supposed to be an Indigo piece….se picture #1 below.

4) sewing a group of paper-pieced fabrics (a unit) to the top of another unit when I was supposed to sew it to the bottom on that unit.  Or to one side instead of the other side.

5) cutting (trimming) the seam allowance off of a paper-pieced unit by mistake.  Usually at bedtime……a signal that I’m done for the night.

But by concentrating very hard while thinking backwards and upside down, I persevered.  

Here are pictures of the one corner kite made this week..  I only made one mistake early in the block, and decided to leave it.   The seam rippers were tired.

Here is a picture of the very center part:…five paper-pieced units:  

My mistake was the very center unit should have been Indigo center with four Shirting corner triangles.  Mine was the opposite.  I decided it was a “small” mistake.

Next picture:  This first five units are now the very center unit of this next group of five units.:

Next picture has the above five units sewn together for the center piece.

Next picture shows the above pieces sewn together and turned on point for the center unit. Eight units to sew together.   It’s now beginning to look like the left bottom corner kite  and I can see the finish line, 

Here is a picture of the completed corner kite:  the last corner kite that I have yet to make is mostly appliqué, so it won’t give me any trouble.  Or, I should say…. it better not!

What is on your design wall this Monday?  My Jane Stickle blocks will be on my design wall as I sew the blocks together into a quilt top.  Hopefully I will have them assembled by next Monday.  I so enjoy seeing all of your pictures and reading your blogs.  Thank you for joining our Design Wall Monday Linky Party.  I appreciate your participation so much.   

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Design Wall Monday - March 2, 2026

 Good Morning Quilters!

I am back at it making Jane Stickle quilt triangles to complete my Indigo/Shirting version.  This week was very busy and I was pleased that I finished two. They are Left Side 2 and 3.  I have about fifteen yet to make and they are all paper pieced with appliquéd pieces…….not my favorites.  I shall persevere!

My finish of the little cross stitch project has renewed my enthusiasm for getting projects finished.  Here is a picture of the finished little quilt on top of my bed sized copy of Jane’s original.  

My large quilt was quilted with Baptist fans, but for the little quilt, I just quilted it simply with a line of quilting between every block.

What is on your design wall this week?  If you happen to be new to my blog, the “design wall” is not to be taken literally……any picture of your work in progress or finished work is welcome..  Please join us below.  Thank you to all who participate.  

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