Design Wall Monday - January 5, 2026

Good Morning Quilters!  Happy first Monday of the new year!  I am looking forward to seeing what plans you have for 2026.  As for me, I am delaying my  reflections  on a “year end/new year beginning” until a little later this month.  I am having left knee replacement in two days, and I will have lots of time to think about these things while I am recovering.  

Here is a report on two projects in the works:

#1 UFO which is a combination of Moda’s Collection for a Cause - Faith kit that I am revising to include some six inch blocks that were part of the 365 block of the day challenge by Kathryn Kerr a few years ago.

Here are three options for the next round.  I think I have a favorite, but I’d like your input, so tell me which round you’d like me to add next. 

#1 is a round of six inch blocks separated by neutral squares, so each block can show off by itself

#2 is a round of six inch blocks next to each other all the way around, perhaps more interesting, but busier.

#3 is a round of six inch blocks, alternating darker blocks and lighter blocks, busier yet, but with the advantage of getting rid of most of the darker blocks.

Please vote for #1, #2, or #3

Number 1

Number 2

 

Number 3

On the second project I’m working on, In The Round, the blocks are 12 across by 15 blocks down.  I have all the columns sewn into strips, and four column strips sewn to each other.  It is going well.  And I am attaching at least one strip to the ones finished each day,  It involves pressing seams on strips in opposite ways, pinning each intersection all along the strip, sewing the 1/4 inch seam to attach a strip, and then pressing the seam just sewn.  Very peaceful and soothing, and slow.   Very calming to me as I am nearing surgery.

I don’t have a current picture as I took it down from the design wall in strips and those strips are by the sewing machine.  But here is a picture of the quilt kit.

What are you planning for 2016?  I am looking forward to reading your posts.  Thank you to each of you who link up with Design Wall Monday Linky Party.  I appreciate you very much.

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Design Wall Monday - December 29, 2025

 Good Morning Quilters!  It’s our last Linky party of 2025.  This year has just flown by for me.  Has it for you?

This week I got a project out from time out and added two rounds to it.  The project is a combination of two of my UFOs - #1—-Collection for a Cause - Faith, a kit I bought of Moda fabrics.  And #2——-blocks from an internet 365 free blocks project from a few years ago.  

Here is the project right now:

And here was the last picture I showed you of this project:

So I can see progress.  It is 54” square right now, and next I will be adding more of the 6” pieced blocks from the 365 block project.  After they are added the quilt will be 66” square, and ready for the final outside borders.  Progress!

Here are some of the 6” pieced blocks that will be added in the next round:

I calculate I’ll need 40 of the 69 blocks that are 6” square (from that year of block making.)   So I will think up another project to use the remaining 29 blocks in.  It will happen.  

What are you finishing up before the year ends?  Join our Design Wall Linky Party below and show us what your last week has been like.  We. Are ready to read your blogs and look at all your pretty pictures.  Thank you so much for joining in.

Happy New Year!

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Design Wall Monday - July 14, 2025

Good Morning Quilters!

Well, I looked at the two UFOs that I pulled out, and I made progress on one of them, while I’m still thinking about the second one.  Here is the progress:

The UFO is a kit, Collection for a Cause - Faith, pictured here:

I sorted all the fabrics, read all the directions, and looked at what was done previously.  The medallion style starts n the middle, and I added the hourglass blocks around the center part.  The star and pink and tan pieces  were assembled before, and also the hourglass blocks were made previously.

Then I made a lot of flying geese for the next round.  Here they are on my “floor design wall” waiting to be sewn together around the center.  They are not sewn, just put there, overlapping each other as I work on them.

While making the flying geese, I realized I could substitute 20 of the six inch finished size blocks from the other UFO into this UFO, and eliminate making two rounds of the medallion.  Win-win!  So that is where it is at this point - on the floor because the design wall has the Jane Stickle quilt blocks on it.  What do you think about the substitution?

 

 

The design wall has the Jane Stickle quilt on it, and it has three more blocks now. 

Here is a closeup picture of the three…..they are each so cute!  it is a treat to finish one block, and then add it to the wall.

There are only about thirty left, and then I will start on finishing the triangles for the border.  

What are you working on this week?  Or should I say, what are you playing with this week?  Please join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below, so we can join in your fun.  Thank you all for participating.  I enjoy reading your blogs and looking at your quilts.

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Design Wall Monday - July 7, 2025

 Good Morning Quilters!

Happy 4th of July to all of our United States bloggers.  It is hard to believe it is now July!  The year is quickly happening.  My design wall again has my shirting and indigo Jane Stickle quilt on it, and again, I made some progress.  

Here is a picture of the blocks I made in the past two weeks:

It seems like I make about five blocks a week, so I calculate it will take me seven more weeks to fill all the empty spots.  I don’t know that I can keep this project on the design wall for that long……my attention span is fairly short.  

My thoughts on bringing out another UFO to work on……….I have two possibilities that will hold my interest.  One is a stack of six inch blocks, the note on top says there are 86 of them.  All different pieced blocks that were made as part of an internet 365 Days of Quilt Blocks a few years ago.   I am not sure how I will put them together into a quilt.  

The second is a kit -Collection for a Cause….Faith.  I am not sure how much of it is completed.  Pictures of both are below:

I am planning to look at both options this coming week, while getting more Jane Stickle quilt blocks made while I decide.   I suspect I may move forward with both UFOs.  That would be so like me.

What is on your design wall today?  Or what are you thinking about starting?  Or finishing?  Join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below, and show us.  I really appreciate your faithful participation.  All of your projects are so interesting.  

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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.

m

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 - August 28, 2023

 Good Morning Quilters!

It has been a busy week here.  The backs of all nine strips have the middle parts pressed open, and the outer edges trimmed. 

Here is the back of one strip, so you can see how nice and flat the centers are.  I snipped one seam on either side of the center seam to enable it to lie flat.  See from this picture how it worked out:

This week the plan is to sew all nine pieced strips to their bordering strips.  I think that was what I had planned for last week……but as I said, it’s been a busy week.

First, on Wednesday, the bushel of canning tomatoes I ordered came in, and when I went to pick them up, the peaches looked so good that I bought a bushel of peaches too.  So Thursday I canned one batch of tomatoes (7 quarts) and one batch of peaches (also 7 quarts) during the day.  However the canning “factory” came to a halt Thursday night when a very powerful storm came through Michigan.  We lost power for 26 hours.

The only useful things I did while the power was out was 1) weed the flower beds and 2) crochet a little hot pad.  It is a free pattern from the internet that I had printed a few weeks ago.  It is supposed to look like a fried egg:

I am easily amused.   Pattern (Here)

The power came back on late Friday night, so my home canning factory resumed production on Saturday all day and Sunday afternoon.   I am happy to report that there are now 26 quarts of peaches and 19 quarts and 2 pints of tomatoes on the kitchen counter.  

The last 7 jars of tomatoes are cooling on the stove:

What did you work on this week?  You constantly show such pretty projects that I have to sit on my hands to keep from starting another quilt project.  I am looking forward to seeing your work again this week.  Please join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below.  Thank you for mentioning Design Wall Mondays in your blog, and providing a link back to this post.  

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Design Wall Monday - August 21, 2023

Good Morning Quilters!

Progress is being made on the quilt on the design wall.  All columns done:

Next I have to trim the dog ears and sew the columns to each other.  18 long seams.  

Here are some current issues:

Pressing the blocks.  By pressing the seam toward the solid fabric triangles (solid meaning unpieced fabrics) leaves a lumpy center cluster of fabric that any long arm quilter will not like.   I do not want to press the whole seam open, as there is so much piecing in the little blocks and….also, it’s a pain to do.  I’m thinking I could clip the seam allowance a little bit on each side of the center, so the center could open up, and the two sides would lay flat as I want them to.  Another option is to spray the center with water and just smash it down with the iron.  Not a good solution, but it was a suggested solution.

What do you think would be best?

Here is what I’m talking about:

Second issue:

Extra pieced blocks.

There are nine columns of pieced blocks right now and each one has 23 blocks in it.  I thought I’d be using all the blocks that way, but no……there are 22 left.  Maybe they multiplied after I counted them.

Extras:

I could add 2 blocks to the end of each column and use 18 of them that way.  But that would add 8.5 inches to the length of the quilt, which is going to be 98 inches long without the extra 2 blocks.  Adding them would make the quilt 106.5 inches long.  It is queen size in width.  But this would be an easy solution.

Another solution would be to make a doll quilt with the extra 22 blocks.

I do have a name for this quilt now, thanks to Rebecca Grace.  

Last week Rebecca Grace (her blog is here) commented “I LOVE the project on your design wall!  Each little block is like a fabulous chocolate truffle in a Valentine box with the setting triangles separating them just like those little wrappers.”  So now the name will be “A Box of Chocolates.”

What is happening on your design wall?  Remember, it doesn’t have to be on an actual design wall - just show us what you are making. Please mention this blog and provide a link to this post so people can come back here to see what the rest of the participants are making.  Looking forward to your link ups to the Design Wall Monday Linky Party.

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Design Wall Monday - August 14, 2023

 Good Morning Quilters!

The quilt on the design wall is coming along slowly.  There are now five columns sewn into long strips of 23 blocks, and the sixth column is on the carpet next to the sewing machine.   I sew five together four times, and the extra three, and then sew them all into one long column.  

Next strip to be sewn:

Here is the current status of the Design Wall this Monday:

Five long strips done, and four to go.

Well, making a list last Monday helped me a little bit.  I did get the cutting mat area cleaned off:

It doesn't stay this way, but it sure is nice to see the whole area clean once in a while.  It is actually the "bar" area (note the sink and refrigerator) in the family room downstairs, but I use the countertop as a cutting board, as the lighting is very good there.   And to be honest, the cutting mat area within the quilt room is filled with items........such as........ahem.........lots of various very important things.

I didn't make a "list" for this week, as the list consists of one thing  "Get this quilt OFF the design wall as soon as possible........more quilts are waiting for their turn up there!

What are you working on this Monday?  I am looking forward to reading your blogs and seeing your pictures.  Thanks very much for your faithful linkups to Design Wall Mondays.  You are the best.

Link up below to show us the fun you are having this week.  As always, I appreciate it so much when you link back to this blog post from somewhere within your post, and also mention the Design Wall Monday Linky Party.  

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Design Wall Monday - July 31, 2023

 Good Morning Quilters!

Here is a picture of my design wall today.   I think it looks about the same as it did last week.  But life happens, and it will be there when I get back to it, right?

I am on vacation this week and will be doing no quilting.  Children and Grandchildren will be here and my days will be busy.  The quilting projects shall have to wait until everyone goes home, and that’s ok.  

I hope to be spending a lot of time in the water.  Here is a picture taken a couple of years ago, so you can see what I am planning.  You can see Penny Lane enjoying the water too.

What are you working on?  Or, like me, what are you not working on?  Please show us a picture and link your blog to our Design Wall Monday Linky Party so we can see.

Thanks for linking up each week, and please remember to mention Design Wall Monday in your post, and also provide a link back here so people can go to the next blog in the party.  

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Design Wall Monday - July 24, 2023

Good Morning Quilters!

Here is a current picture of my Design Wall:

Progress is slow, but steady.  I have all the brown/neutral/brown strips sewn and am working on the never ending pile of 3 inch blocks with their two side triangles.  Here is what the sewing machine looks like right now:

I will be doing a lot of sewing of strips of these small blocks this week.  It's rather boring, so I am listening to a book on CD.  Do you do that when sewing a boring part of a project?  A friend let me borrow Great Expectations, by Dickens, and I am enjoying it very much.

What is going on in your quilting world?  Please join the Design Wall Monday Linky Party below and show us your pictures and posts!   I've been very distracted lately with non-quilty things, and am thankful that you are persevering in my absence.  You are also encouraging me, and I am blessed to see your posts.  Thanks!

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Design Wall Monday - July 17, 2023

Good Morning Quilters!

I am finally seeing some progress n my design wall.  Here is a current picture that was taken yesterday:

There are nine columns of blocks to be assembled, and I am also working on sewing the dark strips to either side of the light print strips.   There are eight of these to be made, and I have three on the design wall. .  The fourth one is on the ironing board:

It is starting to come together, and I am encouraged.  I hope to have all the pieced block columns on the design wall next week. 

 I hope you are making progress on your projects too.  I’m looking forward to reading your posts this week.  

Join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below!  Thank you so much for participating.  You are a joy to me.

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Design Wall Monday - July 10, 2023

Good morning Quilters!  

A wonderful miracle happened at my house this week.  A life-time wish has been granted.  Back when I was a little girl, our home had a porch with wrens in a birdhouse there.  I used to play on the porch and listen to the tiny wren singing all day long.  My mother loved to hear him singing too.

A Williamsburg bottle birdhouse has been on our porch since last year, with no bird interested in it ……… until last Wednesday.  Now it is a busy place, being filled with small twigs.   The happy male perches on the very top of our flagpole or on our rooftop to sing about his new home.  I told hubby I can cross one more thing off my bucket list.  I have wanted wrens on my own porch forever, and this week it happened.  I praise God for their  beautiful singing that encourages me every day.  

Quilting has been slow, but I am making progress.  I sewed sleeves on the backs of two quilts, and I am slowly putting the 210 small three inch blocks in columns.  Here are some progress pictures:

The Wimbledon tennis matches have started, so I am watching great tennis as I sew.  More watching than sewing to be truthful.  But a little bit gets sewn each day, and it is coming together nicely.  I hope your projects are too.  I saw some fantastic progress on your blogs this last week.  You inspire me to do more.

Please join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below and show us your work.  I shall be reading your blogs this week while I’m on my front porch bench, listening to the wren’s happy song.  Please mention Design Wall Mondays and also link back to this post from within your post.  Thank you.

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