Design Wall Monday - September 8, 2025

Good morning quilters!

Here are the final two borders, bottom and left side, added to the design wall, with the completed top border and right border.  I have 8 blocks and a corner kite to complete for each of these final two borders.  I am taking a little break from this project to work on another UFO this week.  I will try to get at least two triangles made though.

My medallion UFO is on the floor (my extra design wall) with all the “square within a square” blocks for the next round. This week I hope to sew them all together, and add them to all four sides of the center.   They are just laid out on one side right now, and the rest in a pile beside the center.  

Here’s a picture:

What is on your design wall?  Or on your design floor?  Please join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below and tell us all about it.  Thank you to all our faithful bloggers who report in each week.  I appreciate you all so much.  

 

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Design Wall Monday - August 18, 2025

 Good Morning Quilters!

The week has been a busy one for me, with not much quilting done.  But the top border row of triangles is up on the design wall:

There are seven completed and six to go.  I hope I am able to complete two more this week.  It is making me smile to know the middle 169 blocks are completed.  As you can see, I decided to use shirting for the plain triangles stead of indigo. I am curious to see if I have 76 different shirting fabrics to make each one a different print.  Oh the games we play while we are cutting plain triangles out of shirting, right?

On the pink and brown medallion quilt (Collection for a Cause - Faith) project, I am still making square within a square blocks for the next round to be added to the center.  And the method I’m using is to sew diagonally across a background square onto the center square for each corner…….and then cut off the underlying two pieces.  Well, you know I would save the cut off little pieces to make a small quilt someday, as I do like little triangles.  Here is a pile of them on the ironing board right now (the middle stack):

I need a little magic fairy to trim them all to the same size, but if she doesn’t come and do it for me, it will probably be me being the fairy at some later date.  As you can see, I’m almost finished with making the blocks (left stack and right stack and some others in the other room).  They finish at four inches in the medallion quilt.  I hope to have this round sewn onto the center by next Monday’s post.

What are you up to this week?  It is a busy time of year, with school starting soon, and all the sweet corn, tomatoes, and peaches ripe for the picking right now.  I love August, and am looking forward to helping some friend’s children shop for school supplies.  

Please join our Design Wall Linky Party below and dazzle us with your design wall……or wherever you are working on your project.  No design wall is necessary, but they do help sometimes.  Thanks to all who participate - you are my favorite people!

 

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Design Wall Monday - August 4, 2025

 Good Morning Quilters!

August is here and I am getting so close to finishing the 169 blocks for the center part of the Jane Stickle quilt.  There are only 15 more to go!  I may push myself to get them all done this week.  It probably won’t be possible, but I’m going to try.  

I took down rows G and H as all 13 blocks were completed and I moved the remaining rows up higher on the design wall.  Here is the picture of rows I,J,K,L,and M, with only 15 holes to fill.  So exciting,

The bottom of the design wall has my other UFO project, Collection for a Cause, Faith.  I am working on a round of square within a square blocks.  As you can see, I have about half of them made, but none of them sewn together into strips for each side.

Progress is happening.  It has been such a nice week, the weather has been just right - not too hot, and nice and cool in the evenings.  Lovely.  I hope you are enjoying August where you are too.

What is on your design wall?  Please join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below and show us whatcha got.  It has been a busy week here, and I didn’t get a chance to read all the blogs, but I hope to this coming week.  (……Busy with getting rid of the wasps building a nest in our mailbox, and me backing my car into a friend’s mailbox as I backed out of her driveway……things like that)  A bad week for mailboxes around here.

Please know that you are appreciated so much!  Thanks for participating.

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Design Wall Monday- July 28, 2025

 Good Morning Quilters!

This week’s progress looks similar to last week’s progress, so I hope I’m not boring you.  There are five more blocks on the design wall in the Jane Stickle quilt.  Here’s a picture:  (new blocks circled)

Only 20 more to go.  Next week, I hope to have the outside triangles up on the design wall, to see how many of them are made, and how many need to be made.  There are 56 triangles and I think I have about 1/3 of them made.

The medallion quilt that was on the floor is now on the design wall, and I am continuing to assemble the third and fourth rounds.  It’s Collection for a Cause - Faith, with some substitutions from my stash of blocks.

Here is a picture of the progress, although it doesn’t look much different than last week.  But there are more seams added and less pins, so progress is being made.

I am excited about both of these projects, so I am happy. 

 How about you?  Your participation in our Design Wall Monday Linky Party is amazing.  Thank you so much.  I appreciate you.  Every week I enjoy looking at your blogs and watching your progress.  Again, thank you.

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Design Wall Monday - July 21, 2025

Good Morning Quilters!

Here is my progress on one of my UFOs - the Jane Stickle indigo and shirting project.  Rows G through M are on the design wall, and I have circled the blocks made this week in the picture.

There are 25 blocks left, and last week there were thirty.  It is so gratifying to move closer to the end of this project.  I just realized that last week I said I had thirty left, and now I have twenty-five, which means I made five, but I have six circled.  lol. This project defies math for me.  But I am seeing the end and that excites me.  

I am also working on the pink/brown Collection for a Cause - Faith UFO too.  I have more of the flying geese sewn together, and am still deciding and switching out which of the six inch blocks to use from the other UFO.  Here is a picture taken yesterday:

Someone asked what putting 20 blocks into this quilt does to the plans for the other UFO that I took them from…….the big stack of eighty some six inch blocks……the answer is it doesn’t do anything to the plans for them…….because there are no plans yet!  I’m still waiting to be inspired to do something with them.

What are you starting or finishing this week?  Join in our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below and show us.  We really enjoy seeing what you are making!

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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 - February 24, 2025

 Good Morning Quilters!

The Collection for a Cause - Community quilt is now sewn together into a quilt top.  Despite all my mistakes, I am happy to have it ready to be quilted.  It turned out to be 78” by 80”, almost square.  If I had cut the diamonds correctly, the kit should have resulted in a quilt that would be 69” by 83”.  So I am happy with it, in spite of  all the twists and turns,  If you want to know more, you could search my blog for previous posts in January, 2025.  

Here is the quilt top on the design wall:

I am also making progress of sewing the borders on the Cousin’s Walk bird quilt.  I decided to sew the borders onto the quilt before I finish the final flowers at the end of the borders.  Here is my first mitered corner:

What are you moving onto or off of your design wall this week?  It was great participation on our  linkup last week, with 25 blogs showing lots of beautiful quilting projects.  Thank you all for participating.  I appreciate reading about and seeing your work.  

Click on the link below and join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party.  

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Design Wall Monday - February 10, 2025

 Good Morning Quilters!

My design wall looks similar to last week, but I am making progress.  here is a picture:

The left side is all sewn together, and I am working on the rest of it.  It is going well, but I didn’t have time to work on it much this week.  Slow and steady will get the job done.

The Cousin’s Walk quilt is getting nearer the end….slow and steady applies to this one too.  I tried to appliqué one flower each day, and there are three more flowers to go before I get to the end of each border, where there are mitered corners.  I plan to sew the borders to the quilt, miter the corners, and then finish the appliqué at the ends of each vine.  I am so happy to be near the end of this quilt, and am looking forward to seeing the borders together with the middle part of the quilt.  Here is a picture of my progress:  (The white strip is freezer paper in a pattern of where the final vine will be)

Valentine’s Day is this week.  Do you have any quilts that you display for Valentines Day?  I have this one, that I always have out in February:

This quilt was made from a cross-stitch pattern that was free on the internet.  (Here) I used squares that finish at one inch, and changed the bottom wording part.  If you want to read further about the construction of it, there is explanation in this 2017 post (Here)

Maybe I will see some Valentine’s Day quilts this week from some of you.  It is always a pleasure to read your blog posts and look at your pictures.  Click on the link below and join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party.  I appreciate you so much.  Thank you for participating,

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Design Wall Monday - February 3, 2025

 Good Morning Quilters!

Happy February to you.  My Cousin’s Walk borders are getting finished.  I am nearing the end, and try to appliqué one flower each day.  Here’s todays picture:  on left, the last two borders as they are now, and on the right, a picture of the same two borders from two weeks ago.  I am getting excited that the end is getting near!

The diamonds quilt on the design wall is coming along too.  I added the edge parts, and have about ten long strips of blocks sewn together, and also have a little bit in the top left that have the strips sewn together.  It involves thinking as I sew because the triangles all have bias edges, and when sewing them together, I have to offset the edges a little to line the seams up correctly.  It’s a job where I keep Mr. Seamripper handy when I first begin a session, but after I get sewing for a while, I use him less.  Here’s the design wall, in three pictures:

(1) The top left corner is all sewn together (except for the one little corner bit)

(2) The next set of blocks are now sewn into six long diagonal strips:

(3) And the rest is a mix of some blocks sewn to their neighbors, and some blocks that are not sewn to anything.

   

It is turning out to be fitting together like a giant puzzle, and I am liking it.  What are you playing with on your design wall this week?  It doesn’t have to be on a design wall, but we like to see what progress you are making.

Click on the link below and join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party.  I really enjoy seeing what you are making.  Thanks for participating each week.  I appreciate you.

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Design Wall Monday - January 27, 2025

 Good Morning Quilters!

My design wall now has most of the blocks for the Collection for a Cause - Community quilt up on it.  It still needs the outside red blocks, which I’m still working on.

Here is a picture:

I am now ready to start sewing diamond to diamond, in long diagonal strips.  Since it could be a boring job, I’ve decided to set my hourglass sand timer and work on it for at least as long as the sand is running from the top to the bottom, and then take a break.  Do you have a fun timer in your sewing room?

Here is mine, and sometimes I’m amazed when I look up from the sewing machine and see it has no sand in the top part.  It takes roughly an hour for the sand to run from the top to the bottom.  

I also appliquéd some leaves on the Cousin’s Walk borders.  It went a little faster when I was making the same shape over and over.  Here is a picture:

What is on your design wall this Monday?  We had lots of eye candy last week with almost 30 linkups.  Thanks to all our regulars and all the new people who joined in.

Please join in and show us any progress you’ve made (or squirrels you’ve chased) this week.  

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Design Wall Monday - January 20, 2025

Good Morning Quilters!

The two quilts I’m working on got some progress this week:

(1)  Collection for a Cause - Community is on the design wall, or at least 1/2 of it.  The blocks are now all adjusted to the same size, and here are all the solid diamonds for it.   I put the darks and lights into vertical rows.  Next, when they are all sewn, I’ll put up the four-patch diamonds into the blank spots.

As I am working on this quilt, I realized that since I cut all the diamonds shorter and fatter than the instructions, the quilt will probably be shorter and fatter too…..but, since the cutting mistake gave me extra fabric left over from the kit, I am making more diamonds to add three more rows to make the final quilt longer.  I will have to see what size it turns out, as I am thinking it should be fairly close in size compared to the original pattern.  We shall see.  This quilt is certainly an adventure.

(2). The Cousin’s Walk quilt borders are coming along.  Two borders are finished, and the last two borders are now 1/2 finished.  I had set a goal of having the borders completed by the end of January, but that may realistically be the end of February.  I am a slow appliquér.  But it is not a race, right?  Here’s a picture of the two side borders as they are right now:

How are your projects coming along.  Please update us by joining our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below.  Thanks!  I really enjoy seeing your progress and seeing your pictures.  

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Design Wall Monday - Janary 13, 2025

 Good Morning Quilters!

Here’s my design wall, as it has looked for the past month:

Last week, I talked about perseverance.  And I told you about our amaryllis that tipped over and broke off.  Well, here’s the second try of this hardy little bulb.  I am so proud of it!

So this week, I am rejoicing in perseverance and “second chances”.  This lily encouraged me to look again at the diamond blocks that have been in time out, on my design wall.  They are from a kit, Collection for a Cause, Community, by Moda.

There were two problems with my progress so far.  #1   I cut some of the blocks the wrong size……. read this December post if you want details (Here). I have decided to cut all the longer narrower block to more of the size of the shorter fatter ones.  They won’t be exactly the same size, but close enough to get this quilt moving along.  We shall see.

#2 After looking at it for a month on the design wall, I realized that there was a dark/light pattern to the quilt both horizontally and vertically.  In my start of the quilt, I had the horizontal part going, but was not paying attention to the vertical dark/light thing going on.

So this week, I used the seam ripper while on a trip - on the plane, and in the rental car - to take all the blocks apart.  I feel I am now back on the path to progress, but you never know with some quilts.  We shall see.

Also, The Cousin’s Walk border flowers are coming along as planned.  How about you?  What challenges are you attacking, and do you have any perseverance and second chance stories to tell us?

Please join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below and share with us.

Thanks for participating.  Your blogs are so interesting, and I learn a lot from you.  I appreciate 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 - September 30, 2024

 Good Morning Quilters!

This is the last day in September, and there are only three more months in this year.  There are so many UFOs that I want to work on this year that I’m inspired to spend more time in my quilt studio.  Working on three projects this week

.  #1  The third quilt from the box of bowtie blocks.   Here is the proposed finish now on the design wall.   The green solid has a calming feel for me, and reminds me of the 30’s “nile green” color:

  #2. A project that I’m bring to a retreat in November, and will be working on it there with a friend who has the same project.  It is part of the Marcus “Collection for a Cause” kits.  I’m  making part of the blocks ahead of time to take with me.   24 of these four-patch diamonds are yet to be finished.   Here is a progress picture:

  #3. Cousin’s Walk, the bird quilt UFO is out again.   Several friends are making this quilt at the same time, and when we gather together later this year, I would like to have four more bird blocks completed (by November).  I use freezer paper pattern parts.  Ihave 10 more bird blocks to make.  Here is a progress picture of the bird block I’m working on this week:

Lots of good quilts being made and shown on our Design Wall Linky Party last Monday.  I enjoyed my tour of your blogs.  Thanks for participating!  Below is the link for today:

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Design Wall Monday - September 9, 2024

Good Morning Quilters!

The baby quilt is quilted, and ready to send off to the new baby.  I cheated:  instead of quilting it myself and dealing with the stretchy flannel back, I took it to a friend and she did a wonderful job!  Much better than I would have done!  

And it is finished.  Here are a few pictures:

First, the complete quilt.

Second, a square up close, the turtle:

The back side showing the butterfly quilting.  So cute!

My next UFO that has been pulled out is a quilt kit.  Pictured below:

It is part of the Marcus “Collection for a Cause” series.  The collection series are mostly reproductions of vintage quilts, and I liked the fabrics in this repro kit.  I started it, but was challenged by cutting angles and having block edges on the bias.  But now I am attempting it again, and have started making the “four patch” diamond blocks.  There are about 100 of them, and I am just starting - 12 made so far.  

The weather here in Michigan has been hinting fall….cooler nights and sunny 70s in the daytime.  I hope it lasts for a while.  

What is on your design wall?  Mine is empty right now, but will soon have the UFO diamonds. up there.   We are looking forward to seeing what you are working on.  Thank you for faithfully linking up with our Design Wall Monday Linky Party each week.  You are a blessing to me.

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