Design Wall Monday - July 13, 2026

Good Morning Quilters!

This past week I worked on cleaning up my quilt room, with Amy’s help.  We made great progress.  It felt so good to be sewing in a nice clean room.  

I worked on sewing together rows of the Jane Austen quilt.  The construction of the rows is divided into three sections - a right section, a middle section, and a left section.    I am almost finished with the right section.

Here is a current picture of my design wall with the three sections:

On the right side section, I have to attach three more rows to the seven rows that are attached to each other.  The edges of the bottom, top, and sides will have part of the outer blocks cut off to square up the center before adding borders.  

Here is a close up view of the seven rows that have the sashing completed between each block, and between the rows.  It is an interesting project, and I am constantly measuring the sashing pieces to see if they all finish at one inch in width.  

I am interested in working on the center section, to see if the center medallion fits together with the rows above and below it.  Suspenseful anticipation here.

What are you working on this week (with or without suspenseful anticipation)?  Please join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below and let us see your pictures and read your blog post.  Thank you to all of you who participate faithfully.  I appreciate you so much.

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Design Wall Monday - July 6, 2026

 Happy 6th of July everyone!  

The 4th was pretty quiet around my house, but we did have some excitement the day before.  Hubby got a hole in one on the golf course!  We have been celebrating his celebrity status ever since.  Pretty good for an 84 year old!

I finished the America 250 doll quilt in time for the fourth.  It measures 12” by 16”. 

Here is a picture of it beside the copy I made of the original crib quilt.  My crib quilt measures 38” by 45”.  I blogged about making the crib quilt (Here)

If possible, I make a small quilt version to match every quilt I make.  In this case the quilt I made in 2016 was a replica of an 1862 crib quilt.  The original quilt sold at auction at Sotheby’s for $5,938 and measures 32.25” by 38.25”.

The cross stitch Jane Stickle doll quilt is progressing - but slowly this week.  

There are only 3 more blocks stitched this past week.  Some blocks take me more time than others to cross stitch, but I am nearing the finish line.  I like cross stitching.  There are only 8 more square blocks and 15 more triangles to make.  

The design wall:  The Jane Austen coverlet replica has 2 more rows of blocks with sashing between them:

Thank you to all of you for participating in our Design Wall Monday Linky Party.  I love looking at your pictures and reading your blogs.  I am so grateful that you share your progress with us.  You are a blessing!

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Design Wall Monday - June 29, 2026

 Good Morning Quilters!

There is progress on my America 250 doll quilt:

I have the main part of the hst body finished, and am ready to add the stripes to sides and top.  

The two flags for the bottom part were made this week.  However, I forgot that they had to be mirror images of each other.  There will be another flag made this week, with the stars in the upper left side of the flag.  Here is the flag part where you can see my mistake:

The flags are larger than they will be in the quilt, as I will cut them down to a smaller size before sewing them into the quilt.  I am winging it on the flag size, as my doll quilt will be smaller than the Temecula Quilt Co pattern.  The pattern is for half square triangles that finish at 1.5 inches, and my half square triangles finish at 5/8 inches, about half the size of the pattern hsts.

The Jane Stickle doll quilt that I am cross stitching is getting nearer to the finish line.  Here is a picture:

Some of you asked if I use a magnifying glass.  I don’t have one, which would probably be useful.  Instead, I wear two pair of reading glasses from the drug store, or sometimes only one pair.  I look pretty funny with two pair of glasses on at the same time, but it works for this project.  If I do 9 squares a week, it will be finished in three weeks.  I seem to be getting faster as I progress on this project, so I may make a third one………....NOT!  lol

My design wall:  The Jane Austen quilt has another partially completed row with sashing added to the right side on the wall.  With the diagonal setting of rows, each row has two more blocks in it until the middle, and then the blocks decrease in number on the second half.  The row I’m on right now has 12 blocks. I have 4 more blocks to add to it.  Each row has 2 more blocks in it until the center ones, which have 20 blocks.  This construction of sashing on this quilt is happening slowly as I am keeping it all on the design wall to keep all the blocks in the correct order.   I shall like it better when I’m on the second half and the block numbers decrease per row.  Here is a progress picture:

We are not doing much for the 4th of July this year,  As we age, we find more pleasure is just relaxing at home on holiday weekends.  There are plenty of sporting events this week to watch while I cross stitch, as we are now watching the FIFA World Cup soccer games and Wimbledon tennis is starting today.  Are you celebrating the 4th of July in a special way?  Our flag will be flying, but we will enjoy watching others celebrate.  We have a wonderful country, and are very proud of America.

What is on your design wall, or what are you doing this week?  Please join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below and show us.   Thanks for participating and showing us your picture and link to your blog.  Happy 4th of July to you all.

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Design Wall Monday - June 15, 2026

 Good Morning Quilters!

Today is my wedding day - 63 years ago!   DH and I have many happy memories of anniversaries in the past, but are just going out to dinner tonight as a small celebration this year.  He is golfing in the afternoon, and I am quilting with a friend.  Each doing our own loved hobby, and looking forward to the evening spent together.  We feel very blessed.

Here is a picture of the design wall, with a little progress on the Jane Austen project:

And here is the progress on the little doll quilt from the Temecula Quilt Company’s pattern:

The cross stitch Jane Austen doll quilt project is coming along nicely also.  Here is a progress picture.  Half of the 36 center blocks are now completed.

Do you see the block that is a pinwheel with little triangles on the tips?  It is green and pink in the kit’s floss instructions.  But it looks odd to me, so I looked at the Jane Stickle quilt pictures, and on her quilt, it is all one color.  See below, E-3:

So I am going to pick out the green center part and make it all one color.  It is something that would bother me if I didn’t.  But on the other hand, I don’t think I will check any of the other blocks for “Jane Stickle accuracy”, because I don’t want to change any of the other blocks that are now finished.

What are you working on this week?  Making progress I hope.  Please join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below and show us a picture and link to your blog post.  Thank you to all who participate.  

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Design Wall Monday - May 25, 2026

Good Morning Quilters!  Today is Memorial Day and we honor those who fought and died for our freedom.  I have deep respect and gratitude for all of them. 

Five rows (out of a total of fifteen) are finished for the doll quilt I’m making to celebrate our country’s 250th anniversary.  Sewing these hsts together is a fun project, as it grows a little bit each day.  See last week’s post for more info.

Progress has also been made on the Jane Austen quilt, with much thanks to Amy, our “extra Grandaughter” who is staying with us for the summer.  She helped me get the diamonds on the design wall in their proper order.  Here is a picture of Amy in front of the design wall.  It would have taken me twice as long to get these diamonds up there if I had to do it by myself.  Adding the sashing is the next step, and that will take some time.  

Isn’t she cute?  She is from Bangladesh and is a nursing student at a local college.  I have started adding sashing between the diamonds:

A closeup of sashing progress:

Also, a little progress on the Jane Stickle doll quilt #2.  It looks wrinkled because it is, but I will press it flat when it’s finished.   One of the four borders is finished, and 2 of the 36 blocks of the middle part.  I really enjoy cross-stitching, and may have to start another project when this one is complete.

Click on the link below to join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party.  I know your life is super busy, but we appreciate you so much when you join in, and show us your design wall, or your blocks, or whatever you are doing this week.  Thanks for participating.

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Design Wall Monday - April 6, 2026

Good Morning Quilters!

This week I starched and ironed some of the fabrics in the Jane Austen Quilt kit.  There are several fabrics that the instructions said to fussy cut.  Here is one fabric that I have penciled out the diamond shapes on:

And here are the diamonds I cut from this fabric for the quilt:

Sorry about the coloring difference between the two pictures, but pictures were taken in different lighting.  Cut blocks reflect truer colors of the fabric.  

My take on the two starches I bought:  I liked them both, but prefer the spray nozzle on the Best Press a little better.  They both stiffened the fabric the same way, but I would buy the Best Press again.  Why? The bottle had 1/2 ounce more in it than the other brand, and both were the same price at the store.  I don’t plan on spraying fabric for future quilts though, unless there are a lot of biased edges involved, as it adds another step…….that is not usually necessary.

This Jane Austen quilt is very interesting, and I am eager to get started on it, but I am also pulled toward finishing my Indigo and shirting Jane Stickle quilt.  It is so close to being finished.  So I am busy with both Jane’s right now.  What are you busy with this week?  I am sure some of you were busy with family gatherings for Easter.   It is such a joyful holiday of celebration, with greetings of “He is risen”……and replies of “He is risen indeed.”

Please join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below and show us a picture with a link to your blog post.  I appreciate your participation.  Thank you. 

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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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