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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Design Wall Monday - December 22, 2025

Good Morning Quilters!   Merry Christmas!

Praying for joy in all of our little blessings this Christmas season.  There is much to be thankful for.

As for quilting, not much has been finished here, but I have a little bit to show you.   Here are two Jane Stickle quilt blocks that I re-made this week.  While sewing the rows together while at a retreat, I discovered two blocks where I had used dark green fabric instead of blue fabric.  Now that my cataracts have been removed, I can see colors much better, and decided that I would replace the two blocks.  So this week, that was accomplished, and here they are:

I am so happy that I can see colors so much brighter and clearer now.  And with these two re-makes, I can continue sewing the Jane Stickle rows together.  The outside triangles that are not finished will be back on the front burner in January.  At least that is my plan, which is always subject to change.  

The columns of the “In The Round” quilt on the design wall are being sewn together.  It is a peaceful quilt that is progressing nicely.   I am enjoying it.  The far left column……and the far right column are sewn.  I am always amazed at how much shorter a quilt becomes when the blocks are sewn together.  Here is a picture.

It is a good project to  get me to exercise, as I get blocks from the design wall……….walk over to the sewing machine………..and then after sewing a seam……..walk back and put them back on the design wall.  There is probably an easier way to do this, but the way I am doing it ensures that I keep the blocks in the correct order.

Since Christmas is this week, I will close with some pictures of decorations at our house each year.  

Real sleigh bells on the front door.  My MIL gifted them to us many years ago and I love them.  They make such a happy sound.

My snowman collection………..on the dresser opposite of our bed in the bedroom.  DH jokes, “How can I sleep with all these snowmen staring at me?”

Our manger scene is appropriate for our house because baby Jesus is covered with a quilt.   The set is made by the artist Jim Shore, who uses quilt patterns in his art.

One of the many Christmas pillows I bring out for the season.  I used tiny white buttons for the snowflakes.

I wish you all have a very merry Christmas, and will look forward to reading your blogs.  Please join in our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below.

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Design Wall Monday - October 13, 2025

Good Morning Quilters! 

In the United States, Columbus Day is celebrated on the second Monday in October.    Although Indigenous People’s Day is not an official federal holiday, some states celebrate our Native American Indian culture on this day, and some states celebrate and honor both.  

As a retired lady, every day is similar to the day before and the day after.  I just have to remember that the banks and the post office are closed on a holiday.  My sewing machine is open and ready for business every day.  And for that I am thankful.  However I am observing my own kind of quilting holiday……………not much quilting was done this past week.  

I have lost my quilting mojo again.  The weather has been so beautiful, and all the sun shine, all the flowers outside, all the acorns crunching under my feet….these lovely things have kept me away from my quilting projects.  Please carry on without me until I recover.

Here is my design wall with no progress on blocks this past week:

There are nine blocks on each of the two borders left to make, so this is what I will be working on when my quilting mojo returns.

What are you working on?  Or not working on?  Please link up below and tell us all about it.  Our Design Wall Monday Linky Party is open to all quilters, whether you have a design wall or not.  We love to see your pictures and read your blogs.  Thank you for participating.

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Design Wall Monday - September 29, 2025

Good Morning Quilters!

Just back from vacation and am raring to go on assembly of my shirting and indigo Jane Stickle quilt.  

While on vacation I got to stop in at one of my absolute favorite quilt stores - Millstone Quilts - 8074 Flannigan Mill Road, Mechanicsville, VA.  They have great reproduction fabrics and I loved being in the shop.  If you are ever in the Richmond Va area, do stop in.   I was looking for a shirting fabric for the sashing of my Jane Stickle project, and walked into the first room of the shop - a room completely filled with bolts of shirting fabrics,  I was in heaven.

I used to live in Williamsburg, VA, and it was always a special treat when I could visit this shop, so my vacation visit was very special.

Here’s what I selected for the sashing for my project:

Now to start sashing the center blocks while I also work on the last triangles.  I am enthused and can’t wait.

What are you enthused about this week?  It is so much fun to read your blogs and look at your beautiful pictures,  Thank you for joining our Design Wall Monday Linky Party.  Click on the link below and let’s get sewing (and showing) this week!  I appreciate you.

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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 - September 1, 2025

Good Morning Quilters!  Happy Labor Day too!

We are not doing anything special for Labor Day, just our usual Monday activities.  

We went to the first Michigan State football game Friday night.  And it was a beautiful night, even if I am not fond of night games.  It is our 60th year of going to football games together.  Here’s a pregame picture of us in front of Beaumont Tower on campus.  

One of our granddaughters is a baton twirler for Texas Tech, and their first game was Saturday night.  The band had a special halftime show planned, celebrating 100 years of the band’s existence.  The alumni band members present (about 900 to be on the field and another 300 in the stands) planned to join the current band of 440 student musicians for an unbelievable halftime show.   Well, rain came down during the first half, lightening too, and the game stopped and the stadium was emptied.  When the rain stopped, the game started up again, and due to the time lost, they announced that the halftime show was cancelled.  I’m sure it was a tough call by the person who had to make that decision.  

One alumni posted this on the internet:  

      “ Such an amazing day! As an alum it was a dream come true to practice and learn a show with the current band. Bummed we didn’t get to do halftime but we made the best of it with an impromptu concert while waiting for the weather to give. As always, I am so proud to be a Red Raider and most proud of the Goin Band members past and present.”

 I’m sure our Granddaughter was also disappointed, but she is such a positive young lady that she too will look at the good in every situation.  

This past week’s triangle production was pretty good.  I have two more to make to complete the right side border of thirteen triangles.  My Jane Stickle borders on the design wall look like this right now:

Paper piecing still confuses me, but I am soldiering on.  Several times I think I have the fabric in the right place, and find out that I don’t.  Or I have it in the right place, but it is a shirting fabric when I was wanting an indigo fabric……or vise versa.  I hope to finish the right side border this week, and put the bottom border up on the design wall.  

What are you working on this week?  Please join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below to show us.  Thanks for faithfully participating.  I really enjoy reading your blogs and looking at your work.  

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Design Wall Monday - August 25, 2025

 Good Morning Quilters!

I came down with a rotten cold on Wednesday and was out of commission for the rest of the week.  This is a fairly discriptive picture of what my activity was from Wednesday through Sunday:

I did spend some time reading quilting blogs which cheered me up immensely.  Thank you.  You are all very talented.

The worst part of my week of sickness is that I missed the AQS Quilt Show that was in Grand Rapids Wednesday through Saturday.  It was sad, but it couldn’t be helped.  I am so much better now though.  Being sick and then getting well makes me appreciate wellness so much.  Things I’m now very thankful for……like breathing in and out of my nose……..something I never think about until I can’t!  

The Jane Stickle quilt top border is now complete and I then put the right side border on the design wall, with its missing triangles showing.  Here is a picture:

Eight triangles to make to complete the right side.  I worked yesterday on the large corner kite that connects the top to the right side.  It is mostly paper pieced, and will soon be finished.  The progress on it is pictured here:

What are you working on this week?  We want you to join our Design Wall Monday Quilty Party below and show us.  Thank you to all who join in.  We are glad you are here.

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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 11, 2025

Good Morning Quilters!

This week I had my nose to the grindstone, and managed to get all 15 of the remaining 169 blocks of the Jane Stickle quilt finished.  Here is a current picture of the design wall, with the 15 blocks circled:

Next, they will all come down from the design wall, and the outside borders of triangles will go up there.  I am excited to see the triangles on the design wall.   There are 52 regular triangles plus the four bigger corner triangles in the quilt, and I have 19 completed, and 33 to go.  

Most of them will be paper pieced.  I am learning to tolerate paper piecing.  What I like most about the method is the results.   The actual process makes me think upside down and backward, and I’m not good at that.

My handyman friend has replaced my friend’s mailbox post, and they have a brand new mailbox……(last week, I backed my car into it)…………the hornets have been removed from our own mailbox, and letter delivery service has been resumed at both homes.  Peaceful life has been restored.  God is good.

What are you starting, or finishing this week?  Join our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below and show us.  Thank you so much for your faithful participation.

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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 - June 30, 2025

Good Morning Quilters!

My cataract  eye surgery went very smoothly, and now both eyes are healing.   I am so happy to see colors so much better.  Every day is a bright new day!   Amazing.

Since The Cousin’s Walk quilt is ready to send out to the machine quilter, I am ready to get out another UFO to work on.  It is fun to choose one.  That is my task today.  Stay tuned.

The indigo and shirting Jane Stickle quilt blocks are being made too.  I had trouble with one of them this week.   But I will keep on keeping on with it.

Here is a picture of the blocks on the design wall - now:

Sometimes progress seems very slow, but it does happen, and the blank spaces will keep filling up by adding more blocks each week.

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Design Wall Monday - June 23, 2025

 Good Morning Quilters!

Today I am having cataract surgery on my left eye, as scheduled.  The right eye surgery went well two weeks ago, so please pray that today’s procedure goes well too.  

The design wall has been actively used this week.  I finished the last of the appliquéd flowers on the border of The Cousin’s Walk quilt, and put it up there to take a picture of it.  This quilt is too big for my design wall!  Here are pictures taken this week before I send it to a long arm quilter:

This is such a happy quilt,  I am looking forward to seeing what the machine quilter adds to it.  

The log cabin quilt has been sewed into rows and six rows are together, with five more rows to be added.  I decided to not add any border to it.  Thanks for your input.  Here it is on the ironing board:  

The small log cabin doll quilt has also been sewed into six rows and is back on the design wall.

Also on the design wall are rows G through M of the shirting/indigo Jane Stickle quilt.  It will stay on the design wall until I fill in the blocks that need to be made to fill the blank spots.  Each block is a fun little challenge.  Here is a current picture of the design wall:

So lots going on here, and hopefully my recovery time will be spent making Jane Stickle quilt blocks in the coming weeks.  

What is on your design wall today?  I see Julie (Julie’s Quilts and Costumes) is also working on Jane Stickle quilt blocks.  So many beautiful quilts and sewing projects each week.  You all are amazing.  Thanks for participating in our Design Wall Monday Linky Party below.  You are appreciated.  And now, after my eye surgery today, I will be able to see your fine work even better!  God is good.

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