Monday Meanderings 4 - 7 - 2025

This week seems to have flown by.  I wasn't as focused on my stitching as usual.  But I did continue my stitching streak. Let's start with my goals...

3/31/25

Start on April UFO — pulled it out but haven’t started. 

✅Cut out a new quilt — finished.

✅Quilt a top — half done.

✅Order more backing fabrics — done should arrive this week.

✅Start another knit hat — half done.

Here's photo evidence of several of my goals!

Nine Patch from Even More Quilts for Baby by Ursula Reines. I'm adding 2 rows to make it rectangular. I have the doggy squares and the two colors for the 9 patches cut out. Inner and outer border will be cut when the inside is done. (Hum, I may have taken this photo before I actually cut the fabrics.) 

This quilt was started on Jan 1, 2023 as Merry Mayhem's New Year's Day Mystery.  I picked a bunch of different floral fat quarters for the bricks. I don't remember exactly when I finished it but I remember I didn't like it all that well. It has sat long enough and is a great quilt to use some of the bolt of purple fabric. I've decided I rather like it now. I thought about using a quick, easy edge to edge pattern to finish it but these cute butterflies grabbed my attention. I'm very happy with how it looks. This is "Diana" edge to edge by My Creative Stitches.  There is a good possibility I'll keep this one. 

The group that I donate hats to has a large amount of supplies you can use to make items for them. My friend was going by the location and I asked her to get me some yarn for more hats.  She found this terrific ombre, self striping yarn. It's been so much fun to see how it stripes.  I'm guessing I'll have some left over so I see at least one more hat with white stripes and this pink ombre.  I forgot that I normally knit these hats flat and then sew up the back seam.  OOPS -- I knit it in the round. Luckily I have some double pointed needles to finish this off. (Did you know your Apple Watch will give you "steps" credit for knitting? Yep, it does.)

Now for this coming week's goals. Hopefully I'll make it through all of them and more... 

4/7/25

Finish quilting and bind quilt 

Baste top for quilting on domestic machine (Apr UFO) 

Finish knitting on hat

Make April Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks in red 

Start on FCQ Equilter blocks for Apr/May

I am still at 100% on 15 Minutes to Stitch. (I actually set a timer for 15 minutes and knitted to make sure I got my 15 minutes done a couple of times!) 

W/ending 4/6/25. 96 days of 2025

• 15 minute days/Mar = 1/1
• 15 minute days/Apr = 6/6
• 15 minute days/2024 = 96/96 days
• Success rate = 100%

And something new for 2025.  I decided to keep my fabric statistics monthly but report on them quarterly.  You might guess that I didn't actually figure out my fabric usage each month... I did pretty well writing down what I bought or acquired each month, but I had to go back to other written records to see which quilts I finished each month and then figure out how much fabric I used.  Was I surprised at the results! 

2025	Fabric In Month	Fabric In Year	Fabric Out  Month	Fabric Out Year	Total In or Out Year
Jan	3.750	3.75	9.875	9.875	6.125
Feb	15.000	18.75	6.50	16.375	-2.375
Mar	0.750	19.50	28.50	44.875	25.376

I'm a thrilled I finished enough quilts to absorb that 15 yard bolt of fabric. I have one more top to quilt with the purple fabric. I'll only have 4 yard-piece left. I might see if I can find some fabrics to go with it and use it to make a top. (Don't hold your breath on that happening any time soon!) 

Between warm weather and a bit of rain the cherry tree I showed last week has lost most of its blooms and is looking green from the new leaves. I enjoy seeing all the different colors of green leaves turn in the spring. I'm not much of a gardener but I have plans to plant some cosmos seeds a friend gave me.  Maybe I can get it done this week.  

I'm linking up with these parties: 

Stitching Stuff

Oh Scrap

Design Wall Monday

Monday Musings   

On a personal note: I have been horrified with this administration's decision to destroy our government. There is a big difference between chaotically and arbitrarily closing down departments and offices and looking at each department/office and what is done there and whether they have enough people to continue to provide citizens information and support. Having lived in Maryland and now living in Virginia I know fellow citizens may have lost their jobs or are afraid they will be next to go. I personally have 3 family members who work for the federal government. Needless to say I worry on a regular basis for them. Luckily they all appear to be in required jobs, for now.  

There have been a large number of lawsuits filed against this administration. Apparently the administration no longer believes in the rule of law.  I don't want to see my nation turn its back on our allies, our neighbors, our institutions that make America such a wonderful and unique country.  If you feel the same it is time for us to reach out to our Senators and Representatives and let them know it is time to stand up for our country. It's time to speak out against what has been done and what is yet to come. I don't want to live with a king, a dictator -- I want to live in a democracy.

Happy Quilting -- yet I'm not as happy quilting as I used to be. I'm worried. Bonnie

April Mysteries and Sew Alongs (and few March ones too!)

 I forgot to send out March Mysteries and Sew Alongs so I'm starting with March and then going on to April. 

Late but you can still play along with the Riley Blake Sew Along.  16 of Riley Blake’s designers have made blocks which are being released about 3 times a month.  This started on Jan. 14 and will end May 27. You can read more about it here https://www.rileyblakedesigns.com/2025-rbd-block-challenge. From there follow the link for the patterns. 

2025 Marvelous Mystery Quilt is designed by my friend Michele Holt of My Quilting Beehive and sponsored by Colchester Mill Fabrics and Quilting.  The fee is $25 for the 9 month program and patterns.  The first clue will be coming out on March 7 and will continue on the first Friday of each month until Nov. 7.  Our own Sharon Rhoton is Michele’s pattern tester. https://colchestermillfabricsandquilting.com/products/2025-marvelous-mystery-quilt-registration  $

I missed this cute free pattern from the Fat Quarter Shop in time for Valentine’s day but there is always next year! “Little Loves” is available at:  

https://www.fatquartershop.com/little-loves-quilt-pattern-free-pdf-pattern-fqs-exclusive. It’s 22.5” x 30.5”. 

April Mysteries and Sew Alongs 

Fourth and Main Designs is offering a 12 part sampler. Clues will come out every Monday starting May 5th, 2025 through September 1st, 2025. There are skip weeks throughout — refer to the welcome document for when those are and to see the quilt. It is 76” x 88”. https://4thandmaindesigns.com/summer-quilt-along-2025 

Nancy Zeeman Productions is offering a free Block of the Month.. It’s a big quilt at 74” x 86″ Both Feb and Mar blocks have been shared and you need 5 of each of them. This is a free BOM but there is some serious selling going on. From what I can see your basic supplies should work just fine. Use this page to get to all the posts about this BOM: https://nancyzieman.com/blog/category/2025-block-of-the-month/

Sew With Me is a beginner friendly sampler quilt. Although it started at the beginning of the year, there is only one block to make each month. Blocks are released on the 2nd Thursday of the month.  Here’s the link to the launch page. (In other words you can go back each month and all the previous links and the newest one will be available.) There is also a cross stitch sampler available at the same site. Check it out here: https://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/blog/2025/01/2025-sew-with-me-series-introduction-details.html

Here’s a choose-your-own-size quilt along at Sew Becca’s Quilt Along. There is a You Tube video that goes with each block which will be available the 2nd Saturday each month. Go to this page for the basic information about the quilt along. https://sewbecca.com/pieces-of-becca/announcing-2025-quiltalong . Each instruction sheet has a cutting chart for a 3”, 6”, 9”, and 12” blocks.  Here’s the link to the March pattern with a link to the pdf for the current pattern and links to the previous patterns: https://sewbecca.com/pieces-of-becca/2025qal-block3. What a great way to get so many sizes of basic blocks. 

Monday Meanderings 3 - 31 - 2025

Welcome Spring!  We've had a high of 80º one day this weekend and it's predicted for Monday als0.  Wow -- many degrees above normal. Hopefully, we are done with freezing nights! Despite the gorgeous weather I did spend quite a bit of time in the studio.  Here's my goals list from last week.

3/24/25

✔️Make 2 RSC yellow blocks — started not finished. 

✅Quilt one of my quilts  -- done and bound! 

✅Mail blocks to FCQ Equilter -- done! 

Cut out a new quilt — nothing done! 

I have 2 yellow blocks cut out with this one started on the sewing. That will be on the next goals list and maybe the April color too. 

Here's the quilt I decided to quilt next. I had a blue backing that was also used for the binding. 

This is the first of 3 framed 9 patches I've made from the group of blocks I received from the FCQ Equilters. It did get quilted and bound this week.  I'll share the finish at a later time.  This was the biggest of the three quilts...but still only a lap quilt. 

What I find ridiculous is I didn't remember to put binding last week's quilt on my goals list this week. So, yep, I did that one too. 

Sharon and I consult with each other when we aren't decisive about a project.  I wasn't sure about which fabric to use for the binding. I really wanted to use the purple -- I have tons of it.  But it really didn't look very good.  I liked this navy blue which Sharon agreed with but then suggested I use the navy piece as a flange look. I decided to Susie's Magic Binding  It took a bit longer but it does look good on the quilt. I used directions I found on  Aunt Marti's web site. I prefer reading directions rather than watching directions but I notice there is a link to a video in the first paragraph if you'd rather watch how this is done. 

Here are this week's goals. 

3/31/25

Start on April UFO 

Cut out a new quilt

Quilt a top 

Order more backing fabrics

Start another knit hat 

So, start on a new quilt . . . I need some help!  Here's the group of fabrics I want to use.  I think I might throw in another fabric - white, beige, grey?  

But I'm looking for ideas of what to make. The pink, purple, and green is a yard, the green is about 1/2 yard.  The lighter pink is leftover backing. Maybe a half yard or a bit over.  Any suggestions? I think the pink, purple, and green needs to be bigger pieces. I imagine I could get a wheelchair quilt from the fabrics I have or perhaps a child's quilt. Any suggestions greatly appreciated. And, maybe I should look at the blocks on board I have for my Accu Quilt die cutter.  

Here's a quilt I finished several months ago. In fact, when I was trying to figure out how much fabric was in it I realized I had already given it to the guild's charity group.  Luckily I had taken some pictures of it before I gave it away. 

This is 54.5 x 70.5". The quilting design is Quick and Easy Stars Edge 2 Edge by My Creative stitches .  The pattern is a variation of Wayne's Quilt in Smash Your Precut Stash. the book had 12" blocks but I made mine 8" blocks.  

Here's the stats for my sewing time this week. 

W/ending 3/23/25. 89 days of 2025

• 15 minute days/Mar = 30/30
• 15 minute days/2024 = 89/89 days
• Success rate = 100%

Yep another week of sewing every day. 

I'm linking with the following Linky parties: 

Stitching Stuff

Oh Scrap

Design Wall Monday

Monday Musing

Here are some pictures from spring in our area.  This is our cherry tree in the front yard in full bloom.  You can read about the stages of cherry blossom blooms at this web site. It looks like there are some buds still on this branch. It looks like Peduncle Elongation to me.  The news reports go into all the stages so you learn a lot about cherry blossoms watching the nightly news. I wish our trees were a little more pink but they sure say spring to me. 

We've got one more day of warm weather (maybe 80º) but rain is coming in. Hopefully we won't lose all the petals from the rain and possible wind. Soon it will look like snow on the ground from all of the petals that are blown off the tree. 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie  

Monday Meanderings 3 -- 24 -- 2025

Spring has come!  The cherry blossoms are getting ready to bloom in Washington, DC and our front yard.  It will be beautiful once the blooms come. Tonight I noticed there were some blooms and surprisingly some were already on the ground. Must have been the wind.  Although it has been a nice week weather-wise I spent a lot of time in my studio.  It's been a good week getting my goals done. Here's my list from last week. 

3/17/25

✅Quilt another of my quilts — quilting done, binding to come.

✅Start sewing March UFO blocks together — the half log cabin blocks are now a top! 

✅Bind baby quilt — done! 

Make a couple of placemats — didn’t get to this one. 

✅Finish sewing the lining in the needlepoint scissors case — finished this cute little case. 

Here's last week's quilt.  It hasn't been trimmed or bound -- that's for this coming week's goals.  This is Pat Sloan's pattern, Traffic Jam.  I changed it to use 2" squares since I had a bunch of them to use up. 

The quilting design is Saffron Blossom by Apricot Moon. One of the things I added to this quilt is a lot of little squares that have surprises in them: an elephant, a fish, a mouse. Any little animal I had in my collection of 2" squares I threw in. Whoever receives this quilt will find a lot of cuteness among the squares. 

On Sunday afternoon I finished my March UFO top. It is my half log cabin. Here's the quilted top. I haven't even trimmed it yet. It's on the goals list for this week. 

I've finally finished a cute needlepoint scissors case. This was a freebie project from a cruise many years ago.  The project came completely finished except the needlepoint design. I've been working on it for at least 5 years. I finished the needlepoint last year. I knew I would need to line it to protect my scissors from the stiff needlepoint canvas.  Here's what the out side looks like. 

The design is stitched with floss rather than tapestry wool.  I'm happy to have this one finished. I knew the needlepoint canvas would be rough on my scissors so I lined it with some velvet like fabric.  We took another cruise on the same line with stitching sessions on sea days so I got a new project. It's suppose to be a glasses case but I've dismantled it so I can use it on a tote bag I'll make for it when it's finished. And here's the inside of the scissors case. 

Now on to this week's goals.  It took me a while to come up with this list.  I decided not to make it too long this week. 

3/24/25

Make 2 RSC yellow blocks

Quilt and bind one of my quilts 

Mail blocks to FCQ Equilter 

Cut out a new quilt

If I make it through this list I have another top for the quilt guild.  Or perhaps I'll quilt another of my tops. I have 28 tops waiting to be quilted.  Did you notice the purple backing on my quilt up there? ⬆️ There's a big piece left over. I've used almost 5 yards of the original 15 but I'm going to have a lot of scraps and pieces leftover. 

Another great week stitching every day. Here are the stats:

W/ending 3/23/25. 82 days of 2025

• 15 minute days/Mar = 7/7
• 15 minute days/2024 = 82/82 days
• Success rate = 100%

Here are two more quilts from the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show. First up is On Eagles Wings by Beth Filko. Notice the use of string blocks.  

I took this picture for a friend who enjoys doing wool work.  I really liked it although I probably would never do anything like it. 

On Saturday we volunteered at the local food bank to pack student food boxes. They are given to school kids to augment their family's food. We signed up for 2 hours but we were done in about an hour and a half.  We and a group of students from Mary Washington Univ. packed enough boxes to fill 6 Gaylords. From what I found on line Gaylords can be 40 x 40 x 40" or bigger and generally are on a pallet so they can be transported by forklifts. After they were filled they are shrink wrapped to keep everything controlled. The staff was very happy we finished the packing early and had been cleaning up as we went along so there was no mess to clean up at the end. Pat already volunteers two times a month on weekdays.  We might continue to volunteer on a Saturday each month if we can. Evidently weekend time slots fill up fast. 

Hum, there are several Gaylords behind me. Me keeping boxes on the line.

I'm linking up with the following Linky parties: 

Stitching Stuff

Oh Scrap! 

Design Wall Monday

Monday Musings 

That's it for me today. 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

Monday Meanderings 3 - 17 - 2025

I'm not sure what I did all week but I certainly didn't get much done on my goals list!  I did get the new Cali-Co block done though! My friend Sharon and I are doing this Mystery Block of the Month together. Every month we Face Time when the new block comes out and make our blocks while we chat.  It's a great way to keep up while we make a new block. 

Here's mine from this month. 

And here are all three blocks together. 

I really like them so far.  But I'll have to pay more attention to the fabrics I pick so they don't get dark -- I'm looking for light, bright fabrics. Cali-Co is sponsored by Coriander Quilts. You can go to her website and search for the three blocks on the third Saturday of each month.  I'm not sure I am thrilled with the number of half square triangles but I have a die for them! 

Here's last week's goals list. 

3/10/25

Quilt another of my quilts — didn’t even pick one to quilt! 

✅Quilt guild top and trim — done, ready to return. 

✅Continue working on March UFO — laid out blocks, changed some of the logs. 

Bind baby quilt — I picked the fabric out! 

✅Finished last FCQ Equilter blocks — ready to get them ready to mail. 

Here's the guild veteran quilt that I quilted. I really like the design I used called Quick and Easy Stars from My Creative Stitches. I have many star patterns but I  like this one because it incorporate swirls along with the stars. And, it's quick and easy just like its name! 

Here's my plan for the March UFO which is my half log cabin block.  I'm using the circles version. 

Look for the blue circle around the two orange blocks. On the top row second block from the left has been changed.  As has row 6, block 5. I decided they both stuck out like sore thumbs. I may move some blocks that might conflict with other blocks around them. Plus I notice that some of the lights look pretty dark in the bottom right corner.  I'll play with this one during the week and hopefully start sewing it together. 

Here are the FCQ Equilter blocks I've made. They are ready to be sent to my friend. 

These look great. I'm looking forward to seeing how these mix with the other blocks she is receiving. 

Now, on to my goals for this week. Hopefully, I'll get more done.

 

3/17/25

Quilt another of my quilts 

Start sewing March UFO blocks together

Bind baby quilt

Make a couple of placemats

Finish sewing the lining in the needlepoint scissors case 

Three are repeats from last week.  I've got half of the lining of scissors case sewn in. I just need to sew the other half in. The quilt guild meeting is this week so I hope to make a couple of placemats to donate. 

I've done a pretty good job getting my 15 minutes of sewing in every day. Today I repaired a fleece hoody for my grandson.  He evidently wears it all the time. The fleece may be too hot with spring coming. Here are my current numbers. 

W/ending 3/16/25. 75 days of 2025

• 15 minute days/Mar = 7/7
• 15 minute days/2024 = 75/75 days
• Success rate = 100%

Yea!  I'm getting quite a bit of sewing/knitting done even though I'm not getting everything on my list done. 

Here are a couple more pictures from the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show.  One of the guilds I belong to did a challenge for their entries in the show.  Here's the sign explaining the challenge. I thought it was pretty interesting but I wasn't willing to commit to it. 

Here's my friend, Michele's quilt.  She started this in June at a retreat we were at. I'm sorry she didn't put the size on her author's statement.  I think the HSTs finished at 1". 

Here's an original design from the show. I love how vibrant the cat looks. And even though the edges are straight lines it doesn't look like they are. This cat has catatude! 

I'm linking with the following parties: 

   Stitching Stuff

Oh Scrap

Design Wall Monday 

Monday Musings

Happy Quilting All!  Bonnie