Monday Meanderings 8 - 24 - 2026

Has school gone back in session where you live? Our county started August 11th! Yep several weeks ago.  When I was an elementary library Media Specialist the staff would start working two weeks before Labor Day. The kids would come the week before Labor Day.  Starting the second week of August just seems weird to me -- it's still summer. On the other hand, they will be out by May 28. So are your kids or grandkids in school now?  Does that mean you have more time or less time to sew? Or doesn't it make a difference? 

Here are my goals from last week.  I did ok but really didn't get as much done as I would have liked. 

8/17/26

✅Quilt one of my quilts — sea life baby top quilted. 

✅Plan projects for in-home retreat in NC — I’ve got about 5 but may add or subtract from that number. 

Start sewing the Idiom Challenge project — no sewing done. 

✅Make more blocks for July UFO — all blocks made - maybe. 

Make Marigold Mystery blocks — nothing done

✅Continue hand quilting fall applique blocks — 1.5 are left to quilt around. 

I'm not sure why I didn't whip through all these goals.  I did spend some time reading but I don't think I read all that much! Not a lot of pictures of what I did get done. 

This is what I'm calling Sea Life. I started calling it sea creatures and decided it showed a lot more than just that.  I purchased the fabric as a kit years ago. Do you remember Craftsy? That's where I got it from.  I don't remember what the kit was actually for in terms of a pattern. I think I made a wall hanging with the same fabric a couple of years ago but I couldn't find a picture of it.  So, maybe I didn't! 

I used navy blue So Fine thread and Curly long arm design by My Creative Stitches. Here's a close up of the stitching. The red fabric near the bottom right corner was also used for the backing. Except I didn't have enough so I added some light grey fabric evenly spaced in between two sections of the red.  The binding is going to be navy blue.  I prefer a darker binding mainly because it will hide dirt that might get on it. This quilt will be donated to one of the local hospitals NICU.  

The July UFO was a 12" fall block and a few 6" blocks also in fall colors some of which were from the same line.  I've been trying to make more 6" blocks and finally got the number I need done.  And, I'm underwhelmed by the top so far.   I've added a 3" borders around the 12" block. I figure 6" would work around that border.  Every time I look I see too white backgrounds on some of the blocks. I'm not particularly excited about it so far.  What do you think? If I remember correctly I'm out or nearly out of the yellow with the little brown flowers that I used with many of the blocks.  I don't particularly like the basket on the white background on the left. The other three blocks with white are the same beige fabric but different from the basket. I think I might need to replace the block with the white background with some other block using the beige background. Or?  Any suggestions.  I'd like to get this to about 36 by 42 or so as then it could be used as wheelchair quilt. I'll probably need another row of blocks or ?? on the top and bottom plus add 3" borders around the whole thing. I have no idea what fabric I would use at this point. I have some of the dark brown left but not much. Most of this fabric was actually fat quarters. I won it from a gal who had been making samples with the fabric many, many years ago. Those were the days when I won quite a few things while reading people's blogs. 

So my thoughts right now is to add something on the top and bottom that will be 3" total. Then figure out a 3" border for all around. Of course, that would be after I decide about that white background on the basket! Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. 

Here are my goals for this coming week.  I will be down in North Carolina at my friend Sharon's house.  The current list "looks" doable while I'm down there but who knows. I may add one or two extra projects in case I run into a problem.   

8/24

Enjoy in house retreat at Sharon’s

Make Marigold Mystery blocks

Start sewing idiom challenge top

Finish sewing string quilt together

Bind sea creatures quilt and fall appliqué

I've continued my 15 minutes of stitching every day.  Usually a lot more! Here's the stats. 

Week ending 8/23/26: 235 days of 2026.

 234 stitching days out of 235 days 99.5%

I've also been sewing blocks for the most recent FCQ Equilter's turn.  I'll be taking these and a few more down to Sharon this week.  I may end up stitching a few that are already cut out down at her house. 

The block came from this year's Sewcialites 3 blocks.  It's #17 by Sandy Gervais.  It's an easy block to make -- it takes longer to cut than to sew if you ask me. I think I have 3 more cut out and fabric chosen for another one. Sharon will be making kids quilts with most of them.  

Monday begins singing season again.  The Spotsylvanians have their first rehearsal that evening.  I'm looking forward to seeing old friends and making new friends too.  I've enjoyed my free Monday evenings but I've been missing singing.  

So now is when I post all the Linky Parties and ask you to visit them.  Consider yourself asked! 

Stitching Time 

Oh Scrap

Quilting Patchwork Applique 

Design Wall Monday

Monday Musings

 

I'm ready to call it quits tonight. Oops. I wanted to name the book I really enjoyed this last week.  It is The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. It was an unusual way to read a story as all of it was mail or notes.  I know I was drawn into the story quite quickly and finished it within a couple of days. 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

Monday Meanderings 8 - 17 - 2026

Have you checked the date recently?  I just realized we are half way through August.  How can that be?  I need to get hopping on some projects especially the monthly UFO challenge. I'm still attempting to get the July project -- finishing a top including 8 or 10 new 6" blocks -- done. August is putting a set of blocks into a top.  That one may still happen when I head down to Sharon's house the last full week of August. Fingers are crossed though.  Now on to my goals this week. 

8/10/26

✅Make progress on Idiom challenge — minimal but it will continue to grace my goals until it is done! 

✅Find border fabric and put on Hen & Her Chicks — done!

✅Empty two project boxes — one was emptied and immediately filled with Marigold Mystery fabrics and blocks. 2 of the 9 blocks for August were completed. 

✔️Finish string quilt top — Taking the paper off the rows is very time consuming. Two have been sewn together.

✅✅Quilt 2 quilts one for me, one for quilt guild — both were for the guild. 

✔️Continue making 6” blocks for Aug July UFO Challenge — one done several block choices were decided. 

Here's Hens and Her Chicks.  FYI -- the 9 patches are made with 1.5" unf. squares. I used them as leader enders for a long time.  Then they sat until I cut the extra pieces and took it to a retreat in October '25. I didn't do anything on it until the July retreat this year when I put it together, except for the borders. I generally put borders on at home where I can spread out more.  This quilt came from Quilts for the Heart by Karin Renaud.  There are a few more patterns in that book that I want to make so I'll have more leader enders to do over the next few years. (Yep it'll take me a while to get more of these quilts made considering all the UFOs I have.) Hopefully I can find a backing fabric for this 👇🏼 top -- soon!

No filled project box to share but I can show the fabrics that I stashed in it. 

From left to right dark teal will be the accent fabric. The orange is a wide back that will be general background fabric. The beige will be the blocks background.  The smaller pieces of the fabric on the top and bottom of the orange are for the blocks.  Since this picture I've added a few more pieces. (Actually, I removed the dark green on the far right of the upper section as it didn't look right...not enough blue in it.) These fabrics are all for Meadow Mist Designs newest mystery quilt, Marigold Mystery.  You can find out all about it here. Or click on the Mysteries tab at the top of the blog and then click on Marigold Mystery.  It's going to be another great event. 

Here's the second quilt I quilted for my local guild.  Both quilts are destined to be wheelchair quilts. I used Omni grey thread and Quick and Easy Swirls by My Creative Stitches.  And, yes, it was really fast.  I thought this was a cool pattern. I'm guessing the pattern used a jelly roll. But I don't know for sure as I just quilted it. 

Here's what I'm hoping to make progress on this week.

8/17/26

Quilt one of my quilts

Plan projects for in-home retreat in NC 

Start sewing the Idiom Challenge project

Make more blocks for July UFO

Make Marigold Mystery blocks

Continue hand quilting fall applique block

I've continued to sew something every day this week.  It's great to be retired and be able to sew to my heart's content. Here are the stats!

Week ending 8/16/26: 228 days of 2026.

 227 stitching days out of 228 days 99.5%

I've continued to work on my hand quilting project.  You can see more of the project here and a complete picture here. Today's picture is a closeup of one of the appliqués. I've finished 4 designs completely. After I finish this one 👇🏼 only 4 more are left.  

Some, like this one are more involved but there are a few more fairly easy ones left to do.  Once all of these designs are outlined I'll be able to put the binding on it. It sounds like there may be a finished UFO in the next couple of weeks.  It will look great on the holder above the fire place this fall. 

Time to remind everyone of the Linky parties.  Check these blogs out. 

Stitching Time 

Oh Scrap

Quilting Patchwork Applique 

Design Wall Monday

Monday Musings

I thought I'd share the last bunch of fat quarters I bought from Connecting Threads. I really like having colorful bundles of go-with fabrics. I get the daily Stash Saver email from CT and sometimes I purchase these great fat quarters. For the time being I've put these in their own box. Don't they make you want to use them? 

How about telling us how you store your fat quarters.  Do they go by color with your yardage? Do you keep them in a drawer?  For the last 20 years or so I keep my fat quarters in box tops.  When I was working I was in an elementary school where a LOT of paper was used.  The paper cases were fairly large as 2 stacks of reams were in each box and these boxes came with lids.  I started saving them and using them for fat quarters. I have a Longerberger basket (or two) that I also used for fat quarters.  Here's what some looked like in our old house. 

If I ever clean up my current shelves and box tops I'll take a picture to share.  They are all a mess now.  Dare I admit that my stack of blue fabrics is so high I can't add anymore to it? -- It's hit the bottom of next shelf up! 

Hope you can stay cool this week. Our temps aren't all that bad but the humidity is oppressive. 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

Monday Meanderings -- 8 - 10 - 2026

Late, I'm late for a very important date.  Yep, I did not get my blog written last night. Yesterday was the busiest day I've had in a very long time.  First up I gathered two friends from our quilt guild and off we went to the Gathering of the Guilds. (GoG)  Unfortunately it was an hour away.  We had a great time and some of us won some of the prizes/lotto blocks.  (Me - it was me who won 12 poppy lotto blocks... story and pictures below.) After getting home hubby and I went to a going away party for some friends. We're very sad to see them leave but they are in their 90s and are going to live near one of their children -- in Nevada! Boo hiss.  But we wished them well and will miss them. I was exhausted by the time we got home. So, here I am Monday morning ready to write this week's blog.  Let's get on to it -- goals first. 

8/3/26

✅Sew down binding on table runner — finished.

✔️Draw out plan for Idiom Challenge, stitch rain and puddles on background — frog planned. Didn’t get much done on rain or puddles as I'm still making decisions. 

✅Stitch ears of bunny on Snowman 2 — done.

✔️Pick fabric for Marigold mystery — I have some ideas but not final color plans yet. 

✅Start making 6” blocks for Aug UFO Challenge — one block done several more needed. 

Here's the finished table runner.  It was a quilt-as-you-go project that a friend started.  She got fed up with it and gave it to me to finish or .... 11 years later I got it out to finish it.  There was a little grumbling and irritation while working on it. I understand why she got it out of her life.  I like it but haven't decided if I will keep it or donate it to the Virginia Quilt Museum for their store.  What do you think? Is it worthy or not?  I don't really need it.  And, it is pretty . . . 

Next up is the finished Eiffel Tower quilt.  Much of the fabric for this project was free to me. Whoopee!  The pattern is from one of Ursula Reikes baby books, except I added a row, if I remember correctly.  I got the binding done since last you saw it here.  This will be going to my local guild's community outreach program. 

And here is my beginning plans on Frog Choker -- my idiom challenge project. Well bummer. I have no idea why there are all those weird lines on this pic.  Last week I found a site showing how to draw a frog.  I decided I would draw at least one frog a day and would then use one of them as my frog pattern.  So far, this is the winner. I may change the eyes to make them a little more cartoonish.  But I'm happy with it for the most part. You can just see the blue-grey grunge background fabric on the upper left. Luckily progress is being made and it isn't due until  mid-September's guild meeting. I'll need all that time to decide and finish this one. 

I don't think I explained our idiom challenge. The guild is sponsoring it and anyone can pick an idiom and make a quilt that represents that to them.  I chose "Frog Choker." It is an old Southern saying referencing a heavy rain which is enough to choke a frog.  Pat was driving us home one day when the skies opened up with a heavy downpour.  He called it a frog choker. Voilá -- a perfect idiom.  Our idiom quilts can be any size and will be exhibited at the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo in Fredericksburg, September 24 - 26.  I have time to really plan this out and do my very best on it. And, for once, I'm not being literal about a challenge.  Do you think it would work if I put a choker necklace on my frog too? 

So here's this week's goals. I think there are too many items but at least it will remind me what I could be working on! 

8/10/26

Make progress on Idiom challenge 

Find border fabric and put on Hen & Her Chicks top

Empty two project boxes

Finish string quilt top

Quilt 2 quilts one for me, one for quilt guild

Continue making 6” blocks for Aug UFO Challenge

I'm still succeeding at my 15 Minutes to Stitch. 

Week ending 8/2/26: 221 days of 2026.

 220 stitching days out of 214 days 99.5%

I thought I would share the poppy blocks I made for the GoG.  They are pretty and were really easy.  The pattern instructions were sent out multiple times. I couldn't open the one that was in the newsletter but someone had sent a note about them with a link which I accessed. 

EXCEPT, no, this wasn't the block that most people used.  Okay then.  I won 12 blocks so it may be very interesting mixing these different blocks.  I think I got 2 of them 👆but most were like this one 👇.

It's time for me to get on with my Monday.  I hope you enjoy spending some time with quilters across the world by looking at these Linky parties.  Have fun! 

Stitching Time 

Oh Scrap

Quilting Patchwork Applique 

Design Wall Monday

Monday Musings

That's it for me today.  It's time to get going on this goal list. Plus, maybe draw another frog? I think she needs to look more cutesy.  I'll let you know how that goes next week.  

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie

Monday Meanderings 8 - 3 - 2026

It's been a busy week. I tried to get everything done on my goals list. And I added working on a challenge project.  Plus, the Spotsylvanian's had a singing opportunity. More about that at the end. First the goals list. 

7/27/26

✅Finish quilting fall appliqué quilt — machine work is done. Started hand quilting around the appliqués. 

✅Bind Jane’s table runner — need to hand stitch the binding down 

✅Bind Eiffel Tower Quilt — done. 

✅Stitch on Snowman #2 — bunny body done, on to ears. 

✅Finish beanie hat — done. 

Wait! I forgot to take pictures of what I did this week except the last one. So here is a picture of the beanie hat I finished this week.

A friend gave me this yarn because she couldn't use it the way she wanted.  This is the second child beanie I've made with it and I'll probably have enough for another hat. This one is going to my friend. She may have to hold onto it for a year or two but her grandson will grow into it.  It's fun to knit with wild yarn.  

Now on to this week's plan.

8/3/26

Sew down binding on table runner

Draw out plan for Idiom Challenge, stitch rain and puddles on background

Stitch ears of bunny on Snowman 2

Pick fabric for Marigold mystery 

Start making 6” blocks for Aug UFO Challenge

Unfortunately there is a lot of hand sewing needed this week. I doubt I'll get it all done but I can make some progress.  

I spent 15 minutes sewing every day this week. See below for the numbers.

Week ending 8/2/26: 214 days of 2026.

 213 stitching days out of 214 days 99.5%

I also did something I've been putting off for way too long: figuring out my fabric use statistics.  I don't think I've shared any for this year, although I thought I had. 

Here's a stashbusting statement for the first 2 quarters of the year.  

2026	Yards in Quarter	Yards In Year	Yards Out Quarter	Yards Out Year	Total Yards In or Out Year
Quarter 1	27.25	27.25	33.50	33.50	6.25
Quarter 2	16.625	43.875	19.20	52.750	8.875

One year I decided not to keep my stats on fabric usage.  Then, I decided I missed knowing how I was doing. So this year I thought I would keep stats for each quarter instead of monthly.  The drawback is it's usually a lot of items I have to keep track of and figure out.  I thought I'd reported on the first quarter but I couldn't find anything in my posts. So here are both quarters. I need to get back in the habit of recording what is going out and coming in.  Hopefully 3rd quarter stats will be easier to figure out. 

That said, I am tickled that I didn't bring more fabric in then I used.  The fact that I don't count fabric used until the quilt is done or in case of blocks going out of the house, until they are on their way wherever they belong.  I have several tops waiting to be quilted and I have backing for them.  Hopefully I'll get some of them done this quarter AND I don't go crazy buying fabric. (Or picking up too much from one of the free tables!) 

Saturday the Spotsylvanians were invited to sing the Star Spangled Banner and another patriotic song for a young man who was receiving the keys to a new home that was built for him and his family. The house was built by Homes for Our Troops. Their mission says it all: "To build and donate specially adapted custom homes nationwide for severely injured post - 9/11 Veterans, to enable them to rebuild their lives."

It was an amazing morning.  There were quite a few speeches given by community people many who had been in the military also. Surprisingly, I found most of the speeches interesting as well as educating me on the organization.  It was well done although the temperature and the sun kept rising.  The house was open so that anyone who wanted to could view it and its many adaptions. Unfortunately, we had somewhere else to be shortly after the end so we didn't view the house.  If you are looking for a place to donate money that is well organized and well rated check this group out.  

We had just finished our last song.  It was a warm day but definitely worthwhile to support this great organization. (I'm second from the left. Just in case you want to put a face with the name!) 

Stitching Time 

Oh Scrap

Quilting Patchwork Applique 

Design Wall Monday

Monday Musings

Take a few minutes to visit these Linky parties.  It's always fun to see what folks are working on.

I wanted to share this last bit.  I'm sure it's 100% correct! 

Thanks to https://redthreadstudio.com/.  Check out the amazing selection of solid fabrics at their web site.  

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie