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