Monday Meanderings 7 - 13 - 2026

We walk Sunny every evening around 7:00 pm.  Most of this summer it's been really hot and oppressively humid. Tonight it was cool, somewhat humid with a nice breeze blowing.  It was a great night to walk. I don't think this mild weather will continue but it's nice when it happens during a really hot summer. 

I didn't have as many check marks on my goals this week.  The house has been in an upheaval with painting followed by new carpets Monday. There's a good chance by the time you read this the new carpets might already be installed and then it's put everything away time.  I'll keep you posted.  Maybe even pictures next week.

7/6/26

✅Bind table runner — it’s almost done so I’m giving myself a check. It'll be finished at my Monday afternoon stitching group.

✅Organize more block sets to sew together at retreat — 7+ projects are ready to go. 

✅Move some stuff back to closets — Clothes hanging on upper rods are back. The rest are waiting for the new carpet. 

✅Finish more Veronica blocks — All are done. 

Prep Snowman #3 for hand appliquéing — oops. Not done but started. 

Quilt another section of June UFO project — not done. 

Not many photos to go with my goals from last week. But here's a couple of new ones from the Veronica blocks. These blocks will be packed up so they can become a top at my retreat this week. 

Here's a close up of the light blue at the bottom right. 

I have to say I've really enjoyed making these blocks.  The Veronica pattern was designed by Preeti Harris. Here's her version. 

And now, this week's goals. 

7/13/26

Deal with new carpets (ie, put things back) 

Pack up sewing projects & supplies and travel to retreat! 

Work on projects -- most are groups of blocks to make into tops

Finish Snowman #2

Prep Snowman #3 for hand appliquéing and sew some of it

Yes, a very short list although work on projects involves 8 or 9 different projects.  I doubt I'll get all of them done but I'm counting on getting some of them to top stage. And then I'll have a LOT of tops needing quilting and binding. And others will be further along. It's always better to have more projects than needed at retreats.  

This was another successful sewing week.  One day I spent more time reading. I went to the studio after dinner and spent several hours on prepping projects. So I've maintained my 100% sewing every day. 

Week ending 7/12/26:  193 days of 2026.

  193 stitching days out of 193 days. 100%

The retreat I'm going to Tuesday is with several of my friends from my old guild west of Richmond.  We've been going together for four or five years.  The house is set up for scrapbooking.  Not surprising it's also great for quilting. We bring our projects and machines, our breakfasts and lunches, and we all make dinners for the group.  It works out really well.  Hopefully I'll remember to take a lot more pictures during our time there.  I'll be back Sunday afternoon just in time to write next Monday's post. 

One of the projects I plan to work on is making more Happy Blocks to make a lap quilt for a tween or teen.  I need to cut some more of the blocks but I did make one a new block.  It makes me want to have some watermelon. 

Now, it's time to finish this post and share it on the Internet. Please check out these Linky parties. 

Stitching Time 

Oh Scrap

Quilting Patchwork Applique 

Design Wall Monday

Monday Musings

I'll link up to the last two parties once they are available. For now I wish you a productive week of quilting.

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

Monday Meanderings 8 -- 18 -- 2025

This past week was quiet for me -- especially after all the fun and action while my friend was visiting. I took afternoon naps... not necessarily on purpose. I would be reading after lunch on the sun porch and all of a sudden I would wake up an hour later with my Kindle in my lap and feeling way too warm.  I figured I must have needed the extra sleep.  I did finish some books and  I've halfway finished another ebook.  Although I did pretty well on my goals I didn't spend as much time being productive in the studio. 

8/11/25

✅Keep working on project bag — one sheep done. 

✅Read a book or two — finished 2 audio books and 1 ebook.

✅Wash and iron new fabric and put it away — only a few pieces to finish.

✅Quilt one of my tops — a RWB sampler quilt is loaded. 

✅Make blocks for various projects — 3 blocks made, more still needed to be done.

This red, white and blue sampler top was from Sherri McConnell's block of the month in 2022.  Earlier this year I put the blocks together with sashing and borders.  I have to say I really like this top.  I've decided to keep it rather than give it to my local quilt guild to give away.  We have a quilt hanger in our entry way which can take this size quilt so that is the plan for it.  I probably won't get back to quilting it until Tuesday.

Here's my Rainbow Scrap Challenge block in aquamarine.  Unlike my normal method, this month I decided to focus on turquoise fabrics that lean more to the green side.  I haven't made the opposite color way with more light blocks yet.  Hopefully I will get it done this week. 

I also realized this week that I missed some of the monthly colors for RSC this year. I need to make blocks for orange and purple. I'll be trying to get caught up on those colors over the next several weeks. 

Here's the last Happy Block I made using the popsicle fabric I used at the retreat. 

I've got another Happy Block quilt almost ready to sew together.  Here's the current layout. 

The blocks need to be moved around a bit still. Because these blocks have all sorts of colored frames I like to look at the grayscale version.  Hum, just what I thought. There are three blocks that read dark in column three.  I think I've substituted some thing else for the 4 row, 2nd column block also very dark. I'll be playing around with these using this photo as my guide.  Hopefully I'll be able to finish the top and find a backing for it soon.  

Here's my plan for the upcoming week. 

8/18/25

Keep working on project bag

Quilt RWB Sampler 

Make some more blocks: RSC, nine patches with the white center,  

Sew current Happy Blocks into a top

Put borders on a 3 yard top and possibly quilt it.

Finish binding two quilts. 

I've maintained my 15 minutes of stitching this week.  I knit hats for an organization that needs around 300 in the fall so I always have a hat on my needles and can knit a couple of rows to make up my stitching time each evening if I haven't already done some quilty "stuff." 

W/ending 8/17/25. 222 days of 2025

• 15 minute days/August = 17/17
• 15 minute days/2024 = 222/222 days
• Success rate = 100%

I keep finding mistakes in my postings.  I'm pretty sure next year I'll change up this report to make the math more accurate or easy.  Did I ever mention that I went to 11 different schools from kindergarten through high school? Once my folks took me out of public school to put me into private school. Sometimes I went to a different school in the same school district. And, a couple of times we moved mid school year or at the beginning of a school year.  What I finally figured out rather late in life is I did not have a good grounding in arithmetic.  I'm lousy at math in general. I say all of the above to explain why I keep finding mistakes in my stitching reports! I do know that 222 days is as of Sunday, 8/17. So this report looks accurate. 

That pile of new fabric I shared last week has been ironed and put away with the exception of the top fabric. This week I washed 5 or 6 yards from a bolt of fabric I purchased from Marshall Dry Goods. It's a mottled beige and I plan to use it as the borders and backing of one of the 3 yard quilts I started at retreat. If I get the borders done I'll share pictures then. 

As usual I am linking up with four Linky parties.  Please take a some time to visit and check out some of the blogs that are listed on the parties. I keep getting way too many ideas but I like to see what everyone is working on! 

Stitching Stuff 

Oh Scrap

Design Wall Monday

Monday Musings

And before I call it a night I want to mention the administration's assault on Washington, DC.  DC is not a state although they would like to be. Because they are a federal district the administration can send troops into the city to patrol. From local news reports these troops have been working in the areas that are more visible -- near where federal buildings and parks are located.  One of the things that has been said is that DC is a crime ridden area.  That there are awful people in the city.  Just to put the record straight DC's crime rate is down. "Total violent crime for 2024 in the District of Columbia is down 35% from 2023 and is the lowest it has been in over 30 years, according to data collected by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and announced by United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves." You can read more about it here. 

One of the scary things about federal troops "policing" the District is they have no training in that area.  I keep waiting for some one to be killed or seriously hurt because of the wrong people "policing" the area.  

I, for one, do not think DC is in an emergency and it does not need federal assistance.  I am hoping that the troops are only there for the 30 days allowed for  this "emergency".  America is NOT a police state.  

That's it for me.  

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

Monday Meanderings 7 - 14 - 2025

Monday evening we got rained on...and on... and -- you get the idea. We had gone to the county board of supervisor meeting in support of our community's request for some help.  We didn't have to stay all that long as the Chairman kindly moved our speaker up nearer the beginning. And, he also recessed the meeting so that we could leave rather than sitting through the whole meeting. Except unbeknownst to us it had started raining. 

It was coming down in sheets. Although we hadn't parked all that far away we waited it out. But, we still got wet! 

Here's last week's goals list with some check marks. 

7/7/25

✅Load and quilt customer’s quilt — Done

✅Cut sashing for child quilt and sew — all cut but no sewing done

✅Make FCQ EQuilter blocks — One made, several more in process

Pull fabric for a baby quilt — nothing done — couldn’t find the pattern! 

Put some fabric away/ clean up a bit — a very little was done and even more fabric actually was spread around! 😳

I was happy to get a queen sized quilt top quilted this weekend for a customer. I need to check with her to see if she minds if I share it here.  But it really was a nice quilt and she picked a great design for the quilting. 

Here's the June/July quilt block for the current FCQ Equilter.  I made one block to make sure I knew what I was doing.  I have several more ready to put together.  Which I hope to get to this coming week. 

My local guild likes to give out SWAG when we have booths at community events or are selling raffle tickets at various fairs.  This year we were given the opportunity to make some swag from kits.  Here are the three I put together.  They gave us everything including floss, needle and precut pieces.  I did the orange one all by hand but I also did a buttonhole stitch around the outside edge.  So for the other two I did a machine buttonhole stitch which took a lot less time.  I'm not sure who would want these cuties but hopefully some one will think they are cute. 

Here's what I hope to get done this week.

7/14/25

Make more FCQ Equilters blocks

Put some fabric away/ clean up a bit lot

Make more string blocks and trim to size

Load and quilt one of my quilts 

Cut more Happy Blocks 

For some reason my sewing space looks like a whirlwind went through it.  It's driving me crazy. I am not by nature a neat person but this mess has finally gotten to me so hopefully I'll be able to put things away. 🤞🏼

I've been making string blocks off and on for the last several weeks.  I need to count how many, trim what I have and start ripping the newsprint off the back.  Hopefully I've gotten closer to the needed amount.  I figure it is time to list it as a to do! 

Here is my start on another Happy Blocks top.  The finished blocks are left overs that I want to put to use. I've cut some more and gathered fabric to cut the inside squares but need to figure out the go with fabrics. It may go with me to retreat but maybe not. I've already got 5 or 6 precut tops although it's a 5 day retreat and may not be enough. I am hoping to make this a neutral baby quilt rather one with pink in it. I have a friend who is a NICU nurse and said most dads of boys don't want  any pink on their boy's quilt.  I try to make some quilts without pink on them a few times a year.  Notice I don't call them boy quilts.  My thought is girl babies might be happy to have dinosaurs and soccer balls too. 

I've also maintained my 15 minutes to stitch each day.

W/ending 7/13/25. 194 days of 2025

• 15 minute days/July = 13/13
• 15 minute days/2024 = 194/194 days
• Success rate = 100%

For years I kept statistics on fabric coming in and going out each month.  One year I decided not to and I was disappointed because I didn't know whether I was bringing in more fabric than I used. So, I've started keeping track of fabric coming in and going out this year.  But I've decided to do it quarterly. So here is the 2nd quarter 2025 fabric usage stats. (Hum, I noticed that the 1st quarter I showed each month's numbers separately rather than the whole quarter as below. It would be much easier if I did each month separately.  I'll try it for 3rd quarter...) 

2025	Fabric In Quarter	Fabric In Year to date	Fabric Out  Quarter	Fabric Out Year to Date	Total In or Out Year
2nd Quarter	27.00	46.50	26.375	71.250	24.7

I did bring in more fabric than I used but honestly it wasn't even an extra yard. I have a couple more backings available that I hope to use this quarter and I may break down and buy some more fabric specifically for backings especially since I'll probably make several more tops at retreat. 

One of these days I need to update my tops waiting-to-be-quilted list.  I've been finishing quilts a lot recently.  I have one waiting for binding and I hope to get at least one maybe two quilted this month still. 

Here's the info on Linky Parties.  Check some out this week. 

Life In Pieces

Oh Scrap 

Design Wall Monday

Monday Musings 

I hope every one is staying cool and safe this summer.  There's just so much going on. The weather here is hot and muggy with thunderstorms forecasted for every day this week. Eek!  I'm quite happy to stay in my cool basement studio and hopefully be able to sew.  

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie

 

Monday Meanderings 9 - 16 - 2024

Wow!  We've forgotten how much work a dog can be.  Especially a needy dog like Sunny.  She needs to be fed 4 times a day. Every 3 days she needs a bath. We're still trying to figure out her cues for potty breaks. And, someone is walking her a couple of times a day.  Add in the trip to the vet and a trip north to watch Teddy's soccer game and introduce Sunny to the kids and grands -- she's keeping us busy. 

Soph and Sunny hanging out during the game. Sunny's working hard at growing her  hair and fur. Yep, Westies have two coats -- the bottom coat is fur and the top coat is stiffer hair. 

Here's what I tried to get accomplished this past week. And, yes, I did check a few things off but I didn't do all I thought I could get done. Sigh.

9/9/24

✅Finish one more of Joan’s blocks and mail them — finished; but not mailed.

✅Quilt customer top — done and returned.

Finish Sea Side Village — all threads tied, ready to put a facing on it. 

✅Make happy blocks and plan layout — picked all fabs for the blocks and began the layout. 

✅Cut another quilt kit— finished.  

✅Keep stitching on the ornaments — worked on one at Monday stitching.

Here's a bit of the customer's quilt I long armed this week. She chose Ginger Heart and a light blue thread.  I think I took this picture with just the first row done. She was quite happy with it. 

And here are the Happy Blocks I've been working on. I decided to make a bigger quilt and make it neutral so it can be given to a boy or a girl. 

I've been picking fabrics for additional blocks to set it 5 x 6 or 48" x 60" approximately. The blocks finish at 8". I'll get the new blocks all cut out before I leave for North Carolina Tuesday.  After making a lot of these quilts I'm finally learning that some colors look really dark and don't enhance the quilts.  I'm trying to pick lighter fabrics but not ones that look too light. (The elephant one seems too light while the top left island one seems too dark. I don't think I'm changing any of those already made!) For these I used a 4.5" center square and 2.5" strips to make 2 strips 4.5" and 2 strips 8.5". It is a really easy pattern. I'm ready to find a new super easy pattern one of these days! 

On Tuesday I'm off for a several days of quilting at Sharon's house. Here's what I hope to get done. And, yes, I'm pretty sure I have at least one or two more projects to bring but these are the ones I want to finish while I'm gone.  It's better to have too many projects than not enough. 

9/16/24

Keep stitching on the ornaments

Drive to Sharon’s for a quilting get together

Put double border on purple/floral top

Put facing on Sea Side Village 

Cut out and make happy blocks, lay out, and sew the top 

Finish the panel top

Remember that trip to watch the soccer game mentioned above?  We left the house at 9 and didn't get home until after 2. But we were exhausted (as was Sunny.) I don't think I did anything in the studio or any hand stitching that day.  So, I have another day where no sewing took place. I did finish a book or two this week. Here are my numbers. Considering my success rate is in the mid 90s percent-wise, I'm pretty happy with the results.  

W/ending 9/15  — 259 days in to 2024. 

• 15 minute days/week = 6/7 days
• 15 minute days/Sept = 14/15
• 15 minute days/2024 = 249/259 days
• Success rate = 96.1%

Have you been keeping up with Material Girlfriends' website? They have been offering a free 3 yard quilt pattern every month. This month's is called Bravo. I'm enamored with it and may have to find fabric to make it this month.  I've been making a point of buying more 1 yard fabric pieces so I can use some of these cool patterns.  If you like the idea of 3 yard quilts check out their offerings.  

I mentioned finishing a book this week. I actually finished 5 with a couple being audio books that I listen to while stitching.  Being an avid reader I pay attention when folks recommend a book or I think I might like a book from the blurb that shows up in the catalog once my library gets it.  This week I read Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles who also wrote The Paris Library. It was excellent.  

Here's what Amazon says about it: 1918: As the Great War rages, Jessie Carson takes a leave of absence from the New York Public Library to work for the American Committee for Devastated France (CARDS). Founded by millionaire Anne Morgan, this group of international women help rebuild destroyed French communities just miles from the front. Upon arrival, Jessie strives to establish something that the French have never seen—children’s libraries. She turns ambulances into bookmobiles and trains the first French female librarians.  Then she disappears."

The story moves between what is happening in WWI France and 1987 New York  where a NYPL librarian and budding writer first reads about the organization and decides to find out more about Jessie. Her story is how she uncovers more information about the CARDS and writes a book about them. 

It was a riveting book based on many of the real women who were involved with CARDS.  My only problem with it is I've read too many world war historical novels recently.  I was really ready for something light and fluffy. I've promised myself I won't read anything but light and fluffy for the next few books. We'll see how that goes! 

I'll be linking with these parties: Stitching Stuff, Oh Scrap, Design Wall Monday, and Monday Musings. 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie