Monday Meanderings 2 - 17 - 2025

It seems like last week I was talking about a snow storm coming our way.  We got 4" of wet snow.  Guess what? There's another one coming in this week.  Late last week the European Model suggested we could get 16 - 20" of snow. EEK!  Luckily, the forecasters are now predicting the storm will move further south and are suggesting 2" or less.  I'll let you know what we actually get.  We've already had more snow this year than in the last decade. On the other hand I have been staying in and playing in the studio.  But you won't believe that when you see my goals list. 

2/10/25

Bind baby Quilt — chose binding, still need to cut and sew it on. 

Quilt another top — loaded but not stitched.

Finish '22 McConnell mystery top — still needs the border. 

✅Make 2 napkins and a placemat — all 3 done. 

✅Make more Potato Chip blocks — only need two more to make top.  

Find a backing or two for some tops I have ready to quilt — didn’t  look. 

Here are a couple of pictures of the napkins I made.  After our youngest graduated high school we took a family trip to Switzerland and Austria.  It was a great trip and I was able to buy a nice hunk of fabric in Austria. Because this HS graduate is now much older (um, he's 42!) you have a good idea how old the fabric is. But here's the first finished napkin and the backing fabric. (No, I didn't quilt these napkins.) 

        

I also used another orphan block to make a placemat. No, these items do not go together. We're keeping the napkins to use every day. The placemat will be given to the charity committee at my local quilt guild. 

Hum, I thought the binding (which I pulled around from the backing) looked better in person. This was put on my white flannel design wall for the pic. The flannel looks pink to me... weird coloring might explain my questioning the binding. 

Here's a pic of the red, white, and blue quilt that has been loaded on Ruthie, the long arm. I was going to do a few rows after I loaded it but something wasn't working correctly so I just turned everything off for the night. It should start up just fine the next time I start it. 

I didn't take any pictures of the finished potato chip blocks.  So, let's get to the goals list for this week. 

2/17/25

Make blocks for FCQ EQuilter of the month

Quilt rwb top

Bind flannel quilt

Sew border on ’22 McConnell mystery top

Quilt another top? 

I also had a FaceTime sewing session with my friend Sharon so that we could make the next block for the Cali-Co BOM Mystery.  Sorry no picture to share. I've been really happy with my fabric choices so far. Although I will admit to using a whole lot of premade HSTs.  I'm looking forward to the next block.

For a couple of weeks I've been trying to figure out what color backing fabrics I need for a couple more tops.  I finally decided to update my Tops to Be Quilted list. Here's what the first page looks like. I laughed at myself when I read my title: Updated 2/9/245. Say what? I need to go on the computer and fix that. 

FYI, this is only page one. I have 10 more listed on the back side. So, do the math, I have 27 quilts waiting to be quilted.  No wonder I am trying to quilt at least one every week these days. Some of these are fairly small and I plan to quilt them on my domestic machine. I've put several on my UFO challenge list and I need to make sure I have backings for all of the ones on that list. 

And, in non-quilting activities I made a cherry pie for Valentine's Day.  I use a recipe from an old Betty Crocker Cook Book.  But when I tried to buy canned cherries in water I was unable to find them at two of our local stores. I finally bought a bag of frozen pitted cherries. Here is a picture before it was baked.  It's been really tasty. Darn, we only have one piece left. 

I got distracted Sunday night when I usually write my blog so it didn't get done. On  Monday I don't have much time until late afternoon. Long way to say I'm really late posting this blog.  Don't forget to take a look at some of these Linky parties so you can see what quilters are doing across the globe. 

Oh Scrap

Stitching Stuff

Design Wall Monday

Monday Musings 

Hope you are staying warm and doing a lot of stitching this week. 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

Monday Meanderings 5 - 16 - 2022

This was a great week for getting most of my goals done.  Onne goal we were looking forward to fell apart.  Our Spotsylvanian's concert had to be canceled for Saturday and the rain date of Sunday. Bummer. By Thursday the powers that be canceled the concert.  Weather report was calling for 80% change of thunderstorms on Saturday and 60% percent on Sunday.  And, a big AND, a singer tested positive for Covid on Wednesday after our Monday rehearsal. Although we were all masked, between that and the possibility of rain it was safer to reschedule.  We've tested once and we were both negative.  We'll test again in a day or so but I expect we'll continue to be negative. Plus, both Pat and I have kept up with all the vaccines that have been offered. So, the up side is I had all day Saturday and Sunday to sew.

Here's what last week's goal list looked like. 

✅Make 4 blocks for May UFO - I made a bunch of blocks and am still hand stitching a hexagon block.  Here's the one I'm still working on.

This is called Sew South and was designed by Jennifer Mathis. It was part of The Splendid Sampler in 2015. 

✅Continue on pyramid class project - One more row was sewn but the triangles were not cut out.

✅Make Sherri’s BOM - finished.

✅Make more FCQ Equilter blocks for Fran; Start Beth’s. I've made about 8 blocks for Fran, some still need trimming.  I didn't start Beth's. 

✅Enjoy the Spotsylvanian’s Concert 😟 Bummer.  We can't make the rescheduled concert. 

5/16/22

Finish hand stitching Sew South 

Sash blocks for May UFO

Make Beth’s FCQ Equilter blocks

Make some blocks for SAHRR (yep, I've ignored it for a while.) 

Get 3 packages in the mail 

Keep working on the pyramid class project

Here are the rest of the blocks for the May UFO Challenge. 

Hum, that center one in the bottom row doesn't look like it fits with the rest.  I'll decide whether it stays or gets replaced. Or maybe it would be fine if it is turned or placed somewhere else. We'll see how the blocks are arranged this week and hopefully get their sashing on.  

This is a short post today.  I'm linking up with the parties listed below. Please take some time to visit some of them and do some surfing! 

Oh Scrap

Monday Making

Design Wall Monday 

To Do Tuesday

Mid-Week Makers

Wednesday Wait Loss 

I finally got my hummingbird feeder up Sunday.  Pat said a hummer visited while he was in the all weather room on the deck that day.  None visited while I was out there.  I hope they keep visiting. (And I get to see them.) 

Do you remember the nest we had in one of our trees? You can read about the nest here. After the mama Cardinal laid a few eggs something got to them.  One was found smashed on the steps coming from the deck.  A few days later several crows were hanging around the steps keeping an eye on the nest.  In the above picture the tree on the left is the holly where the nest was situated.  We do seem to have a couple of Robins who are not happy when we are outside so I bet they've got another nest under our deck. Last year they would squawk at me whenever I was in the backyard.  Hope their eggs/babies stay safe.  

Happy Quilting All!  Bonnie 

Monday Meandering 1 - 3 - 2022

Happy New Years!  Did you stay up and watch a ball drop?  I was sound asleep by the time the year changed. Oops - not much of a partier.

I had several great days of sewing last week. Let's look at last week's goals list to see all I got done.

12/27/2021

Finish new UFO list — kind of done but need to move to computer

✅Pick 12 UFOs to focus on this year 

✅Finish quilting & bind the Peppermint Bunny top

✅Quilt and bind another top - Winter Animals & Snowmen. I had hoped to do another one but that didn't happen.

✅Work on more ombre log cabin blocks 

✅Work on Winter Wall hanging -- finished (see above!) 

                                                         

Hand written UFO list. Still needs to be
put on computer. And yes it continues
on the back side and another sheet of paper. 

For the UFO Challenge, number 12 was picked to be worked on in January.  For me that means the sail boat quilt.  When I started today there were 12 snowball blocks with the red and yellow sail boats. I had leftover ocean-related fabrics that I picked up on a give away table at a guild meeting.  I'm going to make 12 more snowball blocks with the tossed lighthouses.    

So far I'm planning to make a fairly small quilt with the snowballs and then add some borders to enlarge.  I might decided to sash the blocks to make the quilt a bit bigger.  These are 6" finished blocks. I would like to incorporate these bigger light houses into the quilt -- maybe at the top or the bottom. Unfortunately I have only two pieces that are at most 15" wide.  I'm going to have to be creative to include these.  I can see them at either the top or the bottom of snowballs. Time will tell. 

I've cut another 12 blocks of the ombre log cabin blocks.  I made several of them while I was making my snowball blocks.  Who said leader/enders have to be a far distance project?

Here's a sneak peak of one of the snowmen in the Winter Animals & Snowmen wall hanging.  I've still got a few more eyes to sew on before it will be hung above the fireplace this winter. 

This project has been in the works for a long time.  The blocks are all paper pieced and may I say, I'm not a fan of paper piecing any more.  It took about 3 years to get the blocks done and after a little more hibernating I finished the top. It was quilted this week before the end of December so it is my last quilt of December. 

Here's what I plan to work on this week.  Several items are continuing what I've been working on but there are a few new items. 

1/3/2022

Work on January UFO 

Make more ombre blocks

Start first round of SAHRR

Cut out Looking Glass quilt

Update Accuquilt Go dies online*

*I'm a fan of Go dies and have bought quite a few over the past year.  One of the things Accuquilt provides is a place to list all your dies.  I kept up through Christmas last year when I got several dies.  But nothing I bought this year has been entered.  And believe me with several really good sales (including the preChristmas push) I have bought several many new ones. I will be trying my new dies this year even if I only make a sample block.  

We had a wonderful weather on New Years Day.  It was in the low 70s.  This is winter in the Mid Atlantic?  Hum.... wait a day or two and it will change. 

Yep, there's a change in the weather coming.  We live approximately where the top, left side of the "m" in Richmond is.  Notice that is included in the 8" or so of snow tomorrow.  GOOD GRIEF -- it was just 70. Maybe we'll be lucky and the snow won't stick -- the ground isn't that cold.  Never fear -- I have a lot of piecing or quilting projects I can work on.  Plus about 4 books I had on reserve have become available for my Kindle in the last few days.  I'll be well entertained if we do get 8" of snow! 

A quick update at noon on Monday: 

Yep the snow came.  And, I bet we do get 8" at least.  This is the view outside my double doors in the studio. Looking at the same scene now you can't see any steps to the left, just a continuous mound of snow. It's time for me to quit reading blogs and start working on one of my goals! 

I hope you can take some time to check out these linky parties. I always find so many wonderful ideas when I surf blogs listed on these parties.  Hum, I figure I'll relax with a nice cup of tea and see what's going on. 

Oh Scrap!

Monday Making 

Design Wall Monday 

To Do Tuesday

That's it for tonight. (Yes, I call this a Monday post but I almost always do it on Sunday evening.)  I'll be back to link up when these parties go live. 

Here's to some hot tea, reading a good book and a bit of stitching while the weather outside is frightful!  

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

       

Monday Meanderings 12 - 27 - 2021

How about a post event Merry Christmas?  I failed to get a Friday blog posted.  So I'm hoping you had a wonderful day on Saturday.  Here are the four ornaments I made for my grand kids. 

I took these photos of the ornaments on my tree.  Notice  the little Santa  ornament up on the right. I'm pretty sure that ornament is from my family tree when I was very young.  I'm guessing the green pine cone was from a later time but still from when I was living with my parents.  Sophie loves blue so I always try to make her ornament with blue. The rest of the kids got red work. 

I should have moved the red and white ornament on the right so it showed more.  I bought that when we lived in Georgian in the late 80's and early 90's.  It is a Santa made on a dried okra.  I like to have unusual or handmade ornaments on our Christmas tree. 

We drove up to our daughter and son-in-law's house for Christmas Day.  Wonders of wonders -- the traffic on I 95 was moving at or above the speed limit going and coming.  The trip took the normal hour and 15 minutes.  It made a great start to our day.  And we were very happy it was an easy drive home. Truth told, I fell asleep!

We had a lovely day.  We opened presents. I played a game with the grands. (I will never play a game on the floor again.  Yikes, I just don't move that well any more!) We ate a terrific dinner cooked by Brian with desserts made by Jenny and Sophie.  Overall we had a wonderful time with Jenny and her family.  

We've had Cassie, our son's dog since last Monday.  They went to Tennessee to be with Aimee's family.  We haven't figured out when we'll do the dog swap and the presents swap yet but hopefully this week. Heck, they aren't sure when they are coming home! 

The goal list didn't get everything check off this past week.  On the other hand, I did finish a couple of books which I enjoyed. Here's how I did on that goals list. 

12/20/2021

✅Wrap Christmas presents 

✅Finish grand’s ornaments 

Finish winter wall hanging — haven’t finished yet but I've decided what to do! 

Make new UFO list — in works  

✅Have a wonderful family Christmas 

And this week --- 

12/27/2021

Finish new UFO list 

Pick 12 UFOs to focus on this year 

Finish quilting and bind the Peppermint Bunny top

Quilt and bind another top 

Work on more ombre log cabin blocks 

Work on Winter Wall hanging 

Here's the fat quarters I was gifted from Jen's family.  They were personally curated by Brian.  I was absolutely tickled with them.  I am now trying to figure out how I will use some of them in their own quilt.  Didn't he do a terrific job? 

Here's my Monday linky parties.  I hope you can take some time to go to some of them and surf the many blogs that will be linking up at the parties.

Oh Scrap

Monday Making 

Design Wall Monday 

To Do Tuesday

Have you been making goals or quilting plans for the 2022?  I decided I'm going to participate in a UFO challenge where every month we finish a UFO.  I also want to start and finish 2 quilts that I bought the patterns and/or fabric for a while.  It's time to get them started and finished this year. This may be the year to make some year long goals.  I would like to clear out some of the UFOs I have although some I'm just never going to make.  Do you make year long goals?  Are they written or stored in your brain?  How do you follow through to make sure you finish those goals?   Let me know in your comments.   

Happy Quilting All,  Bonnie 

 

 

Monday Meanderings 5 - 11 - 2020

What a week!  I got so much done.  I'll be sharing a few things today and must remember to share the rest later.  First up I made 8 log cabin blocks for Virginia Star's raffle quilt 2021. Here are my 8 blocks. It was fun to try two different settings before I mailed them off. I've made log cabin quilts before but these blocks surprised me.  For the most part the red and green blocks have the same value.  But wow, the two colors really showed a lot of contrast, something I didn't anticipate.  I'm looking forward to seeing the whole quilt. 

One of the things I finally got to was updating my UFO list.  To be honest I haven't gone through the whole list.  Somehow I have 56 projects on my list. (I have already moved 3 projects to completed tops and one to completed quilt.)  I've been going through them to see if I really want to complete the projects or whether I want to get rid of them. 

Here's my next project.  I've had these 16 striped blocks for years. This will be my next UFO project. I didn't like them lined up next to each other.  So I decided they would work better with sashing.  Here are the ones I tried.  Which do you prefer? Green, yellow or blue?  I'll be working on this project during the week so please let me know which you like better.  And, why.  I think the pink on top will be a border. Or would it work to sash them in groups of four and use all of these colors, including the pink?  Hum?  

 

 One of the reasons I was excited about last week was I made a lot of progress.  Here are the goals from last week and how I did. 
1) Sewing all the churwndash blocks into a top. √ Done
2) Loading and quilting my granny square blocks on Ruthie.√ I'm working on the binding. 
3) Starting a new quilt. √ I'll have the top done by next week.
4) Updating my spread sheet on UFOs. UFO list is started but I still need to work on the batting pieces. 

This weeks goals: 
1) Finish the new top. 
2) Quilt star table runner.
3) Put together stripe blocks into a top.
4) Update the batting spread sheet. 
I'm linking up with Oh Scrap!, Monday Making, Main Crush Monday, and Design Wall Monday. I'm also going to spend some time surfing the web to see what people have been making this last week.  How about you?  

Our yard is looking amazing these days. Here is one of our azaleas blooming in two colors. The birds have been hitting the bird feeders like crazy which is fun to watch.  Pretty soon I'll put out the hummingbird feeder.  Finally this week we'll be getting some warmer days.  Or maybe hot days.  We had freeze warnings last night and by next Sunday the temps are predicted to be in the 80s.  Quite a change! 

Happy Quilting All!  Bonnie 

Plans for Social Distancing or How to Clean a Closet

We are about to start week 2 of social distancing isolation, or semi isolation. Last Friday we hit the grocery store and then came home.  Except to walk in the neighborhood I haven't gone anywhere except to the grocery store on Wednesday.  Until we run out of milk or fruits and veggies there isn't any reason to go anywhere else. So, I'm staying home. 

Here's my plan for keeping entertained and productive during isolation. For years I have hung finished tops in my closet next to the studio.  My thought has been it's less bulk to store tops than quilts.  I've decided to quilt as many tops as I can find backs for to clear out the tops. I'm hoping to quilt one per week. I don't expect to quilt all of these tops but I'll probably get half done.  Some have backings saved with them, some have binding fabric saved. 

Of these 7 tops about 3 have backings. 

Four of these have backings ready to prep.  

That pink and print one on the far right is a donation quilt I volunteered to quilt for Virginia Star Quilters.  I'm sorry to say I've had it for over a year -- it is made with poly cotton and I just don't like it.  But I found a semi-OK fabric to back it so it may be the next one up. 

Here's the quilt I finished quilting last evening.  The fabric except the darker purple are all flannels I found in my stash.  I bought a purple mottled flannel for the backing when JoAnn's had flannel for less than $2 a yard this winter.  My friend Marlyn made the top.  She said she'd bind it.  (Not my favorite job!) It will go to Virginia Star Quilters and eventually to a senior.  (Is it just me or is it pretty ironic that seniors are making quilts for other seniors?) 

Pattern: Sweet Indigo; Thread: Omni light olive green.

And a close up.  The one issue I had is the flannel back shrank a bit. There was
only about 1.5" on each side to attache the clamps.  Not the easiest way to quilt.

My other plan for the next few weeks is to try to finish UFOs.  I show 60 UFO projects on my Excel spreadsheet.  Some have been languishing as shiny new projects grab my attention. Some have been slowly accumulating units until I have enough to put the top together. I'm hoping to finish a few of the older ones.   

But come back this weekend when I'll offer a couple of UFOs to anyone who wants them. (I'll mail them within the USA. But, it may be a while before I can get them in the mail.)  I'd like to find good homes for these projects. 

That's it for me today.  I'm linking up with Needle and Thread Thursday, Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?, and Beauties Pagent 73. 

Happy Quilting and Stay Safe! Bonnie  

Monday Meanderings 1 - 29 - 2018

Yikes, how can we be 1/12th done with 2018. (Or at least almost 1/12th done.  Don't count on me for super math skills.)  I worked hard this week to complete the goals I set for myself last week.  I considered myself successful although one item is being moved to this week. 

I finished the sweater that has been a UFO since the 1980s (think early 80's.) To truly appreciate this sweater you have to go back to a post I did in 2015, Knitting UFO Revival. I'll wait for you; done yet?  Well, some of my worries were spot on.  For the most part the stripes lined up pretty well.  Except, er, somehow the left sleeve and front has an extra row than the right sleeve and front.  Never noticed it until I was burying yarn.  Go ahead, count them.  7 rows on the sleeve and 7 rows on the left side.  Luckily the 7th row on the front was only a partial row so people aren't going to notice the extra row in the front.  

The sweater is a bit tight at the bottom and big at the top.  The sleeves are definitely big from the cuff up.  I think I must have gotten the neckband a few rows too many. After staying up half the night last night I was able to bury all the loose threads and sew on 11 buttons, which don't stay buttoned all that well.  I'm done with it.  I'll probably leave it in the studio to put on when I'm chilled.  It is definitely a warm sweater.  So a few things about this:  The pattern is hitting the recycling bin asap.  I not only did NOT run out of the main yarn I have a complete skein left.  These buttons don't stay closed well.  I'm too tired of this to do anything else on it.  I still really like the color although this pic isn't showing the color all that well. This sweater is an acrylic yarn but way thicker than the current yarns I've seen at local stores. Anyone have an idea for a one skein project? 

TRUTH -- I have another unfinished sweater with a poinsettia on the front.  I can do about 2 rows of it and then I have to stop because it is such a pain to keep the various yarns straight.  Maybe I'll try to work on it next fall-winter.  But definitely not now!  

So, what is your oldest UFO?  I've got some mini blocks from the same time as that sweater mid 1980s.  I was on Prodigy and the quilting group had lots of exchanges. Some day, maybe I'll do something with them. But don't hold your breath.

Because I don't want anymore UFOs, I finished making the backing of the alphabet challenge quilt.  I had to figure out the math (see note at beginning) to see how I could use all the leftover pieces of doggy fabric and fabric from the bag I was given. Believe me, I do not want to add any of that fabric to my stash. Here it is before I sewed the rows together. 

I made this with multiples of 8" (finished size) fabric.  It's a little busy but I'm tickled to use up some of my own fabric, some of which is 20 years old. (And of course, I still have a piece or two of that despite my best intentions.)  The navy fabric that looks like it has white dots on it came from the brown bag.  The rest are dog prints or dog paw prints from my stash.  The center bright blue print has a few cats along with dogs on it -- just to spice the whole thing up.  I'm hoping to get this quilted this week. 

Here's the goals list from last week. 

January 22, 2018

Get borders on Alphabet Challenge√

Make backing for Alphabet Challenge quilt√

Finish up sweater√

Make more half triangle squares and string blocks√

Take small border off charity quilt√

Cut out Taps quilt hasn’t happened yet

And this week: 

January 29, 2018

Quilt 1^st Rainbow Color Challenge Quilt

Cut Out Taps Quilt

Pick a new project, preferably a UFO to work on

Make 10.5” string blocks for Covered in Love

Quilt Alphabet Challenge quilt

Now it's time to get on with this week.  Here's where I'm linking up with: Oh Scrap, Monday Making, Main Crush Monday, and Moving It Forward. As always I hope you can take some time to see what's going on around the Internet -- we all need new projects, don't we. (wink, wink!) Today I'm going to my Monday stitching group, where much of this sweater was worked on. I've some repair work to do and then I'll get back to hand quilting a couple of quilts.  (yes, at one  time I thought hand quilting was perfectly acceptable. What was I thinking?)

Happy Quilting All!  Bonnie