Monday Meanderings 8 -- 25 -- 2025

Hello All!  We've been traveling this past weekend.  I've gotten some knitting done but no quilting. It has been raining most of today but we did do some outlet shopping.  A concerted effort was made to have most of my goals from last week done before we left. Take a look!

8/18/25

✅Keep working on project bag — made some progress.

✅Quilt RWB Sampler — finished, next up binding.

✅Make some more blocks: RSC, — RSC, some 9 patches, and started Cali-Co mom.

✅Sew current Happy Blocks into a top — done!

✅Finish current hat. — done except pompom.

I didn't take a new picture of the project bag but I did decide I would only work at it at home to avoid more mistakes.  Hum, who knew talking would distract me so much! 

No photos of the quilted RWB sampler quilt but it is all quilted. 

Here are both of the RSB teal blocks. Last week I showed the more colorful one. This week it is the two together. I need to spread all of the blocks out to see how they look together. 

Earlier in the week I worked on the current Happy Block quilt. With the help of my friend Beth we came to a decision about placement.  Here's the end result.  I think I made a new block to replace one of the dark ones. (It's second row, third block. Both fabrics were from the 25 yard haul. Unfortunately the cute animal print is only a 6" WOF piece.)  The dark ones (that mostly show when I turn the picture to gray scale) are in a diagonal row from top left to bottom right.  It's hard to believe that red often looks really dark when seen as on the gray scale.  

Now let's see what I hope to do this week. 

8/25/2025

Bind Space quilt and Red, White and Blue quilt

Quilt another small top

Cut a top kit for October retreat

Finish Cali-Co block

Keep working on project bag

That seems like a big list although I don't have a lot of commitments this week. We'll see how I do. 

The other thing I'll admit is I totally screwed up the Cali-Co bom for this month. I failed to put on the second frame before I put on the triangle corners and trimmed the block.  UGH. The block was 2" too small and I sliced into all four corners before I realized my mistake. Jack and I were getting too well acquainted this past week. I won't have to remake the whole block but I need to take out each of the corner blocks in the center. Sigh. Shouldn't take too long if I can keep focused. 

Another successful week of stitching 15 minutes every day.  (If I get this post done soon enough I'll be able to get today's 15 minutes done.) 

W/ending 8/24/25. 236 days of 2025

• 15 minute days/August = 24/24
• 15 minute days/2024 = 236/236 days
• Success rate = 100%

Here's an older quilt that I made for our beach house.  I decided to bring it home and substituted a quilt with ocean fabrics - whales, star fish, and the like.  These Wild dogs just make me smile! Too bad there isn't a West Highland Terrier like Sunny! 

I'm linking with the following parties. 

Stitching Stuff

Oh Scrap

Design Wall Monday 

Monday Musings

I hope you have a quilty week. Keep your spirits up and your hands doing what you like to do! 

Happy Quilting! Bonnie 

Design Wall Monday 6 - 22 - 2015

I've finally gotten my quilting mojo back.  For the last two weeks I was pretty ho-hum about getting to the studio and actually making progress on something, anything.  A couple of customer quilts came in and I knew I needed to get going on them.  Saturday I fired up Ruthie and got most of the first one done. It was finished Sunday.  (I have to get permission to show you -- it was a fun quilt.) I finished it up Sunday and made some more blocks for the lottery for the October retreat.  And, I made another Quatrefoil block.  This time I decided to use the same fabrics I had used in making most of my Triangle Thursday blocks.  Hum, seems like I'll have to make more blocks if I use this setting. 

This project won't be at the top of the list but if I plan it, and cut out the extra blocks,  I might be able to use it as a leader ender and get a UFO crossed off my list.  Sounds good but don't hold your breath on this one happening all that fast! 

Next up is T.C., the chihuahua.  I've been working on these dogs since at least 2008, may be 2006.  I'm now down to sewing on buttons and embroidering some expressions on them.  Well, that and the binding. (He's got both eyes now as do the other two dogs on his row.  Sewing buttons on is pretty boring!) 

On to my goals list. 

Week of June 15, 2015

Finish quilting Wild Dogs√

Get one donation quilt quilted didn’t happen

Load and begin customer quilt√ finished

Work on Galaxy√

Cleanup cutting table also didn’t happen but desperately needs it!

And this weeks -- hum, seems to be a repeat of last weeks. 

Week of June 22, 2015

Finish the handwork on Wild Dogs and put the binding on

Get one donation quilt quilted

Quilt next customer quilt

Make blocks for Pam of FCQEQuilter group

This morning I did do a little cooking.  I made Bourbon Whiskey BBQ Sauce.  Several years ago (hum 10??) we hosted a company party for Pat's job.  Afterwards the hard liquor was left with us.  What do you do with a half gallon of  bourbon when you don't drink the hard stuff?  I found a recipe that used bourbon!  For some reason I had forgotten about it. This morning's batch used the last of the bourbon.  Check out the recipe on All Recipes. 

I'll be linking up to Love, Laugh, Quilt and Patchwork Times. 

Happy Quilting All! 

Settling Back In

I've taken several days to get back into the mood to sew after getting home from retreat.  Finally, I finished loading the Wild Dog quilt on Ruthie.  And, then I figured out what I wanted to do to quilt it.  Sometimes that is the holdup on a quilt. I knew a few things going into it.  I don't really like heavily quilted quilts so I knew this one wouldn't be.  I knew it would be custom quilted rather than an edge to edge computerized design.  Once I figured out the how to quilt it I got right down to work.  I used my little dog paws on the outside border.  Unfortunately that border is blue, yellow and blue.  I chose a lighter grey-blue in hopes it would be visible on the navy but not too visible on the yellow.  Nah, you can't really see it on the blue at all.  Oh well.  

The paws are actually computerized.  I'm having them "walking" around the quilt.  But to get the sides as one long quilt-out I'm turning the quilt on the frame.   Each dog block has stipple quilting in the background.  The sashing has zig zags quilted on them.  All that is left to do is the side borders and one background.  Yep, this one should be done soon.  No clue what color I'm binding it in. I do know I am going to do both sides of the binding by machine.  It will get done so much faster.  I have some more hand work to do -- all the dogs need eyes -- probably buttons. Here's Priss ready for her eyes. 

Here are a few more quilts from retreat.  First up, Nancy talking about her quilt during our Sunday morning show and tell session. 

MaryBeth was working on a t-shirt quilt.  Sad story as the t-shirts were owned by her son-in-law's brother who died way too early.  This quilt is for his son.  She will be making 2 more for family members.  This one turned out spectacularly.  I love the orange she used for the sashing and that the shirts are different sizes.  It looks great.  I'm sure the little boy getting this quilt will cherish it.  

Watch for more retreat pictures over the next week or so.  I think I have more but I'll have to figure out where they are.  

And here's Miss Natalie at the beach.  Her family spent the week at the beach house with some of their friends.  By the end of the week the girls looked exhausted.  I bet they slept well each night! 

That's it for me today.  

Happy Quilting All! 

Design Wall Monday -- January 19, 2015

Here's what's on my design quilt. (Oops, no design wall at the beach house so I pinned a piece of flannel to a quilt I've got hanging here.)  Then I pinned the blocks up as I got the sashing ready.  Yesterday late afternoon I got the sashing sewn to the blocks.  All the dogs still need their eyes and some need little additional stitching done.  There are three borders that need to be done.  One is gold and on the pattern there was some embroidered quotes about dogs.  I'm making each border 1" smaller than what is called for because of the size of quilt hanger at the beach house so I don't know if I will do the embroidery or not. 

Our house is available for rent and we allow pets.  So we thought my wild dogs would work on the wall.  If you want to rent a house in the Village of Nags Head, NC in the Outer Banks please take a look at it here.  

I was able to get some of my goals from last week done but not all of them. But most at least were moved farther along.  Here's last week's list. 

Week of January 12, 2015

Sew pinwheel blocks together for TAPS quilt√

Cut and sew sashing for Wild Dog blocks √

Finish small cross stitch, start next one didn’t even look at it.
Finish second turquoise sock I'm about 4" from finishing the second sock! 

Week of January 19, 2015

Sew borders on Wild Dog top

Sew first border on Mystery of Powhatan

Make backing for heart quilt and load it on Ruthie

Finish second turquoise sock

Here's the view from the windows of my sewing corner.  These are pelicans (well, I think they are, I never verified them with a bird book.) It was fun to see them swooping around and then just hanging out on the bridge. You may want to click on the picture to see it a bit larger. 

Want to see what is going on at other Design Wall Monday sites? Sneak over to Patchwork Times. 

We'll be heading home today and I'll probably finish the last bit on the sock as we travel.  I'm set to start red socks with wool that I bought at the sheep and wool festival. 

Happy Quilting All! 

A Winter's Day . . .

At the Beach.  We've been down at the beach house for a few days.  We left an ice event with a bit of snow thrown in back at home.  It's cold and sometimes windy but the sun is out and we're enjoying ourselves.

We actually went to walk the beach yesterday morning.  It was empty so we let the dogs run loose.  Kona stays close by but Raggs is into adventure and goes off sniffing the dunes and piles of sea weed and whatever else strikes his fancy. Unfortunately he doesn't hear very well so we have to stay alert so he doesn't wander too far.  I was bundled up against the wind. 

We were surprised to find the stairs down to the beach looking like this! 

I've been sewing up a storm in my little sewing area by the windows. 

It's in the great room behind the chairs.  The space works really well for me.  I had to close the blinds to get the picture because of the light.  But, I look out over the back yard that is mostly sand and trees and a view of the golf course behind us.  

Late afternoon the sun is coming in from the left side and I get the best light for sewing.  I'm blocking the shadows while I sew so I don't even notice them. 

Once the sun starts going down I have to quit sewing.  I brought an Ikea clamp on light but it needs a special plug to allow it to work which didn't make the trip.  Next time I'll make sure I have more lighting.  The table was purchased at JoAnn Fabric stores when it was 50% off and I had a 15 or 20% off everything coupon.  I was leery of it being stable enough but it works great.  I'm using my old Elna Carina that weighs under 20 pounds. It just came back from servicing and is sewing like a champ. 

I'm specifically working on three UFO's.  One is for the TAPS collection I mentioned in this post. I've got lots of pinwheel blocks from FCQ Equilters so I thought putting them into quilts was a great idea.  Unfortunately, I didn't check the block sizes before I packed them up.  One is a good 1/2" smaller than the others so it won't work.  Drat!  I've got 4 of the 5 rows done and will swap out the small block for another once I get home. 

I'm also working on Wild Dogs -- hopefully I'll get it to top stage.  I finished the appliquéing at fall retreat and they've languished since then.  I cut all the strips and gathered everything I need to finish the top before we head home.  It has pieced sashing and pieced cornerstones so it is taking a time to get it all ready to sew together.

Last, and maybe I won't get to it, is the Mystery of Powhatan quilt. I just looked back to see if I showed any photos of this quilt. It sure doesn't come up as pictures.  I did list it several times in the goals list.  I'll post some pictures of it soon.  It needs either two or three borders to finish it off.  I've cut the strips but they need to be sewn together and put on the quilt.  It may be difficult to do that here as there is limited space to work in.  But I sure would like to get it done.  I'm going fabric shopping on Super Bowl Sunday and I hope to buy a backing for it.  I'll have a big finish the month I get this quilt done -- it's a big queen size quilt.  

Ok, time for me to quit perusing the Internet and begin sewing again.  We're going out to lunch and hitting a yarn store.  I find it hard to believe but there is a wonderful yarn store here in the Outer Banks. I've gotten several great patterns and some sock yarn.  It won't be used until several other pairs are done but one of these days I'll get to it. 

Happy Quilting All!