Monday Meanderings 9 - 22 - 2025

What a week. I seemed to be blah about quilting although I got a charity quilt done for the local guild.  One day I mostly read a book. (More about it at the end.) We've had some rain so most grass in the neighborhood is looking much better.  And I volunteered to make name tags for the Spotsylvanians...I'm still working on that and it needs to be done by tomorrow! But first let's see how I did on my goals this week. 

9/15/25 

✅Cut, prepare, and sew  binding on Ombre Log Cabin — well, the binding is made but not folded or sewn on. 

✅Sew binding on baby quilt — done! 

Continue cutting out Magnificent Mystery Quilt — oops, nothing done. 

Keep making 9 patch blocks and/or RSC blocks — actually I did get a two 9 patches done but nothing else. 

✅Quilt two quilts (not mine… sigh.) — one was done and returned.  

Not so many goals completed this week.  But here are a few pictures of what I did accomplished this week.

I decided to use the black to light grey ombre for the binding.  I was able to cut and sew the strips together.  Here it is over the backing fabric, a wide back pink ombre. I'll be folding, ironing and sewing it on this week.  I'll be sewing this on one side and then hand stitch it down. ARGH -- I hate hand sewing binding down.  But I'm planning to on this one so I can make sure all the points on the edges are showing, not cut off. Plus Sharon talked me into it. 

I did get one top quilted for Virginia Star Quilt Guild.  I thought it was a small one. Um, no. It was a big one.  Here it is after it was quilted. I believe the piecing of the scraps was done on adding machine tape. 

You should be able to click on the picture and enlarge it. The quilting design is Quick and Easy Swirls by My Creative Stitches. In all those little fabric pieces I found at least two that I had or have. 

Here's what I hope to finish this week.  

9/22/25

Prepare and sew  binding on Ombre Log Cabin

Continue cutting out Magnificent Mystery Quilt

Make two more potato chip blocks for RSC

Try making one section of paper pieced tall tree

Attend a grand’s soccer game

I thought I'd share the tall tree pattern picture so you know what I'm tackling this week.  I haven't decided if I can actually make this while on retreat. So, I'll cut out the pieces based on the sizes given and then see whether it is fairly easy to piece.  I'm not holding my breath that this will be super easy.  The pattern is called Tall Trim the Tree and is designed by Cindi Edgerton. Unfortunately she has retired. You might still be able to find her patterns but the supply is limited.  The various "ornaments" are from a different pattern which I don't have so I may not be making them.  Although, I'm sure I can make a few 3" or 4" blocks to add to the tree if I decide I want them.  I'm happy to note the top section has a very limited number of pieces... I should be able to put 5 pieces together, right? 

So here are a couple of things I did this week that were off list. 

Sharon and I FaceTimed and got block 9 done of the Cali & Co mystery quilt by Coriander Quilts. Sorry that the lighting isn't even on this picture. For some reason the left light isn't as good as the right light. (yep, 2 lamps shine on this block -- actually most of my indoor pictures have 2 lamps shining on them.)

Only three more blocks to make until the final reveal. Hum, I don't think there will be anything but putting the blocks together.  But I could be wrong. We'll see in December. 

And here are the 9 blocks all together.  I need to pay better attention to the colors I use on corner triangles over the next three months.  Seems like I have a lot of the same colors which might make it hard to place the blocks in the final layout. 

I think I've cut out all of the Economy blocks I'll need.  So over this week I made 3 of them to add to the 2 already done. Hopefully I've cut enough medium color blocks so the quilt won't look too dark overall. 

Somehow I was able to continue my stitching streak for 15 Minutes to Stitch.  Here are the details. 

W/ending 9/21/25. 264 days of 2025

• 15 minute days/September 21/21
• 15 minute days/2024 = 264/264 days
• Success rate = 100%

Have fun reading blogs this week.  Don't forget to visit these Linky Parties. 

Life in Pieces

Oh Scrap

Design Wall Monday

Monday Musings

The book I spent all day reading and finishing was Elinore Lipman's newest. Every Tom, Dick and Harry was a hoot. Once I started reading I didn't want to put it down. It was a light, fun read. Here's my library's description: 

"Taking over her parents’ estate-sale business is not the life’s work that Emma Lewis bargained for. Yes, she grew up helping them empty people’s nests, but nothing prepared her for her biggest and stickiest “get”--the grand, beautiful house of ill repute masquerading as a decidedly beddable B and B. Should Emma turn down potential clients in need of decluttering just because they are shady, escort-y, and proud of it?

No. A girl must make a living.

Around some hairpin turns Lipman ingeniously reveals a straight shot to happiness."

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

Monday Meanderings 5/19/25

The week is winding down but I can't figure out what I've been doing all week. For the most part I spent the time reading, quilting, and a bit a knitting.  I did get most of my goals done which rather surprised me. I don't remember spending hours in the studio. Let's take a look.

5/12/25

✅Quilt 3 yard project — quilted a top for local quilt guild instead of the 3 yd quilt.

✅Sew May’s UFO blocks together— all rows done, need to sew them together.

✅Keep making 9 patches — a few more were made.

✅Finish knitting yellow hat — done, another started. 

✅Bind Happy Quilt — done.

✅Iron backings — several more ironed, one more left to do. 

Here's the quilt for my guild as I began quilting it. It was a jelly-roll-race style quilt. And, it was in yellow, white and black. I decided I had to use the quilt design that had bumble bees and flowers. You can see some of the flowers and the bees on the row below. 

The design is Busy Bees by My Creative Stitches. 👇🏼 Here's the design.

I made a few 9 patches this week.  Here are all the ones I have done. I've decided I'd make one of each color I make for the eQuilter to keep for myself.  They are a very good leader/ender project.

My plan going forward is to try to use both lighter and darker colors. So, I need to find some lighter blues, greens, reds and purples. It's going to be fun to go through my collection of 2.5" squares to find the usable squares. And, I'll probably cut into some of my fat quarters to augment the colors.

Here are two hats I've made fairly recently.  These still need pompoms.  I've been borrowing pompom makers from friends at our weekly stitching group.  It may be time for me to buy my own maker.  The hat on the right is child size and the yarn is actually navy blue. Sometimes I make hats flat and then sew up the seam -- like the stripe one. And sometimes I take the same pattern and make hats with a circular needle -- like the yellow one. I give the hats to From the Heart, a local charity. Their mission statement includes . . . "preserving and promoting fiber arts" . . .  as well as . . . "producing handmade items which bring comfort, love and solace to others." I have other skeins of various shades of yellow yarn and a couple of different white yarns.  I expect I'll be making more stripe hats and solid color ones in the future. I'm on the third yellow hat of this bright yellow yarn.

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

5/19/2025

Finish sewing UFO project to top

Quilt and bind 3 yd quilt project

Make more 9 patches

Quilt one of my tops 

Keep knitting hat/s

Pick a project to cut out for future retreat sewing

One thing I forgot to put on my goals list last week was making the Cali-Co Mystery block for May. Sharon and I get on FaceTime and chat while we make our block. We usually spend an afternoon together moving on to our own projects after our blocks are made. Here's my May block. The previous blocks have been made with mostly half square triangles.  This one was relatively easy with only 4 HSTs. Hum, I may change out the gold and dark purple triangles as I really prefer brighter colors.  However, I may wait until all the blocks are done before I change them.  When all 12 are done this block may look just fine. 

I've continued to get my 15 minutes of stitching done every day this week. 

W/ending 5/18/25. 138 days of 2025

• 15 minute days/May = 18/18
• 15 minute days/2024 = 138/138 days
• Success rate = 100%

Now a bit about the book I finished this week. I was reading Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict published in February.  Here's what The New York Times said about it: "a thrilling story of the five greatest women writers of the Golden Age of Mystery and their bid to solve a real-life murder."  I've read quite a few of Benedict's books and this one is just as good as her others. It gives a lot of insight into the way women were viewed between the World Wars.  Surprisingly, many of the the slights women faced at that time are still happening now. It also gives a glimpse as to how authors develop their stories.  I admit I didn't figure out the who done it although I did suspect one.  

It's time to link up with various Linky Parties. Please enjoy surfing quilting blogs by going to these parties. (Hum, Oh Scrap isn't up yet. I'll check on Monday.) 

Stitching Stuff

Oh Scrap

Design Wall Monday

Monday Musing 

 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 

 

Monday Meanderings 8 - 16 - 2022

Quilting seems to have taken a backseat to reading recently. At the end of this post I've listed a few books I've really liked recently.  But now, let's see how I did on my goals. 

8/8/22

✅Finish new charity quilt to top stage -- done, need backing 

✅Sew August UFO challenge together, add borders, figure out backing -- all done backing is ready to load

Make August BOM from A Quilting Life & ✅RSC blocks -- RSC done but need to do A Quilting Life block

Quilt one of my quilts -- nope, nada, didn't do it

✅Work on grand’s Christmas ornaments -- one is almost all done, second one is in progress

Not too bad.  We also had an overnight visit from our daughter's family on their way to the beach house.  It was a win, win.  They got closer to NC and out of the horrendous DC traffic the day before they had planned to drive and Saturday's drive was much shorter. We enjoyed seeing and catching up with everyone. 

Here's the final top.  The borders were leftover from a wide back. 

And here is the quilt top with the backing I found that will go with it. Thank you Nann, who blogs at With Strings Attached, for the fabric. A surprise box of fabric arrived a year or so ago.  I've pulled fabric from it off and on. I saw this one and knew it would work well with this challenge quilt. 

And next up my goals this week. 

8/15/22

Quilt charity top for guild

Make August BOM from A Quilting Life

Quilt one of my quilts

Make a list of all finished tops and figure out backing sizes for them

Continue to clean off front of cutting table

Begin challenge piece inspired by a card

I'll also continue to work on the Christmas ornaments for the grands but I'm not listing them every week. 

Notice that clean off front end of cutting table.  I spent several hours working on cutting up bits and pieces of fabric as well as putting fabric back on the shelves. I can see the difference but I'm not sure anyone else would notice it!  But I'll try to get through more of the mess on that end of the table. I can almost see the cutting mat under the fabric. 

One of the projects I am working on was making a sample cover for a composition book. Sharon and I usually go in together to make a little gift for fellow retreaters.  We'll be going the first week of October so it's time to figure something out.  She suggested the cover and sent me a link for the directions. Here's my first attempt. 

It looks nice but it took quite a long time and that didn't include the flying geese.  The directions called for binding the edges which just added a lot of time. (You can find the free directions here.) I made this one without having a composition book around.  After I bought one (not on any school special) I realized the inside fold over that went on the covers didn't work because the covers were heavy cardboard.  We'll be changing the width of that piece so it is easier to get it on the book.  And we'll probably be buying composition books on back-to-school specials and they won't have stiff covers. We hope to use up leftover blocks to make these covers.  I think it will be a terrific way to move out some fabric. And, I'll be checking the box from Nann for some fabric too.  I have another one started but haven't been motivated to finish it yet.  We've made some changes to make it go much faster. We'll split the 25 we need between the two of us so it won't be that much work. 

Back to books.  I generally have two to three books going at a time -- generally one audio book and 2 books on Kindle or, gasp, an actual book.  Because I read so many books, I tend to keep a list of books read by year.  It helps me when I try to figure out whether I've read a book or not.  Case in point is Nine Women, One Dress by Jane Rosen. I wanted to read it before offering it up as a book club choice for Sept. I started it and then realized I'd probably read it and sure enough, in 2019 I had. (But I'm reading it again because I don't remember all of it!)   I'm also offering up Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman.  They are miles apart in style and story but both are good.  I'm guessing we'll choose Nine Dresses. It's entertaining, a fast read, and our public library has multiple copies of it. Another great book I recently finished is Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.  It was set in the 1950s and '60s and shines a light on how women were treated as "mere" housewives rather than serious scientists. Both libraries I use had long waiting lists for the Kindle books and audio books. (one was over 70 people for 5 Kindle books.) If it sounds interesting to you prepare to wait but it was really worth it.  What are you reading these days? 

Hopefully you are reading some blogs along with interesting books. Here's the Linky parties to check out. 

Oh Scrap

Monday Making

Design Wall Monday 

To Do Tuesday 

That's it for me.  I have a book I want to read now. (Ok, only after I do some blog surfing!) 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

  

To Do Tuesday . . .

Instead of Monday Meanderings, yesterday I had a special request.  With Mari's approval, I requested some quilts be sent to Cool Kids Campaign in North Carolina during the Hands 2 Help challenge.  You can read about it here.  

First up let's look at last week's Goals list: 

4/4/22

Put borders on Stop Tossing — made the border but haven’t cut it to size or applied it

✅Finish borders on Easy Breezy Blocks 

✅Make more Spider Web blocks (ok just 1 but at least it's progress)

✅Start putting Improv blocks together

✅Quilt top for Leashes of Valor 

And for this week: 

4/11/22

Work on a secret project

Continue on Improv top

Make more RSC blocks 

Make April block from Sherri McConnell’s BOM

Here's where I am on the Improv blocks.  I made most squares last year. Now I'm sewing them into strips. 

I am using Kelly Young's pattern "Precarious" from her first book, Stash Statement. These are the second group of squares that will need to be sewn together.  Notice those clips on all but the purple stash?  I realized I hadn't made all the squares I needed. I clipped the squares together that had the correct count and left the others unclipped until the correct number of blocks were done.  I'm still debating the grey fabric.  It seems to me I should use what I have on hand since I have more than enough of it. 

Today's blog is short and to the point.  I'm moving right on to Linky parties.  I hope you'll spend some time checking them out. 

To Do Tuesday 

Mid Week Makers 

Wednesday Wait Loss

Needle and Thread Thursday  

That secret project is calling my name.  

Happy Quilting All!  Bonnie