Monday Meanderings 9 - 7 - 2026

We have relief!  Our temps hit 82º! And tonight it's supposed to drop to 62º. It's a miracle. Of course it was awful earlier this week. Temps were in the 90s and humidity was even worse.  Luckily I stayed inside most days except taking Sunny for walks. I spent most of the days in basement studio.  Unfortunately, when I wasn't working on Frog Choker, I was reading. 

I didn't do all that well on my goals this week -- not at all! That's ok. It's amazing how much time it took to stitch a bunch of rain plus tie off all the threads! 

8/31/26

✅Start sewing background of idiom quilt — background almost done. Need to tie off threads.

Cut one kit for Oct retreat — nothing done. 

Lay out potato chip blocks — nope. Need to clear off design wall 

✅Finish binding on sea life — done! 

Get one of my tops loaded and quilted — Not done because of customer quilt. 

Most of my quilting time was taken up by sewing silver thread in straight lines making it look like heavy rain.  What do you think? Remind you of rain? My idiom is Frog Choker which means so much rain that even the frogs are choking on it. 

Ms. Frog and her umbrella have only been laid on the background. She won't be put on permanently until I finish all the rain and tying off the threads.  Update -- All the rain threads have been stitched. I still have quite a few threads to tie off and bury.  But that should get done on Monday at some point. The dark grey at the top will be made to look like clouds -- hopefully.  Then I can iron on the appliqués and stitch Ms. Frog down.  I'm going to make some sort of swirl of water around the frog's hand between her legs. (Or so I hope!)  After that I'll only have binding, label and hanging sleeve to do.  I sure hope I can get it all done by 9/16! 

Here's a close up. Since this pic was taken I got all the close "rain" stitching done on this side of the frog.  Hopefully I'll be able to use a wooden skewer to hold up her umbrella.  Next week she should be almost finished before I write my blog. 

Here's next week's goals. (But you all know I'll be spending a lot of time on Frog Choker.) 

9/7/26

Keep sewing on Idiom Quilt

Finish quilting customer top

Sew July UFO together 

Cut one kit for October retreat

Fifteen Minutes of Sewing -- I sewed every day for at least 15 minutes this week. 

Week ending 8/30/26: 249 days of 2026.

 248 stitching days out of 249 days 99.6%

I'm looking forward to getting Frog Choker done so I can get back to sewing other projects and getting projects ready for my next retreat. Hopefully I'll have more things to share! 

I'm linking up with Stitching Time, Oh Scrap, Quilting Patchwork Applique,  Design Wall Monday, and Monday Musings. 

A couple of weeks ago I finished this UFO.  I started the appliqués in a class at a Maryland quilt store near where I lived.  They were finished but I put them away for a long while.  Nearly 20 years passed before I decided it was time to finish it.  Once I decided what to do it didn't take all that long to finish it. I stitched in the ditch around some of the areas and stitched parallel lines in the orange sections. I hand stitched around each motif.  It took a long time to finish it but I really like it. 

We are now 8 weeks away from the midterm elections. If you generally vote by mail consider trying early voting this year.  Who knows what will happen with voting by mail this year.  So plan ahead and don't forget to vote! 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

Monday Meanderings -- 8 - 10 - 2026

Late, I'm late for a very important date.  Yep, I did not get my blog written last night. Yesterday was the busiest day I've had in a very long time.  First up I gathered two friends from our quilt guild and off we went to the Gathering of the Guilds. (GoG)  Unfortunately it was an hour away.  We had a great time and some of us won some of the prizes/lotto blocks.  (Me - it was me who won 12 poppy lotto blocks... story and pictures below.) After getting home hubby and I went to a going away party for some friends. We're very sad to see them leave but they are in their 90s and are going to live near one of their children -- in Nevada! Boo hiss.  But we wished them well and will miss them. I was exhausted by the time we got home. So, here I am Monday morning ready to write this week's blog.  Let's get on to it -- goals first. 

8/3/26

✅Sew down binding on table runner — finished.

✔️Draw out plan for Idiom Challenge, stitch rain and puddles on background — frog planned. Didn’t get much done on rain or puddles as I'm still making decisions. 

✅Stitch ears of bunny on Snowman 2 — done.

✔️Pick fabric for Marigold mystery — I have some ideas but not final color plans yet. 

✅Start making 6” blocks for Aug UFO Challenge — one block done several more needed. 

Here's the finished table runner.  It was a quilt-as-you-go project that a friend started.  She got fed up with it and gave it to me to finish or .... 11 years later I got it out to finish it.  There was a little grumbling and irritation while working on it. I understand why she got it out of her life.  I like it but haven't decided if I will keep it or donate it to the Virginia Quilt Museum for their store.  What do you think? Is it worthy or not?  I don't really need it.  And, it is pretty . . . 

Next up is the finished Eiffel Tower quilt.  Much of the fabric for this project was free to me. Whoopee!  The pattern is from one of Ursula Reikes baby books, except I added a row, if I remember correctly.  I got the binding done since last you saw it here.  This will be going to my local guild's community outreach program. 

And here is my beginning plans on Frog Choker -- my idiom challenge project. Well bummer. I have no idea why there are all those weird lines on this pic.  Last week I found a site showing how to draw a frog.  I decided I would draw at least one frog a day and would then use one of them as my frog pattern.  So far, this is the winner. I may change the eyes to make them a little more cartoonish.  But I'm happy with it for the most part. You can just see the blue-grey grunge background fabric on the upper left. Luckily progress is being made and it isn't due until  mid-September's guild meeting. I'll need all that time to decide and finish this one. 

I don't think I explained our idiom challenge. The guild is sponsoring it and anyone can pick an idiom and make a quilt that represents that to them.  I chose "Frog Choker." It is an old Southern saying referencing a heavy rain which is enough to choke a frog.  Pat was driving us home one day when the skies opened up with a heavy downpour.  He called it a frog choker. Voilá -- a perfect idiom.  Our idiom quilts can be any size and will be exhibited at the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo in Fredericksburg, September 24 - 26.  I have time to really plan this out and do my very best on it. And, for once, I'm not being literal about a challenge.  Do you think it would work if I put a choker necklace on my frog too? 

So here's this week's goals. I think there are too many items but at least it will remind me what I could be working on! 

8/10/26

Make progress on Idiom challenge 

Find border fabric and put on Hen & Her Chicks top

Empty two project boxes

Finish string quilt top

Quilt 2 quilts one for me, one for quilt guild

Continue making 6” blocks for Aug UFO Challenge

I'm still succeeding at my 15 Minutes to Stitch. 

Week ending 8/2/26: 221 days of 2026.

 220 stitching days out of 214 days 99.5%

I thought I would share the poppy blocks I made for the GoG.  They are pretty and were really easy.  The pattern instructions were sent out multiple times. I couldn't open the one that was in the newsletter but someone had sent a note about them with a link which I accessed. 

EXCEPT, no, this wasn't the block that most people used.  Okay then.  I won 12 blocks so it may be very interesting mixing these different blocks.  I think I got 2 of them 👆but most were like this one 👇.

It's time for me to get on with my Monday.  I hope you enjoy spending some time with quilters across the world by looking at these Linky parties.  Have fun! 

Stitching Time 

Oh Scrap

Quilting Patchwork Applique 

Design Wall Monday

Monday Musings

That's it for me today.  It's time to get going on this goal list. Plus, maybe draw another frog? I think she needs to look more cutesy.  I'll let you know how that goes next week.  

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie

Monday Meanderings 10 - 13 - 2025

Hello All!  This will be a short post as I'm nearly ready to go on retreat. It's about 3.5 hours away and hopefully will be an easy drive. (Let's hope there is minimal to no rain for the drive!)  This should be a  somewhat shorter post.  Look for more photos next week at this time! 

Here's my goals from last week. Not that many green check marks. 

10/6/25

Make sections 3 & 4 of Tall Trees — nothing done.

✅Figure out fabric usage stats — finished but will post later. 

✅Work on clue 4 of Marvelous Mystery — Clue is done. Yea!

✅Organize and pack for retreat 10/13 — Organized but only partially packed. But things are ready to go into the suitcase. 

Not many pictures of what I was working on last week. I've included one sample block. Yep a very simple block. I will be making this block with a group of turquoise fabrics with a yellowish green. Doesn't that sound weird. But the fabrics look good together.  Once the blocks are made I'll figure out the layout. It is going to be baby quilt so it is fairly small to meet the requirements of the hospital the guild donates them to.  this is 4.5" finished.  I have a 9" AccuQuilt Cube so I used dies from it for this block.  And, yep, this pink one is not going into the quilt! 

Here's what I've got planned for the coming week. 

10/13/25

Have a great time at retreat

Finish at least 4 of 6 projects

Start loading a quilt on long arm  when back home

Nope, not much listed.  I don't know which projects I'll work on. Although I'd love to finish all 6 I probably won't. I'm being realistic. 

My daily 15 minutes of stitching continues. Truth -- after I finish writing this post I plan to stitch for 15 minutes before bed...I'll change this info if I can't get it done! Just finished about 25 minutes of stitching on a needlepoint. If I hadn't already packed up my current knitting project I would have worked on it. YEA! Still at 100%.

W/ending 10/12/25. 285 days of 2025

• 15 minute days/October 12/12
• 15 minute days/2024 = 285/285 days
• Success rate = 100%

Last week I finished quilting and binding a small quilt. This week I took some photos of Whirl quilt I finished to share. It was a windy, cloudy and sometimes rainy day so only indoor photos of Whirl. 

Whirl is the name of the block. I used my AccuQuilt 9" Cube for these blocks that were made for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge in 2022. These were left over after making a bigger quilt. You can see the other blocks here, here, and finished quilt here. I noticed I called it Spinner rather than Whirl. Whirl is the name on the Accuquilt block pattern. 

Here's the back of Whirl. That's the purple fabric I bought earlier as a bolt from Marshall Dry Goods.  I'm pretty sure I'm down to about 2 to 3 yards left on the 15 yard bolt. But I still have a lot of big scrap pieces left.  I may be using it for years to come! 

Here's an unclose picture of the quilting on Whirl.  I'm pretty sure I used a white So Fine thread. The pattern is Rhapsody Edge to Edge Leaf.  (Again, from My Creative Stitches.) 

Please take some time to check out other bloggers via these Linky parties. I may not get the last two linked on Monday morning. But the computer is going to retreat too so I will get to it eventually!

Life in Pieces

Oh Scrap 

Design Wall Monday

Monday Musings. 

I'll finish this up with a before and after picture of Sunny.  Here's what she looked like before grooming this past Friday. 

And after her grooming.  I bet she can see a whole lot more of the world now! 

I've learned to make her next appointment while dropping her off for grooming. Her groomer is very busy! 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

A Couple More Finishes!

Today I have two more finishes to share. 

First up is a project with blocks made by the FCQ Equilters -- years ago! Yes, I still have several different block sets that should be made into quilt/s. This project used 16 patches made with 2" (unfinished) squares in red, white and blue.  I added 6" x 3" flying geese to make stars.

I used FanFare quilting design by My Creative Stitches.  It looks like I used red So Fine thread. From what I can tell I finished this quilt in March of '24.  I will probably give this to the local guild to donate to a veteran. 

Are you a fan of Cheryl and Meadow Mist blog? I decided to do her mystery quilt in 2022 for the first time. My friend Sharon and I got together with FaceTime once a month to sew the mystery together. I finally quilted it in July of 24.  I think part of the reason I postponed quilting this one is I was undecided on the quilting design. 

I decided to "store" it on the guest bedroom -- there's another quilt under this one. 

Here's a closeup of the quilting pattern. It is Sunshine, by Melonie Caldwell and sold at Urban Elementz.  Can't tell which thread I used but it was definitely a white or cream. 

It's always fun when I can use fabric from my stash. For this quilt I already had this green with bright colored polka dots and possibly the dark green. I did buy the purply-pink and possibly the background fabric. 

I'm linking up with these Linky Parties: 

Wednesday Wait Loss 

Beauties Pageant 

Put Your Foot Down

Finished or Not Friday

Off the Wall Friday

They have lots of wonderful blogs listed for you (and me) to visit.  I've been reading a lot this week and playing computer games rather than spending a lot of time in my studio.  So, it seems like visiting some of these blog posts will be very entertaining this weekend. I hope you do some blog hopping too. 

Every year I drop my finished spools in a basket to see how many I use during the year.  Here's the photo from this year's spool usage. 

I've been keeping track of my spool usage since 2012.  My highest spool usage was 30 and it happened in 2014 and 2017. (My guess is I was embroidering a lot and used a lot of spools of embroidery thread!) I'm happy with the 20 spools for this year. My lowest number was 7 in 2016. I don't know what happened that year. Maybe I started buying cones for my domestic machine along with the long arm. 

That's it for me tonight. We've got more snow coming in over night but hopefully it won't be more than 2" or so.  The temperatures have been staying near or below  freezing since the snowstorm on Monday.  Hopefully we'll see some temps above freezing so the snow will begin to melt.  I'll be spending the weekend in the studio in hopes of making all my goals this week.

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie

Finishes From Spring! Oh My

After finishing my last quilt of 2024 this morning I decided it was time to figure out how many quilts I made this year and whether I actually posted any pictures of them. EEK! I haven't posted all that many pictures of finished quilts.  So today I'm posting 3 of them in the attempt to get pictures of all my finishes posted in the next few weeks.  

First up is Sea Creatures. The name comes from the Hoffman fabric -- it has sea creatures on it. (Original aren't I?) Thanks to my friend Gail for gifting me the fabric.  It is hard to see the the animals.  (Notice the azaleas blooming away -- I took the picture a while ago!) 

I really like 3 yard quilts. This pattern is from Fabric Cafe's book Quick As A Wink 3-Yard Quilts. The quilting design is Fast and Easy Swirls from My Creative Stitches. 

Next is Knuffle Bunny.  The main fabric is based on the illustrations of Mo Willems, who wrote and illustrated the book, Knuffle Bunny.  It's a great picture book for toddlers and primary graders. 

I used a Villa Rose Design card called Baby Goose. It's a bit smaller than the directions called for but it used all the fabric I had.  It is a great design to highlight the Knuffle Bunny fabric. I used Sugar and Spice quilting design - another My Creative Stitches design.

Last up is a quilt I call Blue Flowers. Except it dawned on me when I look at the fabric the flowers are yellow on blue fabric.  Oh well. I'm not very creative naming my quilts!

This quilt is Stepping Up Quilt also by Fabric Cafe. You can download this pattern on your computer.  If you visit Fabric Cafe online be sure to check out their free patterns. Right now there are several patterns available. Generally the patterns are pretty fast to make too. I've been using them to make kits. Then I can grab and sew when I take my Featherweight on the road -- sew ins and retreats. 

This quilting pattern is called Rhapsody-leaf. It is also by My Creative Stitches. 

I have more than 15 finished quilts that I've forgotten to post pictures of this year. So I'll be trying to post them over the next week or two.  My next posting should be on Friday.  

I'm linking up with Wednesday Wait Loss and Put Your Foot Down when they become available. Stop by these blogs to see what people are doing this week. ** Alycia suggested linking up at Quilty Girl. So I did! Enjoy the parties. 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

Finally Some Finishes!

I don't know why but I tend to forget to show finished quilts.  I know I share the tops as I'm making them.  So I decided to blog on a rare Friday and show two finished quilts and my fabric use statistics. (I've been neglecting those numbers!) 

First up is a quilt I think I called Baby Buggy.  I donated this one to Country Piecemakers to give to one of their charities when I was at their October retreat. 

When I realized I didn't have a photo of this finished quilt I snapped a couple of pictures of it in the sewing area.  Unfortunately, the lighting wasn't fabulous. This quilt is a smaller version of Fabric Cafe's Boxes and Bows 3 yard quilt pattern.  Did you know the Fabric Cafe has free digital patterns?  They change out which patterns are free during the year.  I make a point to check for their freebies every month.  I made this a bit smaller. I used the left over fabric to make another baby quilt.  If you remember, this is the fabric that is actually baby carriages, or really a pram that some people first think are peacocks.  I know weird, right?  I used Quick and Easy Swirl pattern from My Creative Stitches. It definitely is quick and easy.

Next up is My Patriotic Lone Star Quilt.  I'm pretty sure the pattern Big Block Lone Star Quilt© written by Debby Kratovil. (You can buy a digital copy at Debby's shop on Etsy.) I made the quilt quite a while ago but I didn't want to quilt in on the long arm.  I wanted to do mostly stitch in the ditch and designs that are easy to do with my walking foot.  When I got my new sewing machine I decided it was time to give it a try. 

I stitched in the ditch around all the diamonds.  Then I using masking tape as a guide I stitched some boxes and triangles. Sharon had suggested I stitch some free hand stars in the border but I decided to take an easier route. I stitched some more triangles instead.  I used So Fine Red and Beige depending on what color I was quilting on.  I am so happy I've finished this one. It will fit perfectly above the fire place during Veterans Day and July 4th. 

I've been trying to catch up on fabric I've used or acquired for the last 4 months or so.  I think the last report I gave was in August for June and July.  Except, July was wrong. Here's the correct info for July, and August, and September.  I've done a terrific job of using fabric even though I brought in 19 yards from an estate sale in Aug.  I don't count fabric used until a quilt is finished which means I've got a lot of fabric hanging around as tops that can't be counted as used! Here are the numbers for 3 months, July through September. 

2024	Yards in Month	Yards In Year	Yards Out Month	Yards Out Year	Total Yards In or Out Month
July Revised	15	56.5	9	96.875	-6.00
August	23	79.5	22.15	119.025	-0.85
September	6.00	85.5	7.375	126.4	1.375

It is great to realize I'm still using more fabric than I'm bringing in.  Right now it's running around 40 yards.  I've been doing this for years but I don't think I've had such a good year in using more fabric than I'm bringing in.  

My plan is to continue to post finished quilts on Fridays.  I'll have to see how many more I need to share.  So I hope you'll join me to see the finishes instead of always seeing fabric become tops. I'm linking up with Needle and Thread Thursday, Beauties Pageant, Finished or Not Fridays, and Off the Wall. I'm looking forward to doing some serious blog surfing this weekend. I hope your join me.

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie