Monday Meandering 11 - 10 - 2025

It's been a week.  Most notable for me is I ended up with a cold on Wednesday.  It's still hanging on and driving me crazy.   Needless to say I wasn't as motivated on my sewing front as I like to be but I did keep stitching every day.  Goals were not all finished but that's ok too. 

11/3/25

√Finish Tall Tree sections 6 & 7 and 2nd skirt section — started section 6 but didn’t finish, cut out the flying geese for 2 skirt sections.

✅Continue making Benny blocks — all blocks are done, 1st row sewn together.

✅Baste small top for quilting on domestic machine — all basted, ready to start sewing 

✅Make more Economy blocks — several more blocks finished.

Here's how far I got on Tall Tree section 6.  Not that far. Okay more than half done. I cut out all the flying geese parts for both skirt sections. Hopefully this week I'll get more done on Tall Tree. (I used the small check mark because I didn't finish all of it!) 

All of the Benny blocks were finished and the first row is together. (The picture was taken before the first row was sewn together.) 

Here are two of the Economy blocks I finished this week. I think I'm down to just 10 more blocks to finish.  I'll try to finish them all this week but they aren't a priority. 

Here are my goals for this coming week.  Hopefully I make better progress this coming week. 

11/11/25

Finish Tall Tree sections 6 & 7 and 2nd skirt section

Sew clue 5 of Magnificent Mystery together 

Begin quilting on In Home Round Robin 

Continue sewing Benny rows together

Make more Economy blocks

That seems a lot to do this week considering I have a singing engagement on Veterans Day that will take up half the day. Hopefully I'll make more progress on these goals. 

I did do some off goal list sewing this week. Here's one of the blocks I made for the current FCQ Equilter who asked for any star block in red, white and blue.  I used the Accuquilt die Blazing Star.  It's a bit fussy making sure everything is turned the right way when cutting and then sewn together correctly.  Let's just say I recut a bit and ripped and resewed too. But the finish looks great! 

And I made an Ohio Star block using the Accuquilt die.  Much easier and looks good!!

The FCQ Equilters met as members of Faithful Circle Quilters in Columbia, Maryland many years ago. All of us have moved away from the area but we continue on as the FCQ Equilters and make blocks for each other. I figured using the picture of the Maryland Statehouse made a lot of sense. According to Wikipedia "It is the oldest U.S. state capitol in continuous legislative use, dating to 1772, and houses the Maryland General Assembly, plus the offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor." You can read more about this interesting building here.  

The fabric was designed for the Mid Atlantic Shop Hop this year.  I was able to buy some when on retreat in October. It helps having a good selection of RWBs! I hope to make another RWB quilt myself sometime in the next few months. 

Another week of 100% of 15 minutes of sewing. WooWoo!

W/ending 11/9/25. 313 days of 2025

• 15 minute days/November  9/9
• 15 minute days/2024 = 312/313 days
• Success rate = 99.68%

Not bad at all!  I hope to continue to get my 15 minutes of stitching in the rest of the year.  We'll see if I succeed. 

Remember to check out these blogs for Linky parties. You never know what will inspire you! 

Stitching Stuff 

Oh Scrap! 

Patchwork and Quilts 

Design Wall Monday 

Monday Musing 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie 

All-Star Sampler

Recently, I read on someone's blog that she didn't think anyone would be interested in finishing a project.  Guess what! People do finish other people's unfinished projects. 

Virginia Star Quilters received a plastic box with several finished blocks, extra fabric, a couple of sample blocks, a ruler, and a book, All-Star Sampler. The Community Outreach chair person passed it on to me to see if I would finish it -- or at least do something with it.  There were 9 blocks finished and one nearly finished.   I looked in the box soon after I got it and freaked out. The blocks were beautiful star blocks. There were two settings both with feathered star blocks. The project had been a block of the month project from a store according to a note the quilter left. She said she started it in 1999. The piecing is exquisite.  Take a look at the blocks she's finished.

I originally thought I'd finish another block that is nearly done. And, maybe make one more so there will be 12 blocks.  Um, er, I don't make complicated blocks for the most part. Most, if not all, of these have set in seams. My plan now is to pull out my trusty Circle of Nine book and choose a setting.  No doubt any of them in that book would be easier than the settings in the book, All Star Sampler by Roxanne Carter.  You know I'm not making a feathered star block -- although I have and I actually could.  But, no, not for this. 

After texting back and forth with Nancy, the Community Outreach person, we decided one of the Circle of Nine quilts would work. We think the finished quilt might be a raffle quilt, or possibly donate to another organization to use as a fund raiser. Here's what the design will (hopefully) look like. As shown it would be 68" square. The blocks are 12" and the outside border is 8.5".  I'm not sure it will end up that big but it's what we're thinking about.  

I did an inventory of all the fabric that was included.  The multicolor print on black ground has a whole bunch of fabric already cut at 6.5".  Other fabrics have 2 yards or less.  If I remember correctly the "F" rectangles need about 2 yards. Hum, I just noticed the light background squares "D". There isn't a lot of background left -- hopefully just enough.  If we're lucky,  the only fabric that will be purchased is the backing. 

I'll keep you posted as I begin to work through this challenge.  I doubt it will be high on my list to complete soon but I should be able to finish it if I work on it off and on over the next few months. Part of my issue is I'm trying to finish a lot of my UFOs and quilt some of the many tops I have.  And, a surprise group of quilts for a customer.  I'll be busy. 

Have you decided what you will do with your stash, sewing machines, UFO's and finished quilts? I mean, when you are either not around or unable to keep working on them?  

I have a plan -- my daughter will be responsible for moving out my sewing supplies. She's a quilter but she has a tiny little sewing space so she's not going to be able to keep most of what I have. (Remember, books, rulers, threads, long arm, old projects -- the list just keeps on going.) I will try to leave some ideas of where she can donate quilts and supplies to that will benefit others. 

She rolls her eyes at me when I tell her I've gotten rid of things.  A while ago I gave away a big bag of paper panto patterns for long arm quilting. *eye roll* I was happy to pass it on to a lady who had a fairly new long arm and was thrilled to take them. (I'm also working on my yarn collection making frame knit hats.) 

I am continuing to move UFOs into tops. I've cut back on fabric buying -- except for specific projects or backing. I think in the last 2 or 3 years I've only gotten a 3 or 4 books. I sporadically sell some of my supplies or give them away on the free table at the guild.  So I am trying.  But I hope to never give up on quilting. If I have any luck sewing through my fabric collection it would be some what easier.  Have you put any thought into your quilting supplies? 

I'm linking up with Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation, Alycia's Finished or Not Friday, Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, and Beauties Pageant at From Bolt to Beauty.  Take some time to visit. A lot is  going on with quilters around the world. I'll be back to link up the other posts on Friday -- if I remember... UGH! Saturday morning and I finally remembered! 

Happy Quilting All! Bonnie