First completion of 2025

 The quilt (45 inches square) called "Dogwood Blossoms" is complete! Began at the end of December 2024. VCQ Mystery Quilt for New Year's Eve. Top finished about two weeks ago. Finished quilting and binding on Feb 21. YES! First completion of the year. Need to take a picture and add it here but I need to wash it first as it has a lot of RED in it.

Harmonic Convergence

So I got a chance to take a virtual class with Ricky Tims this weekend on Harmonic Convergence.

I had a great experience and the gap between the sessions was just enough for me to keep up.

The Four Squares I started with

First Convergence

Fully Converged

It was an interesting process. I have his book but I could not make the jump.

He was a lovely teacher and the format was good.

Now for the borders.

Stars in My Garden - Completed!

 I completed my quilt as you go project Stars in My Garden last night. 

Boy! Was it a doozy! 121 inches by 92 inches. WOW!

Inspired by Alamosa Quilters post here:  http://alamosaquilter.blogspot.com/2014/03/a-tutorial-stars-and-scrappy-stripes.html 

This is a close up showing the Baptist fan quilting in the border.

The full view.

Here is another full length view and you can still see the Baptist fan at the bottom. Also, you can see the two colors in the LeMoyne Star in this pic.

Another view showing the Rapid-Fire Lemoyne Stars that I put at each corner. Two shades of yellow but you can't really tell in this photo.

Here is the reverse side. A completely different quilt!

A close up showing the star. I quilted in from the other side in black and used different bobbin thread to show on this side.

Another full view of the Garden side.

And here is the proof it's the same quilt, showing some of the front side.

I was so exhausted after applying the last two short borders and then binding it (by machine) last night.

The Pandemic Bricks and Stepping Stones top

I have a new finish - 61 x 76 - a free Bonnie Hunter pattern called Bricks and Stepping Stones.

After making a ton of masks using these fabrics, I was inspired to throw this top together using those fabrics. I will forever match the masks and this soon-to-be quilt together with the pandemic of 2020.

The Pandemic Bricks and Stepping Stones top

Masks using this fabric

My Quilting Space & Deep Stash

I guess this is more of a confession posting. I have taken pictures of my quilting space and my deep stash.

When Mom finally admitted that she was not going to quilt any more (she is 88), I gained her stash. Also, her sister, my aunt, had passed away a few years ago and Mom also got that as well so I got, like, two stashes to add to my own, not-insignificant stash.

The method to my madness is to fold the fabric in half with selveges together, right-side showing. I iron the entire piece and then ruler-fold it with the fold to the left, and then in half again. I place it on my shelves with the fold showing.

Whenever I need a piece of fabric, all I need to do is unfold and slice the desired amount since it is already ironed and is immediately ready for use.

I am the out-of-sight, out-of-mind kind of quilter. I must see it to know I have it. (LOL)

So here comes the quilt space show.

Pictures taken in December 2019.

Coffee at my computer

Machine to the left of my coffee

Yup, I like old machines too.

Stash behind the sewing machine.

Stash to the right of my sewing machine

Stash behind the sewing machine

Add caption

Cutting Table, aka the Dining room table

My Wal-Mart batting purchase (1 of 2) - 96" x 9 yards!

Attic - Deep Stash

Attic Deep Stash 2

Attic Deep Stash 3

Attic Deep Stash 4

Attic Deep Stash 5

Attic Deep Stash 6 - More batting

New quilt in the making

Here is a new quilt (in the making). I have made all of the blocks. They are 4.5 inches square and four will be sewn together to make a full block.

The quilt is the one on the front of this book "Triangle-Free Quilts" by Judy Hopkins, but I am making more squares and not the border:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1564773930/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Started July 2019. Pattern name: Arctic Nights from the book Triangle-Free Quilts by Judy Hopkins (2002). Original quilt is 6x8 layout. I am planning 7x9 layout and a different border, if any.

I used 43 strips of dark-to-medium strips and 43 white/light strips.

Part of the design was to cut an 11-inch strip and then cut one inch off of the pair. Instead I sewed both sides of the 11-inch set and now I have 43 1.5-inch strip-pairs.

I also got an extra two-patch per 11-inch strip pair so I have 43 two-patches that are 1.5 inches by 2.5 inches.

New quilt makings

And then there were ends of the 2.5 inch strips that were not used.  Good grief, that is that a big pile!

Leftover fabric

I need to figure out how to use these. Maybe on the back? Or should I make a border?

43 two-patches

43!

43  (1.5 inches wide by 11 inches long) strip-pairs. I guess some folks would have just thrown these away?!

If I sewed them together, I would have a quarter of a yard of fabric!!!

I have already started sewing the sets of four blocks together so more pictures will be coming.

Flash Back - Flash Forward - 40 years diff

Me in 1977

Me in 2017

I'm still recognizable. A friend from college sent me the old picture. Too funny!

River's back to normal

The river is back down and you can see the "No Wake" post now.

Back to normal

River's still rising

The James River is the highest it has been in 10 years. Too much rain. What a mess it is making!

You can't even see the no-wake sign. That is the ripple toward the center of the picture. There is a ton of logs built up in front of the gantry holding the floating pier. I have no idea how they will clean it out of there when the flood is done.

Yesterday morning

Normally there is a stone terrace on the other side of the river but even the trees on the other side are under water.  Ugh!

Last night.

You see the lights? That is the Capital Trail bicycle path between Richmond and Williamsburg. Totally under water. Ugh!

I ride this trail from home to work when it is warmer. No riding it right now, however!

They are going to have a lot of clean-up to do when the river goes down.

A Finish!

I am wiping my sweaty brow! I have a finish. 8 yards used.

Just in the nick nick nick of time.

I have finished my raveled edge jeans quilt yesterday. It was 15x11 blocks, 6-inches each. According to the Quilter's Paradise calculations, it used 8 YARDS! Woo Hoo!

I finished it and immediately took it to the coin laundry and washed and dried it. It looks so nice and raveled! DH just _loves_ it. I made in "man" colors.

Pictures will be taken later today.

Here it is before washing and adding the binding. I didn't like the way it was without the binding so I added a 3.5" strips of binding. O, I forgot to add that into the mix of the yardage count. 7-8 strips of 3.5". Humm.

Front Side

Jeans side