What I’m Working on Wednesday – 9/10/25

September 10, 2025 8:33 am ⋅ 1 Comment ⋅ Pam

Cascades is a top!

It always amazes me how frequently I delay getting borders on a quilt, even when it is just “slab o’borders”. This quilt is 3rd in line to be quilted. I need to finish the quilt on the frame, then quilt my SILs Vintage Christmas Sampler, then I’ll be able to quilt this one. My deadline for this quilt is November 16th, so who knows what else may get worked in before then.

Saturday a new quilt shop opened in town called Delta Threadz. It’s their second location, the first is in Cleveland, Mississippi. I missed the grand opening Saturday, but ran over there yesterday for a few minutes. They are a Bernina Dealer, they don’t have a whole lot of fabric, but what they had was cute. My plan was to buy something, but I was given the hard sell on a sewing machine when I asked about repairing the little Bernette I picked up at an estate sale I left without buying anything. Later in the afternoon I ran over to Cotton Blossom which is about 1/2 mile further in the other direction from my house, simply because it’s been a while since I’ve been in there.

They had the new Tilda Christmas line by the front of the store. I love the soft colors and some of the fabrics could be used year round The price however, well, lets just say I won’t be buying any of that fabric anytime soon. I did find some red, white, and blue fabrics which spoke to me and picked up some half yard cuts — not that I need these at the moment.

Posted in: Cascade, designwall, Stash

Catching Up

September 9, 2025 8:51 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅ Pam

The time simply has gotten away from me. Between work, quilting and filling in at my friend’s shop, blogging has fallen to the bottom of the list of things to do. First up, the August Stash Report.

The Stash Report

Fabric Added Since Last Report: 13.759 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 194.442 yards

Fabric Used Since Last Report: 32.67 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 147.139 yards

Net Fabric Stash: 47.303 yards

So did I meet the the August Goals? Some of them.

- Finish Cascades. It just needs the borders before it can be quilted. – It still needs borders.
- Keep up with the KTQ A Vintage Sampler Quilt Quilt along. I’m currently 2 blocks behind. Looking at the schedule we should finish the top by the end of the month. – Quilted!
- Monterrey Medallions. I’d like to get the blocks made for this quilt. – In progress.
- Sheryl. I just need to sew the binding strips together and get this one bound. – Still waiting
- Auction Quilt Top. It’s a bad picture, but I need to rip out what little quilting I’ve done. – Still needs ripping
- Shop Samples. Yes there are two quilts in the picture and I want them done by Monday! Guess what I’m doing first? – Accomplished!
- There is a customer quilt on the frame. I should get it done tonight – I don’t think there are any thunderstorms expected. – Accomplished!
- Decoupage fabric to glass for a friend. – Accomplished!
- Prepare the mystery quilt clues (the next one is due Monday!) – Accomplished!

This is my Vintage Christmas Sampler by Kansas Troubles Quilters. I caught up, got the borders on and even got it quilted over the long weekend. It was promptly put in the stack to be bound and I started Monterrey Medallions. There are 4 different blocks in this quilt – the center star, Woodpile, Floating Stars and Jacob’s Ladder blocks. The floating stars are up next.

So what’s on the agenda for September?

Finishing instructions for the guild Mystery Quilt
Finish customer quilt which is on the frame
Borders and quilt Cascade
Finish and quilt Monterrey Medallions
Quilt Ruby’s Vintage Christmas Sampler
Mini Bow Tucks
Kit Clara
20 Zipper Bags (take to retreat)
Rip out quilting from Auction Quilt
Kandy Korn Kitty Top (take to retreat)
Assemble Riviana (take to retreat)
Bind Vintage Christmas Sampler
Bind Sheryl

I’m thinking some of this is not going to get done this month.

Posted in: A Vintage Christmas Sampler, Auction Quilt Top, Bags, Clara, goals, Kandy Korn Kitty, Machine Quilting, Mini Bow Tucks, Monterry Medallion, monthly goals, mystery quilts, Rivanna, Sheryl, Stash Busting Report

A Vintage Christmas Sampler is a Top!

August 30, 2025 10:13 am ⋅ 1 Comment ⋅ Pam

I am happy to report that I’ve finished my “A Vintage Christmas Sampler” by Kansas Troubles Quilters. This has been a Quilt-A-Long on Facebook this summer. The introduction dropped the day I left for Kansas City and I picked up the kit the morning we got back. My top is smaller at 81″ x 92″ as I cut my borders smaller. I have a ton of fabric left as we started with a FQ+ yardage.

Back in May I went to a pop-up quilt shop in the New Orleans area and purchased what was left on a bolt of a green fabric from the KTQ Gooseberry Lane line. I have enough to make the backing with a little over a yard left over. That is today’s project as I want to get this quilted this weekend.

Also on the agenda for this long weekend is quilting my SIL’s Vintage Christmas Sampler. She finished hers last Saturday and got the backing pieced earlier this week. She also has a smaller panel quilt ready to be quilted. That makes 3 quilts.

I have 2 customer quilts waiting to be quilted and I would really like to say Cascades was done this month – it still lacks borders.

Will I get it all done? Who knows? Stay tuned.

Posted in: A Vintage Christmas Sampler

What I’m Working on Wednesday – 08/27/25

August 27, 2025 1:19 pm ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅ Pam

Yesterday I finished the log cabin blocks, so I sorted the blocks correctly on my design wall. In the empty spaces there will be 2 strings of flying geese, some HSTs and 13 ornament blocks, plus some spacers.

I got as far as sewing the corners to the ornaments. Tonight I hope to finish these blocks, getting them sewn into the quilt as I can and work on the flying geese.

It’s possible I might just get this quilt done by the end of the month!

Posted in: A Vintage Christmas Sampler, designwall

A Vintage Christmas Sampler Progress

August 26, 2025 11:46 am ⋅ 1 Comment ⋅ Pam

You are not imagining it, this is not A Vintage Christmas Sampler. Over the weekend I flew to Philadelphia for a work trip, so there was no quilting. I was able to take my Winter Wonder Land project. I’ve been working on this project since January 2007 — not this particular scene, but the project as a whole. I got this far and moved the hoop. That was as far as I got. It looks like I’m half way through this piece, then I have 2 more sections to go.

When I got home I saw my tomato plants had grown and the lettuce needs harvesting. I had it picked back before I left town.

This is what you came for. These are all of the blocks I have completed for A Vintage Christmas Sampler by Kansas Troubles Quilters. Last night I sewed together what I could. I still need to finish the log cabin, ornaments and HST blocks. I hope to get them done this week.

Posted in: A Vintage Christmas Sampler, Garden, Winter Wonderland

What I’m Working On Wednesday – 8/20/25

August 20, 2025 3:35 pm ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅ Pam

A Vintage Christmas Sampler got pushed to the side earlier this month. The Quilt-Along concludes this month, so I want to get caught up. My SIL is in the process of putting the borders on her quilt and I still have blocks to make!

These are the Peppermint & Spearmint Twists. I knocked those out earlier this week. I still have 4 Cozy Log Cabin blocks, 13 Trim the Tree Ornaments, 34 Flying Geese and a block and strip of Half Square Triangles to make before I can start putting the quilt top together.

Given the ‘scrappiness’ of the remaining blocks, I’m going through and cutting all the pieces for what’s left, including setting fill-in pieces. I’ve got most of them cut.

These are the last 2 fabrics I need to cut. I need the green for the ornaments and flying geese, and the neutral for the log cabin, HSTs and setting pieces. Tonight I’ll finish cutting the fabric, then start on the Log Cabin blocks.

Posted in: A Vintage Christmas Sampler, designwall

Pinwheel Party is Finished

August 18, 2025 9:32 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅ Pam

I started on this quilt when I got back from the GSQA POE event. Then after making the pinwheel blocks I realized there wasn’t enough contrast. As this quilt was made to showcase the border fabric I didn’t want the lack of contrast in the pinwheels to distract. I’m not certain that the Red Grunge isn’t taking center stage but I was short on time to find anything else.

The green backing was picked to go with the original fabric choices. I was able to finish and deliver it Friday evening.

Pattern: Pinwheel Party from Quick As A Wink 3-Yard Quilts
Size: 43″ x 61″
Thread: 40 wt Glide in Mercury – 1 bobbin
Quilting Design: Groundcover enlarged to 18″ with -3.5 row gap.

Saturday I loaded this customer quilt and was reminded that my machine really doesn’t like Omni thread. I asked my customer if I could switch the thread to Glide and she said I could. I then knocked the quilt out in no time.

While it was stitching, I made this pillowcase to replace the one I made 10 years ago.

Posted in: CustomerQuilt, pillowcase, Pinwheel Party

What I’m Working on Wednesday – 8/13/25

August 12, 2025 11:36 pm ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅ Pam

I finished the top. Now its time to quilt it – and I’ll start another Mini Bow Tuck Bag. I need to finish both no later than Thursday night so I can deliver them on Friday.

Posted in: Uncategorized

Mini Bow Tuck Bag

August 11, 2025 5:39 pm ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅ Pam

Last week the race was on. Could I get my bag finished before I left town. I’m happy to report that I did! This is Mini Bow Tuck.

The interior has plenty of pockets. I added a snap to keep the bag close.

I showcased the feathers on the back. This was a pretty quick project and had I not been tired from work, I think I could have knocked it out in less time. I guess we’ll find out, as I’m going to use the other custom fabric to make another bag. I want to have it done by Friday!

So where did I go for the weekend? I participated in the Gulf States Quilt Association’s Pursuit of Excellence. These are the 2 blocks we made. I need to turn the bottom right corner of the cardinal. I learned a couple of cool things. To keep your rulers from slipping we were given some of the thinnest shelf liner I’ve seen.

I think it works better than the Quilters Select Rulers or Grippy, both of which I love. I can however see instances where these little square would not work, so I’ll just add this to my arsenal of non-slip ideas.

Another tip was to use the rulers you have instead of specialty rulers from trimming HST. I’m making 2 1/2″ finished HST so need to square them to 3″. Orienting the ruler so the 3″ on the 2 sides of the ruler are on the stitching line. I can see using this on 3-triangle squares (like the beak of the cardinal) lining the 45-degree line on the seam between the quarter triangles. On a regular HST, I’d rather use my Bloc-Loc ruler.

Finally I picked up fabric to make another shop sample on way out of town. When I got home Saturday night I cut out this quilt. I started sewing it together yesterday and realized I don’t have enough contrast in the pinwheel blocks. Back to the shop I went. I’m swapping the green print out for a light gray/silver grunge. I’ll work on that tonight.

Posted in: Gulf States Quilt Association, Mini Bow Tucks

What I’m Working on Wednesday – 8/6/2025

August 6, 2025 6:00 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅ Pam

This is how UFOs happen. I just need to put the borders on Cascades. Making the Candy Twist Blocks for the Christmas quilt won’t take that long. So what do I do? Start a new project with a closer deadline. Yes, I’ve started the Mini Bow Tucks bag.