Quilting and Stuff by Knitnoid

A Vintage Christmas Sampler is a Top!

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.

 

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

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!

 

A Vintage Christmas Sampler Progress

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.

 

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

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.

Pinwheel Party is Finished

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.

 

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

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.

Mini Bow Tuck Bag

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.

 

 

 

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

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.

I hope to have it finished in the next day or two.

My Weekend Progress

I spent the entire weekend in the Quilt Studio as I had some major deadlines to hit. Although not critical, I did get the Stockings blocks made from A Vintage Christmas Sampler. I’m no longer behind, I’m just not caught up. I still need to do last Thursday’s blocks before this Thursday.

I finished the quilting on this gorgeous customer quilt.  It was picked up Monday afternoon.

This is the first shop sample I needed to make.  The focus fabric is a custom fabric called Graffiti.  The pattern is a slight variation on Felicity from the Fabric Cafe Big Block 3-Yard Quilts book.

This is the 2nd shop sample. I do not remember the name of this fabric. I have enough fabric left over that I plan to make a Mini Bow Tucks tote.

I’ve pulled an stripe from my stash for the bottom.

This project has been added to my goals. I’d like to have it done by Sunday!

This quilt is from a customer and I need to deliver at the next guild meeting on the 18th.

While she was dropping off the quilt, we got to talking about UFO and BOMs. We both worked on this quilt years ago. It is not on my list for this year, but I was saying I was going to pull all the quilting out and simply assemble the top and toss is on the longarm to quilt. I’ve not finished it be cause I deviated from the pattern to make it larger, then didn’t like how it was going together – not to mention I’m not a fan of QAYG.  She suggested I get someone else to finish it. Anyway I pulled it out and put it on the design wall to see what needed to be done.  I have an idea, but have no idea if I have enough fabric.  Ideas are percolating, so it might just get done next year. It’s safely put away in it’s bin to not distract me.

I also got the next clue for the mystery written, but have one more clue and the finishing instructions to go.  I wonder what I can get done this week?

August Goals

It’s a good thing I don’t freakout about missing quilting “deadlines”.  I have a list this month which should prove challenging to meet given I’m going to a regional quilt guild event one weekend and have a work trip 2 weekends later.  But hey – Labor Day weekend is coming up at the end of the month and I have a 4 day weekend then.

Here’s the list (LtoR, TtoB):

  • Finish Cascades. It just needs the borders before it can be quilted.
  • 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.
  • Monterrey Medallions.  I’d like to get the blocks made for this quilt.
  • Sheryl. I just need to sew the binding strips together and get this one bound.
  • Auction Quilt Top. It’s a bad picture, but I need to rip out what little quilting I’ve done.
  • Shop Samples.  Yes there are two quilts in the picture and I want them done by Monday! Guess what I’m doing first?

Not pictured:

  • There is a customer quilt on the frame. I should get it done tonight – I don’t think there are any thunderstorms expected.
  • Decoupage fabric to glass for a friend.
  • Prepare the mystery quilt clues (the next one is due Monday!)

It’s a lot and I just need to stay focused!