What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

Welcome to the Starry Seas blog hop!

My fourth Island Batik collection is finally here and to celebrate the release of Starry Seas, I’m hosting a blog hop!

For the hop I’ve gathered top quilt designers to make a quilt using my new collection, so prepare to be inspired! Each day of the hop, a new designer’s quilt will be featured. In all, there will be nine days filled with eye-popping quilt candy!

Isn’t Starry Seas gorgeous? The mix of deep navy, turquoise, yellow-orange ...

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My quilt making strategy for 2026 was to focus on just a few projects  and make progress on those.  After the first full week of the new year, I can say that I've not done too badly with that approach.  

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The last batch of placemats!  The units and blocks are from the orphan box/parts department.   Some are recent (the three at the lower right); some are middle-aged (the green/blue hourglasses are from Indigo Way (which itself is blocks-in-a-box); some are elderly (the hard-to-see scrappy trips that are the background for the two feathers in the upper right).  

Choosing layouts and coordinating fabrics was a great design exercise.

Each is approximately 13 x 20.

All 121 in the bin.   Each placemat averages 3/8 yard, so 45 yards.  (With thanks to QuiltDiva Julie who sent a set of four ...

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This weekend was the kick off to a brand new Saturday Sampler program at The Pin Cushion (local shop) and it is always fun to start something new.  Our program this year is Anthologie (by Southern Charm Quilts) and the ladies talked about what that word means, and how it applies to our quilting.  An anthology is a collection and this pattern pulls together a collection of traditional blocks (flying geese, Dresden, strip piecing, etc.) and different techniques, but pushes us to interpret them in a new way. 

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I learned about Many Hands and Many Hearts from Quilting JetGirl. She recently featured their current project: Black and White Framed Charity Blocks.

Yep, I’m on board. And cutting scraps. And gathering squares. I hope to have a good number (maybe between 20-30) to send in by the deadline (end of February).

If you have scraps, why don’t you join us? It is fun to have fun, but you have to know how…

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Regarding the headphone issue, I am using a pair of Shokz—they are also referred to as open-ear buds. I LOVE them, but while I can hear things around me, they do NOT block out the noise of the sewing machine or the long arm. So as I'm cutting and ironing, they are amazing, but the minute I start to sew, the machine's noise overrules the audiobook! And the long arm is even worse!

I'll try the old headphones one more time, and then if I can't jiggle that connection, I'll ditch them and get ...

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 Not much sewing going on over the holidays. But when I need a creative boost, I always start making pillowcases for Ryans Case for Smiles. 

You remember yummy Girl Scout cookies? Its that time again. If you have any interest in purchasing Girl Scout cookies, please leave a comment and I will send you the Girl Scout link. They can be shipped anywhere in the continental US. This helps my little granddaughter reach her goal.

Thanks! And Happy Quilting.

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I have started prepping my Paris, Je T'Aime by Verushka Karate as my fabric arrived during the week along with the starch. I have started by printing out the instructions and putting them in a folder. I printed out the foundation papers on speciality paper which I have grouped in the folder by section.

I tried the starch powder for the first time and made a BIG mess! The fabric was as stiff as cardboard, so I had to wash the fabrics and use spray starch. I have labelled all of the fabrics and have started sewing section 4 ...

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After posting the photo of the red quilt with embroidered squares, I decided to take inventory of my 1930 reproduction fabrics.  The 4 quilts in this photo are some that I have made in the last 18 years.  The one on the left and the top middle were the first quilts chosen when I showed a prospective new owner a group of baby quilts.  The one on the right is twin size and I still have that one.

The first box has yellows and blues and 2 pieces large enough for quilt backs.  This box is about 10" x 15 ...

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 Good Morning Quilters!

There won’t be much to my post this morning, as I am recovering from knee surgery.  It has been five days of resting with these activities:  one leg up high, walking with a walker, taking pain pills, doing PT exercises and sleeping.  Every day I feel a little bit better, and yesterday I only required two pain pills.  Progress is being made.

Picture today is of our “extra great grandson” Roman, who was born this December to Ben and Destiny, who are family to us…….Roman has my reaction when someone tells me to bend my ...

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Miracle of miracles, I worked on the longarm this week. Longarming isn’t something that I have jumped into after surgery. There is a lot of upper body and back work that goes into it, plus I have to stand the entire time. I’m still building up my stamina. I finally decided I have some back …

What I’m Working On: January 12, 2026 Read More »

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75 Day Soft Tracker

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 This morning, I was trying to play my game but realized it was our day to clean. So, I got busy. 

I did laundry, cleaned the kitchen, and bathroom. Then I realized I needed to get my backing and batting done. I had to go and cut the backing and batting for our quilts. Then I had to wash the backings. I was surprised at how much batting I've used so far. I just opened the batting last week and it looks like we have used half of it up so far. I'm good with that. Means we ...

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I finished D's scripture bag. He loves John Deer tractors. I finished it last night about midnight then drove it over to my daughter's. I just put it in her car knowing she was asleep.  She will deliver it to the baptism.  I am staying home and resting. I need it. I am trying to get over bronchitis and a little pneumonia so I can go see my dad after his heart attack.

I  found the bright yellow zipper in my stash and loved it with the green accents, but couldn't find the right color of yellow ...

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 I sure don’t have the energy to sew all day like I used to!  But I have one block. Still working on parts for this square and the second square.  Here’s what we have so far   Going to be pretty  I would like to see more blue but hard to tell at this point 

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A lot has happened in the past nine years! Family members were lost and gained. We retired and moved into a new house. In 2019 we embarked on an epic journey, sailing around the world, 911 days, 15 countries, 48,000 nautical miles traveled! You can read all about it here, Sailing Trance. I wrote a book! "Grandpa Dan's Dream Sailing Around the World", available on Barnes & Noble. After several years writing my sailing blog, I like the options available on Wordpress compared to here on Blogger. I may just switch over TBD. I'm still quilting and sewing ...

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Hello Friends and Happy New Year

I’ve seen other bloggers post their goals for 2026.  I tend to work on what I’m in the mood for at the time.  Right now I’m working on Christmas projects that I’ve started over the years and never finished.  I usually get them out each year, look at them, and after Christmas is over they go back into hiding until the next year.  I have 4 that I’ve started.  I’d like to finish at least 2 of them before I move on to something else.  

If you’ve ...

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