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April 11, 2026
First quilt top for April 2026................... from Exuberant Color


Kaleidoscope 1 top is sewn.  I'm thinking of 2 and 3 so this could be a series.  I won't use Marcia Derse fabric for the next 2.  This one is 51.5" x 72".  I ended up with the 35 blocks like I originally planned.  I usually don't use the same background fabrics all through a quilt but this time I had 2 nice light ones, also Marcia Derse fabric.  There are over 70 different fabrics in this quilt top.



Here are 2 of the worst matches of points.  They are both about 1/16" off and ...

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April 10, 2026
Final layout, time to sew................... from Exuberant Color


This is the final layout for this quilt top.  I could move pieces forever trying to not have the same fabrics near each other, but I decided this is good enough.











I started webbing it last night and got the 4 long seams top to bottom sewn and am now sewing cross rows.  Three done, 3 to go.  I need to finish this top today so I can get back to the other one and get the last 3 fabrics chosen for it.


Most points are matching well but there are a few to go back and take in a ...

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April 9, 2026
Cutting and third layout................... from Exuberant Color


All three sets needed more pieces.  I actually cut a few more than I needed so if I need to make a substitute block I'm all set.  I ended up finishing the 2 partial blocks and made 6 new blocks last night.  I haven't pressed them yet so they haven't made it to the design wall.


This is the assortment of new pieces plus the leftovers from the day before.  I had a strip of fabric that I had previously die cut 6 triangles of each fabric from and I put the ends of the strips back ...

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April 8, 2026
Lots of progress.............................. from Exuberant Color


I took the three sections to the basement and gave all of them a final pressing.  There are different lights down there so the color looks a little different from previous photos.









Then I started working on the Kaleidoscope blocks using the same triangles of Marcia Derse fabrics.




I got 6 blocks completed before I ran out of corner pieces but got 2 more blocks partially made before I also ran out of variety of the tall triangles.






This is all that was left when I finished sewing last night.  Today I'll be cutting more pieces of both shaped ...

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April 7, 2026
The last 3 rows................... from Exuberant Color


I had great ambitions when I got up but it took me most of the day to get started on the last 3 rows of this quilt.  I finally got the triangles up on the design wall.






I continued working on them and got all three rows sewn and then the first two sewn together.  

Now I can make some more of the Kaleidoscope blocks from the same triangle selection.  I have 17 blocks already made.  I need to decide if I'm going to make it with 24 blocks (40" x 60") or 48 blocks (60" x 80").  If ...

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April 6, 2026
9 rows............... from Exuberant Color


After lots of family fun yesterday I sewed the top three rows and sewed them together.  Now I need to design the bottom 3 rows and choose the fabrics that will be the separator strips and top and bottom border, if I'm still going to make it like the previous quilt.

I did a little hand stitching on the binding of the other quilt but no photo.

 

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April 5, 2026
Making progress............. from Exuberant Color


The 6 row section is sewn together now.  I didn't get any farther on it because I was making 2 batches of Chex Mix to use up all of the ingredients left from the Christmas marathon.  Later in the evening I made frosted creams since I have company coming today.



I haven't done the final pressing yet but my points are matching up pretty well.









I started the hand stitching about 6" before a corner and made it down one short side and around the next corner.

Happy Easter to all who celebrate it!  It's going to ...

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April 4, 2026
6 rows.................. from Exuberant Color


Two more rows were sewn last night but I didn't get them attached to the section of 4 rows yet.  When I get that done I'll sew the top 3 rows and then be ready to design the bottom 3 rows.  I need 69 pieces for the 3 rows and I have one piece each of 70 fabrics set aside for that section.


Earlier in the day I trimmed this diamond quilt and cut the binding for it.  I got the binding sewn on the front last night and I will hand finish this one.





Last year a ...

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April 3, 2026
Sewing two rows.................... from Exuberant Color

I had little ones visiting early last evening so I spent a lot of the day straightening, cleaning and putting all sharp objects up high.  After they all left I started sewing 2 more rows together.  I like the combination of colors in this beginning of a row.


By 10 p.m. I had two rows sewn but was too tired to sew them together.

We had lots of storms roll through yesterday morning and again in the evening.  I had 1.5" of rain in the gauge from the morning rain.  I'll check it again today to see ...

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April 2, 2026
Assembly started.................... from Exuberant Color


I needed to start sewing this quilt together before pieces start fluttering off the design wall.  I had the window open a couple days ago and found 2 pieces on the floor when I returned to the room.  I can sew 2 rows at a time because the triangles are pointing in opposite directions from one row to the other as I work my way across the rows. While sewing I have the 2 piles in the position they are in, in this photo.  When I start the first row I have a little flag attached that reminds me that ...

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April 1, 2026
March 2026 monthly recap.................... from Exuberant Color


Three quilts were finished in March.  On the left a flannel quilt, the top made 2 years ago.  It is 53" x 70".  In the center is Kaffe Strippy 2, the top was finished last December.  It is 47.5" x 71".  On the right is Floral Hourglasses, made with mostly 1990s floral fabrics in December 2024.  It is 53" x 64.5".  They were all quilted by Robin Diaz.


I worked on several quilt tops but only two made it to the finish line by the end of the month.  The top on the left is all Marcia Derse ...

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March 31, 2026
Quilting the table runner............................ from Exuberant Color


Finally I tackled the machine quilting on the table runner made with Marcia Derse fabric.  I ditch quilted the four crazy pieced blocks and the seam where the borders were sewn on.




There is usually one large print that is offered with each of her lines of fabric.  I had just a half yard of this one and it makes an interesting backing.  I need to put a couple lines of quilting in the borders and then trim and do the binding.

It got up to 80 degrees yesterday and was still 68 degrees at bedtime.  One quick storm came ...

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March 30, 2026
All twelve Kaleidoscope blocks............ from Exuberant Color


Since I'm out of room on the main floor design wall, I put these up on the double wall in the basement.  After seeing this I can see I don't want to stop at an uneven number of blocks so 5 x 7 = 35 is out and I'll probably make it 6 x 8 = 48 blocks.


Here is my Sunday progress, 5 more Kaleidoscope blocks and the second section of the quilt above them is filled in.  I can see some that I want to move.

From the pile of tall triangles on the sewing cabinet I ...

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March 29, 2026
6 more blocks................. from Exuberant Color


I had to cut some more triangle corners before I could make any more blocks.  That is 60 triangles in the stack, one pass through the Studio die cutter with a Studio die, 10 layers at a time.  That is enough triangles for 15 blocks.  There is very little waste when cutting with the triangle dies.






After that I cut 30 tall triangles in one pass through the cutter, enough for 15 blocks.









I also cut 6 of each of these Marcia Derse prints so I would have some more variety to choose from for both quilts.

While I was ...

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March 28, 2026
Playing with triangles.................... from Exuberant Color


I should have been working on the finishing of the Marcia Derse fabric table runner.  Instead I did my grocery shopping and then went back out to get birdseed that was on sale for a couple more days.

Last night I didn't want to go down to the basement where the table runner parts are waiting for me so I made a few more of the Kaleidoscope blocks.  I need to cut some more corner triangles before I can finish any more blocks.  I'll take these down to the ironing table today and press them and while I ...

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March 27, 2026
Something new................. from Exuberant Color


This project has been on one of the design walls in the basement for about 8 months.  Here is the post where more of the layout is shown.  I decided it was time to start sewing some of the blocks to see if it would be an enjoyable project.  I need to cut a lot more of the light prints.  These are all Marcia Derse fabrics.










This is how the center of the first block turned out after 3 tries at it.  That is about 1/16" of an inch off.












The second block turned out better.  I used to ...

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March 26, 2026
Third finished quilt in March 2026........ from Exuberant Color


This is another quilt made with mostly 1990s floral fabrics, with a few newer ones worked in.  I also added Kaffe Fassett Spot fabric. It is made of Hourglass blocks with rectangles used as the border.

It is 53" x 64.5".





I bought the 59" wide black and white fabric many years ago.  It was nice to not have to piece a backing.  The quilt has Hobbs 80/20 batting in it.  It was quilted by Robin Diaz.






This finished quilt top is made with all Marcia Derse fabric, from many years of her collections.  There are 35 different ...

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March 25, 2026
Top sewn and binding on another................. from Exuberant Color


This top is sewn but needs its final pressing so I'll do that today and then photograph it.






After that was done I sewed the binding on the floral hourglass quilt.  I was happy I had more of the same fabric I used for binding on the other 1990s floral quilt.








You can see the print better in this photo.  It will be machine finished so I hope to get it done today too.





My two cacti plants by the east picture window are finally blooming.  This is the third time for the white with pink edging, but just ...

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March 24, 2026
12 blocks and sewing columns.................... from Exuberant Color


The last 6 blocks have been pressed and trimmed and have joined the first six on the design wall.  I have several thoughts about these blocks.  First I thought they would be nice sewn together like this as the center of a medallion quilt. But then, the  more I looked at it, I wondered how they would look with sashing between them and a wide border all around.  I removed them as stacked columns so I could use the design wall for my other project.


I went down to the basement, looked one last time at the layout of this ...

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March 23, 2026
More blocks and a layout................ from Exuberant Color


I finished the 5 blocks I showed in progress yesterday and added them to the one left over from the table runner.











Last night I didn't have anything else lined up to sew, so I made 6 more blocks.  I will get them pressed and trimmed today and add them to the other 6.  They will all finish at 8".





While I was in the basement doing laundry I decided i needed to get the Marcia Derse fabric blocks up on the design wall.  I was a little disappointed with the result.  There were 2 blocks left over.




I ...

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  • marcia derse fabric
  • Page 1 of 8 ( 145 posts )