What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

Easy come - easy go!!! We just had a dump of snow last night, and I'm scheduled to work out at the gym this morning, then I'll be back to shovel snow!

But that's OK -- I've had another productive day!!! Maybe not quite as much as I would like, but then, when do we ever complete what we set out for ourselves? 

I spent the morning on the computer and managed to get the most urgent stuff out the door. I still have one document to write, and then I need to get back to some serious ...

This year I need to finish some of my UFOs. I started this quilt when teaching several groups in the local area, I wrote the instructions and demo the contsruction for a new block every week.

All the blocks are six inches finished but I have the instructions for the blocks to be twelve inches finished.  I am going to make a few more new blocks as well as demo the original blocks.

So keep watching the blog for written instructions and Youtube for the demos which I will link with the blog.

I used a bundle of fat quarters ...

The little jobs around the house NEVER end! 

I "fixed" the bubbler for the pond. I had brought the entire thing into the house and realized that the teeny tiny hole at the end of the tube was clogged with debris. So I poked that all out, put some water in the sink, and VOILA - the bubbler is working again. Now, to put it back into the pond. 

Then I opened the door to the furnace room to get a basket and saw water on the floor. The furnace, which is only a couple of years old, has sprung a ...

I took my SIL with me on my trip to the Kawartha Quiltmaker Guild! She said she got to learn a lot about quilting, and a lot about me! We had a great conversation, the driving went by in a flash, and the weather was decent!

However, a great deal of fun was had at the guild meeting. What a wonderful group of ladies, and there were a lot of them! They will be hosting their quilt show on May 8-9, 2026, so be sure to put that on your calendar! I'm sure with the talent we saw in ...

You know when you wake up and it's one of "those days?" That's how today feels. Thank goodness, I don't have to talk to anyone today! I slept well, but I didn't. Poor little Bear has an ear infection, and he kept scratching it. He has an appointment at the vet today at 5:45. 

Then I seem to be in a rut with those dog quilts. I'll admit that I'm getting tired of them. WAIT --- I can't - I still have three more to quilt. The constant process of making the batting and ...

 And just like that -- it's a new week. So many ideas and so little time, but the important thing is just to do! 

Speaking of batting bits, it's amazing how many quilts you can quilt with those bits! I've pulled a few pieces from that stack I brought downstairs, and it doesn't seem to have made a dent. I calculate there is enough batting here for about 20 quilts! That should cover the remainder of my dog quilts, and the ten for the favour, and a couple more! This is the last favor job I do ...

It was a bit of a train wreck day, but I still managed to get three things done! Remember, I mentioned I had the shingles shot the previous day? Well, about dinner time yesterday, it hit me, although my arm had been sore for most of the day. It didn't help that I had done a lot of upper arm work with Brooke, and I could feel that in my arms as well. 

I had a slight fever, accompanied by a chill, and I was exhausted. I went to bed with a hot Magic Bag and fell into a ...

 OH MY GOSH --- someone else calls that fabric FORTREL!!!! They must be from the west, but what a great idea to make quilts for the homeless. That fabric cannot be destroyed. And now I have two boxes to deal with! But at least I know what to do with it! 

You are going to start saying that I sound like a broken record, but this new system of mine is working like a charm. As the number of projects in that blue box diminishes, I am so tempted to walk to the current projects table and pick up a couple ...

Yesterday was an "interesting" day. I was all full of pep and ready to go, and then this happened. 

I had my quilt on the long arm, I set the pattern, and all was good. Then I was watching the second row stitch out, and it looked AWFUL. Somehow the lines didn't match up, and I suspect that at one point the machine "jumped" or was bumped or something. Touch STOP immediately and contemplate the situation. Could I live with it? And sadly, the answer was NO. 

It took me about five hours to have it all ripped out ...

Thanks to everyone for the well-wishes on my arrival home. I'm glad that you enjoyed my vacation along with me! I also love living vicariously through others' experiences because I certainly won't get everywhere myself. That's my favorite thing about social media. It's so easy to stay connected. I don't need or want to get disconnected -- while I don't mind being alone, I'm a social person at heart! 

Where would you like to go with me next year? I have a couple of places in mind, but nothing solid yet. 

And it was ...

This week’s Moda Blockheads 6 block comes with a sprinkle of magic and a twist of tradition—introducing Toadstool Twist by the always-inspiring Betsy Chutchian.

Known for her deep love of quilting history and rich reproduction fabrics, Betsy brings a sense of storytelling to every design. And Toadstool Twist? It feels like a little adventure stitched into fabric—a block full of movement, mystery, and just the right touch of whimsy.

Toadstool Twist – A Walk Through the Woods

The Toadstool Twist block combines flying geese units with diagonal piecing to create a dynamic, layered composition ...

Quilting Retreats, Lost Quilts, and Lessons Learned

I just got back from my annual retreat with my quilty friends. This year we spent the week at Box Car Quilts, and while I can’t show you what I worked on just yet (two secret samples for Market!), I thought I’d share one of my all-time favorite retreat stories instead. It happened three years ago, and it still makes me laugh every time I think about it.

The Year of the Smiley Face

That retreat was at Lisa Bongean’s  of Primitive Gathering’s retreat named The Gathering, and let ...

I saw in the comments that Bonnie Hunter covers her ironing boards with freezer paper. Hmm -- I wonder why that product? Wouldn't the freezer paper be slippery? 

I'm a convert to the terry towel on the ironing surface. I wish I had known about that earlier; it never occurred to me. This piece of fabric had a crease down the center, and that crease pressed out like it was butter. I used steam, of course. And then everything else I pressed that day was excellent. I would think the terry towel will prevent the steam from dripping through ...

I had a GREAT day. What's more important is knowing what makes me happy and what doesn't. The trick is having fewer moments that make me unhappy and more that make me happy!

What makes me happy? Well, it's finishing things and then having the time to tidy up before moving to the next project! I love tidying up! What drives me mad is when I can only complete something as much as necessary, and then I have to move on to the next without finishing the first thing. Oh my—that never bothered me, but it ...

Well, I was all fired up to hit the gym this morning, but then I remembered it's Good Friday, so the hours are changed. I finally got the hours (5 AM), only to realize that my Fitbit was about to die, so I'm taking a few minutes to start the blog while it charges slightly. Good grief -- all in the name of exercise! 

But it's more than exercise. It's about discipline, about wanting to stay healthy - both physically and mentally, and it's a great way to start the day. 

As I typed the word HIT ...

We're back!! DH and I both read the story in the graphic novel EXIT Game. Then we collaborated, and between the two of us, we got the answer! Not before I goofed AGAIN and missed a bunch of letters, so we had to redo the puzzle multiple times. Although DH insists we found the answer unconventionally, I don't care! We solved it without using the clues. He's so black and white; I'm every shade in between! 

Teamwork! It's all about teamwork! 

Should I mention what happened to the kitchen table? This happens when you use ...

 I found EIGHT books at the used bookstore in North Bay. And I love that ALL their titles are searchable online. Even better, you can search by author, and whatever they have from that author comes up! It's called Allison the Bookman, and I LOVE the site. I will call today and pay for the books, then they will go on the Pony Express. Yes - Our Pony Express reaches faraway places! Now, I need to update my list, and I have a couple of other bookstores to check out. Oh my -- this is super exciting! 

Oh, I should mention ...

Oh boy—this paperwork is going to be the death of me! I spent the entire morning at the computer, and I swear the desktop doesn't look cleaner! Emails and phone calls got done, but I don't think any physical paper disappeared. I'll try again this morning, but I also have a lot of sewing/embroidery to do, and I need to be downstairs! 

But any progress is progress, and we just keep moving forward. I tackled a few more CDs, and the pile is almost gone. What did I find? I found three photos that I ...

I got rid of more CDs/DVDs yesterday. A few more have made it onto the desk to be looked at this morning, including a new box of 10 CDs that's not even opened. So that will be easy to cope with. Everything fits into one container now, which is good news. I'll just keep whittling those down until I get to the end. You can't imagine how exciting this is! 

I went to spin class yesterday and had a great workout, but I have to say that I got more UP feelings (those endorphins) from tossing ...

Another quick easy tutorial for binding.  Each time I vlog I learn something new. Still be kind with your comments.  

This tutorial is slightly shorter than the last binding vlog as I did not repeat some of the steps.

I quilted this wall hanging but unpick it as I did not like it. That was many years ago! 

During 'lock down', I thought it just needed a simpler style of quilting and to be finished. 

After quilting it, just sat in my UFO box. I have decided that this winter I am going to tried and complete as many UFO ...