What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

Here are my four-for-the-price-of-one Sampler Quilt Along Half Square Triangle Blocks.

The colors look a little wild now, but I have hopes it will all come together in the end.

Have you heard about the Sampler Quiltalong hosted by Days Filled With Joy? It is a beginner friendly 12-block series she is sharing on both her blog (Days Filled With Joy) and her Youtube channel.

I enjoy her writing style, and, while I have been quilting for quite a while, I find myself feeling encouraged and informed.

I am using leftovers from a previous quilt, with some new scraps added in as needed.

The quiltalong is designed with 12″ blocks, but I enjoy working small. So, I have decided to make four of each block, scaled down to 6″. The ...

It started as a second chances possibility that Debra shared with me. I was able to incorporate most of the partially pieced blocks into this version of Jessica Dayon’s Scrappy Sampler Sew Along earlier this year.

I practiced a few important skills at Jessica’s encouragement: PRESS HST SEAMS OPEN (that was the big one), and delay pressing blocks until later in the process. That was counter-intuitive, but it does help in certain situations.

The quilt is planned for a young man whose mother recently passed away. I hope he will enjoy it. He likes strawberries.

This week I completed my final blocks for the  2026 Sew Along: Scrappy Sampler.

Well, I completed the block count for the middle size option. The friendship star block just didn’t appeal to me, so I found another option. Using THIS TUTORIAL, I make a 12″ bear paw variation. There wasn’t enough of any of the solid pink fabrics to make the center squares for the paw, so I used two different fabrics and created HST as an option.

Sashing and inner borders next. There is a lot to them, so it might be two weeks before I ...

This week I completed blocks 13 and 14 of the  2026 Sew Along: Scrappy Sampler.

I appreciate more and more Jessica’s videos and the two different printable patterns. You can find blocks 13 and 14 HERE. The piecing for Block 13 was new to me, but with no hurrying and better pressing techniques, I am happy with the results.

Only one more week of blocks, then on to borders. I am looking forward to it.

In spite of life events, I have managed to stay caught up with the  2026 Sew Along: Scrappy Sampler.

While I have been quilting for some time, it is never too late to try something new. While working on this quiltalong, I have focused on pressing the seam allowance of my HST open after trimming them. I am surprised at the difference it makes. There is less slip due to bulk when I am assembling the blocks, and the blocks are flatter in the end. Who knew?

Not only will I have a fun quilt, but also a new-to-me technique ...

I got a little behind due to…well, life! But, I am caught up with the  2026 Sew Along: Scrappy Sampler.

Week 3 and Week 4 are available on YouTube.

I changed to using the red, white and blue color patterns. They work better with my scrapp-ier plan. I am very pleased at how blocks 7 and 8 went because of that.

I was also glad to use some of the pre-cut items that Debra included in the mystery kit she sent me. No, those are not going to waste.

Looking forward to the coming blocks this week.

Have you heard of the 2026 Sew Along: Scrappy Sampler with Jessica Dayon?

Here are my blocks 3 and 4. I don’t love block 3. I tried reversing the colors, and it is a little odd.

Perhaps it will grow on me, but, if not, I have a Bonus Block created from the HST cutoffs and some 2-1/2″ squares. Perhaps I should have made the centers of the smaller 9-patch blocks from the solids?

You can learn more about these blocks HERE.

Have you heard of the 2026 Sew Along: Scrappy Sampler with Jessica Dayon?

It has just started, and here are my first two blocks.

Thanks to Debra, who sent me an abandoned mystery sew along project a while back. The fabrics seemed perfect for this sewalong. I have added a few solids for variety, and I really like the look so far. Thanks, Debra!

I’ll keep you posted as we go. Learn more about the sewalong HERE.

Quilt-Alongs

One of the good things that came from Covid is the Quiltalong which kept us busy once we had finished making masks.  We could hop online and join like minded quilters quilting along and sharing our project online. Recently some of the customers at the Old Craft Store joined me in an IN PERSON QUILTALONG. It was fun and of course we had them parade their quilt tops out along the downtown square.

TIME FOR ANOTHER QUILT ALONG

The “Little Light of Mine” quilt was on display at The Old Craft Store in Carrollton, Texas and some of the ...

Each week, we have a random drawing of those participating. Enter your photo to be entered. Make all 12 blocks, sew together the quilt top as shown in the book and enter your finished quilt top for the random drawing of all participants in Week 15 for your chance to win ...

Good morning, and welcome to the first day of this year's 12 Days of Christmas in July!  There are some exciting things happening here over the next twelve days - a little bit different from past years, because taking a year off (through no choice of my own!) and getting a late start wreaked havoc on getting more bloggers this year - but we have some great bloggers who are participating, and I'll also have some of my own favorite Christmas ideas to share with you.  So strap in and get ready for a little Christmas overload - maybe ...

Over Thanksgiving we visited my parents in rural Colorado. Their house is full of quilts they have very kindly accepted over the course of my quilting career. I thought to share a few from the way-back machine.

This one is very early. Not labeled, but it has to be one of the first few I made, probably about 1999 (First quilt was 1998). Throw size. Tied. Rough binding. But, my mother loves it. She says it is her favorite of all I have ever given them.

This one is a little later. Sometime between 2000-2002. A friend did the handquilting ...

Dear Quiltmakers,

Hello quiltmakers,

I am back from my trip to India. Mom's surgery went well and she is on the road to recovery. I appreciate your kind thoughts and warm wishes. 

Although my visit wasn't a vacation and I stayed home (near the A/C) due to the heat, my friends (Ruby and Savita) visited me. I felt spoiled with spicy food and sweet mangoes. 

Happy to see you :-)

Veggie Delight (Don't ask me the English name)

Vanilla icecream with fresh mangoes

The Indian street food that I loved would most certainly kill me now. So Meetu recreated ...

It was a long time coming. As I have said before, it seems so harmless to cut the block size in half to fit the sizes of my scraps, but it meant it took a lot of pieces to get anywhere. Should you want to try the pattern for yourself, you can get the (full size) information HERE.

That said, I am really happy with the results.

Scrappy happiness, mostly reproduction prints, but a few authentic pieces thrown in.

The yellow binding works with with the stars to give some unity and rhythm in the scrappiness.

It is a gift ...

I am so happy to see this quilt complete.

It was all I hoped for.

For those who participated in the quiltalong, you are welcome to share pictures any time.

Those who might be interested in building a similar beauty, information can be found HERE.

Jetzt haben wir schon bald das Ende des Jahres 2021 und den Penny Sampler, den ich nach dem Pattern von Rachel Hauser - Stitched in Color bereits letztes Jahr gemacht habe, ist hier noch nicht aufgetaucht....

It is time to share your finished quilts, tops, or progress so far.

Mine is being quilted, but isn’t there yet. Maybe next week. Sometimes life gets in the way.

In the meantime, visit Katy and put your progress in her link-up (if you have a blog), or send her (or me) a picture and we’ll have them to share.

Thanks for joining us, however far you are. This has been fun and we hope to do another one (together or separately) sometime soon.

There were days I thought it would never end. When I saw Pat Speth’s North Star State Quiltalong I immediately knew I wanted to stitch along. But I also knew that the small scraps of 1930s repro (and some original) fabric that I had on hand would mean making the pieces smaller…much smaller. Yep, that star is 3″.

But, off I went, sure it was all going to be ok.

As I stitched, my ambitions had to be adjusted. NO, I wasn’t going to make a queen size quilt. Not even with borders. I finally decided that ...