A Quilter's Table

Bingo Update

2026-04-10T08:20:00.000-07:00

Just checking in with a Bingo card update! I don't have a bingo YET, but I have completed over half of the experiences I'm hoping to achieve this calendar year.

Here's what I've accomplished so far....

Gift handmade – Made Pop-Open Pouch for Felicity @felicityquilts on January 4

Take a class or workshop – Improv for Everyone workshop with Maria Shell @mariashellquilts on January 3

Make a new-to-me pattern – Made Treasure Pouch pattern by Larisa @stitchingnotes on January 19

Finished the 2025 BOM – Finished Calendar Cascade BOM quilt on January 27

Take a photo with one of my quilts and share – Selfie with Calendar Cascade on February 2

Try a new skill or technique - Used decorative stitches on my Janome on February 23

Hand-quilt a project - hand-quilted Pillars on February 26

Participate in a sew-in or retreat - Went on Basket Case Quilters retreat March 19-23

Make a scrap quilt - Finished Strings on March 18

Participate in a multi-day creative challenge - IGQuiltFest March 1-31

Add a new tutorial to the blog – Posted Making a Pieced Quilt Back on April 8

Organize my fabric stash - Sorted and neatened every cubby on April 8

Donate a charity quilt – Donated Strings + Full Circle (pieced and quilted by Cordelia @notmadebyrobots then I bound it) to Seattle MQG Giving Committee on April 8

Donate to the guild free table - Donated fabric, pattern with templates, stencils, and Christmas scraps at meeting on April 8

So it feels pretty good to have accomplished all of those goals already. There are a couple more goals I'll be actively working on over the next several weeks - Enter a quilt show or exhibit and Finish the Dropcloth Floral Series. So I'll be back (in a few months?) with another update - unless I get a Bingo!!

Guild Member Highlight

2026-04-09T08:49:00.000-07:00

What a surprise it was to recently get an email from our guild co-presidents: "We've had interest from some guild members in having you as our spotlighted member." Well, how about that?! After responding that I'd be happy to, I was asked to fill out the slide below, and then at our April meeting last night, to tell briefly about myself and three quilts that I'd like to share.

The three quilts I chose to take with me were all what I considered representative of my style (do I have only one? I'm not sure I do.) - all improv, all scrappy, all with pieced quilt backs.

Let It Be - 2020

Side Chairs - 2024

Sundry - 2025

After briefly sharing about the quilts, there was opportunity to ask questions, and I found that fun. I remember one about my quilting style (mostly straight/ish lines in some form) and another asking what kind of quilting machine I use (my current Janome domestic or my JUKI). Anyway, it was very fun for me to share with my guild, and am so grateful for their interest in me and my work.

Earlier in the week, I realized I'd need a good-sized tote to take the quilts in, and I knew that the Workshop Tote by Jeni Baker @jenib320 would be perfect. I'd made the patchwork version before, but time was short, so I'd need to do the plain version this time. That would mean 3/4 yard cuts for both exterior and lining, and wouldn't you know, for the exterior, I found a perfect 80% cotton/20% linen canvas blend from VESSEL by Alexia Marcelle Abegg @alexiamarcelleabegg in my stash.

For the lining, some Essex Homespun in Natural coordinated nicely. And though the pattern calls for 1" webbing, I had 1 1/2" cotton webbing in Chocolate that would work nicely, and have been very happy with the result. (Random: I'd gotten both the canvas and webbing in a Studio Mystery Box from Anna Graham @noodlehead531 last year. Love that they were both so perfect for this quick make.)

Anyway, the tote sewed up in little more than an hour, finishing at 16” tall x 16” wide x 8” deep, which held three good-sized quilts quite nicely. Pretty perfect.

Making a Pieced Quilt Back

2026-04-08T09:08:00.000-07:00

There are so many ways to make a quilt back, and I'm usually inclined to make a pieced quilt back, using up any leftover pieces - both scraps and yardage - from the making of the quilt front. As I make the backing for my Pantone challenge quilt, it seemed a good time to record my progress.

So this is how making a pieced quilt back starts, at least for me. I lay out all the scraps I have left from my quilt front, so I can see what I have. In this case, I have very little left of the yardage I started out with, so I've also grabbed a few smaller coordinating fabrics from stash, in this case, both print and solid. And then I just start piecing the smaller bits together. This time, I started with that small 'checked' print scrap.

Before long, all the little bits had become a piece measuring 18" x 20". Now it was time to start adding some larger pieces to the mix.

I started with my favorite of the 'new' prints, along with the smaller of the fabrics from my original neutral pull. By now, it measured 24" x 25", where my goal was around 50" square.

Up onto the design wall it went, and I began to pin up more pieces of fabric in places they might work, including another coordinating print. You'll notice that I 'build' the quilt back right on top of the quilt front, so it's easy to see how large it needs to be without continually measuring.

When I really like what I'm seeing, I may start actually piecing parts together, before I even know what will go in the other areas. So at this point, I've totally sewn together the middle horizontal section. I just have to figure out the top right corner and the very bottom.

Well that was easily done! I very nearly used the last of my original neutral stash filling in those two final sections, and we have a quilt back!

The finished backing measures 50" x 52", and I'm really pleased with the balance of the colors and shapes. They don't all come together this easily, so I'll take it as a win! Now time to get basting. Let me know if you have any question, ok?

Patterns to Try | Maple Street Pouch

2026-04-07T08:57:00.000-07:00

Last fall, I began an infrequent series, Patterns to Try, making small projects from new-to-me patterns from a folder I keep on my desktop. Easter Sunday afternoon, after brunch with the family and the kitchen clean-up, I needed a small palette cleanser of a project to sew. Svetlana's @sotakhandmade newly released Maple Street Pouch was just the ticket. I swear it took me longer to choose fabric and lining than it did to sew it up!

The exterior fabric - from Field Study by Anna Maria Horner (now Perry) - has long been a favorite, and the piece I had left was just perfect for this pouch, which was the medium size of the pattern, finishing at 8" x 3.25" x 2.5". And I thought that new gold gingham I'd purchased on retreat recently was the perfect lining. Though there are instructions for using a metal zipper, the pattern primarily uses zipper-by-the-yard, so that's what I used. And I enjoyed making the first so much, I decided to go ahead and try the larger size before moving on to my scheduled sewing for the week.

The large measures 9" x 4" x 3" and is a nice size - roomy, but not huge.

I really had fun choosing fabrics for both of these - other than the gingham, they were small pieces of beloved prints that have been in my stash for years.

One thing I should note, is that I did not quilt any of the exterior panels, as the pattern actually suggests. No real reason and they turned out just fine, but I'll consider doing that in the future.

Also, if you're zipper-wary, using the zipper-by-the-foot is really an easy way to go. You do have to get the zipper pull on before you start - this video from Sullivan's Trim @sullivanstrim is really helpful - but from there, there is a distinct advantage. At least on my machine, I don't need to use my zipper foot. I just leave my 1/4" foot on and it works beautifully. I do sew across the ends of the zipper so the pull doesn't accidentally slide off though, but since the zipper teeth are actually nylon, it's easily done.

At any rate, these cute pouches were just the refreshment I needed before diving into a pieced quilt back. I wasn't going to make the small version of the pattern, but I think I've changed my mind....

March Fabric Usage

2026-04-02T08:53:00.000-07:00

Well March was a high-intake month, what do I say? Half of it has already been cut up and is on my design wall. The other half was acquired as opportunity struck. First up was Cotton Couture Soft White and Painters Palette Rice Paper, both being used in my Pantone Quilt Challenge project.

Then I saw that FabricBubb had the Kona 2026 COTY Wander available, so I grabbed some along with some Diamond Textiles Top Stitch in White for that aforementioned Pantone Challenge project.

Lastly, while on retreat, us girls visited the local Cotton Gin, and I couldn't help but support buying local and went home with some Fableism Camp Gingham in Sunshine and some Figo Fabrics Space Dye in Green and Navy. I have no doubt I'll be able to put those lovely fabrics to good use.

I have a hunch next month won't be much better as far as fabric intake goes, so meanwhile, I'll just keep sewing.

March Fabric Usage

Used up: 14.25 yards [10.43 projects + 3.82 recycled]
Brought in: 10.47 yards
Net: -3.78 yards

Floral Stitches Year II - Blue Daisy

2026-04-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that this blue daisy sampler is the next to last in Year II of Dropcloth's @dropcloth Floral Stitches Series. Dare I say that this was one of my favorites to stitch of this round.

Something about that big flower, the ring of greenery, and that gingham background made this one very fun to stitch.

For everything except those little red circles, I used two threads in each color - one solid and one variegated. It's more obvious in some areas than others, but that's been kind of my go-to technique lately, plus using a double strand throughout.

For the red outer ring, I stitched a wrapped chain stitch, which is also a current favorite. It gives a bit heftier look while still going really quickly. At any rate, I love this one - the design and the colors I stitched it in.

2026 Quilting Check In Q1

2026-03-31T08:11:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already heard, Melanie Meyer @mellmeyer has taken over the quarterly quilting goal check-in link up party previously posted by Yvonne Fuchs @quiltingjetgirl. I plan to keep checking in quarterly, but in a simpler format than years past. Melanie suggested reflecting on our Q1 2026 quilting progress, so I'll keep it to that.

January – March 2026 Quilts

It's actually been a pretty productive quarter, which is great. For one, I participated in several groups and workshops that resulted in quilts in a variety of sizes.

Block Studies Collective

Shattered

Pillars

Shift

Improv for Everyone :: Fat Curves and Skinny Lines workshop with Maria Shell @mariashellquilts

Upended

Quilt Improv Studio

Configured

Building an Improv Toolbox workshop with Sarah Goer @sarahgoerquilts

Imp

Happily, I finished the 2025 Seattle MQG BOM with the help of longarm quilter Dionne Hersch @dinglebobbins. That sure felt good!

Calendar Cascade

And I made a wall hanging for our son to (hopefully) hang in his office.

Liturgical Calendar Wall Hanging

Finally, I made a scrappy quilt, my first quilt finish for the 100 Day Project/AKA 100 Days of Scraps.

Strings

Going into Q2 of the year, I'll continue working on my Pantone Quilt Challenge project, and once that's done I have another quilt challenge I want to make a quilt for. There's also the current Seattle MQG BOM to keep up with and I suppose I should start another scrappy quilt for my 100 Days of Scraps. So plenty to keep me going. One day at a time.

Linking up with Melanie and the #2026QuiltingCheckIn Q1.

Patchwork Pop Open Pouch

2026-03-30T08:59:00.000-07:00

Over the years, I figure I'm made Aneela Hoey's @aneelahoey Pop Open Pouch at least nine times. The result is always lovely, and though I still need to follow the pattern, the construction is very straight-forward. When I saw that Aneela came out with a patchwork supplement for her pattern, I knew it was time to make a new one for myself.

So while on retreat recently, I managed to piece the two exterior panels starting with a mini charm pack of Artisan Cotton, along with squares cut from a Cotton Couture charm pack.

As you can see above, I used the fusible grid method to arrange my squares, and then sewed all the seams.

Before continuing on, I trimmed the panels ever so slightly, and if I make this version again, I'll be more careful about trimming so the panels line up better on the final construction. Oops. But it's super cute, just the same.

After seeing the patchwork exterior pieces made up, I went with the purple zipper, and a black gingham lining. Due to using the fusible grid method for piecing the exteriors, I could omit the fusible fleece usually used in this pouch, so that was nice.

I went with the leather zipper tab, as I usually do. I find that using a little of my glue pen to adhere the leather to the zipper end keeps things pretty secure while I do the top-stitching. Another trick, thanks to Aneela, is the way the pattern has you align and stitch the boxed ends together, so the lining stays nice and snug during use. It's an optional step, but one I find easy to do and makes for a neat finish. (Not shown, but trust me.)

I used a black 1/8" leather strip for the zipper pull, and ta da! I have a super cute finished pouch, which in my case, will get used for make up. So glad I decided to try this pop open pouch variation. I see that just today, Aneela has put out a pattern supplement to make a scrappy patchwork version of her Zip Up Tray Pouch pattern. I haven't tried that one, so it might be next!

Weave Got This! :: :: Blocks 1 & 2

2026-03-28T09:29:00.000-07:00

One project I am hoping to keep up with this year is the Seattle MQG BOM that we're doing, Weave Got This! A mystery quilt design inspired by woven textiles, it's being hosted by our guild-members Nora Bauser @norstar_german and Rachel Singh @liketosew. Last month had us making strip sets, some of which were used to make the blocks in this month's assignment.

Block 1 involved cutting up two strip sets and arranging them into the pieced blocks on the right, above. We made four of those, and also of Block 2, which was done by cutting up another strip into 7.5" widths. So my work on this is done until we get April's assignment. I'm anxious to add in the greens from my palette, but who knows when that will be. So far, so good though.

Imp

2026-03-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

I could tell I was feeling better when I had a free hour and started piecing together the improv blocks from the recent workshop I took from Sarah Goer @sarahgoerquilts, Building an Improv Toolbox. And.I.Could.Not.Stop. Before I knew it, I had a 26.5" x 29.5" little quilt top and had named her Imp.

Happily, I was able to squeeze 28 of the 29 blocks I had made in the workshop together with very few additions.

Then I made a pieced quilt back that included the one block I couldn't fit into the front, adding in all sorts of bits and pieces, though I also needed to pull a couple of pinks from stash to bring it to size.

After enjoying quilting with a variegated thread on Strings recently, I went ahead and chose Aurifil 50wt variegated 4660 [Pink Taffy] for Imp, and quilted a 1" grid. In person, it really makes for some fun color play as the variegated thread moves across the quilt.

And finally, since I'd used up all the fabrics from the front, I used a small-scale black and white stripe for the binding. Knowing that it was perfect, but wouldn't quite go all the way around the quilt, I pieced in a pink dot that I'd used on the back. I think it's a very fun finishing touch. After trimming, Imp measured just under 26" x 30", and in continuing to build my improv toolbox, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Linking up with QuiltingJETgirl's Favorite Finish {March 2026}.

BSC Year Three Round-Up

2026-03-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

I waited to post this thinking I migghhtt get another piece done for the final prompt, but yeah, I didn't get to that due to sickness and then travel. And then, unfortunately, I missed the farewell zoon gathering with the group as I was just getting home from said travel. Oh well. It was a most enjoyable season - my second with Block Studies Collective with Tara Faughnan @tarafaughnan. Finished projects aren't really the goal in BSC; it's all about a 'block' prompt and a color palette. But I really like to have finished pieces to show for my experiments, and for this round, I made finished 5 small quilts - two of which I hand-quilted - and a drawstring bag. So here are each month's finished, with a link to a post
about each one:

Crosswalk

Garnish

Star Brite Lined Drawstring Bag

Shattered with guest presenter Jen Carlton-Bailly @bettycrockerass

Pillars

Shift

Playing with Tara's prompts and palettes was definitely a treat these last six months. Working small made it all very doable. Plus it was wonderful to see the work from my fellow participants. Fingers crossed I'm able to join in for Season Four.

Many Square in Squares

2026-03-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

So I'm back from retreat, which was a really fun getaway. (Random: It got up to 97-degrees while I was there; I'm home to 43 today. Yikes. I really soaked up the CA sunshine for sure.) Anyway, I was able to use my friend's Janome Horizon Memory Craft 15000, which is bigger, and more of a sewing and embroidery combo machine than my Janome 6700P. So quite different, but with enough similarities that I adapted pretty quickly. I enjoyed sewing on it very much. I had a nice little set-up with my own pressing and cutting station. For larger pieces, a full-size ironing board and cutting boards were set up for us to share.

The first project I tackled was the batik Mini Square in Square blocks for the current Many Hands and Many Hearts March-May 2026 block drive hosted by Cynthia Brunz @cynthiabrunzdesigns.

I just happened to have a small handful of batik fabrics in my stash, which I used for the outer portions of the blocks. Then I also had a batik jelly roll from which I was able to cut 2.5" centers for the blocks. Cynthia was ok with me sending just light center/dark outer blocks, so I was grateful for that. All the blocks finished at 8.5" square, and I plan to get them mailed off to her in the next day or so. I'm glad I was able to participate in another round, and honestly, these were the perfect retreat project. And there's still time to join in, if you are able - all the details are here.

Off On Retreat

2026-03-19T04:00:00.000-07:00

Back in March of 2020, my long-time quilting group of friends - AKA the Basket Case Quilters - had a retreat planned. Three of us would be traveling from out of state to meet up in CA at another friend's house, but at the last minute, it got cancelled due to the many unknowns of the pandemic. Finally, finally, we've rescheduled, and I'll be traveling in a few days to meet up with them.

Of course, I need to take projects! I didn't actually have a lot going on, so I've planned some stuff. I thought it might be fun to share it all here - both as accountability - and just to keep track.

1. My Pantone challenge project. Basically the stack of fabrics I shared last week + a gingham I added in for a bit of color. I have a rough plan of what I want to make - at least where I want to start, so I'll share more of that as I get started.

2. I found just enough batiks in my stash to participate in the current Many Hands and Many Hearts March-May 2026 block drive making Mini Square in Square blocks. Cynthia Brunz @cynthiabrunzdesigns is host, and I'm happy to be able to participate for another round.

3. For reasons I won't share quite yet, I hope to make several of Heidi Staple's @fabricmutt Pixie Baskets. I'm made quite a few over the years, and am looking forward to making them again.

4. I've also made numerous Pop Open Pouches over the years, using the pattern by Aneela Hooey. Last year sometime, she published an add-on pattern for a patchwork version, and since I need a new one, I decided to try this variation. I found a mini charm pack of Artisan Cotton in my stash, and will add in what I need from a Cotton Couture charm pack. And I'm taking a couple of options for both lining and zipper, and will use what I like best in the moment.

So it's always a mystery how much one will accomplish on a retreat, AND what I'll feel like working on, so TBD what I actually get done. So stay tuned. I'll try to share progress on IG while I'm away, and of course, via blog posts once I return. See ya in a few days.

Strings

2026-03-18T14:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally have my first quilt finish for the 100 Day Project/AKA 100 Days of Scraps. Meet Strings, a quilt whose front is made entirely of scrappy strings and other bits from the scrap basket.

Folks have asked, and no, I didn't use a fabric foundation. I just sewed a bunch of strips together, and then added corners. Or sometimes, I actually started with a corner, and added strings from there. I didn't worry too much about the size of each block. I just let the strings I chose to use together determine that.

What that means, is that sometimes I didn't gauge well, and bits I actually liked got trimmed off. Oh well.

Eventually, I had enough blocks to make a good-sized quilt (54" x 55"). You can see that there were places I had to add in pieced strips or much smaller blocks that I made specifically to fill a certain space.

I continued on to make a scrappy quilt back, though I did have to pull a few fabrics from stash to make blocks large enough. Other than that gray solid, all the fabrics I pulled were in pretty short supply, so it felt just fine using them up here.

I think I mentioned that I had a cold that really hung on, and by the time I was feeling up to quilting, I was also in the mood to get this one done. So I chose to quilt using a diagonal serpentine stitch about 1.5" part. I marked every 3" with my hera marker and quilted those lines, then quilted between them all again by eye. I confess that quilting in that way was relaxing but quick - ie. barely over an hour. This time, for this quilt, it felt just fine.

The thread I used was an Aurifil 50wt variegated 4570 [Silver Fox]. I thought it suited this mostly gray quilt very nicely.

I had just enough of a gray print to make a binding, which I hand-finished. So even though I did end up using a few stash pulls for this quilt, the front is 100% scraps, and what I pulled was 95% used up in the back and binding, so that felt good. All in all, I'm happy with the finish, and plan to donate Strings to our guild's giving committee.

Floral Stitches Year II - Plate of Little Daisies

2026-03-17T08:19:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe I only have two more samplers in year two of the Year of Florals subscription series.

This one was a mix of types of small flowers, and overall, I stitched similar flowers with the same threads

This time I did fill all the centers with French knots. I especially like the pink flower, where I used two colors for the knots.

I also really enjoyed all those Xs and knots around the flowers.

So I'm waiting for the next to last sampler to arrive. I've seen a sneak peek, and I'm really anxious to stitch it up!

Building an Improv Toolbox

2026-03-16T09:58:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, I spent the day on Zoom in a workshop with Seattle MQG @seattlemqg and Sarah Goer @sarahgoerquilts, who led her Building an Improv Toolbox workshop with us. Yes, I know I've taught my own class on improv techniques in days gone by, but I'm always open to learning more, and thought it would be fun to approach it from another teacher's point of view. And it definitely was!

It was suggested we begin class with six fat-quarters, but wanting to use scraps if I possibly could, I pulled a handful of pieces from stash that were all less than a quarter-yard. Some were indeed leftover from other projects, while some were just small pieces. It ended up being a very fun mix to play with.

By lunchtime, I had a nice little collection of blocks up on the design wall. Most of the techniques I'd tried before, but not those radiating strip blocks, shown below just above the stripes. Those were created in a pair, and I enjoyed trying them. I can definitely imagine making groups of blocks of them.

There were two techniques in the afternoon session that I particularly enjoyed and look forward to playing with more - compound shapes....

And slice & shift. With the example below, I also included a pieced slice & insert strip, which basically created another type of compound block.

Below are all the blocks I was able to create during the afternoon.

So by the end of the workshop, I had 29(!) improv blocks to show for myself. That was a lot of different techniques Sarah was able to share with us, wasn't it? She's a terrific teacher, and I'd highly recommend the workshop, especially for those wanting to explore beginning improv piecing.

Meanwhile, I'm planning on somehow puzzling all these blocks together into a small quilt. And even though I don't have a clear plan forward, I haven't been able to resist sewing some like blocks together. So stay tuned. Once I've made some real progress, I'll share this project again.

Block Printing

2026-03-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

All I had to do was mention my desire to learn about fabric printing to my daughter Rachel @snippetsofsweetness, and voilà, I got everything I needed to get started for my birthday!

For better or worse, I kind of just jumped right in! I initially was going to just carve a wonky plus block, but midstream, decided to leave some stripes in the center and each quadrant. And then of course, I had to test it out.

The top left pair were my first try - on Essex cotton/linen blend - then the white one, which is Kona. Obviously I wasn't getting very good coverage with the paint. Finally, I just set the stamp right on the paint board (a book covered with foil), and that result is on the right, again on Essex.

I know a couple of things. One, the fabric should be pre-washed, and mine was not. I spritzed it with water, then ironed it dry, but still. So there's that. Also, the point is to roller the paint onto the stamp, so I definitely need to work on my technique there, as I wasn't getting enough paint on my roller to be successful. So I'll be working on that too. So lots to learn. But meanwhile, I think I have a new hobby.

Leaf Study

2026-03-12T09:07:00.000-07:00

This month's Bee Sewcial @beesewcial prompt came from Karen @capitolaquilter - Leaf Study. She asked for abstract, whimsical leaves, in the spirit of her previous Fantastical Flowers prompt (see my response here). For a palette, she chose a throwback to her very first prompt, Reflections, based on the Capitola Venetians.

Karen said she was fine with our blocks being on the larger side, which is a good thing, as both of mine definitely were. The first was inspired by a ginkgo leaf, and measures approximately 13" x 21".

Then the second block, inspired by a broad, tropical leaf, ended up measuring 12" x 24", but obviously has a lot of room for trimming.

Karen is fine with untrimmed blocks, so I'll leave both of these as shown, and get them mailed off soon.

Floral Stitches Year II - Little Flowers

2026-03-11T08:55:00.000-07:00

Finally, another Dropcloth @dropcloth Floral Stitches finish!

Here's how it looked before I started stitching.

Unfortunately, I struggled a bit with this one. There was nothing really wrong. That ring of flowers just wasn't my favorite to stitch. The petals, and then I didn't really feel like filling the centers full of French knots, so for better or worse, tried a basket-weave of sorts. It's ok.

But that's fine! They can't all be a favorite. And guess what? I have another one waiting for me. Just three more to go.

My Cloud Dancer

2026-03-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

When I first saw the 2026 Pantone Color of the Year announced - Cloud Dancer - I thought hmmm. White. For tradition-sake, my daughter Rachel @snippetsofsweetness went ahead and ordered us Pantone swatch cards, and the first thing I noticed, was that it was definitely not white-white. At least not Kona White (on the left below); and though closer, it wasn't Kona Snow (on the right below) either.

So of course, I chose to consult my color cards and see what seemed closest. I was surprised to find just two colors I was inclined to order - Cotton Couture Soft White and Painters Palette Rice Paper, shown left and center below with Kona Snow on the right. In the natural light of my studio window, my first choice for a match is the CC Soft White.

As you may have heard, the 2026 Pantone Quilt Challenge is calling for a white-ish quilt.

From the challenge rules:

Aim for roughly 90% white and 10% anything else.
"White'"can include: creams, off-whites, beiges, very pale versions of other hues, and low volume prints.

Personally, I'll be using a combination of these in my quilt project (top-bottom below):

Kona White
Essex White
Diamond Textiles Top Stitch in White
Painters Palette Rice Paper
Cotton Couture Soft White

Though.... I also have a pile of Essex Homespun Yarn Dyed in Natural scraps that I think would be a good addition, so that's my plan. I'm tentatively thinking of adding a color somewhere in the process, but time will tell. Meanwhile, I have the inklings of a design idea, and can't wait to get started.

Shift

2026-03-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, this is the final month of Season 3 of Block Studies Collective with Tara Faughnan @tarafaughnan. Sad but true. Once again, my fabric pull was a combo of Tara's suggested palette and colors from my stash that were close to what I didn't have. Though I originally pulled a few more, the fabrics I ended up actually using were Konas Windsor, Blue Jay, Sienna, Cerise, Woodrose, Yarrow, and Dusty Peach.

The design for the month was hexagons, and though Tara gave several more options of shapes to try, I really did love the hexies best.

They were quick and easy to paper-piece, and I made oodles of them.

Eventually, I stopped and worked up a layout. In retrospect, I maybe should have stuck to clearer hexagon shapes, but you know me. I like seeing what other shapes can be created with adjoining like colors, and that's kind of the way my piece developed.

Obviously, I made a much simpler pieced back for my little quilt, using cut-offs from my original piecing.

I quilted with Aurifil 50wt 2975 [Brass], with the beginning intention to echo on each side of all the hexagons. But after doing just the sides - not the tops and bottoms - I liked the look, so let that be enough.

I'm regretting trying to do precision sewing when I was still under the weather, as I see a spot now I would have tried harder with if I'd noticed it in time. At any rate, I love this little design, and again, the palette was half the fun.

This piece finished at 15" x 15.5", and one day soon, I'll share all of my Season 3 projects together.

Cake

2026-03-05T10:04:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've finished a Dropcloth @dropcloth sampler, hasn't it? I kind of took a break from the Floral Stitches series and have been working on another of the samplers from my Advent calendar. Meet Cake.

Apparently, it was inspired by a very early Dropcloth sampler - earlier than my participation. But I loved it from the minute I opened it, and I really enjoyed stitching it up.

The design itself measures 3.25" x 4.5", and I used a soft, peachy palette for the cake, variegated threads for the flowers, and bright red for the cake stand, all Wonderfil perle cotton, double-thickness. I never quite know the complete palette when I start out, so it's always nice to discover it as I stitch along.

Pantone Quilt Challenge 2026

2026-03-02T08:43:00.000-08:00

Did you hear? The 2026 Pantone Quilt Challenge kicks off today and will run for 8 weeks through April 27. This year's challenge is hosted by Sarah Ruiz @bysarahruiz and Audrey Esarey @cottonandbourbon, and the challenge will feature Cloud Dancer, Pantone’s 2026 Color of the Year.

Now I know that Cloud Dancer got a verrryyyy mixed reception when it was announced in December, and even I felt some disappointment. But if the challenge is on, I'm in!

Per tradition, my daughter Rachel @snippetsofsweetness ordered us both Pantone COTY Swatch Cards, and yes, knowing I'd need plenty of Cloud Dancer-colored fabric for my challenge project, I've ordered a couple fabrics to see the closest match, just like I usually do. Though the challenge rules say to Make a white-ish quilt, I was still curious. All I know so far is that Kona White is not it. Not that I won't use some of that, but it's not a match. So stay tuned for more there, but meanwhile, here's a link to Pantone Quilt Challenge 2026 – Week 1. Are you in?

February Fabric Usage

2026-03-01T14:16:00.000-08:00

I was so close to purchasing zero fabric this month, but a friend's destash caught me up.

She wanted to find a new home for several UmbrellaPrints Trimmings packs. I remember seeing these trimming packs several years ago, but never indulged, so I was happy to do so now. UmbrellaPrints has since closed and morphed into Moonbow Australia, and I see they still have smaller quantities of trimmings for sale. Anyway, I thought these would be fun to play with - a variety of prints, colors, and substrates.

The good news is that the several projects I worked on last month added up to a good amount of fabric usage. So I'm feeling ok, heading into March, even though I know that at least a couple of fabric purchases await me.

February Fabric Usage

Used up: 11.87 yards [8.34 projects + 3.53 recycled/donated]
Brought in: .82 yards
Net: -11.05 yards

Pillars

2026-02-26T09:04:00.000-08:00

This month of Block Studies Collective with Tara Faughnan @tarafaughnan felt a bit disjointed, interrupted my some mid-month travel. The prompt was Pillars, with the encouragement to hand-piece, so I opted to go that route for the blocks at least. My fabrics were a mix of Tara's suggested palette and colors from my stash - Konas Sienna, Geranium, Lupine, Thistle, Grapemist, Blueprint, Blue Jay, Teal Blue, Pool, Aruba, Key Lime, and Summer Pear.

The blocks were basically stripes with optional 'caps' top and bottom.

Though I began with a thicker thread (what was I thinking?), I switched pretty quickly to Aurifil 80wt, which was very nice for hand-piecing.

The quilt backing was also pieced, using my scraps to simulate a block from the front.

The only truly disappointing part of this project was the batting scrap I used, which was a little too puffy for my liking. But I survived, and I enjoyed the quilting more once I gave it all a press mid-stream.

For quilting, I used a variegated Wonderfil Fruitti FT16 [Grapes], which complimented the colors in the quilt nicely, I thought. Plus, it's a dream to stitch with.

With a running stitched binding in Kona Geranium, the little quilt finished at about 13" square.

One thing I did with the quilting that was quite unusual for me, was to leave all the knots from my quilting threads showing on the surface, with both the quilt front and the binding on the back. For some reason, I thought that suited this piece, and it was indeed, very freeing to do.