Welcome back my quilty friends. I hope everyone in US enjoyed the Memorial Day weekend. Here in the PNW it was a beautiful weekend. Well until Monday when we had the normal rain. My daughter was off camping with her husband of one year. Hard to believe they have been married a year. I hand the grand fur babies to keep an eye on. Since they are cats, they are easy. They greeted me with lots of love even though they prefer mom and dad.
While I had all these great plans to sew this weekend, I ended up spending the weekend reading. I finished 3 books over four days. I am almost caught up with my reading goal of 2026. I want to read/listen to 100 books this year. Before I started my weekend, I had TWO quilt zooms on Friday! I also spent most of Monday english paper piecing. So excited to share the results with you.
I will be linking up with Carol @ Quilt Schmilt for To Do Tuesday. See the link above. Feel free to join us. Or just check out the cool projects.
WIP Updates
I worked on three different english paper piecing projects which I am going to share with you first. These projects I have been working on for a few years.
English paper piecing projects
2018 Farmers Wife 1920s with my Alison Glass fabric stash
I was not in a cross stitch mood yesterday so I ended up working on my english paper piecing projects. It has been a long time where I have had a concentrated amount of ime. It felt good to finish this gorgeous purple block. Really loved my fabric choices for this block. I need to cut the next couple of blocks after I find my project box that has all my templates and paper. I think I stored the original Famers Wife 1920 book with my coloring sheet.
Pink Door Fabrics Queen of Diamonds 2o23 using Tula Pink’s True Colors, Solids, and Hero Prints
I finished up my Month 3 blocks a couple of months ago but had not found the project box. I saw it when I was packing for the quilt retreat in April. Friday, I pulled it out and revisited the project box after a year. Found my light box as well and got to fussy cutting where needed. I tried a couple of different techniques and ended up using my paper and drawing key features on it and gluing my paper template to the wrong side of the fabric while on the light board.
Most of the fussy cutting was just one block or wasn’t important for it to match except for above. I had to cut these trapezoid shapes for the center of Month 4 Block 2 (4-2) to create a pattern in the center. I did pretty good and I do like my center design. Yes this took a while. Some people draw on the template or ruler with a sharpie but I didn’t have one handy so I drew on my paper template instead and then laid the templates on top of each other to transfer marks. I used the dragonfly’s head and the two blue flowers on each side. (Thank goodness I had the light box!)
I keep a photo of the blocks in my phone (in an album called Queen of Diamonds) to refer to while stitching.
I glue basted both blocks while cutting since I had so much fussy cutting. It was just easier. I was excited to get a little start on block 4-1.
Some people don’t like their stitches to show. I believe in Libs Elliot’s attitude. I WANT people to know that it was hand stitched. I put in a lot of work and I am totally cook with people knowing. I generally use matching variegated threads. I have a stash of variegated from a club I use to be part of. I have tried piecing and quilting with variegated but for some reason it tends to break more so I now use it for EPP almost exclusively.
2019 Ruby’s Garden – Double Diamond Free Pattern on Paperpieces.com
If you are new to my blog, I am duplicating a hand pieced, hand quilted quilt my Grandma Ruby made for me for my wedding back in 1989.
As is normal for that era, the hexies were made from used clothing that grandma would pick up from yard sales (versus new fabric). For her sashing, she used a solid aqua. I am using mostly Lori Holt fabric with some liberty fabrics scattered throughout. I think I need 89 blocks. I have finished 25 blocks so far.
For my hexies, I just cut 2 1/2 inch squares for my 1 inch hexies. I had two baggies with center flower, round, and sashing so I spent some time yesterday glue basting both blocks.
The dark teal is my sashing. I was thinking one looks like Chrismasand the other looks very springy.
I was tempted to start one but I resisted. With my EPP, I normally rotate through the projects working on one block at a time. This is now ready for when I finish my next Queen of Diamond.
Traditional projects
While I have finished most of my monthly blocks for May, I still had a few things to work on.
2026 Monthly Color Challenge by Patterns by Jen (PBJ)
Last week I shared my fabric choices which I had already cut up. Here it is all made up! The rainbow moons are sticking out a little more than I was thinking they would, yet I like it.
Abby Rose Churn Dash Blocks
I knocked out my fourth block in May. We are down 5 or 6 blocks left to make before figuring out the layout for this leaders and enders project. It feels real busy to me with those big print roses. I tend to like the ones with a blender or solid in it. All my friends seemed to like it.
Weekly To Do List
What I finished from last week’s list:
- Finished Farmers Wife 1920 EPP block 50 🥳
- Finished May Monthly Color Challenge block 🔹
- Finished another churn dash block 💠
- Pull and cut fabric for my Queen of Diamonds Month 4 (EPP)
Upcoming week to do list:
- Start cutting 4 1/2 inch blocks for the PNW Hip To Be Square quilt for the pieced border
- Quilt Turkey Lurkey wallhanging
- Bolt up all the fabric I purchased so far this spring
- Pick a panel to make a panel quilt
- Continue loading fabrics on mini bolts
- Sorting through and start cutting Month 1 of my Tula Pink Floral Reef SuperNova EPP project
- work on Queen of Diamonds block 4-1
- Pull and cut Famers Wife blocks 51 & 52 (EPP)
- Play on my new 990
- Rearrange sewing machine room
- Load a quilt on long arm
- unpack a fabric box
Happy Mail
I got another box of happy mail! This time it is from Renassiance Ribbons mini Tula Pink kit. It is a lunch box (or sewing box). The kit includes EVERYTHING you need (except thread and needles) – zippers, mesh, ribbon, fabric, elastic, hardware. I am new to sewing (not quilt like) so I am a little nervous to start, but have been wanting to get into bag making. What happened to the days when I had no fear?
Musings
Now I will be home all of June, July, and August. I have a couple of classes in July. I am doing Acorns & Threads 2 day workshop with Cathy from Hands on Designs and a 3 day class for my new 990. Both are local. Plus my sister will be here in July. Fourth of July……. Okay so June I need to focus on re-organizing the studio. I am looking forward to being home or the whole month!
I talked so much about the english paper piecing, I am out of words. So enjoy this week. Drop me a comment. Thanks again for stopping by!
Peggy Stockwell in Vancouver, Washington