Fabric In and a Sashiko Project

Fabric purchase

The first weekend in January, one of the quilting shops had a 20% off sale as well as a 50% off sale off one cut of fabric. Wide backing fabric, which I could use soon, was included in the sale. Buying a back for Lupine and Laughter came to my mind. I went. 

Sylvia Pippen's book

I did buy a wide back for a QOV that I'm planning to stitch later in the year. There was a wide back fabric I liked even better; but, there was only two yards remaining. I threw caution to the wind and bought it. My fingers are crossed that I will be able to use it as backing for my 2023 RSC. There may be minimal piecing involved to make it large enough. I decided I was okay with a little piecing!

Sitching Lupine and Laughter has exhausted my white neutrals. I bought a half hard of two fabrics. I also purchased a mini cone of piecing thread. I'm starting the year with adding 11 yards of fabric to my stash. My goal is to have a net loss of 100 yards of fabric from my stash. This week, I'm working on a finish which should counter my purchase!   

In other news, our book club is reading and discussing the book, "The Stories Clothes Tell/Voices of Working Class Japan" by Tasuichi Horikiri. Horikiri documented clothing that he collected from the working class of Japan. Most of the clothing in the book includes a short story about the owner and or how Horikiri collected it. it is an interesting read.

Sashiko progress 

While reading the book, I thought about using some denim scraps I saved long ago for a braided rug. I thought about pairing a piece of the scrap with some decorative stitching. Several pieces could work into a book project.

Then I remembered I had a project started in a class. At least ten years ago, I experienced Sylvia Pippen, a Washington state quilt artist, teach a sashiko class. I remember doing the prep work and stitching a small portion of the design in class. At the end of class, I packed up the materials into a zip lock plastic bag and didn't open the bag again until late last month.

Since I try to use what I have when I make a book club book, this project was the ONE! In addition to reviewing the instruction in her book, I needed to watch her YouTube video about how to complete the stitches. I hope that the design, when I finish will be pleasing to the eye. It is challenging to take "even" stitches. I'm far from perfect; but, I'm enjoying the process.

This is a small project about 14 by 14 inches. Small is good since I have several large projects currently at various stages in the pipeline! Making progress on the sashiko project was goal number seven on my January list.

Linking to Finished or not Friday and Patchwork and Quilts.

Challenge Block--post 3

Goal number five on my January list was to work on my challenge blocks. This challenge was to use three Kaffe large scale prints in a quilt. There were no other rules. In my December post, I shared how I was making the blocks. 

The three Kaffe prints

Earlier this week, I finished stitching the blocks for Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Lupine and Laughter. I'd like to lay them out; but, my challenge blocks are on the design wall. It was time to make progress on this project! I cut more block parts, made more blocks until I had sewn enough to create a top. 

Friday evening I began to web the rows. I like to web my blocks; but, somehow, the blocks will twist and I end up sewing rows together in a different design than I had intended. If you web, how do you keep that from happening? After my webbing fiasco, I started sewing the bocks together two at a time, then four at a time until I had a row. Then I stitched rows together.  Of course, I made mistakes; but, perhaps today, I'll finish and have a flimsy!

Sewing the rows together

Once I figured out how, the block was simple to sew. I like how slicing the blocks tamed the large scale prints. The solid fabrics sometimes stand out more than the print fabric. The solid dark skinny strips are a purple grunge. This fabric unifies the design. The blacks play together. They look like they are having a party! The top has a modern vibe. I'm happy with my solution to the challenge!

The layout

It needs a name. Gertie, my inner squirrel, has been calling it "Dash." I teased her that she was naming it after herself because she is always dashing about the studio. She only swished her tail in response! This is an 18 block by 10 block layout. The top will be 48 by 65 inches. I'm not planning to add a border and likely will use the purple grunge as binding. I have some leftover parts, chunks and strips. I hope there are enough leftovers to create a backing; but that is a project for another day!

Linking to Oh Scrap,  Sew & Tell. and To Do Tuesday.

Lupine and Laughter (Clues 6, 7 and a little of 8)-post 3

Clue six

I had help with clue six. My youngest granddaughter, who will be four in March, chose the fabric combinations. She liked the puzzle of laying out the parts to stitch into a block. She followed the printed pattern layout which shocked me! Together we did make one unit; but sewing was boring. Her favorite parts of the process were clipping the units apart and clapping the seam after pressing it. It was so fun to have her play in the studio with me. She thought I was "funny" when I talked about us playing in the studio. She told me we were "working!"

Clue seven AKA kitty ears

Clue seven had me cutting neutral rectangles and ice blue squares to make as Bonnie wrote, "kitty ears." I made these the traditional way and created a ton of bonus triangles. I have plans for those triangles which might be a project I start next year. 

Clue eight was the reveal. This clue is like four clues in one. There were two different blocks to make, the center to construct, the borders to construct. I started with making the block with the kitty ear blocks. There was matching so four points came together. Sometimes I was right on and sometimes I was super close.

Block A

After making the first set of blocks, I cut sashing and cornerstones for the second set of blocks. There was still matching.  . .but, the matching wasn't as precise. I have a quarter of the second set of blocks to make. Once I finish making the blocks, I'll be taking a break.

Currently, my design wall is holding blocks that I've constructed for my group challenge. I need to sew more of those blocks and set them into a top before I will have the space to layout the blocks for the center of this project. 

Block B

Making progress on this project was goal number one on my January list. Linking to Finished or Not Friday and Patchwork and Quilts.

2025 RSC Blocks--post 1

Sorting the blue strings

Goal number four on my January list was to piece a few blocks in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color of the month. I have pondered the block for the RSC for months. A few leftover gray string blocks along with a lot of leftover gray fabrics from the Grassy Creek project had me thinking about using string blocks as my RSC. Since my bag of strings is packed so tightly that it can't hold more, string blocks seemed the obvious answer!

Constant fabric

Often, I will make a sample block before the year begins. Sample block making didn't happen this year. My little inner squirrel Gertie, kept coming up with options and what if questions! She is such a busy little squirrel!!! 

First four pieced rectangles

We had many, many consulting conferences. She wanted me to search my stash for a constant fabric to use in the blocks. I rebelled. She talked some more, I relented. I wanted to add black to the outer edge of half the blocks. Right away, Gertie loved this idea. She also let me know that I could have been more supportive of her idea to use the constant fabric! 

Four rectangles stitched together into a diamond shape

This week, I pulled out the newspaper and began cutting the 4.5 x 6.5 inch foundation papers for the blocks. I cut some strips of the constant fabric. I decided I would cut these strips at one and one quarter inch. After I stitched one edge into the block, it looked too wide so I trimmed the strips to an inch. The idea behind that constant fabric is for it to act as a stopper between the color and the dark fabric at the outer edge. For example, if I had a dark blue strip next to a black strip, the contrast would not be enough for the eye to see a difference.

Strings remaining

Using the color of the month, blue and to test my plan, I stitched eight string rectangles. I liked the effect that the one constant fabric provides. I stitched four rectangles together making the diamond pattern. I stitched a second crop of four rectangles together so I could get an idea of how the grey and black strings would play together. I liked what I saw.

The remaining blue strings; more black and gray strings

What I learned was that I need to make four rectangles at a time so that I can be sure that I have the orientations as I planned. Those orientations being two uphill rectangles and two downhill rectangles with the gray and black strings alternating. To not confuse myself, I marked on the paper the sides for the gray and black strings! 

Eight blue diamond blocks.

I stitched enough rectangles to make eight blocks. After I finished the block, I stitched around the perimeter to ensure none of the seams unsew! It took me a while to clean up. First I organized the blue strings which are no longer crammed and spilling out of the top of the bag. I've room to add strings to the bag again! I didn't not use the dark blue strips. I'll save those for another project.

I organized the black strings too. A lot of these strings, I had shoved into the bag. I took time to trim to a string size. I will need to dig into my chunks to cut more strings; but, I have enough to start blocks next month. I cut more gray strings and more foundation papers. I am ready to work on whatever color Angela chooses for February.

Making the blue RSC blocks was goal number four on my January list. I do enjoy stitching with strings even though it is a messy endeavor!  Linking to Rainbow Scrap Challenge, Oh Scrap, Sew & Tell, To Do Tuesday.

More Sourdough with a Few Strings Thrown in at the End--post 4

Sourdough Bagels

I've continued baking sourdough recipes from the Artisan Sourdough Made Simple cookbook. In October, I baked bagels. Years ago, I baked bagels and didn't have good results. These bagels, however, were delicious. The recipe states that a New Yorker will tell you after taking one bite that the bagel is a taste of home. Well, my friend, Wendy, is a New Yorker. I brought her a couple. I didn't even get home before she had texted me about how good the bagels were and how they reminded her of the ones she would eat in New York.

I was lamenting the fact that the bagels didn't have holes and she wrote, "Who needs holes when these are so good?" Actually, the bagels are better with smaller holes because you can add more stuff without it falling through the hole!

Pita Bread

In November,  I baked two new to me recipes. First, I baked pita bread. I rolled half of the dough  super thin and these were more like what I have purchased from the store. The other half of the dough, I rolled the recommended 1/4 inch thick. I liked eating these better. 

I baked some of the pitas on a pizza stone and some of the pitas in a cast iron skillet. The pitas browned better in the cast iron skillet; but, both methods worked. This is not a recipe I will make often. I think I didn't like the flavor that the whole wheat flour imparted. I may try the recipe again using only white flour to see if I like the results better.

They split well and we filled them with pulled pork one day, egg scramble another and roast chicken on a third day!

Soft and Tear Rolls

At Thanksgiving, my daughter asked if I would bring rolls--my choice on what I wanted to make. I baked two kinds. The Soft and Tare rolls which I've shared before. These turned out the best ever. 

Cranberry Pecan Sourdough rolls

The other recipe I made was Cranberry Pecan Sourdough rolls. These went well with the turkey and would also work great at a brunch because they were sweet. Both were even better tasting than they looked!

Blistered asiago rolls with sweet apple and rosemary

In December, I baked the Sourdough asiago rolls. I've wanted to bake these since I first perused the recipes in this cookbook. The recipe calls for dried apples; but, I followed the hint and sautéd apple slices in a pan until they were wrinkled and those worked great. After you form the rolls, you bruh the dough with water and then roll that piece of formed dough in the shredded asiago cheese. The rolls raise once more before baking. Eating these warm was the best of all the recipes. My husband said that we weren't sharing the remainder with anyone! 

Pickled jalapeno, cheddar and chive bread

Later in the month, I baked the Pickled Jalapeño, Cheddar and Chive bread. My husband likes foods with a kick and cheese is always a win in his book! There are more recipes I have tried so I'll keep documenting baking the recipes in this cookbook. While I like to bake a sourdough something each week, the requests for favorites don't leave much room for a new recipe!

Writing this post was goal number nine on my January list.

Sorting blue strings

Yesterday, I started sorting and stitching blue strings for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I hope to stitch enough strings to make a huge dent in the blue string bag!

The Village of Artists--made from a variety of house blocks

My daughter delivered the house quilt on Monday. The recipient loved it. He ist 35 years old with a wife, three year old son and a baby on the way. He is recovering from a burst embolism. His speech improves every day and he has a little movement in his right side. He is hopeful to walk again.

 He was awed someone he didn't know would make him such a beautiful "blanket." He said the letter that I wrote about the quilt touched his heart. Yesterday, his wife saw it. She wrote "The blanket is absolutely amazing. Your mum's letter brought me to tears. Honestly, it is so beautiful and it was so kind of her."

This quilt definitely is where it needs to be! Linking to Finished or Not Friday and Quilting and Patchwork.

December Recap and January Goals

2025 Temperature quilt block progress

My December goals were:

✔1. Make more 2025 Temperature Quilt blocks. I didn't piece many; but, I did piece a few. I'm closing out August. It was progress which I will take! 

✔2. Make parts for the Lupine and Laughter Bonnie Hunter mystery.

✔3.Make a garment for my youngest granddaughter.

✔4. Finish the house quilt. This was also goal 2c on my annual list.

✔5. Make progress quilting the 2022-2023 temperature quilt. I spent a couple sessions quilting and quilted about six rows. There are many more rows to go!

✔6. Make progress on Grassy Creek.

Make more parts for Lupine and Laughter

✔7.Determine a list of annual goals for 2026.--Will publish the list later this month.

✔8. Determine the RSC block for 2026.

✔9. Finish pre washing the strips I exchanged. Pre wash background fabrics. Make kits for the leader ender.

✔10. Make a sample block for my small group challenge.

With the holiday, visiting family and time spent playing with the youngest granddaughter while she and her mama were here, I didn't spend much time stitching. While I made progress on all of my goals, some progress was minimal.

Challenge block parts

I wouldn't have it any other way. I listened to Miss K., the oldest granddaughter, rehearse several songs she will sing in her school musical in the Spring. I was treated to an impromptu violin concert from Miss J., the middle granddaughter. She began playing the violin at the end of September and her progress has been amazing. It was a magical month!

Make more of these trees for the 2025 
temperature quilt

Regarding books:

My favorite listen of the month was "How To Read A Book" by Monica Wood. It's the story of a young woman who is successful at starting over with the help of an interesting and varied support system.

My January goals are:

1. Make more parts for the Lupin and Laughter Bonnie Hunter mystery.

2. Bind Grassy Creek which is at the longarmer.

3. Make more 2025 Temperature quilt blocks.

4. Make a few RSC blocks--the color for January is blue.

5. Work on my challenge blocks.

6. Bind the RSC selvage quilt from 2025.

7. Work on my sashiko project.

8. Make progress quilting the 2023-2023 Temperature quilt.

9. Document more sourdough baking.

It's a big list. Any progress I make will be a success! Linking to Oh Scrap and Sew & Tell and To Do Tuesday.

2025 Annual Goal Recap and Goal Setting for 2026

Since this is my last post for 2025, I have interspersed the quilts that I completed during the year with commentary of how the year went and what I plan to accomplish in 2026! The links to more information about each finish can be found on my Finishes 2025 tab.

Rita's Temperature Quilt --Finished in January

This was the first time in quite a few years that I set annual goals. I stopped setting annual goals because I wasn't successful. Regarding this year, I didn't meet either of my goals. I did, however, make enough progress to try again in 2026! 

2021 Temperature Quilt--Finished in April

My 2025 Annual Goals were:

✒1. Have a net loss of 100 yards of fabric from my stash.

✒2. Finish six UFOs

✔ a. Temperature 2021--pin basted and ditched quilted started in January;  progress made in February. Almost finished the quilting in March. Completed the project in April. Hooray!!!! 

✒b. Temperature 2022-2023--pin basted in September, started quilting in October, continued quilting in November and December.

✔c. Martha's House blocks--purchased backing in May; determined a quilting design in August; backing pieced and project to the longarmer in November; bound in December, to be gifted in January.

✔d. Positively Grows--pin basted in February; started ditch quilting in July, finished in August, documented in September.

✔e. Maze top--purchased backing in May; longarmer quilted it and I added the binding, sleeve and label in June!

✖f. Butterfly number four--made no progress 

Old Town--Finished in May

Regarding goal number one: 

Fabric Summary:

    Fabric in: 64.75 yards

    Fabric used from stash year to date: -127.75 yards

    Net loss: -63 yards 

As Noted (Group project)--Finished in May

This was also the first year that I documented how many yards of fabric I purchased. Had I not purchased 64 and three quarter yards of fabric, I would have smashed my goal of having a net loss of 100 yards from my stash. No wonder I wasn't seeing a reduction of space of stash in the studio, I'm replacing as I go! I also realized that I need to do more garment sewing. I have a stack of wool like and wool fabrics as well as some polyesters that could work for a dress or shirt or skirt.

Love Makes A Family--Finished in May

While I fell short of goal number one, I plan to try again next year! I will continue to purchase when I need a fabric for a project. I will try to avoid buying the "pretties" when I'm in a shop! Also, I'm pleased that I did use more than 100 yards from my stash. . .I just didn't net a loss of 100 yards. Gertie, my inner squirrel is telling me that it's all about semantics and that I am a winner! LOL She is such a cheerleader!

Ring of Santas #6--Finished in June

Regarding goal number two:

It took me much longer to quilt the projects than I thought it would. Even with having a longarmer quilting two of the projects, I still wasn't able to quilt all six. Am I disappointed? I am a little disappointed! BUT. . . .had I not put these projects on the list, they likely would still be languishing in the studio. . .abandoned! I'm counting progress as a win! The other projects will be finished in 2026! Isn't it nice that there is always another year to meet goals?

Rita's Rhododendron Trail --Top Finished in June

My 2026 Annual Goals are:

1. Have a net loss of 100 yards of fabric from my stash.

History has proven IF I can purchase less fabric during the year, I will be able to meet this goal. 

aMAZEd--Finished in June

2. Finish at least five UFOs from the list below. 

Six finishes were too many last year. Perhaps, five is an achievable number! If I'm able to finish more than five, that will be a wonderful bonus. I have many more UFOs in my studio than I noted below. Listing them all and ACTUALLY knowing how many projects I have is not a number I want to know!

Grow--Finished in September

I made a list of projects that are a mix of older and newer.  Whatever I do finish will be awesome and writing the list means I have options!

    a. Temperature 2022-2023 quilt. I worked on this project the last quarter of 2025 so this is the year for the finish!

    b. Butterfly number four. It also was on the list from last year. (Butterfly number three did not make it on the list!)

    c. Grassy Creek-Bonnie Hunter's 2020 mystery. (Will be longarm quilted.)   

    d. Good Fortune--Bonnie Hunter's 2018 mystery. (Will be longarm quilted.)

    e. Color Wheel--A book club quilt started in 2022.

    f. Martha's BOM. (Will be longarm quilted.)

    g. Rita's Heart quilt.

    h. Rita's rust quilt.

    i. Rita's panel quilt.

    j. Sashiko project.

    k. Sweet Tooth Sweet Additions scrap project. (Will be longarm quilted.)

    l. Beyond the Surface.

    m. Temperature quilt 2024. (Will be longarm quilted.)

    n. Temperature quilt 2025. (Will be longarm quilted.)

    o. RSC 2023. (Likely will be longarm quilted.)

    p. Rita's Christmas table runner.

    q. Make a modern mini quilt with Nancy T's aqua and teal scraps.

    r. Small group challenge using three Kaffe prints.

    s. Bonus blocks made while constructing Grow.

    t. Lupine and Laughter--Bonnie Hunter's 2025 Mystery. (Will be longarm quilted).

    u. RSC 2024. It needs a binding!

Sweet Tooth--Finished in September

3. If I start a project, finish it in the same year that I started it or within three months for those projects started late in the year! 

Last year, I didn't finish Sweet Additions, Beyond the Surface or Temperature quilt 2024. Although, I did get Beyond the Surface ready for quilting. My 2024 Temperature quilt is waiting for a legend and borders. Sweet Additions is at the block stage. I did start and finish Old Town Mystery, Love Makes A Family--original design, Santa Tree skirt, Sweet Tooth Mystery and Stitch By Stitch--original design.

Stitch by Stitch--Finished in October

I finished 11 quilts and one flimsy this year which is four more quilt projects than I finished the previous year. I donated Rita's Rhododendron Trail top to the Gresham Senior Center. It was quilted through that organization and will be used to raise money for quilting related activities. Rita would have appreciated the gesture.

The Village of Artists--Finished in December

I emptied eight spools of thread during 2025. I forgot to take a photo at the end of 2024; but, I do try to remember to save the spools so I can count them at the end of year!

Used eight spools of thread during the year

My favorite read of the year was "The Man Who Planted Trees" by Jean Giono. It was amazing to read how one man positively impacted his environment. My favorite listen of the year was, "Things You Save in a Fire" by Katherine Center. Reading the book made me think about what is important in my life. I read/listened to 125 books in 2025 which is six more than in 2024!

I'm looking forward to a creative 2026. May there be many finishes ahead! Linking to Best of 2025, Finished or Not Friday and Patchwork and Quilts.

Challenge Block--progress post 2

The prints and a unifying fabric

One of my small groups has a challenge to use three Kaffe prints and make a quilt. There weren't more rules than that. I initially chose a purple grunge fabric to unify the three prints. I was stumped for a time about what kind of pattern I could create. 

Enlarging the palette

Then I added more solids to the group. More colors would take the eye away from two of the prints being so close together. Figuring out a design took more time. At first, I cut the fabric into 10 inch squares. I tried to create a design incorporating the unifying purple fabric that I liked. Instead, I determined what wasn't going to work for me.

Not this

While I thought I wanted to work with 10 inch squares, I decided that three fabrics when cut on the diagonal then sliced for into three sections yielded too small a corner piece. I also thought that two purple strips was too much accent.

HSTs

I thought some more about the block. Next I cut six and a half inch strips from which I cut triangles. I sewed a purple strip to the printed fabric triangle, then I sewed a solid triangle to the purple strip.

Right and left blocks

Then I trimmed the squares to seven inches. I cut the squares in half which netted me two blocks that were three and half inches by seven inches. These were the blocks that I tried the next layout. I wanted to half equal number of left hand and right hand slanted blocks.

Viewing layout options

I made a square shape with the purple line. I liked it, I laid out more blocks in this configuration. I decided that the line over powered the design. Then I tried a design that broke up the lines. I liked the flow better of the second design. 

Left blocks

I made more blocks. Unfortunately, I didn't pay attention when cutting and ended up with left slanted blocks. Luckily, I had enough fabric to cut more blocks. This time, after I trimmed, I placed two trimmed blocks next to the square so I was sure I had the correct orientation. At that point, I cut. I also placed the blocks on the design wall.

The last color way fabrics cut

I've cut the fabrics for the final round. In a few days, I'll play more with this project. I am pondering how to make the design a bit wider. I had envisioned a rectangular wall hanging; but, this is turning out to be a lap quilt. Sometimes projects determine their size and this one is speaking to make more blocks. 

Progress so far

What I thought was an original pattern is not. Gudrun Erla of GE Designs has this pattern in her Stripology Squared book. She called it Algorithm Quilt. The link is to a YouTube video that Gudrun posted nine years ago. She used 10 inch squares. I googled Algorithm Quilt and found a modification of the pattern in a YouTube video that Weyermann's Whimsey made five years ago. If I had found these links before I started, I would have shortened my journey! 

Making a sample block for this challenge was goal number ten on my December list. I exceeded that goal! Linking to Oh Scrap and Sew and Tell. To Do Tuesday.