Katie Loves Flowers

Katie Loves Flowers, July 2026

I just finished this quilt on Saturday and couldn't wait to share with you. I absolutely love these bright colored flowers. It's my current favorite.

This pretty block is a vintage Laura Wheeler pattern from the 1930's and 40's, originally called America's Pride. I sent a request to Norma Grimmer at Blue Wren in Australia to build me a custom die, and it's now in their catalog under the name Oopsy Daisy. 

It sews together beautifully, and I didn't even have to pin those curves! I did the piecing on Bogart (Bogie), a 1942 model Singer 99, a blackside model with the wrinkle finish. Such a smooth running machine with precise stitches, link to read his restoration story.

For quilting I switched to the Janome, using white thread to outline those sweet curves, then serpentine stitches across the block seam lines. 

Katie Loves Flowers was created with fat quarters and remnants, plus fresh white muslin and a black weave print. It's the perfect snuggle size at 48” square.

Dies used:
Blue Wren 6816 Oopsy Daisy 12” block
Accuquilt 55017 Strips 2½” binding

Four Winds

Four Winds, February 2026

I can't believe we've already started the second half of 2026. I stitched this quilt back in February when it was cold.

The rose and gold prints blend nicely with the off-white burlap background. These spinner blocks are quick and easy to sew and I designed, cut, and finished the whole quilt in 3 days.

Piecing was done on Violet, my beautifully painted Singer 99. I've added a link to her story. She's now sporting a custom modified spool stand, courtesy of my in-house sewing machine expert. I truly love using all the machines we've repaired and restored.

Using Janelle (Janome MC 9450) I quilted diagonal double rows of serpentines across the blocks with cream thread. 

Four Winds finished at 49” square, and was quilt #10 for the year. I've been full of ideas and using tons of fabric from my stash. I just started on #29! Could be going for a record here, we'll see.

Dies used:

Blue Wren 6557 Spinner 8”
Accuquilt 55017 Strips 2½” binding

Gulf Shores

Gulf Shores, May 2026

Soft lapping waves on a white sand beach, cool morning breeze, coffee in hand, total relaxation...oh, sorry, I was daydreaming.

I'm sadly not at my favorite beach retreat, but one fabric in this quilt was bought a few years ago in Summerdale, Alabama. I knew it would be perfect for the River die that I recently ordered from Blue Wren.

These curves are so easy to sew that I didn't have to use pins. I pieced them on Janome MC9450 using the HP ¼” foot. Light blue swirls, polka dots, and floral print combine for a simple wavy design.

I quilted with blue thread in a straight stitch, following along the curved seams. Gulf Shores finished at 48” square. I'll crave a beach trip every time I see this one.

Bonus: I always cut and stitch a sample for each new die, so here's a cute table mat to show an alternate layout for this block. I'll definitely use that in a quilt when I get a chance, along with the curvy river design. Too many ideas, not enough time!

River Circle

LOVE my Blue Wren dies!

Dies used:
Blue Wren 6622 River 8” finished
Accuquilt 55017 Strips 2” (binding) 

Willy-Nilly

Willy-Nilly, January 2026

To say that I have an abundance of scraps is certainly an understatement. The best thing about all these remnants is always having the makings for a quilt. I have hundreds of photo ideas clipped and stored, many more sketched in notebooks, plus dozens designed in EQ8.

This colorful 6” block is made up of triangles and chisels, turned to make secondary designs. I started with leftover cuts, then sorted through the scrap basket for more. It's such a pleasure to find and use fabric I haven't seen in a while.

All the blocks were randomly pieced and joined on Annie, my Singer 221 Featherweight. I quilted on the Janome MC 9450, using dark beige thread in a straight stitch on each side of the main seams.

Willy-Nilly seemed the perfect name for this crazy quilt, finishing at 49” square. It was a lovely way to spend a few days in my cozy sewing room during a cold snap in January.

Dies used:

Blue Wren 6274 Chisels 2” x 6”

Accuquilt -
55039 Chisels 3” x 6”
55031 HST 4”
55009 HST 3”
55017 Strips 2"

Savannah Spring

Savannah Spring, December 2025

Colors of springtime include lilac and lavender, and they happen to be my favorites. I added in a dash of lime for contrast to make this quilt sing.

Large 8” triangles made piecing easy on my Singer 221 Featherweight, Annie. Switching to the Janome, I used lilac thread and a walking foot to quilt straight lines along all seams to emphasize the triangle shapes.

Finished and gifted last December, Savannah Spring finished out at 48” x 50” size. I wanted to keep this one, but I can and mostly likely will make another in similar colors.

I've been resting some from our improvement projects, and sneezing my way through this unpredictable spring weather. There's a new set of allergens over this way, but I'm getting a handle on it.

Dies used:

Blue Wren 6568 Equilateral Triangle 8”
Accuquilt 55017 Strips 2”

Olivia's Choice

Hot pink, orange, and teal scraps come together for an exciting quilt. Made with simple squares and rectangles, the colors capture all the attention here.  

The back is no different, with large sections of orange dots and hot pink gingham. Color choice was selected by the teenager who received this lap size quilt as a gift last December.

Piecing perfect little seams on Annie, my Singer Featherweight 221, is always a dream. For quilting I switched to the Janome, using serpentine & straight stitches in orange thread. Olivia's Choice finished at 48” square.

*****

I didn't have much time for quilting last week because yard work was on the schedule. I learned a new skill (running a trencher) and practiced manual labor tasks such as shoveling/spreading dirt, fitting pipes, scattering grass seed/straw and general labor. Running two drain lines isn't bad exercise for two 70+ year olds, although we followed up with Aleve and heating pads.

Now on to some landscaping and maybe time for a quilt session this week.

Dies used:

Accuquilt 55021 Lg. Value die: 4" square, 2" square

Blue Wren 6047 Rectangle 2" x 6"

Breezy

Inspiration and ideas have been coming from everywhere for me lately. I had a great time going through remnants and scrap baskets to make this cheerful little quilt. I wanted bright clear colors to contrast with the black weaver print background.

Curved designs are some of my favorites, and this Blue Wren die makes them easy to stitch. I cut all the pieces right side up in order to arrange the four patch blocks in this way. Adding the setting triangles made the block sit on point.

I quilted with white thread using a serpentine stitch and walking foot along the seam lines. The quilt finished out at 45” square. Breezy seemed like a good name because of the fan-like effect. I finished it in January when it was cold, icy, and snowy.

Speaking of precipitation, Tennessee has had plenty of crazy weather this year, especially last week. Last Sunday was a balmy 75° with thunderstorms that brought hail, tornado warnings, and high winds. By early Monday morning it was 21° and snowed most of the day, enough that I made snow cream for lunch. Wednesday it was 72° and sunny. Yesterday's 86° was near a record high, with blue clear skies. 

Whew, Mother Nature is either throwing a hissy fit, or just showing off.  

Dies used:

Blue Wren 6633 Wave Peak 4” block

Accuquilt 55399 Quarter Square Triangles 8”

Doc's Folly

Doc's Folly

I love vintage quilt block designs, and Propeller is one of my favorites. Published as Air Ship Propeller in the Kansas City Star around 1938, you could buy the pattern by mail order. I ordered this die from Blue Wren a few years ago.

My latest version features black, cream, light red, and melon remnant prints. It has a kind of steam punk look with this coloring. I designed it in EQ8 and cut most of the pieces last November. I pieced the block in January on Annie, my Singer Featherweight 221, also using it to applique the center circles.

As I was arranging the blocks on my design board, my husband walked in and wondered if I could shift the rows, and I love the effect. He also helped choose the center circle fabric, and named the quilt Doc's Folly. He's a wonderful supporter of my quilting obsession and definitely a keeper!

I used a tan vine print sheet for backing, and free motion quilted in a large meandering stitch with tan thread on the Janelle, my Janome MC9450. Finished size is 50” square, and it's folded over the love seat in our living room right now.

See you next week!

Dies used:

Blue Wren 6924 Propeller 10” block
Accuquilt 55017 Strips 2½” binding

Lightly Toasted

I took a break from bright colors for this soft neutral baby quilt. A trio of rectangles in tan and cream small prints are turned on point and alternated with beige gingham squares.

Lightly Toasted is 40” square, and quilted diagonally with tan thread using a utility zig-zag stitch. It's easy on the eyes and perfect for a little cowboy's room.

I finished this one last spring, right before packing up my sewing gear. I can't believe I went more than six months without quilting, but I somehow survived. Wouldn't want to do that again, ever! Now I'm blissfully back in my happy place, quilting nearly every day.

Dies used:
Blue Wren 6047 Rectangles 2” x 6” 

Accuquilt
55000 Square 6”
55001 Half Square Triangle 6”
55002 Quarter Square Triangle 6”
55017 Strips 2”

Girly Hearts

Here's a sweet lap quilt for Valentine's Day that's fun and easy to sew.

Pink scrappy hearts float on a lavender floral background, with a border of parallelograms around the perimeter. Girly Hearts is 48” square, and quilted with white thread in a free motion meandering stitch. I stitched and quilted on Janelle, my Janome MC9450 machine.

The Half Hearted die from Blue Wren is definitely one I'll use again. I actually sewed this quilt in December 2024, before packing up everything for our move. 

I have so many ideas bouncing around in my head that I don't know what to do next. Good thing I have a pending projects list, although it is getting longer and longer.

My current focus is cutting into my mountain of remnants. I can't stand to throw away even the smallest bits of fabric! Thankfully some of my dies can cut tiny pieces so I don't have to do it with scissors like our grannies did. Watch for lots of wild colorful quilts later this year.

Dies used:
Blue Wren
  6911 Half Hearted 9” block
  6015 Strips 1½”

Accuquilt
  55004 Parallelograms 3”
 55008 HST 3”

Knockout

Knockout

All these colors and circles make me so happy! It was a pleasure to design and sew this bright 50” square lap quilt. It started with a slightly different layout, but sometimes I let the fabric tell me what it wants to be.

The large Amy Butler print gave me color guidance and I pulled scraps and pieces from my stash to coordinate the prints. Yellow, blue, pink, green, melon, aqua, and lime make a glorious splash, don't they?

Simple 12” blocks made with Blue Wren's Curve in a Square 6” die made quick work of this one. I quilted in randomly spaced rows with yellow thread and a rolling wave ruler on my Janome. The backing is a solid yellow sheet; binding is wider than normal to showcase the large print.

It is, I believe, a Knockout! I'll make it again with different colors.

Dies used:
Blue Wren 6602 Curve in a Square 6” quarter square
Accuquilt 55032 Strips 3” finished (for binding)

Update on the week's weather: We did not get 24” of snow last Saturday, it was more like 2” with the unfortunate 1/4” ice topping that made everything slick and dangerous. No power outage for us, however our home town had to deal with slightly more snow and twice the ice, causing nearly a week without electricity and limited travel due to falling trees, power lines, and unsafe roads. Winter in Tennessee can be a challenge.

 

SNOW? ICE? and Striped Christmas Stars

Striped Christmas Stars

Hey y'all, I'm waiting for this weekend's upcoming weather system: snow-ice-sleet-rain (Snowmageddon or Icepocalypse). Our forecasters can't decide between 24” of snow or 1/2” of ice but they do know it will be very cold for several days.

I figured a Christmas themed quilt for today's blog might bring on some simple snow. I am still catching up on projects that I cut out in 2024 before our move. This one I finished in early December 2025 and displayed on our bed during the holidays.

Red dots, teal print, and a coordinating plaid look nice with natural muslin. This pretty die from Blue Wren is called Eight Point Star of Stripes. Even though it looks complicated, it is very easy to sew. It was fun to design in EQ8. I added plaid sashing and a perky border of half-square triangles.

Quilting was done with cream thread using a utility zig-zag stitch in vertical lines every 2 inches. A bright teal blender for the backing and binding finish it off beautifully. Striped Christmas Stars is 48” square.

Whether we get record breaking snow or dangerous ice remains to be seen. Nashville's record snow was 17.2” in 1892, more recently 8” in 2016. The most I've ever seen is 10-12” in 1964. Cookeville's record is 15” (1966) and the county had 17” (1993).

The Tennessee weather forecasters and the internet have people in a panic, emptying grocery shelves of bread, milk, eggs, cheese, and lunch meat three days before the event. We have food and water and will be fine. At least I have hundreds of quilts to keep us warm if the power goes out. Plus, a Singer with a hand crank so I can sew by lamplight if necessary.

Dies used:

Blue Wren
    6466 Eight Point Star of Stripes 12” finished

Accuquilt
    55021 Value die 2” HST, square
    55017 Strips 2”

Change In The Air

Finally, a quilt! This one is aptly named, since change was definitely in the air. I cut the pieces way back in November of 2024, just before packing up the sewing room for our move. It's one of several that I prepared in advance so I'd be ready to sew once we arrived.

Now forward to December 2025...Change In The Air is at long last finished! The fresh blue fabric, bright melon dots and coral print look gorgeous together. 

I wanted something large, so used six inch sections to make 18” finished blocks. Chisels, half-square triangles, rectangles, and squares made a fun design using EQ8 software to fine tune the layout.  Finished size is 56" square.

I set them on point, filling in with half blocks and hand cut corners. I added 2” blue sashing plus cornerstones and binding in a navy & light red strawberry print. All work was done on Janelle, my Janome 9450 machine. I quilted free motion in a large meandering stitch using blue thread.

It felt awesome to complete a quilt in my new space! I whipped out a few more in December, they're lined up to share with you soon. I haven't set a blog schedule just yet (too busy sewing!), so watch here or on Useful Remnants/KatieScarlett Designs Facebook page for updates.  

See you later!

Dies used:

Blue Wren

  6274 Chisels 2” x 6”
  6047 Rectangles 2” x 6”

Accuquilt

  55000 Square 6”
  55059 Squares 2”
  55021 Value die 2” HST
  55017 Strips 2”
  55399 QST 8”

Evergreen Palm

Here's another pretty test block that was hiding in my sample box. It's perfect for a pillow cover, and looks great on my couch.

The palm die and some cream & green fat quarters made a lovely combination. I put a layer of cotton flannel on the back of the 16” block, then quilted using scallop stitch and creamy white thread.

White on natural print fabric was perfect for the pillow envelope back. Quick and done!

Die used:
Blue Wren 6359 The Palm 8” finished

Wishing everyone

a very happy Christmas

and a wonderful New Year. 

I'm taking the rest of 2024 off

...see you in 2025!

Mixed Nuts

I went on a cutting spree several weeks ago with my hexagon die set and a big pile of scraps. This colorful quilt is the final result.

The brighter the better, I say. I used a cream and beige swirl print for the hexagons and equilateral triangles making up the background. No real planning for color placement, other than trying not to get the same prints too close together as I slapped them up on the wall.

Quilting was done with medium beige thread in a straight stitch, criss-crossing the quilt along the design lines using a ruler to keep everything neat. Mixed Nuts finished out at 49” x 53” in size, good for snuggling.

Sewing is my stress relieving relaxation activity. We're still doing home improvements and I miss not being at the sewing machine every day. Although I've found that other power tools can be just as satisfying to use when all goes right. Drills, staple guns, hammers, mini chain saws, jig saws, and sanders have been in action here.

My man and I make a great team. No matter what project we're working on, there's a nice sense of accomplishment when we get things done.

Blue Wren dies used:

6808 Hexagon Set 3” sides

6566 Equilateral Triangles 6” sides

Vintage Breeze

Three old fashioned prints give this quilt an antique look. I chose a lovely medium floral, a simple swirling vine, and a geometric design for the fabrics. The rose print contrasts nicely with chocolate brown and dusty coral.

Larger pieces in these 16” blocks make quick work. Nine blocks later and I was done. Getting perfect points is easy with Blue Wren's dies and a precise quarter inch seam. The back is pieced using a large rose print in the same shades with a cream and coral mini print.

For quilting I kept it simple with rows of scallops lined up 2” apart. Vintage Breeze finished at 48” square. 

Back to the sewing room to cut out more quilts...I got a shipment of new dies from Australia on Friday!

Dies used:

Blue Wren 6954 Dynamic Blocks

Accuquilt 55017 Strips 2½” for binding 

Windy Day

Let's start November with an easy snuggle quilt. I pulled out a coral red peacock feather print from my stash, adding blue fabrics from the print to coordinate.

This simple windmill block is so quick to cut and sew, especially after laying it out in EQ8, then on my design wall. This quilt is alive with motion and color, don't you think?

For backing, I used the peacock feather print with leftover strips of the blues and a center section made up of one Curve in a Square block. Now it's not just a backing, but a reversible quilt.

For quilting, red variegated thread was used with serpentine stitch to make 4” grid along horizontal and vertical seam lines. Windy Day finished out at 49” square.

I'm thankful this one didn't take long, because we're still finishing up brush cutting and clearing around the home place. 

Dies used:

Blue Wren

6554 Windmill 8” block

6602 Curve in a Square 12” finished block

Tilt-A-Whirl

Tilt-A-Whirl

Last week I teased a story about the quilts I worked on during our rainy camping trip. This brightly colored scrappy quilt is the first one to be finished. I cut the pieces before we left so I could focus on sewing the 4” Washington's Puzzle blocks.

Once we got home, I laid them out on my design board, then added sashing using white on cream fabric.  I used two utility stitches for quilting: a multi-stitch zig-zag on the sashing and a small serpentine across the blocks.

Tilt-A-Whirl finished at 44” square, and may be used as a baby quilt, wall hanging, or table topper.

I'm convinced that I can never use all those remnants that I create from making quilts. But that's ok, because it provides plenty of little pieces for many more bonus quilts.  I love getting the most out of my fabric stash!

Dies used:
Accuquilt
55602 Washington's Puzzle 4” finished
55159 Rectangles 2½” x 4½”
Blue Wren
6047 Rectangles 2” x 6” finished

Maple Row

Maple Row

Autumn has arrived, even through the temperature doesn't agree. Ninety degree days aren't what I had in mind for Tennessee in late September.

Nevertheless, I have a fall quilt for you today made with scraps in gold, brown, tan, and green shades. Maple leaf block is a vintage nine patch design.  

This was the first project I pieced using Midnight, our recently refurbished dark blue and silver Singer 404.  Lovely stitches and smooth running after a few adjustments.  I added 1” sashing to separate the blocks plus 5½” wide borders.

Midnight: Singer 404

Using medium tan thread, I quilted wavy lines horizontally and vertically across the whole quilt using a rolling wave ruler on the Janome 9450. This is one of my favorite allover designs to quilt since it doesn't have to be precise to look good.

Maple Row finished at 49” square. It looks snuggly but I won't be under it until this summer heat goes away. It will have to decorate the back of the couch for a while yet.

Stay cool, and have a wonderful week!

Dies used:
Accuquilt
55195 Maple Leaf BOB 8” finished
55488 Strips 6”
Blue Wren 6015 Strips 1½”

Honey Sweet

Here's an adorable quilt for a cute little sweetheart.

Baby quilts are always fun to make, but this one was particularly special since I included fabric given to me by the little one's grandmama.

Soft peachy pink, muted aqua and shiny gold arrows blend well with a light gold batik dot fabric. Hexagons and triangles are arranged in a honeycomb style design.

For quilting, I created a new allover pattern using a curved ruler with light tan thread. I really like the results and will use it again.

Honey Sweet finished at 40” square. It's been done for a while but finally found its way home this past weekend.

Dies used:
Blue Wren 6808 Hexagon Set 3” sides

Accuquilt 55032 Strips 3" finished