Leisure Time

Leisure Time, May 2026

Well, this queen size quilt took me a while to finish. I designed and cut it in March, then finally on May 20^th I sewed on the binding.

Whew, what a challenge! I'm used to sewing quilts quickly, but I had to take my time, even set this one aside, because my right wrist was giving me fits. I thought it was sprained, but the doc said it was tenosynovitis. Lucky me. Ice packs, rest, a splint and no heavy lifting.

I chose navy, green and blue scraps to complement our sea green bedroom. The modified kite blocks were fun to sew, using larger sides than normal and trimming the corners. I had the top done before my wrist let me down. I added a wide green striped border made from a thrifted sheet, plus light blue swirl 108” backing.

It took a while to pin the layers, since it's larger than my work table. For quilting, I used light blue thread and a gentle wave ruler to stitch an allover rectangular fishnet pattern. All sewing and quilting was done on the Janome MC9450, and that was a chore to manage with a splint on my hand.

Leisure Time finished out at 95” square and looks beautiful on our bed. She's a big 'un! I don't make this size very often, and it will be quite some time before I consider another. I'll stick to my lap size designs.

Accuquilt dies used:
55254 Kite 4” finished
55821 Triangle in Square sides 5”
55017 Strips 2½”binding

Between The Lines

I cut lots more scraps last month, especially small ones. I just can't bear to toss away pretty fabric! I can't resist the challenge to make something from nearly nothing. 

This sweet baby quilt makes me glad that I kept those trimmings from other projects.

These colorful blocks are made from a traditional vintage pattern called Indian Hatchets. I cut them using the stem section of the Accuquilt Maple Leaf die. The four patch blocks measure 5½” finished.  I love these skinny little lines!

Between The Lines

I quilted with white thread between the diagonal lines using a serpentine stitch. Backing and binding is an aqua and white mini floral print. Final size for Between The Lines is 45” x 50".  

Accuquilt dies used:

55195 Maple Leaf 8” finished
55017 Strip 2½”

Wishing y'all a happy Thanksgiving!

 

Effie's Challenge

A few weeks ago I received a surprise package from my cousin Lola. I opened it and found a quilt top and a few blocks made by our grandmother, Effie Evitts Hill.

The top was partially hand stitched with some seams sewn on machine using several different colors of thread. We don't know when she made it; it's a mixture of cotton and poly-cotton fabric in red, white, and blue. If I had to guess, I'd say mid to late 1980's or early 90's.

It had been washed at some point, which caused quite a few seams to unravel, as you can see in the photo below. I wanted to keep as much of her work intact as possible, even though many of the blocks were not square and corners didn't all line up. It's a big 84” x 90”quilt, and quite a project to tackle.

I mended all those torn seams and straightened the blocks as much as I could without taking the whole thing apart. The inner border is puckered some because that fabric didn't shrink as much as the cotton next to it. I had to trim off about 2” around the outer border.

I added flannel batting and plain muslin backing. Fittingly, I used Rockette, my trusty 1960's Singer Rocketeer, for all the stitching. White thread in a triple zig-zag stitch for quilting helped camouflage the uneven seams.

I only owned one of her quilts, so it's nice to complete another that she started. It's not perfect, but I don't think she intended it to be. It was likely a simple bed quilt for personal use, not one to enter at the county fair.

I was sewing clothes but not quilting at all when she died in 1992. I wonder, what would Granny Hill think about me finishing this one? Thanks Lola, for sharing...it was definitely a challenge!

Sometimes,

good enough

is

good enough

Southern Charm

This year I intend to use more of my very large fabric stash. As I did my annual inventory, I validated the fact that I am seriously addicted to pretty material. I knew there was a lot since I needed a larger binder for my index cards.

Apparently I don't use as much as I buy. I'm running out of storage space. So, I earmarked some pieces to sell, several to donate to my local thrift shop, and more for my next few projects.

Southern Charm

Today's quilt is one of those. Nine-patch and snowball 6” blocks combine for a bright, happy little 42” x 48” quilt. I chose a red apple print for center and half squares, backing and binding; solid tan for snowball centers. I shopped my scrap boxes for coordinating colors.

Southern Charm is quilted with a walking foot, using light red thread in a diagonal crosshatch pattern. I think it has a vintage look. I used roughly 4 ½ yards of fabric, now just 705 yards to go before I run out. Not likely to happen!

Accuquilt dies used:

6” Snowball 55330

2 ½” square multiple 55059

With the amount of fabric I own, 

I should be ashamed of myself.  

Let's be clear, I'm not!  

But I should be. 

~author unknown 

Bad Computer

About a month ago, I bought a new laptop computer. I spent a week installing and updating software and copying files from my old one. I had everything just like I wanted. Then, poof! The bluetooth stopped working last Thursday; it just disappeared.

After a day of troubleshooting, reinstalling drivers, trying solutions, and talking to Deepak from Dell, we gave up. Thirty-six years of computer experience didn't help this time.  It is apparently a hardware failure of some kind. I am shipping it back to Dell for warranty service this morning.

I had to move all info off the hard drive for security.  So, whenever it gets back, I'll have to install everything again from my backups. 

So, no blog today. I've had enough for now. I'm taking a break from technology. I'll be sewing, cooking, reading a novel or two. Hope to be back next week.

Granny's Garden Walk

Granny's Garden Walk

Are you ready for another Granny Rose block? She had two completed samples of this one in different sizes. The nine patch block is based on 54-40 or Fight design, but has been known by several names over the years. In 1939, it was published as Garden Walk; in 1969 it went by Bird of Paradise; some call it Grandmother's Star when colors are arranged to emphasize the star points.

Mine is a 12” finished block, and as usual, I used Electric Quilt 8 to design and Accuquilt dies to cut the pieces. The 2 ½” square value die for center and corner four patches and the 4” finished triangle in square die went together perfectly. 

Lydia Rose's Garden Walk blocks

I chose four 1930's era colors in two shades each: sunny yellow, luscious lavender, true blue, and grass green, with white for all the triangles.

Granny's Garden Walk is 48” square. I arranged the colors diagonally and decided not to use sashing between the squares. I like the secondary design where the corners come together. 

Quilting was done with white thread, using a walking foot to stitch lines in a lightly flowing wave pattern. Backing is a tiny lattice print in light lavender and white; binding is white.

Start to finish, this took me seven days, working on it several hours every day. I still had time for walks, housework (basics only), and errands.  

A week of sewing = one happy quilter!

A day without quilting

probably won't kill me,

but why take the risk?

Giving Christmas Cheer

My Christmas project will be ready to deliver this week. 

I have been sewing brightly colored napkins for my county's Meals on Wheels program. Their volunteers will add these to food deliveries for the holiday, and bring a bit of extra cheer to over 100 people.

How cool is that?  I spent time doing something I love and people I don't even know get a small surprise for Christmas.  

It's a great feeling to help others, so I challenge you to do something extra this season. Share your time, your talent, or your money to make someone's Christmas a little merrier.

Christmas is doing
a little something extra
for someone.
~Charles M. Schulz

Jazzy Rings

I've always wanted to make a double wedding ring quilt, but the thought of cutting out all those precise little pieces put me off. Not to mention the curved seams, which have to be stitched slowly and accurately.

Thanks to Accuquilt, my worries are over! Their die has the option of solid or pieced rings, and cuts perfectly aligned pieces with notches to match seams. Love it! I found the die on sale and right away I cut a sample block of blue scraps to make a table mat.

For Jazzy Rings, solid rings were more suitable for the larger scale fabrics I chose. The centers are white prints with gray and black, center squares are black prints. Bright and colorful, the 38” x 49” size works for a baby or child's quilt. I outline quilted the rings with white thread and stitched the centers in a squared design. The back is a white and gray print and it's finished off with bias binding in a light gray to coordinate.

Jazzy Rings

I've already designed a couple more versions. I need more time to create, and I'm running out of quilt storage space but that won't stop me from sewing whenever I get the chance. Forget housework and cooking, you know where to find me.

Today's fabric
is tomorrow's quilt.

Poolside

Poolside

Now that our weather has warmed up, I want to share a quilt I finished in March. Poolside is 60” square, made up of lovely 12” sawtooth star blocks framed in white sashing. Pool green and navy prints accent the crisp white stars. It's a modern version of this tried and true nine patch pattern.

I used Accuquilt 4½” square and 2½” HST dies to cut the pieces, and 2½” strip die for sashing. Cutting and sewing was a breeze! The backing is made up of four large framed squares in the same navy and pool green colors. I quilted in a scallop stitch, 1½” apart with white thread.

I love this color combination for summer! Stay tuned for another quilt made with fabric left over from this project. The top is already pieced, but I haven't quilted it yet. There are just too many ideas and not enough time. I have four finished quilt tops waiting for quilting, and dozens of them designed in EQ8 begging to be made.

Project count is up to 18 for 2018, and it's only early May. What a challenge to balance my sewing time with house work, yard work (those weeds!), laundry, daily walks, camping and fun with my sweet husband. It's sunny today, so I need to get in a few chores before sewing.

Relax, unwind

get in a

FLIP FLOP

state of mind

Simple Spools

What better wall art for a sewing room than this bright, inspiring quilt?

I love to display my quilts so I rotate them often. This one has sixteen 8” blocks, made with four-patch squares and half square triangles. The background fabric is a cream and black Moda print scattered with positive words. I chose a different bright color for each spool. On two corners, I set squares of grape with white dots, creating a secondary design.

Simple Spools is 32” square and bound with a black swirl print. The backing is a colorful crazy quilt print in purple, black and yellow. Cutting and piecing was quick and easy with the Accuquilt value die. With this one, It's important to stack the fabric so that the words face the same way in each block. I quilted in cream thread, swirling across the center of each spool, about a half inch apart. 

Putting together a quilt is kind of like working a puzzle...all the pieces have their place and have to fit together in the end. Of course, puzzles have a set design and you have to have all the pieces to finish it. Quilts give you more leeway because pieces can go together many different ways to make unique designs. If one doesn't fit or doesn't look right, you can just make another or rotate the block. That's why I like designing in EQ8 software or manually on my design wall. It is fun and challenging to create new arrangements with the same basic pieces.

If you don't like 

the rules,

make new ones

Color My World

How about a bright scrap quilt for this unusually warm February morning? I don't think we'll need to snuggle up in it today, but it still looks cheerful as a decorative accessory. 

A variety of mixed prints were combined with white dots on black to make this 44” square called Color My World.

I arranged three columns of 3” half square triangles with four columns of stacked 3” x 6” strips. All were cut from my scrap stash with Accuquilt dies. I finished by quilting variegated black/gray thread in rows with a large scallop stitch. Backing is a colorful crazy quilt print, with black and white dots for binding.

I'm not sure the ground hog got his prediction right, at least not for us in Tennessee. It sure feels like spring; last Thursday it was 75 degrees and I had windows open to air out the house. Today looks the same so I'm looking forward to taking my daily walk outside.

Thanks for stopping by, make your day colorful!

COLOR is a power

which directly

influences the soul.

~Wassily Kandinsky

Whirly

Whirly

Some quilt designs express a feeling of motion, and these two fit that description. You can almost feel the breezes blowing.

Little windmill blocks in red, turquoise, black, and blue contrast nicely with crisp white. They are set with light blue dotted sashing to complete Whirly, a 35” square quilt bound with black & white dots. It's quilted with a decorative cross stitch pattern along the sashing and through the centers of the windmills. It sure brightens up my dining room table. 

Summer Pinwheels

Cheery pinwheel blocks are placed in diagonal rows with white sashing and a row of white blocks, creating lots of open space. Bright yellow and orange prints contrast well with the cooler greens and blues.  

Summer Pinwheels is 44” x 54” and quilted with white thread, creating swirls on the pinwheels and square maze outlines on the blanks. It is framed with a bright blue random mini-dot that I also used for backing and binding. 

 

Over the weekend, I took advantage of cooler temperatures to tackle weeds in my flower beds. All this time I've spent sewing has given the weeds a chance to take over. I may have to use a flame thrower or a 50 gallon drum of Roundup.

🔶🔶🔶

Fake people are like weeds.

They stunt your growth.

Remove them from your life,

and you'll have space to flourish.

A Day Worth Living

What will you do today? Make choices so that you can look back and say that this was a day worth living.

Share a smile or a hug.

Be productive.

Express gratitude.

Get some fresh air and sunshine.

Move: walk, run, stretch.

Learn or do something new.

Pamper yourself.

Make time to just be.

Laugh and have fun.

Enjoy eating great food.

Compliment someone.

Seek beauty in the ordinary.

Be in the moment.

Find adventure.

These are a few suggestions for your consideration, however, please choose your own.

“We are not here to live out

someone else's idea

of a satisfying life.”

Cheatin' At Cards

Cheatin' At Cards

My latest creation features an easy version of the vintage card trick block. The center is a four patch square, bordered by four squares and four rectangles. I used 3” squares and 3” x 6” rectangles in black and white prints, with white squares for the corners. Each block is set on point and joined with white sashing, then bordered with black gingham and white triangles.

The fun part was outline stitching each set of cards with a mock hand stitch and using a cross stitch pattern in black thread to accent the corners. White thread quilting finished off this striking 44” square wall hanging. Who said black and white is boring? Not me! 

 

♥ ♣ ♦ ♠

Life is like a game of cards.

We don't choose what we are dealt,

we choose how we play.

~Unknown

♥ ♣ ♦ ♠

Along For The Ride

Life can be easy, and it can be challenging. It really depends on the day, you know? You may have a plan, but the universe sometimes has other ideas. Your attitude can make all the difference.

If you want to go with the flow, don't resist. Let the day take you along for the ride. You might end up in a better place, meet new friends, deal with an emergency, or get a new perspective. Even if you're in a stressful situation, handle what comes. The rest will either get done, or it won't.

If you're up for a challenge, fight for your way and stay on track. Something that's important to you might require your full attention with no detours. Distractions may prevent you from reaching a goal or being there for someone. Being able to say no and stay focused can be very satisfying.

That's just life: easy, restful days along with difficult, challenging ones. It can be hard to know which path to follow. It helps to observe, listen, and assess your feelings before choosing. Either way, you'll learn something about yourself.

Your life, your choice. Whether it's bumpy or smooth, you're just along for the ride.

Life is like a roller coaster.

It has its ups and downs.

But it's your choice to scream

or enjoy the ride.

^^^^^

Our attitude toward life

determines

life's attitude towards us.

~John N. Mitchell

From Another Point Of View

Last week we had almost six inches of rain in an hour. Our basement ended up with over an inch of water on one side. We spent four hours with two shop vacs, pulled up sopping carpet and moved shelves out of the way. It's finally dried out, thank goodness.

A crisis can make you look at things from another point of view. It certainly made us ask some questions: Weren't we going to clean up down here last winter? Why in the world do we have so much stuff in the basement? Did we really need to keep that? Why was this cardboard box on the floor?

Live and learn. It's not like we are hoarders. Well, maybe we do hang on to a few potentially useful objects “just in case” or for future projects. Most of those were on shelves. At least we didn't put back as much as we took out. Decisions are easier to make when the consequences are fresh in your mind. If we didn't even remember having it, we surely don't need it now.

Looking at the bright side, nothing important was lost. The basement floor has been mopped and there's no more carpet. We vacuumed behind shelves and under the stairs. We have fewer items down there and a plan to eliminate more. 

I like this point of view.

You Know It's Spring When...

you just have to air out your house

drive with your windows down

hang the sheets outside in the breeze

then the sneezing begins

those pretty Bradford pears bloom

(and begin to stink)

the grass is suddenly a brilliant green

(mowing isn't far behind)

you see people wearing shorts with a sweater

or other unfortunate revealing combinations

because one day it's 80 degrees, the next day there's frost

so you keep flipping between heat and AC

you have an uncontrollable urge to:

clean out your closet

pack away coats, boots, and dark colors

wear something cheerfully bright

redecorate, lighten up and toss clutter

buy tulips for your kitchen table

clean off the porch, then just sit for a while

listen to the birds sweet song

bite the head off a chocolate Easter bunny

get up and walk off those winter pounds

let the sun shine on your face

explore the garden center

and so on...

Just pick something and do it. Enjoy Spring!

Crazy Week, Bad Cat

I'm not sure where last week went. Maybe the leap day had something to do with feeling like I was marching in place. Looking back, we actually got a lot done but it was a little crazy and sure went by quickly. Between voting, errands, and routine stuff, I was able to sew.

Crazy Spring Geese

This bright flying geese lap quilt took a while to cut, lay out, and stitch together. I love the greens and turquoise in contrast with bright white, perfect for spring. I used variegated thread to outline the triangles and sew long swirling trails down the middle. I finished it up on Saturday afternoon, snapped a few photos and spread it on the back of the couch. It turned out exactly like I wanted and I was so pleased with my work.

Twenty minutes later, I walked through the living room and the quilt was all bunched up. Apparently Callie cat had attacked it and punched several holes and a few tiny rips in it with her sharp little claws! BAD CAT!!! I don't know whether she didn't like the colors or just didn't want it on the couch. Strange, since she normally likes to sleep on any quilt or fabric I have lying around. I chased her out the back door, where she was banished for several hours. Needless to say, I was furious.

So, here's the outcome:  I was challenged to repair the quilt in a creative way. I covered the holes (which were right in the middle) using a decorative triangle stitch with the variegated thread. The quilt is more embellished than I had planned. It is NOT on the couch. The bad cat is still alive. But she can no longer be trusted and will be carefully supervised while indoors from now on.  

La Vida Loca!

“Cats are intended to teach us that not everything in nature has a purpose.” --Garrison Keillor

“My cat is not insane, she's just a really good actress.” --P.C. Cast, Untamed

"When a cat rips a quilt, embellish it!" --me

Leap Day!

I'm taking today as a bonus. The sun is shining and it's warm outside. I'm going to accomplish just three things on this extra day.

What three things? 

1) something fun; 

2) something I've put off; and 

3) something kind.

After that, my day is free. I'll go with the flow and see what happens. No expectations, no plans. Maybe I'll flip a coin or roll the dice (like Sheldon) to make decisions. Or just follow my thoughts wherever they lead. 

This beautiful day might give me insight, help me relax, or allow me new experiences.  Leaping out sounds like fun, don't you think?