Tried & True

Tried & True - January 2026

This is what happens when you have lots of tiny remnants and find a die on sale that uses small pieces. It was a perfect project for that snowy, icy week in January.

I upended my scrap baskets to dig out navy, blue, and aqua bits for this one, combining with natural muslin. Layout alternated the 6” Priscilla Stripes and simple half-square triangle blocks, with a border added.

Piecing was done on Annie, my Singer 221 Featherweight with her perfect little stitches. I switched to the Janome for quilting, using a ruler guide and walking foot to sew a 3” cross hatch pattern with cream thread.

Tried & True finished out at 49” square. I'll definitely be using this die again for a random scrappy quilt to use more leftover fabric. Could be time to schedule a marathon cutting session to manage those overflowing bins of bits!

Accuquilt dies used:

55607 Priscilla Stripe 6” finished
55009 HST 3½”
55017 Strips 2½” binding
55032 Strips 3½” border

Easter Lilies

This little quilt started out as a sample block. I always cut and stitch an example of every die immediately after purchase. This is to check that it cuts and sews together properly, in case I had to return it. The truth is, I just can't wait to play with my new toys.

Purple (one of my favorite colors) contrasts nicely with avocado green and natural muslin. I changed the original layout, trimmed to a square, and added borders. I quilted with an applique stitch around the curves in cream thread.

Easter Lilies finished at 18” square. Right now it's hanging on my front door but later may be used as a table mat.

I've bought several brand new dies lately at super low prices, thanks to my ever supportive husband. He found the sale and told me to stock up! Love that man! Most of the ones I bought, like this one, had been on my wish list for a while.

As usual, I have so many ideas and not nearly enough time to stitch them. Laundry, cleaning, yard work, and cooking have sunk to the bottom of my to do list. Again.


Accuquilt dies used:
55597 Alabama Beauty BOB 12” finished
55017 Strips 2½”

Flower Fantasy

Shades of lavender and blue floral prints were the perfect choice for this quilt, and the vintage block is one of my favorites that I requested from Blue Wren.

In this color palette, they look more like flower blossoms than fans. The little yellow center is a bit tricky to stitch, but I took it slow and steady. The larger curve is a breeze. Even the y-seam at the bottom went together nicely.

I added a narrow 2” border in lilac before pinning and quilting. I used light gray thread and a quilting ruler (Which Way border) to quilt the allover design. Flower Fantasy is 53” square. 

There's a story behind the backing/binding. The blocks were finished and on my design wall. My sweetie and I went out to run errands last Wednesday morning. When we grabbed a quick coffee & biscuit at McDonald's, I spied a pop-up $10 per bolt fabric sale on Facebook. At his urging, we made the 30 mile detour to Smart Art in Nashville to check it out. Yes, he is a wonderful enabler and I know how lucky I am to have him.

Oh my, bolts and bolts stacked on shelves. I ended up with 30 bolts of excellent quality quilting cotton, each ranging from 5 to 25 yards. It worked out to be about $1 per yard. I also snagged 15 large cones of thread for a dollar each. We left quite a bit behind, because I am running out of storage space! It's a great store, the inventory is all donated and changes often. I will definitely go there again.

Anyway, one of the fabrics was the exact color match for these blocks so I used some of it for the backing/binding. 

The moral of the story is: 
Always make time for detours and adventures!

Dies used:
Blue Wren 6981 Abaniko 12” finished block
Accuquilt 55017 Strip 2½”

Pieced on Singer 404 Elizabeth
Quilted on Janome 9450 Janelle

Smithereens

Smithereens

Today's quilt is the second one that I pieced at the campground. I love designs created with remnants. Four large colorful medallions are made up of triangles cut with the Morningstar die.

When we got home, I added corner triangles to the octagon shaped pieces. Since I added rows, I didn't have the perfect size, so I cut larger ones and trimmed down when I squared up the blocks.

Smithereens is 48” square. I quilted with beige thread, following the outline of each quarter section in a bullseye design, then diagonally across each block. I added a decorative stitch along the main seam lines.

Dies used:
Accuquilt 
55556 Morning Star 12”
55017 Strip 2 ½”

Blue Wren

6522 Half Square Triangle 8 ½” (trimmed to size)

FABRIC UPDATE: Well, I got a phone call from Mrs. Mary. She didn't sell all the fabric at her yard sale, so she offered me the opportunity to shop some more. You have to know that I couldn't resist! 

Nine bankers boxes came home with me this time, just over 400 yards of quilting cotton for $200.  There are baggies of precuts and remnants, plus fabric up to 15 yard lengths.  I worked on it all week.  It's neatly folded and stacked in the closet now, and I've already cut my next quilt.

I promise I won't be looking for fabric sales for a while. I may never leave the sewing room.

Clean Sweep

Clean Sweep

Using scraps in a quilt is so satisfying to me. I like to call them bonus quilts.

This one started with my practice block of the Chimney Sweep die. I liked it so much that I built the design around it, using EQ8 for layout. I chose a few jelly roll strips and cut other fabric from my remnant basket. Quick and easy to sew!

The clean look of bright colors floating on crisp white is just so pretty. White sashing gives a bit of space between the blocks. Clean Sweep is 50” square. I quilted diagonally across the blocks with white thread, using a multi-stitch wide zigzag. It's perfect for snuggling up with a book on a rainy day.

Accuquilt dies used:
55222 Chimney Sweep
55017 Strip 2 ½”

Side note: I bought yet another huge pile of fabric at a quilter's estate sale, thanks to a tip from my friend Pam and her daughter Tiffany. I'm still counting and organizing, trying to find space to merge it all into my sewing room. More later...

Oasis + Fabric

oasis: something that provides refuge, relief, or pleasant contrast

As I hinted last week, we've just returned from a seven day trip to my favorite oasis – Alabama's gulf coast. Gulf Shores and Orange Beach offered sunshine, balmy temperatures, and an escape from daily routines.

The highlights:

Morning and evening beach walks. Calming sound and scent of the waves. Amazing sunsets. It didn't take long for me to slow down to beach time.

Outstanding meals, including “the best fried shrimp in the entire civilized world” at Doc's Seafood (it absolutely is!), Parmesan Encrusted Flounder at DeSoto's Seafood Kitchen, fried whitefish with corn fritters at Mikee's, and a perfectly awesome bacon cheeseburger at Duck's Diner.

Touring the wonderful exhibits at the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, plus the bonus of Blue Angels flying down our beach daily.

We shopped at thrift stores, local shops, a giant flea market, and …. FABRIC STORES! As usual, I filled a grocery cart with quilting prints at Fabrics by the Pound in Summerdale, AL. 

A & E Fabrics in Pensacola started their Black Friday sale early (50% off); so many beautiful designs that it was difficult to choose! It was my first visit, but I'll be back. My stash has grown by another 67 yards thanks to encouragement by my tolerant, generous husband.

Everyone needs a break from routine life now and then, even retirees! Find your oasis and plan your escape.

Walkabout

Bright colors make beautiful quilts, and this one's no exception. One of my goals this year is to use more of my older fabric. One cold afternoon in February I began with a cheerful red, blue, green, yellow and white stripe for backing and border. Choosing four or five prints in each color, I started cutting winding way blocks with the Accuquilt die.

Walkabout

Each block is different, random other than alternating light and dark hues. Sewing went fairly quickly even with the curves. I arranged the blocks on my design wall to balance out color placement. I quilted around the circles in bright yellow thread, then added another parallel row ½” away. The intersecting lines really show off the circles; on the back they look like celtic designs.

Walkabout is 44” square, a nice size for table topper, wall quilt or kid's play mat. This one's a winner: I used up more fabric and really enjoyed the project from start to finish.

Side note: Excellent sales for National Quilting & Sewing Month at my favorite online stores have tempted me to add significant yardage to my already overflowing stash. My husband kindly encouraged me to buy whatever I wanted, so I did not resist. He's a sweetheart and I will be blissfully busy for years to come.