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”

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”

Crossways

Crossways

More remnants? 
Oh yeah!

I'm still using my dies to cut scraps into the shapes and sizes I use most often. This 48” quilt features rectangles with half square triangles on one end, and flying geese.

Light peach solid combines nicely with lots of bright colored prints in a lattice or trellis pattern.  For the backing, I stacked a row of rectangles in peach colored prints on the edge of a length of gingham. I quilted with peach thread in a serpentine stitch.

Crossways went together quickly with the medium sized pieces sewed into 12” blocks. I finished it just after Christmas. 

It's very cold and snowing here in Tennessee and should continue until tomorrow. I love snow and we don't get it as often as when I was a kid. I can't wait to see if it gets deep enough to make snow cream! 

Accuquilt dies used:
55436 Flying Geese 3” x 6” finished
55411 Rectangles 3” x 6” finished
55017 Strips 2½” for binding

Snuggle up in a quilt

and watch it snow

Snowflake

Today's featured quilt is modern, sweet, and fun. My friends know how much I love snow and we've had a fair amount of accumulation here the past two weekends. I'm a happy woman, especially since we had enough to make snow cream.

I saw this design by Modern Handcraft and decided to create a smaller version. I used EQ8 to lay out before cutting my fabric and as a guide while sewing.  My fabric choices are a tiny navy floral print background with a white on white paisley. 

My wall hanging sized Snowflake quilt is 35” x 37” since I used smaller squares. I quilted in irregular wavy lines using a straight stitch with white thread and a walking foot.

Accuquilt dies used:
55059 2 ½” square, multiples
55018 Small Value Die, 2 ½” half square triangle
55017 Strip 2 ½”


Here's a link to the original if you'd like to see the larger version or purchase their pattern.
https://modernhandcraft.com/products/snowflake-quilt-pdf-pattern

Starry Snowmen

Today I'm unveiling my second Christmas quilt project. The cute snowman print and wine/cream fabric came from this year's estate sale bonanza.

The block, Shooting Star, is a vintage 1934 Nancy Cabot design. Using Blue Wren's Sliced Square die made quick work for cutting and stitching.

Starry Snowmen

Natural muslin sashing frames the blocks. I quilted with cream thread using serpentine stitch. Starry Snowmen is 54“ square.

The backing is a large wine and cream snowflake and feathered star fabric that my mama gave me years ago. Nice memory...today would have been her birthday and I miss her.

Note: Thanks to those who asked if we were affected by Saturday's awful tornadoes and storms. We are fine, only had one small tree down. There was lots of damage in nearby towns, and unbelievable devastation in Kentucky. Please keep those folks in your thoughts.

Dies used:
Blue Wren
6600 Sliced Square 6”
6015 1½” Strips

Accuquilt 
55017 Strip 2½”

Friends Down Under

We had just over four inches of snow last week, so after eating several batches of snow cream, I happily stayed inside to finish up this delightful scrappy quilt.

I combined two Blue Wren dies in this pattern, designing the layout in EQ8. I dived into my scrap bins to pick out pieces to cut. These pretty colorful prints and solids look especially bright on a black weave background.

I quilted horizontally using white thread and my Squiggy ruler by Angela Walters. Final size is 51” x 61” after binding.

I decided to name this one Friends Down Under as a nod to A1 Craft and Quilting in Australia. Blue Wren dies are a quality product; Norma always provides great customer service with quick order processing. I love that mats are included with each die, and clear covers come with 6x12 dies.

Dies used:
Blue Wren
6077 Periwinkle 10” finished
6562 Glorious 9 Patch 10” finished
Accuquilt
55017 Strip 2 ½”

Friends are the sunshine of life

Flight Patterns

I had a great time stitching these flying geese blocks. Scrumptious colors of melon and pear from my stash contrast well with natural muslin.

I arranged the layout using EQ8 and cut the fabric with Accuquilt GO. Flight Patterns makes me think of spring even though it's a snowy winter day. It's 54” square and I'm snuggled up in it right now.

Quilting was done with cream thread, using Creative Grids Elvira ruler by Angela Walters. I really like stitching with this handy tool. The curvy lines give additional motion to the design.

Accuquilt dies used:
55456 Flying Geese 3 ½” x 6 ½”
55055 Rectangle 3 ½” x 6 ½”
55000 Square 6 ½”
55017 Strip 2 ½”

Geese have sense enough
to fly south for the winter...

 

Snowy Quilts

Lone Pine

I have a confession to make: I may have witched up yesterday's winter ice event. Inadvertently, of course.

Last week I finished two winter quilts. Lone Pine has bright white decorative stitching along the branches to represent ice or snow. Oops! I made this 16” x 18” wall mat with half rectangle triangles of greens with a beige/cream print. I channel stitched around the tree and added a binding of green.

Snow Pine

Snow Pine is larger at 27 ½” x 32 ½” and made up of stacked shoo fly blocks in varying shades of green from my scrap basket, with solid white background. I channel quilted this one in 1” intervals.

I love snow but the ice caused us to lose power for a couple of hours and we have several pine branches on the ground. It didn't seem like that much ice but my favorite weeping willow tree is twisted and broken at the top from the weight.

Maybe I should get back to beach themed quilts for the rest of the winter...

It's Spring, Right?

Remember back in February, when it was 75 degrees here in Tennessee? Well, now it is April; the high Saturday was 35 with snow flurries, and the low dropped to 25. Good grief! Mother Nature is playing tricks on us. I had azaleas budding, early iris blooming, hosta leafed out and apple trees blossoming. I picked the iris, covered the rest with sheets; hopefully they will survive.

We've been preparing the camper for a spring trek. I don't know whether to pack coats or shorts. Probably both. There are definitely quilts in there. With our unpredictable weather, it could be freezing in June. We always load too much stuff anyway, but I like to be prepared. We are not minimalists and prefer to be comfortable. The basics stay in all season, until we winterize for storage. 

Sewing at the campground? Absolutely. I have a little Singer machine, shoe boxes of cut scraps, a mini iron, and a kit of everything I need to stitch away on small projects. I also use our time away to design new quilts on my laptop. Inspiration is abundant in nature, whatever the weather.

Despite the forecast,

live like it's spring.

~Lily Pulitzer

Sassy Bows

Sassy Bows

Wouldn't this make a great baby quilt? The size is 35” square, just right for snuggling up that little cutie. It could also hang on the wall of a nursery or kid's playroom. The 4” bow tie Accuquilt die made quick work of cutting, especially the small pieces. 

I chose random bright colors from my scrap bins, alternated with a mini-dot of white on light gray. I quilted diagonally with a swirling stitch in white thread. The binding and back is a colorful random stripe on white. Sassy Bows went together quickly...I finished it in two days.

I am having so much fun lately, designing and sewing new projects. My creative energy is off the charts. I'm glad I'm retired, but there still aren't enough hours in the day to sew like I want. That bothersome housework, cooking, and grocery shopping get in the way.

Speaking of housework, I did spend a day doing a little spring cleaning and freshening up. I moved a couple of pieces of furniture, changed a few decorative items, and bought colorful dish towels for the kitchen. I had to pick my daffodils because of last week's crazy snow and freezing temps, and they look lovely in vintage vases. 

Seeing all the spring things gave me even more inspiration, so back to the sewing room I go! Supper's in the crockpot.

Spring is the time

of plans and projects.

~Leo Tolstoy

Snow Day In March

Snow Day

Well, isn't this a surprise? Two inches of snow this morning gave me an opportunity for a breakfast of snow cream. A fluffy, pretty snow stuck to the trees and grass but not much on our roads. Now the sun is melting it fast. Not too unusual for Tennessee, though, because I remember snow on St. Patrick's Day and on Easter.

This winter table runner is made from a batik snowflake print, using AccuQuilt wedge die. I whipped it up earlier this year on a snowy January day. 

The backing is pieced from two fat quarters. I used a decorative snowflake stitch for quilting. Snow Day is 21” x 25” size.

Now, forward to Saturday's holiday: St. Patrick's Day! With a last name of Ireland, you know I have to celebrate.

Citrus Mint Stars

I used my LeMoyne Star die to create this little quilt called Citrus Mint Stars. Little pieces, but easy to cut, sew, and piece with the die. Tan solids contrast nicely with two green prints framed by batik sashing. 

For the back, I combined a leftover block with green and cream half square triangles to make one large block. This one is 35” square, quilted with a wavy stitch in tan thread. It's hanging in my kitchen right now.

Gotta go, I need to add extra steps to my daily walk, after snow cream and the lemon pie I made for my husband's birthday.

“Spring is when you feel like whistling

even with a shoe full of slush.”

~Doug Larson

Roses In Winter

Rose Trellis

Our cold snowy weather, along with a couple of power outages, has made for a challenging weekend. Although I do like snow, I'm glad I don't have to drive in this icy mess any more. One thing, though, I can't sew when the power's off, so I cut, sorted and organized scraps and cleaned the sewing room. And of course, I made a batch of delicious snow cream and read by the fire.

A few of my friends have already been wishing for spring, so for them I'm featuring a pretty little green, dark pink and black quilt which I finished back in October. Rose Trellis is 24” square, made up of flying geese blocks with 3 1/2” squares. Don't these cheerful rose prints bring a smile and a hint of spring to a cold January day? I used light green thread to quilt diagonal swirling wave patterns across the blocks, and a straight stitch to outline the green squares and triangles.

If the electricity continues to go off, I may have to convince my sweetie to start the generator, or convert my sewing machine to battery power. Maybe we can fix up his Granny's old treadle machine...she made plenty of quilts on it. Stay warm and cozy, y'all.

Memory

is the power

to gather roses

in winter.

~anonymous

Woven Scraps and Snow Cream

I'm staying true to my loose ends theme with this latest lap quilt. I used up more scraps and completed another unfinished project. I sewed these random strips last spring while we were camping, with the idea of using them as a border. As I laid some out on the design wall, another thought came to mind. I sewed a simple rail fence block using solid pale yellow on either side of the scrappy strips. Depending on how you look at it, they appear woven like a lawn chair or floating on a field of yellow. 

We had nearly nine inches of fluffy, beautiful snow last Friday and Saturday, one of the biggest 24-hour totals I've seen since we moved up here on the ridge. For once the weather folks were nearly spot-on in their predictions. It was perfect for snow cream! I made two big batches of sweet goodness, then worked it off by shoveling the back sidewalk.

Useful Notion: Quilters never grow old. They just go to pieces. 

 

Snow Day

I'm impatiently waiting to see the 6" to 10" of snow that the weather dummies predicted for today.  So far there's about an inch of ice pellets with another inch of snow on top of that.  Lately it seems they always get whipped into a weather frenzy and over-predict.  I hope there's at least enough for snow cream! 

Woodland Retreat

While I wait, what to do on a snow day?  Hot coffee, of course, and read the hilarious book that I started yesterday.  Monday is usually housecleaning day but since it looks pretty good, a few hours in the sewing room sounds like more fun. 

Vanilla Cream Lace

Although today I'm wearing a warm flannel shirt, I did finish two crochet vests this month.  I love the blended, almost camo look of Woodland Retreat.  The light and airy Vanilla Cream Lace went fairly quickly.  

I'll never outgrow the excitement 

of looking out my window 

and seeing falling snow.

 

 

So What If It's Cold?

We've been camping at Defeated Creek. We made the reservations six months ago to get a choice spot on the lake. Yeah, weather after the first few days was predicted to be cold, with rain and wind and snow flurries. So what? We went anyway.  

We packed hoodies, thermals, and quilts. We had firewood and a comfortable, well heated fifth wheel camper. We had plenty to do inside: TV, movies, internet access, library books, hobby gear.

One day we drove the scenic route up Highway 70 to Cookeville for lunch, some shopping and the required stop at Ralph's Donuts. We rode our bikes, hiked around the campground, took photos, sat by the fire, and even fished a little bit when it wasn't raining. 

I started and finished two new crochet bags. We made homemade soup and chili. We saw seventeen deer grazing together right behind our campsite.  

We watched a lot of people leave. We could have come home early, but we didn't. So what if the weather wasn't perfect? If we waited for things to be perfect, we might never start anything or go anywhere. 

So what if people say we're nuts for camping in winter conditions? We were cozy and warm, relaxed and happy. And that's all that matters. Life's too short to wait...so what if it's cold?

The Joy of a Snow Day

I believe I'll always be a child at heart. For me, anticipation of a snow day brings excitement and a sense of freedom. It's bonus time at home with no responsibility other than feeding the dog. So many options...do I catch up the laundry or straighten the house? No! I'd rather go outside to play, bake, or read. I could rearrange my sewing room. I might rummage through my fabric stash and sew a quickie project, or embellish a purchased item with new buttons.

If you need a jump start to get your creative juices flowing, try these ideas:

• Walk outside with a camera to snap interesting scenes or random objects.
• See special in the ordinary – look around your house as if you were a guest.
• Improvise: work with what you have available to make something right now.
• Make a list of decorating or organizing ideas for your home.
• Doodle. Write in a journal. Sketch out a design.
• Turn on the radio and dance.
• Browse online art or photos to spark inspiration.

If none of that works, take a nap. Absorb the quiet stillness of the snow and just be.

------------------------

The color of winter is in the imagination. ~Terri Guillemets