Everyday America

Everyday America, May 2026

How can it already be the end of June? Time seems to be flying by at record speed. We've been busy with everyday life, settling into and organizing our home.

I am back to my normal pace in the sewing room, with a backlog of ideas waiting to be started. Today's quilt is a vintage 1920's design called Rob Peter To Pay Paul. It was also published as Sugar Bowl, Orange Peel, Turn About, and Pin Cushion. It would have been fairly common to see during the 20's through the 60's.

Red, white and blue remnants are perfect for this patriotic layout. The Janome with her HP ¼” foot made piecing these precise curves easy. I quilted in rows 2½” apart in a scallop stitch with white thread. Everyday America is 44” square, and completed in May.

With July comes the heat of summer. Temps are predicted in the high 90's with heat indexes around 110 degrees all this week in Tennessee. Guess I have no choice but to stay inside and catch up on my quilting projects! Y'all stay cool for Independence Day!

Accuquilt dies used:
55066 & 55067 Rob Peter To Pay Paul
55017 Strips 2½” binding

 

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”

Citrus Twist

Citrus Twist

How's this for a bright summer quilt? Lime, lemon, orange and pink grapefruit dots and blenders zing against the light gray micro dot background.

It's my version of Electric Slide quilt by Corinne Sovey, that I saw in a recent issue of Make Modern magazine. I adapted it to use Accuquilt and Blue Wren dies for cutting.

A large wild zig-zag print in yellow, orange and green, bordered with green/white dots made the perfect backing. I quilted with yellow thread in a meandering free motion pattern all across the quilt.

I nearly needed sunglasses while working on this one. Citrus Twist is 51” square.

Thanks for your nice comments on Facebook last week about Bogie, our 1942 Singer 99 Wrinkle machine. We just finished with the 1954 Singer 99K and she's a beauty. You'll see her very soon.

Dies used:
Accuquilt
55039 Chisels 3½” x 6½”
55005 Rectangles 3½” x 6½”
55009 Half Square Triangles 3½”
Blue Wren
6015 Strips 1½” 

Sunset Flight, and a Surprise!

Red, gold, pink and orange are the colors of a hot summer sunset. I combined these prints in bright hues with a neutral gray and white pin dot fabric to create a striking little quilt.

Four patch squares alternating with kite blocks are set together in 8" blocks.   I rotated them and separated with gray sashing, making a secondary design almost like propellers. For quilting, I started with a small circle in the center and stitched continuously around in a spiral with dark gray thread, using a walking foot. Sunset Flight is 38½” square.  

( I saw this block in a vintage sampler quilt owned by a friend.  Another name for a very similar block is Twinkle, designed by Terri Vanden Bosch for Accuquilt. )

Sunset Flight, designed in EQ8

THE SURPRISE: My amazing husband executed quite a surprise for our 48^th anniversary last week: a 1948 Singer 221 Featherweight, with original accessories and case. He worked some magic to buy and get her delivered without me knowing, since we're together nearly all the time. I married a sweet, thoughtful, and generous man!

Annie, my 221 Featherweight

The little machine looks adorable and sews a pretty stitch, but needs a clean and polish. I named her Annie. We'll work together to shine her up and restore the case. I'll keep y'all posted on our progress.

Accuquilt dies used:
55254 Kite 4” finished
55059 Squares 2½” multi
55017 Strip 2½”

Summer of '69

What great memories! The colors and prints of this fabric take me back to 1969...bright orange, lime and avocado, psychedelic purple and aquamarine. These colors dominated my closet in wild and crazy peasant dresses, and tops to wear with white shorts or bellbottom jeans.

I was only fifteen, so my cool mama was driving me and my friends all over town, radio turned up, windows down, in her red Pontiac Catalina. Shopping centers, bowling alleys, movie theaters, skating rinks, and swimming pools were our hangouts. What carefree fun we all had!

Summer of '69 finished out at 45” x 51” size. It would have been perfect for laying out at the pool. I used several square and rectangular dies to cut these pieces. I quilted using aqua thread in straight stitch inside the rectangles, then changed to a curvy stitch on the aqua sashing.

This one was fun to sew, singing along with late 60's music like I did back then. I can't believe it's been over 50 years.

Accuquilt dies used:
55159 Rectangles 2½” x 4½”
55160 Rectangles 4½” x 8½”
55059 Squares 2½” multi
55017 Strip 2½”

Those were the days, my friend

Tangerine Splash

I've done an about face from last week's traditional fabric. Bright crisp colors of tangerine and blue make this week's quilt sparkle. The block, though, is a another vintage design called Patience Corners.

Here's the clipping that gave me inspiration, found in Granny Rose's collection. I love her notes in the margins! She had it pinned to pattern templates cut out of a paper sack.

I didn't cut mine with scissors, thank goodness. Accuquilt's parallelogram and flying geese dies made quick work of cutting out and sewing the 12” blocks. It's interesting to experiment with different shapes to see how they go together. High school geometry came in handy after all.

Tangerine Splash - KatieScarlett Designs

Tangerine Splash is a great summer quilt, finishing out at 49” square. I quilted with medium blue thread in straight stitch, spacing the lines 1 1/2” apart.

Accuquilt dies used:
55004 Parallelogram
55456 Flying Geese 3 ½” x 6 ½”
55017 Strip 2½”

Spend more time watching sunsets

and less time on your phone

 

Butterfly Joy

Butterfly Joy

Here's another scrappy project for you.  I nearly couldn't shut the lid on my box of 2 ½” squares, even though I used some a few weeks ago.  This time I decided to stitch up this Flutterbye pattern to make room.

Happy flower colors of yellow, orange, lilac, and pink combine well with sky blue, grassy green, and watery aqua. I used white, cream and gray for the contrasting pieces. 

There are two narrow borders, one in white and the other in yellow with corner designs to match the block pattern.

What a sweet summery little quilt! Butterfly Joy is 44” square. The backing is a black and white friendship themed word print. I quilted with white thread with leafy looking loops done in free motion.

I still can't get over my amazing find of $1 per yard fabric. I know I saved at least $3000 with that deal. Nearly every piece is calling “pick me, pick me to make something now.” I don't know how I managed to get all of it in my sewing room, either! The house may be leaning slightly...

Accuquilt dies used:
55409 Triangle in square 4” finished (sides of triangle)
55017 2½” strip
55059 2½” square multiple

July in Tennessee =
Hot as all get-out!

Harmony

Basic nine-patch squares and churn dash blocks work well together. For this lap quilt I chose an aqua blender, paired with two black and white prints and a multicolored dot on black. I designed the layout in Electric Quilt 8. 

After sewing and arranging the blocks, I added a 3” inner border. The outer border is made up of half rectangle triangles separated by a small strip to make the design come out evenly. 

Harmony is 48” square. I quilted the center section with a triple serpentine stitch in aqua thread, and used edge stitching to accent the first border. On the outer border I free motion quilted in the aqua sections and the four corners. Cool and refreshing with great contrast, this one's another favorite of mine. 

I am really enjoying my sewing time this summer. After completing the quilt, I put everything away and thoroughly cleaned my sewing room. It's been so nice to come into a peaceful, neat space every morning. Don't worry, it won't last long...I've already started my next quilt and the scrap baskets need managing.

Accuquilt dies used:
55339 Churn Dash 9” finished
55006 3 ½” square
55411 Half rectangle triangle 3” x 6” finished
55032 3 ½” strip
55017 2 ½” strip

Without balance 

there is no 

H A R M O N Y

Autumn Vortex

Autumn Vortex

The calendar shows it's fall, but the temperature says something else entirely. It has officially been the hottest and driest September on record in Middle Tennessee. Though endless summer sounds nice, I do not like ninety degree days this time of year.

I've stayed indoors, happily sewing with autumn colors: brown, black, gold, burgundy remnants with cream and white for contrast. This simple kaleidoscope block was cut with two Accuquilt dies. I combined the center sections of 4” triangle in square and kite blocks.

Alternating the dark and light colors creates a striking effect, much like swirling leaves. I pressed the seams so that they would nest together, which helps them lay flat at the center points. After sewing the 30 blocks together, I added borders in a black burlap print. 

Quilting with dark gray thread, I used a straight stitch to outline the overlapping octagon shapes. The intersections made an interesting star design. Borders were finished with a serpentine pattern. I chose Black Dimples 108” wide print from Keepsake Quilting for backing and binding. Autumn Vortex is 48” x 56” in size. 

Maybe soon it will get cooler. If not, I'll turn the thermostat lower so I can actually use some of these quilts. 

In the meantime, I'm drinking iced tea and listening to Endless Summer, the classic Beach Boys album.

Accuquilt dies used: Kite 55254 and 4 ½” Triangle in Square 55409

Misty Autumn Fog

Muted fall colors make me yearn for cooler weather. It's still in the mid to upper nineties here, same as it was in July when I sewed this quilt. No rain, our grass is crispy and leaves are turning brown.  

This is an 1950's pattern called Gay Patches or Four Gay Patches by Laura Wheeler. I found the clipping in Granny Rose's sewing box. I located a similar design in BlockBase called Dog Tooth Violet. It was fairly easy to design with EQ8 software.  

I modified it a bit to use Accuquilt dies, making a larger 17" finished block. I only had to sew nine blocks to get a 52" square quilt that I named Misty Autumn Fog.

I decided on sage, brown, gold, cream, gray and dusty coral prints for the patches and a pale yellow dot for background. 

I quilted with pale yellow thread in a free motion meandering stitch. Backing is a cream and sage green plaid. If it ever gets cool enough, this will be a nice one to snuggle under on a rainy day.

Accuquilt dies used: 4 1/2" square and 2 1/2" HST (55018), 4" finished triangle in square (55409), and triangle 6 1/2" (55001)

Waiting to put away summer clothes until the weather changes...

Summertime Girl

Summertime Girl

It's officially summer here in Tennessee: 99% humidity, triple digit heat index, daily thunderstorms, and no way to control my unruly naturally curly hair. 

Call me crazy, but I'm staying in my air conditioned sewing space stitching quilts.

Fun summer prints -- cats, owls, popsicles, and straw hats -- share space with bright colorful stripes, checks, and dots, all pulled from my overflowing scrap collection. This is a definitely girly quilt for a summer baby.

This time I combined three Accuquilt dies to make a rectangular block that I saw last year in a quilting book. I don't remember which publication, but I sketched it in my inspiration journal. I attached 4 ½” triangles on a center square, and completed the rectangle with two 6 ½” triangles.

I sewed six of them together horizontally and stacked them into three rows, then added the dotty border and backing. Summertime Girl is 40” square. Quilting is a scallop stitch done diagonally in white thread.

You know I'd do anything for you...

except leave the comfort

of my air conditioned home

Cool Lagoon

This week's quilt is a big one...queen size for our bedroom. I chose fabrics in cool aqua textures, crisp white tone on tone, and a taupe and white print. I experimented with a couple of layouts in EQ8 software before finalizing the design.

Accuquilt's flowering snowball die made cutting and sewing the curves nearly effortless, but it still took a day to cut all the pieces for 64 twelve inch blocks. Large quilts aren't done overnight, so I set aside time each day to stitch a few blocks. 

Though patience is not usually one of my virtues, I enjoyed the process of working on this one. I used wide flannel for batting so it wouldn't be so heavy, then backed it with a white on cream circle print. White thread for quilting in a straight stitch made nice 2” squares in the aqua center sections. An uncomplicated quilting design made it easier to handle this big quilt on my Janome MC9400 home sewing machine. Cool Lagoon is 97” square.

I added a pillow made from my test block, and still need to finish reversible shams, one side in aqua and the other in the cream/white circles. 

A restful summery beach theme was my goal and I love the result. Taupe walls and sandy colored carpet in our bedroom give me the ability to change the look easily by using different colored bedding. 

Decorating with quilts is versatile because their designs can either be the focal point or just compliment other décor. To me, they make a house feel like home.

The ultimate luxury

is being able to

relax and enjoy

your home.

~Jeff Lincoln

Summer Sampler

I'm back after a much needed break to catch up on a few chores. Being a carpenter's helper, housekeeper, lawn care associate, and home organizer is hard work in this heat. Not quite caught up, but I feel better now that my surroundings are neater and my to do list is shorter.

I did squeeze in sewing time to finish another project.  Summer Sampler is an adorable retro style table topper or wall hanging, made up of four different blocks in the same colors. The cheery red and blue daisy and strawberry print was my inspiration; I found coordinating fabrics in my stash to cut triangles and strips with Accuquilt dies.

Summer Sampler

The bright white tone on tone print is the perfect contrast, set off with plaid sashing. This cute 30½” square is channel quilted with white thread in a decorative zig-zag stitch. Wouldn't this brighten up the breakfast nook in a country farmhouse kitchen? It's for sale now on my Etsy site.

By the way, aren't those veggies pretty? Local farmer's markets are brimming with fresh produce right now. There's nothing like the rich mouth-watering flavor of Tennessee tomatoes right off the farm. 'Mater sandwich on white bread with mayo...mmmm good.

It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts

while eating a homegrown tomato. ~Lewis Grizzard

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

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.

Quick Summer Sewing

While I haven't posted much about sewing lately, I'm at the machine or designing every week. Here are a few small projects I've completed this spring and early summer. 

 

A quilted tote bag in gray, blue and turquoise is strip pieced from scraps. It has a zipper closure and is large enough to hold my tablet, makeup bag, and more.

The black garden tool print wallet has three zipper compartments to carry anything I need for a quick shopping trip: coupons, phone, lipstick, keys, cash, cards and ID.

A bright and cheery sunflower table mat features decorative stitching. Another little table mat has bright turquoise and black prints on one side and neutral gray and white on the other.

My favorite so far is this smaller purse made in crisp blue chambray with a coordinating stripe. It's perfect for summer. 

Finally, I whipped up a new valance for my laundry room using black ticking and a clothespin print, tied on with homespun strips. 
 

Popsicle Man!

Do you remember the musical jingle of the popsicle man coming down the street on hot summer afternoons? Kids were hollering and running like ants to find loose change and get to the road before he passed us by. I smile just thinking about those days. Ice cream sandwiches, nutty buddys, dreamsicles, and push-ups make my mouth water.

I was reminded of all this when I got a sampler assortment of fabric and found this adorable novelty print of brightly colored popsicles. I whipped up a quick wall hanging for my sewing room wall to enjoy these final days of August. And then I got an ice cream sandwich out of the freezer to celebrate. Here's to childhood memories!

We didn't realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun.

I love those random memories that make me smile no matter what's going on in my life right now.

Rainy Days Are For Sewing

Colors of Summer

It's still hot, but this past week was rainy as well, so I took refuge in my sewing room. To continue my mission of using up fabric, I grabbed a color coordinated roll of precut strips and started piecing. White as contrast makes the orange, purple, yellow, pink, green and blue really shine.

It was quick work to piece the squares into blocks, and I had a match for the backing in gray with orange and hot pink flowers. I experimented with a variegated thread for quilting diagonal rows across the squares. Leftover strips for binding, and I was done. 

Some days you just have to create your own sunshine.

 

It's Too Hot

It has been just sweltering in Tennessee!! It's too hot and humid to cook, work outside, or BE outside at all. Salads, sandwiches, and the crock pot are my best friends right now. I sneak out in the early morning to water flowers. The weeds will have to wait. (Why don't they wilt in the heat, anyway?)

It's almost too hot to sew. When you have a hot iron in the room to press seams, you might as well have the heat on. I'll stick to design projects, scrap piecing, and straightening up the sewing room until the temperature drops.

Light housework, reading, and chilling out are on my to do list for the time being. Along with drinking icy beverages and eating popsicles. 

Y'all stay cool, now!

“Summer is the time when it's too hot to do all those things you put off last winter when it was too cold.” ~Linda Poindexter