Hollow Nine Patch Finish

It's a finish!

Hollow Nine Patch

52.5 x 73.5

Made with 4 inch squares, blocks finish at 10.5 inches. 

I completed the block set back in June 2025.

Quilted on my sewing machine with horizontal and vertical lines.

I recently received some binding pieces. There wasn't quite enough of the diagonal stripe for this quilt but there was a similar stripey piece in the box so I added in that one for a scrappy binding.

And the back is red.

And sew on...

Monday Musings at Brenda's Songbird Designs

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Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day. Little Cathy needs to get outside and finish up some gardening tasks!  It's been raining here every day for over a week. 

***

Oh joy! I mentioned I received some binding pieces lately. The box from Elle also contained some strings, some granny floral strips and a few pieces of the rainbow.

***

I haven't yet mentioned the books I've recently finished:

The Castle in the Glen by Rhys Bowen. "A ghostwriter plunges into danger as she unravels the dark secrets of a powerful Scottish family in a thrilling novel of romance and mystery "  - Amazon.  I've read several other books by Rhys Bowen. 

Once We Were Sisters by Ann Bennett. "Totally heartbreaking and page-turning World War II historical fiction".  I've read several other books by Ann Bennett. 

Books 4-6 of 38 of the Clint Wolf Mystery Series by BJ Bourg. But Not Forever, But Not For Naught, But Not Forbidden.  And on to the next in the series!

This Week's Hats

This week's hats. 

For Christmas project for children on Rosebud reservation.

Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts

 

Cheerios Finish

It's a finish!

Cheerios - Orange and Yellow Version

40 x 60

I made Cheerios blocks back in 2024 and 2025 as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) project to use scraps in the 4.5 and 2.5 inch width boxes. 

In late 2025 I sorted the blocks into 4 piles for comfort quilts - 3 small ones and one larger one.

I quilted it with horizontal and vertical lines on my sewing machine.

The backing and binding.

The other Cheerios quilts:

Green Cheerios

Red and Yellow Cheerios

The larger complete block set with pink, purple, blue blocks is in the SAR (Some Assembly Required) bin.

RSC ScrapHappy Saturday

Purple is the color of the month but I've been in quilting mode lately so maybe by month end I will do a little purple piecing. 

 

Orphan Milton Finish

It's a finish!

Orphan Milton

48 x 60

Last November (2025) the theme in my sewing space was "orphans".  Back then I made quite a few orphan block tops from orphans accumulated over the years - most made by other folks. 

I guess my theme for this one was blocks with brown in them somewhere. I added frames to some blocks so they all finished at 12 inches. 

I quilted it on my sewing machine with horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines. 

The back has some orphan blocks too. 

Quite some time ago someone had sent me the dark triangles I used to make HSTs and then some Churn Dash blocks and then put them in the orphanage. 

If you are interested, I have a page of orphan block quilts I've finished in the last couple of years. 

And sew on...

Finished Or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

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It's been raining for days so I haven't been able to get out into the gardens to collect flower seeds or herbs for drying. I do have some pics taken about a week ago of some herbs in the herb garden. 

Horseradish

The old gardening saying is that you should only harvest horseradish in months that have an “R” in them — typically from September through April — because cooler weather after the first hard frost develops the root’s full flavor and size. 

I've had horseradish in the herb garden for years. I like a little of it with roast beef but who can afford roast beef these days? And John doesn't eat food anymore so I'm thinking that next spring I will dig out all the horseradish (if that's possible) and replace that section of the herb garden with something like chamomile which is an annual. I like chamomile tea. Might as well grow my own.

Basil

I like it fresh sprinkled on tomatoes.  I didn't make any pesto this year.  I dry it and usually put some in chicken veg soup. And some I mix with other herbs for an Italian seasoning mix.

Parsley

I'm not a big fan of parsley but I do dry it and it also gets used to make Italian seasoning. 

Oregano.

It also goes into my Italian seasoning. 

Sage

A little goes a long way. I like to put it and other herbs in cavity of whole chicken and then roast it. I like sage dressing too. My plant is getting old and woody so maybe it will be time to take cuttings in spring if I want to keep any sage plants. 

Rosemary

It is not hardy here so I dig up and bring inside in the Fall. I used to make topiary wreaths of rosemary back in the days we sold things at Farmer's Market. Garlic and rosemary chicken is wonderful. 

And finally there's thyme. I use it in soups. 

I have grown other herbs - peppermint (for tea and for oil to keep away mice) took over so I pulled it all out. Same with lemon balm. I used to grow cilantro because John loved salsa but I don't like the taste so since it's an annual I didn't sow it this year. I sow dill every year but this year it didn't do well. I grow chives but not in the herb garden - I grow them near some of my roses along with other alliums. And I grow borage and more basil in my veg garden as companion plants. I used to have a long row of lavender but it all died one winter. I used to make lavender wands and sachets with it. 

And sow on...

 

String X Finish

It's a finish!

String X

42 x 56

When I work with strings I usually make a few quilts with longer strings and as the strings get shorter and skinnier I make quilts like this one.

I used Bonnie Hunter's pattern for String X

I started making blocks in 2025 and finished them up this year.

I quilted it with vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines.

Now it is ready to go off and hug a wee one. 

There's polka dots on back.

And sew on...

More news later.

 

Rail Fence Finish

It's a finish!

Rail Fence

40 x 50

I started making the blocks back in March 2025 as one project to empty a box of 1.5 inch width scraps. 

Blocks finish at 5 inches.

I quilted it with lines on my sewing machine. 

The back and binding are purple.

And sew on...

Monday Musings at Brenda's Songbird Designs

Lately I've been working in the native wildflower garden. Several types of Asters are in bloom now. 

And sow on...

 

More Hats

Corrugated Hat

Free pattern at YarnInspirations

For school children on Rosebud reservation.

Easy Street

Free Pattern at YarnInspirations

For homeless veterans on Pine Ridge reservation.

Lakeside Beanie

Free Pattern at Five Knots North blog

For homeless veterans on Pine Ridge reservation

Surface Braid Hat

Free Pattern at The Laughing Willow blog

For homeless veterans on the Pine Ridge reservation.

 I still haven't managed to get a quilt in the hoop for big stitching in the evenings ; however, I have been making hats for donation. Cold weather coming soon!

Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts