Tuesday, March 17, 2026

An Old Irish Blessing

I just finished this sampler. Now I need to get it in an 11 x 14 frame and on my wall.

This is one of the many kits I picked up at the thrift store many years ago before I retired over 8 years ago. You can still see the price tag of 65 cents. It was definitely worth the price!

I have a lot of Irish related bric-a-brac and knick-knacks. Some are souvenirs from a trip to Ireland in the '90s. Some are gifts. Some I inherited. 

All of my paternal ancestors were Irish. Remembering Joynts, McDermotts, Larkins, McNallys, Brennans, Walshs, Griffins who had a part in making me who I am today. 

Blessings to you this day.

 

Monday, March 16, 2026

Wonky Stars Finish

It's a finish!
Blue Wonky Stars
42 x 42

This quilt started with a little baggie full of large dark blue waste triangles someone gave me. I immediately saw Stars! They worked perfectly as Star points on 4 inch squares. I used dark blue squares from my 4 inch squares bin. I dug into the 4 inch width scrap bin and found a few scraps long enough to use for some blocks. For other blocks I cut 4 inch widths from some multicolor chunks. 



This one has a wild and crazy backing. I quilted it with swirls on my sewing machine. And the binding is blue to match those stars. 

And sew on...


A little quilting marathon is going on here in March . Soon I will have boxes of comfort quilts to send off to two of my favorite charities that provide quilts for kids  - Wrap-A-Smile  (WAS)  and      Quilts Beyond Borders.  (QBB).

Wrap-A-Smile (WAS) partners with Rotaplast International.

 Rotaplast International, Inc. is committed to helping children and families worldwide by eliminating the burden of cleft lip and/or palate, burn scarring, and other deformities.

Quilts Beyond Border (QBB) quilts go to many different initiatives both foreign and domestic...foster care, refugees, Indian reservations, orphanages, women's recovery centers...you will just have to go read the QBB blog because I can't remember them all.


 

Sunday, March 15, 2026

What's In The Hoop?

I've been big stitch hand quilting this one for over a month now. I've been stitching on it in the evenings after dinner and before bed while watching TV with hubby. I'm a little over half finished. 

I made the top back in June 2024 to use up red, white and blue scraps. 

The pattern is Shiloh from the book The Best of Fons and Porter Scrap Quilts and was inspired by a civil war era quilt in the Smithsonian. 



And sew on...


***
Blizzard warning in effect starting this evening through Monday afternoon - up to 50 mph winds, 3-5 inches of snow and freezing temps.  And I just started seeing tulips and daffodils popping up out of the ground. Hopefully they will survive Mother Nature's moods. 

 

Saturday, March 14, 2026

Red Scraps 3.5

Snowball Nine Patch
9 inch (finished) blocks
Made from 3.5 inch width scraps

Red is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color for March. Last week I made my blocks from 2 inch width scraps. This week I'm using what is in the 3.5 inch width scrap bin.

NOT Disappearing Four Patch
9 inch blocks
Combining shirtings, homespuns and plaids with solids.

Uneven Nine Patch
7 inch blocks
3.5 inch squares with multicolor sashings


Four Patch
6 inch
Light and dark of same color.

I made all of these blocks and then happened to find more squares hidden away and I received some squares from a friend so went through those squares to make more blocks in red but in the past RSC colors of blue and green. I'm hoping to have an empty 3.5 inch width scrap bin by year end! 


Uneven Nine Patches


Four Patches

Hollow Nine Patches
9 inch blocks

And sew on...




 

Friday, March 13, 2026

I've Been Working On The Railroad

 

It's a finish!
36 x 46


Someone gave me a big pile of 6 inch finished Snowball blocks with red corners. I divided them up into themes and made 3 quilt tops. This one has a train theme. I happened to have that piece of train fabric for a Strippie center. Since most of the Snowballs were blue and the corners were red I decided to go with a primary color scheme.   I made the top back in October 2025. 

I quilted it on my sewing machine with swirls.

The train theme continues on the back. 

And sew on...


A little quilting marathon is going on here in March . Soon I will have boxes of comfort quilts to send off to two of my favorite charities that provide quilts for kids  - Wrap-A-Smile  (WAS)  and      Quilts Beyond Borders.  (QBB).

Wrap-A-Smile (WAS) partners with Rotaplast International.

 Rotaplast International, Inc. is committed to helping children and families worldwide by eliminating the burden of cleft lip and/or palate, burn scarring, and other deformities.

Quilts Beyond Border (QBB) quilts go to many different initiatives both foreign and domestic...foster care, refugees, Indian reservations, orphanages, women's recovery centers...you will just have to go read the QBB blog because I can't remember them all!

Thursday, March 12, 2026

Crumb Stars Finish

It's a finish!
Crumb Stars
36 x 48

Someone gave me some neutral 6 inch crumb blocks.  I saw Stars! 

I quilted it on my sewing machine with swirls. 

The backing and binding. 

And sew on...

A little quilting marathon is going on here in March . Soon I will have boxes of comfort quilts to send off to two of my favorite charities that provide quilts for kids  - Wrap-A-Smile  (WAS)  and      Quilts Beyond Borders.  (QBB).

Wrap-A-Smile (WAS) partners with Rotaplast International.

 Rotaplast International, Inc. is committed to helping children and families worldwide by eliminating the burden of cleft lip and/or palate, burn scarring, and other deformities.

Quilts Beyond Border (QBB) quilts go to many different initiatives both foreign and domestic...foster care, refugees, Indian reservations, orphanages, women's recovery centers...you will just have to go read the QBB blog because I can't remember them all.


 

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Red and Yellow Cheerios Finished

It's a finish!
Cheerios
40 x 40

I made Cheerios from scraps in 2024 and part of 2025 as one of my Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) projects. In late 2025 I sorted the blocks into 3 piles for comfort quilts - 2 small ones and one larger one. I assembled this top back in November 2025. 

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

The back and binding.

And sew on...

A little quilting marathon is going on here in March . Soon I will have boxes of comfort quilts to send off to two of my favorite charities that provide quilts for kids  - Wrap-A-Smile  (WAS)  and      Quilts Beyond Borders.  (QBB).

Wrap-A-Smile (WAS) partners with Rotaplast International.

 Rotaplast International, Inc. is committed to helping children and families worldwide by eliminating the burden of cleft lip and/or palate, burn scarring, and other deformities.

Quilts Beyond Border (QBB) quilts go to many different initiatives both foreign and domestic...foster care, refugees, Indian reservations, orphanages, women's recovery centers...you will just have to go read the QBB blog because I can't remember them all.

***
It's been a stressful few days here. John has been ill and has a swollen gland. Got him into the doc and then waited all day for the antibiotic. Drove 1/2 hr into pharmacy when it was almost dark and I hate to drive in the dark.   Well, actually, I hate to drive. Period. Plus his G-tube fell out this week and since we always keep one on hand and the surgeon showed me how to replace it that's what I did. I think this is the third time I've had to do that and it's not quite as stressful as the first time; however, I'm really not nurse material. 

But it has also been a few days full of packages of bits and pieces of this and that from Katie Z and Wanda D.   Oh joy!

And the last few days we have received some much needed rain but we could use more.