Red Scraps

ZigZag Blocks

8 inch

Made with 2.5 inch width scraps

Uneven Shoofly

10 inch

Made with 4.5 inch scraps

Combining florals with shirtings, plaids, homespuns

Greek Key

9 inch

Made with 1.5 inch width red scraps and constant yellow background. The whole quilt will be just red and yellow.

Potato Chip

6 inch

Made with 1.5 inch width scraps

Also catching up with blue and green blocks I cut but didn't get sewn together.

Potato Chip blocks are a Courthouse Steps variation which is a Log Cabin variation. 

And speaking of Potato Chips...

I thought I would make a small quilt that is just one big Potato Chip block. I will add rounds in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color of the month. Made with 2 x 3.5 rectangles. 

And sew on...

RSC ScrapHappy Saturday

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Spring has Sprung!

We had several inches of snow, high winds and freezing temps a few days ago. Yesterday all the snow had melted and I was greeted outside my back door with patches of crocus in the lawn. 

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A couple of weeks ago my husband's face swelled up and he was in a lot of pain. (He has osteoradionecrosis from radiation received for cancer many years ago). On Tuesday March 10 I took him to the doc and he put him on an antibiotic. Some of the side effects of the antibiotic are some of the same symptoms causing his distress. He has finished the antibiotic and is supposed to call the doc on Tuesday to find out next steps. The swelling has gone down; however, he is in a lot of pain and can barely speak. He thinks he may have a broken jaw.   His jaw broke on the other side several years ago due to the osteoradionecrosis and surgeons took his fibula and made him a new jaw bone.  I sure hope he does not have a broken jaw. The hospital is an hour away and his stay was about 10 days. The surgery was over 14 hours.  One good thing is that he has a G-tube and so at least he is still getting nutrition he needs. 

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Finished a book! The Two Wives of Cuddy Ranse by Anna Housego. Historical fiction. This is the second book I have read by Anna Housego. Both books are inspired by her ancestors and real events. This book is based on her fourth great grandfather a convict who was transported to Australia. His first wife was a free woman who followed him to Australia and the second wife was his very young convict housekeeper. I wish I could write stories like Anna Housego about my ancestors. (Dream on!)

 

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I guess Amazon Prime has a new TV series called Scarpetta based on medical examiner Kay Scarpetta in the Patricia Cornwell novels. I've read quite a few of the Patricia Cornwell books; however, I have not watched the new show. It has not received good reviews. BUT I might have to watch because I guess my brother Kerry is an extra. He's been having fun since retirement playing an extra in several movies. He sent me this clip from Season 1 Episode 4.  He's the guy with the mustache in black on the right. 

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Today is my 74th birthday.

It's A Finish!

It's a finish!

Baskets and Flying Geese and Windmills, Oh My!

40 x 52

It all started with some really cute basket blocks that were given to me. All I had to do was add a few  borders. I finished the top back in November 2025.  I quilted it on my sewing machine with swirls. 

The binding is a plain gray and you can see the backing here. 

And sew on...

Finished or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

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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.

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The latest Rotaplast mission has been in Cebu City, Philippines. You might like to read Reynaldo's story!

 

Raggedy Ann and Andy Finishes

Raggedy Ann and Andy Quilts

36 x 46

I made three comfort quilt tops for the Stay At Home Round Robin (SAHRR) 2026.  

So far I've finished these two. I don't have a backing right now for the third. 

The prompts that made the quilts -

Round One with 4 inch finished Hourglass blocks.

Round Two - In round one I used Four Patches for the cornerstones.  I replaced the cornerstones with Double Four Patches. 

Round Three - I added a border to two sides of each top and added Puss in the Corner blocks to the top and bottom of those side borders. 

Round Four - I added borders with hearts to the top and bottom. 

Round Five - I added two color borders made of 2.5 inch width strips to the top and bottom of the quilts.

Round Six - I added 3 x 6 Flying Geese to top and bottom of both quilts.

I quilted both on my sewing machine with swirls. 

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.

**************

The current Rotaplast mission is in Cebu City, Philippines. You might like to read Reynaldo's story!

 

Winter QOV Quilt Along Part III and Part IV

Week 4 - Quilt 1

White on Red Stars

Alycia is hosting another QOV Quilt Along. 

I usually make a scrappy version of Alycia's Mystery Quilts and Quilt Alongs. 

I was thinking I would not participate this year because my patriotic prints are down to very small bits and pieces. However, I was looking around at some of my other options and now I think I have decided to actually make two quilts. 

I gathered together some red, white and blue civil war reproduction and similar fabric scrap chunks for quilt number 1. For quilt number 2 I used shirtings, homespuns and plaids.

Week 4 - Quilt 1

White on Blue Stars

Week 3 - Quilt 1

Half of the red and white Four Patches

Week 3 - Quilt 1

Half of the blue and white Four Patches

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Week 4 - Quilt 2

White on blue Stars

Week 4 - Quilt 2

White on red Stars

Week 3 - Quilt 2

Half of the blue and white Four Patches

Week 3 - Quilt 2

Half of the red and white Four Patches

And sew on...

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Finished a couple of books!

1. The Secret Sewing Society by Siobahn Curham. Historical fiction. The experiences of a family in the Ukraine during WWII under Russian and then German occupation. Many years later another generation experiences the current war with Russia.  I have read other books by this author and have enjoyed them all. 

I learned a lot about Ukraine. 

The Holodomor, or Ukrainian famine, in 1932-33 killed millions of Ukrainians. 

Vyshyvanka Day honors the Ukrainian tradition of wearing vyshyvankas, which are embroidered shirts or dresses that carry deep cultural and symbolic meaning, representing beauty, protection, family memory, and national identity. 

I also found this interesting because my husband John has Slavic roots so I could kind of imagine what was going on with his relatives in that part of the world during WWII.  His paternal ancestors emigrated in 1929 from the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes which was later in 1929 renamed Yugoslavia but is now known as Serbia. 

2. Ship of Dreams by Donna Jones Alward. Historical fiction. Fictional characters join real characters on the Titanic.  I previously read When the World Fell Silent by this author and I have the same criticism for Ship of Dreams as I did for When the World Fell Silent - "I liked the book because I like books about bravery and survival and I like historical fiction but I did find the book rather slow moving."

 

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.

 

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. 

I finished the top back in November 2025.

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...

Monday Musings at Brenda's Songbird Designs

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.

 

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...

Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts

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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.