This Quilt Project Can Wait

I was looking for something on my shelves when I found a box filled with fabric. What in the world was in there?

When I pulled it out, I discovered a project I had packed for a retreat TWO YEARS AGO!!

It all started with a peacock panel that I won as a raffle gift.

My plan was to use the “Attic Windows” pattern from Sew Kind of Wonderful.

I had even made a few practice blocks with extra fabric, but I wasn’t happy with the points.

And apparently, that was where I stopped!

Now I had a decision to make. Did I want to work on this quilt?

The answer was an emphatic… NOT NOW!!

I had also received a Layer Cake of peacock-related fabrics…..

So I bundled the panel with the Layer Cake …

…and put them back on the shelf.

But there was no reason for all the OTHER fabrics I had pulled to stay boxed up with them. Those needed to go back into circulation!

I sorted them by color…

…and returned them to my fabric wall….

The peacocks can wait for another day. In the meantime, the rest of that fabric is available for whatever catches my attention next!

Do you have a project that deserves a “NOT NOW” decision?

Halloween Fun: The Story of My October Quilt

Every October, a few black cats, smiling pumpkins, and one friendly scarecrow move into my keeping room!

They are all part of “Halloween Fun,” a quilt from my monthly series designed to hang over my custom-built pie safe. I love changing the quilt with the calendar, and this one is always a favorite.

When I made this Halloween quilt, I had such fun poring over autumn and Halloween patterns and choosing my favorites.

Looking at the finished quilt, you can probably tell I found quite a few!

There are jack-o’-lanterns with different expressions, black cats, bats, apples, and a scarecrow keeping watch over the whole collection. Flying geese, pinwheels, and little squares fill the spaces between them.

I didn’t want every block to be the same size. Part of the fun was letting each design have the room it needed.

To turn all those favorites into one quilt, I used the now-out-of-print book One of a Kind Quilts by Judy Hopkins to help design the layout.

(This is an amazing book and, if you can find a used copy, I would grab it)

It gave me a way to bring the different-sized blocks together. The large scarecrow scene could sit alongside smaller pumpkins, cats, and patchwork without everything having to fit into a regular grid.

For me, that variety is part of the quilt’s charm. There is always another little detail to notice!

This quilt also marked the first time I used striped fabric cut on the bias for binding.

I love the playful finish it provides.

Do you have a favorite quilt that comes out each month or season?

Some fabrics deserve more than a tiny square.

Woodland Walk gives your favorite prints room to shine with larger blocks and an easy layout that showcases every detail.

No overcutting. No overthinking. Just beautiful fabric on display.

👉 Get the pattern here

I Can’t Un-See It!

In 1996, I made a quilt inspired by watching autumn leaves drift lazily to the ground.

“Falling Leaves & Flying Geese”

I didn’t have a huge fabric collection, but I did have a number of inherited scraps. Those little pieces became the sky in a quilt that I have loved ever since.

One of my favorite parts was arranging the blue scraps into a gradation. The blues moved from the dark blue of a summer sky to the almost-white sky of winter. Against that changing background, I carefully placed the leaf blocks so they would look as if they were floating gently toward the ground.

At least, that was the PLAN!!

Every September since then, this quilt has hung in my home. It has become an old friend that returns each fall, bringing memories of those scraps and the pleasure of putting them together.

This past week, I was having breakfast with my husband when I glanced up at it…

And there they were.

THREE leaf blocks.

IN A ROW.

Facing the EXACT SAME WAY!!

How did THAT happen?

I remember carefully arranging those leaves. I remember wanting movement. I remember trying to make them look like they were drifting down, each taking its own little path.

Apparently, three of them decided to travel in formation!!

For thirty years, I have enjoyed this quilt without that little lineup bothering me. But now that I have seen it, I can’t UN-SEE it.

Every time I look at the quilt, my eyes go straight to those three leaves.

It is driving me CRAZY!!

I still love the quilt. I love its scraps, its changing sky, and the fact that it has been part of our home for so many autumns.

But I would really like those three leaves to stop demanding my attention!!

Have you ever noticed something in a quilt YEARS after you finished it—and then found that you couldn’t un-see it either?

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Do you struggle to decide what to quilt in your blocks? If so, check out my FREE series…..

Click HERE for more information

The Photo Every Quiltmaker Loves to Receive

One of the best parts of making a quilt for someone is seeing it in its new home.

And this week, I received the sweetest photo—the Highland Cow baby quilt hanging in the nursery, right over the little one’s crib…..

That warms my heart and reminds me WHY I love making quilts!!

Sleep well, little one….

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One of my favorite things about quilting is motivating others and helping them in their quilting journey. As part of this endeavor, I LOVE to present programs and workshops to groups and guilds around the world. All of my programs work well with Zoom meetings, and I would love to speak to your group.

You can find out more at this link…..