Sunday, July 27, 2025

I'm on a roll!

Apparently, I just need to take a break for a month or so from quilting every year or so. Because when I come back, I come back full force and ready to go! A lot has happened in the last two weeks. There were quilt starts and finishes, patterns being published, new patterns being written, the beginning of pattern testing for those and more.

So back to the beginning. I decided that I didn't like the quilting that I was doing on Good Fortune so I ripped out the stitching in the three rows that I had quilted. I don't know what I'm going to do instead, so it's been folded up and tucked into the closet. Aside from anything else, my wrist was bothering me a little bit. I think it might've been quilting on my old machine since the machine bed is smaller and so is the throat space. There was more tugging and trying to hold the quilt in place than on my new machine so I think I might leave the quilting for the new machine. Either way, I didn't want to aggravate it more and then not be able to even sew. So what was I sewing? I was pattern testing my newest quilt pattern, Ocean Waves


I needed to finish writing the pattern for it, so that came first, but then I was able to dive into my stash and start cutting and sewing. I wish I had more darker tans because my lighter tans ended up blending with the cream backgrounds a little more than I liked. But the blues and tans remind me of the ocean waves washing up onto the beach, and I have a recipient in mind for this one, but I need to finish a few others first. I have plans and secrets and on the off chance the recipient finds this page, I don't want to spoil the surprise. 

My original doodle for this quilt was to make it in Christmas colors, because who doesn't need another Christmas quilt. But sadly, my Christmas fabrics are lacking and I didn't think I would have enough fabric (?) but also because I wanted to make a quilt for this special person and they are a beach lover. Instantly, this pattern came to mind and I reworked the colors. But I still want to make Ocean Waves in Christmas colors. Maybe some day. 



In between the chain piecing of Ocean Waves, I also worked on two disappearing nine patch quilts for the two pregnant women at work. At first I wasn't sure if I wanted to make them quilts, but then the one asked me if I could help her out with a milestone blanket that had the wrong name on it because it was ordered and then decided to change the name. So I might be working on that this week, that's going to be a bit of a challenge and take a trip to hobby lobby because I have a feeling it's screen printed, not appliqued. But I had some really cute baby prints and loved the excuse to take more onto my plate and fit more quilts in. I'm crazy, and I know it. But didn't they come out so cute?? I like the construction truck one more. Maybe I'm just a little tired of dinosaurs right now.


So not only did I finish three quilts in one day (it was a day of binding and PTO is an amazing thing), I was also working on my fiance's quilt as well. He just wanted blue and green squares and I'm not gonna lie, it kinda bores me. But because I love him, I'm powering through. I also started writing the pattern for my next quilt, Tennessee Tumble. I'm working with the same palette as Good Fortune with many of the same fabrics and I can't wait to start stitching that one as well. 



I also published the pattern for Play Date. This is one that I made a while ago and finally got the pattern written. I've made this one twice, once in Christmas fabrics from a lot of different lines in the king size. And twice in the baby size using one line of fabric. And both turned out beautiful. I kinda want to make a throw size one now too. I have a box of miscellaneous charm squares that don't match much at all, but would look great in this pattern. 



And Joy was gifted her quilt when I saw her this week. She was speechless and overwhelmed. And she cried. Which I didn't mean to happen, but she said she was so grateful for it and all the verses on the panel meant so much to her and she told me it was like God was speaking right to her. Which is exactly what I felt coming home from a massage a few months ago. I knew the remnant of a panel that I picked up at Hobby Lobby that I had sitting in my stash was bought for her and I didn't know that when I bought it. 

And that's what I love the most about gifting quilts I think. It's a tangible way to speak to someone in a way they aren't expecting. It's a hug when you need one and no one is around. A reminder that someone cares about you so much. And now I'm getting all teary just thinking about it. 

I hope your quilting can bring some blessing into your life as well as those around you. Happy quilting!


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