Monday, February 17, 2025

Cute Economy Blocks - Progress Report


I love Ruby Star fabric and have been having great fun for months making economy blocks where the centers are from two panels. I've now got all the 4" x 4" finished squares sewn into 12" x 12" finished blocks.


When I made the nine patches, I payed attention to color and not necessarily the cute pattern inside the squares. As I result, I've got some fun unplanned combination. In the bottom row alone, there is a lion roaring at a turtle (center) and a bear giving side-eye to some gummy bears (right)!

This quilt is for us as a couch quilt and I look forward to discovery other fun 'vignettes' when the blocks are all sewn together.

Next up is to create blocks from all the 3" x 3" finished squares.

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Monday, February 3, 2025

New iPad Case


After purchasing a new iPad, I wanted a soft case to keep it protected especially when I carry it in a bag. Isn't this fabric from Ruby Star just perfect?


The gold works perfectly as both the lining and the accent on the front of the bag. I used two layers of fusible fleece to give it some thickness. No pattern for this one - I really just made it up as I went.

P.S. I have a tutorial that I wrote back in 2014 for making an iPad case which involves binding. 

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

WIPs and UFOs


I recently pulled my orange peel quilt out of a project bag and promoted it from a UFO to a WIP!

For me, WIPs (works in progress) are projects I am actively working on even though they may be sitting untouched for weeks (or months?). While UFOs (unfinished objects) are projects that are currently abandoned and may or may not be something I intend to finish. (That make sense?)

I needed a handwork project for guild meetings - there is hand quilting in the orange peels - plus mocha moouse is the Pantone color of the year and matches well to one of the fabrics in this quilt!

Here are my other WIPs:

My economy blocks made with all Ruby Star fabrics. I need to count these all up and do an updated blog post. I've got a bunch more to make - they are all kitted up for a easy sew day.


My Blue Scraps quilt is a WIP that I hope to finish sometime this year in order to donate it but if I don't finish, no worries at all!


Granny squares! Really loving this project and already thinking about what I can crochet once this is all assembled. I make progress on this every day - even if it is only adding the round of white on a square.


These Sunny Blocks are at risk for moving from WIPs to UFOs but I've not given up on them yet. While the arcs are fun to FPP, sewing the block together is finicky.


Recently moved from the WIP to the UFO category are three projects. (There are at least two other projects sitting in the UFO category - my faux applique and my Rin blocks from 2018!) The first is a rainbow needle turned applique project (similar to this one) that perhaps will get some attention during upcoming travel time.

The second WIP-2-UFO is a quilt made with 4 blocks from the Local pattern QAL I was doing with friends. I ended up setting just these 4 together and have now folded away the quilt top to be finished (hopefully) someday.


The third WIP-2-UFO is a quilt top based on the blocks for the Seattle MQG's free BOM. It was perfect for using some coordinated large scraps. I ended up improvising some extra or different blocks in order to use my scraps on hand. Next up is to create a pieced back. This will be a donation quilt - hopefully finished later this year for for now it is parked in the UFO pile!


Finally, not  yet a WIP - just an aspirational pile of pretty fabrics that will someday become a queen-sized quilt!


I had been wanting to write this post for awhile - it is helpful for me to have this all listed in one place!

Have a wonderful day! Patty