Low Volume Scrap Bag

When I was working on upgrading my denim jacket, I created a couple of panels that I ended up not using so I made a bag! I just love it! 

The size of this bag is just perfect. I started with 2 quilted pieces 7.5" tall and 10.5" wide with 1.5" corners cut out before I sewed.

It went together fast and easy and although I have no immediate use for the bag, I am confident that it will get used often. It is so fun!

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Blocks and Backs

I enjoy making bright simple pattern quilts to donate to my guilds community giving project. I just got a fun layer cake from Fat Quarter Shop - Ruby Star Salutations! Such fun fabric to work with. The quilt is part of a new FQS pattern release so I look forward to sharing the final quilt in April.

Sorting through my stash and unfinished quilt tops, I came across one I made last year also intended for a donation for our community giving project. 

In addition, I found some large scraps and some smaller quilt tops - perfect for assembling them into a quilt backing! Since these quilts are going to young kids and teens, I like the backing to be colorful.

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Granny Square Update

Last fall, I taught myself to crochet - thanks youtube! - and I started making little granny squares using the beautiful 32 color pack of Cotton Chirps from Purl Soho (pictured below). My goal is a blanket - for me! - and I am making great progress on my granny squares. 

Each 25 gram ball makes 5- 6 small granny squares. There were 31 usable colors (the 32nd color is what I am using to outline each square.

Although my original plan was to join them together without the white, I decided it really balances everything out.

I've got squares in 3 different stages. 52 of them are all ready to be joined, all yarn tails buried except for the final one. 58 are awaiting the (tedious) yarn tail burying process. 44 are waiting for their white border.

Then, there are a bunch still to be made from these skeins.

Each square is 4" x 4". Depending how many I add of the gray/black ones, I could end up with a 13 x 13 layout or a 52" square blanket. Giving this was a learning project, some of the my squares are not quite the same size so I may need to block before assembly.

Making these little squares bring me such joy. I am already planning what I will work on next once I get this blanket assembled.

Have a wonderful day! Patty

My Bee Block - Illusions

I've recently joined my very first bee - the unscripted quilts bee @unscriptedquiltsbee. There are a total of 11 members and what a thrill it was to receive an invite to join.

March was the first month I participated and the prompt was to make an optical illusions block - any size, any fabric colors.

I drafted the FPP pattern with a combination of EQ8 and drawing lines by hand. The pattern was the hard part - once completed, this was a fun and easy sew. 

The block is on its way to E.A. @eacox24.

Have a wonderful day! Patty

The Trail Tote - My Latest Bag!

I really enjoy making bags using patterns from Noodle-head and jumped on making a Trail Tote as soon as the bag was available. The bag was made with faux-leather purchased at QuiltCon from Sallie Tomato (similar to this.)

I made the small size which is just perfect for holding my wallet, sunglass case and my phone. For the lining, I used some pretty fabric my son picked up for me in Japan. I also added a zipped pocket on the inside using netting. 

The idea was to have a pocket to corral small items that might otherwise fall out since the bag has only a magnetic closure. For the pocket on the outside, I carefully cut a rectangle in the outer fabric and lined up the zipper pocket. Since pins would leave marks, I used some painters tape to hold things in place.

I've used it many times so far and it is just perfect!

This is actually the third bag I've made this year - I used the Explorer Tote at QuiltCon and it was perfect for carrying snacks and purchases. I also made the Compass Bag.

Have a wonderful day! Patty

QuiltCon 2025 - The Best Bits

It has been fun to capture my experiences at QuiltCon Phoenix in a series of blog posts. If you missed them, read about My Quilts, The Workshop, and All the Quilts. Today's post is my final post - all the best bits! 

I also have a post of QuiltCon memories from year's past. Phoenix was my fifth in-person show - the others were Savanah, Nashville, Austin, Atlanta, and Raleigh.

Friends - new and old - are what I look forward to each year. For the 3rd year in a row, I shared an AirBnB with my buddies Frances, Kristen, and Jenn. It  is a real treat to hang out at and after the show with them.

I exchanged hugs with people chat with all year on-line and look forward to seeing in person - Yvonne @quiltingjetgirl being one of my favorites! I also got to meet Veruschka @prideandjoyquilting whose quilt Dignity won Best In Show. She is one of the warmest people I've ever met and greeted me genuinely and said she enjoyed my work. Nancy, one of my sisters, joined me Thursday morning and we enjoyed clowning around together in photos. Finally, I recently joined the  @quiltsunscriptedbee and enjoyed meeting everyone at dinner. 

Left top: Members of quiltsunscripted bee - Elizabeth, Sarah, Sarah, Chris, Emily, me, and Charles
Left bottom: Nancy and me
Right top to bottom, Yvonne, Veruschka, and Ellyn (another quiltsunscripted bee member)

QuiltCon fashion is a real thing. There were so many amazing outfits, quilt coats, jackets and bags on display. (I made myself a new bag and wore a jean jacket that I have been busy dressing up!) One of the most unique outfits was worn by Lorelai @pigs.in.a.blanket.quilting and her mom. Lorelai is 15 and won first prize in the youth category with her quilt Magnetized. The MQG captured lots of fashion on their IG - check it out.

Volunteering is something I look forward to every year and this time did not disappoint. I was able to only work one shirt - Wednesday during registration. At first, I was a greater along with Heather @fire4hairlady. Then I got 'promoted' to photographer and assisted with the selfie station!

Being fortunate enough to have two quilts in the show, I enjoyed a bit of quilt stalking.... essentially standing back from the quilt and watch people's reaction. I did not do this as much as I've done in prior shows but it was still fun!

And then there is always the shopping. I was not searching for anything particular but have fallen in love with the Ruby Star bear so sought out the fabric in different colorways. I also got some vegan leather (not pictured) which I've already made into a bag that I will share soon.

A series of four blog posts doesn't really adequately cover the show but the posts at least give me an opportunity to capture some highlights. I do want to thank the amazing MQG staff for their work in pulling off this show every year. They are the best!

QuiltCon will be in Raleigh (!!!!) in 2026 and then return to Phoenix in 2027.

You can read wrap-up posts from prior years - Raleigh 2024, Atlanta 2023, QuiltCon Together 2021, Austin 2020, Nashville 2019, and Savanah 2017.

Have a wonderful day! Patty

QuiltCon 2025 - All the Quilts

QuiltCon has been over for several weeks yet I am still thinking about the show, meeting new and old friends and all the quilts. Each time I see quilts shared in someone else's QuiltCon recap, I find quilts that I have no memory of seeing ever before yet I am positive I saw every quilt in the show more than once!

(This is part 3 of my series on QuiltCon 2025. For more QuiltCon recap, read about My Quilts and The Workshop. I hope to have one final wrap-up post later this week.)

Dignity by Veruschka Zarate @prideandjoyquilting won Best in Show. I'd seen photos of her progress on IG but to see the quilt and the perfectly aligned back in person was just amazing! I had the opportunity to meet Veruschka in person - she is amazingly welcoming and kind.

I walked the show floor several times. At first, carefully reading each quilt story, sometimes with a friend and sometimes by myself. I then walked back through categories stopping to gaze at what caught my eye.

I captured photos of my favorites. That said, as other people share, I keep getting surprised by quilts that I am certain I saw but have no memory of!

These are shown here in no particular order.

First up is the fabric challenge category. There were so many amazing entries that it was hard to pick a favorite. (My quilt Arcturus was in this category.)

Top row: Unboxed by @paulasteel.quilts, Gegenwind by @alpsandoceanquilts, Chesire by @stephskardal (2nd place winner)

2nd row: Unplugged by @jenngeorgeburt, Arturus by me @elmstreetqults, and Quilts' View by @smallhenstudio

3rd row Compass Star by Debbie Schultz,  Flutterby @betsy.vinegrad, and Urban Equalizer by @sarahruiz

Color! There were so many quilters that dazzled me with their color choices and placements. Here are just a few.

1st row:  Countercurrent by @barbdanzi (2nd Place winner), Serenity by @modernstitchwitch and X Factor by @karin_rabe_vance

2nd row: Another Dance with the Dragon by @modernstitchwitch, Is Neon A Neutral by @jeeasterly and Light Me Up by @peache.and.patchwork (1st place winner)

3rd row Sliced by @dramystitches, Square Bloom by @jowoquilts and Neural Overlap by @jeanne.garcia

And then there are the quilts that make me smile. The first two rows were the playful ones, the bottom row were the map quilts. (I want to make a map quilt someday.)

1st row:    Blobs by @Dre_Luciole_Quilts, Oasis by @cassandra.beaver, and Propagate by @emilywattsquilts

2nd row: Levitation by @salsquilts, Graduation Day by @scaseyquilts and Desperados by @hixsonir

3rd row:   Sidewalk Repair by @studioquilts, Harrison Map by @bimbambuki_blog, and Rock Harbor, Isle Royale by @shea.making.doing

I always enjoy the handwork category. I aspire to enter a handwork quilt into the show one day. These were my favorites.

 In Jordan Year (Quilt of Golden Delights) @laurahartrich hand embroidered a delightful experience each day for a year. (This quilts won People's Choice award.)   The stitching in Moving On by @psbquilts enhanced the color transition between blocks. The Isomeric by @thequiltedhand was made as a gift to her third miscarriage.

This final batch were another amazing group of quilts I went back to see more than once.

1st row: Nurturing the Pod @janemadlyquilting, Figure Study 5 by @kerrimcqueengreen, and CandiLand 2: Carnival by @candipursuits

2nd row: Alecia Beth (aka Pink) by @quiltedpeacock, Exist Out Loud by @exhaustedoctopus, and NYC Fire Escapes by @sewingp

3rd row: Erratic Connotation by @catlucia, Fanciful by Mackenzie Leake, and Orange Blast by @mili.tra

Finally, I was invited to contribute a block to @flourishingpalms potholder quilt. It was a fun project to be a part of. Linda has a bunch of posts with quilts from QuiltCon including a group shot of some of the contributors - read it here.

There were so many amazing quilts in the show. Can't wait for QuiltCon 2026 back in Raleigh!

Have a wonderful day! Patty

QuiltCon 2025 - The Workshop

I've got several posts planned to capture all the magic that was QuiltCon. You can read about My Quilts in a prior post. There are 2 or 3 more posts to come.

Each year I enjoy taking a half-day workshop. I typically choose the topic based on the instructor - I want someone that I admire and have not had the chance to take a class with. This year, I took Kitty's @nightquilter course Improv Piece Your Life. Kitty is a friend and was a contributor to my Patent Pending quilt which was on display QuiltCon 2023.

We made several different kinds of improv blocks. The most exiting was small inset circles - I'm holding it in the picture above with Kitty. Patience and glue were the key ingredients for success.

We modeled the blocks after Kitty's amazing quilt that tracked her life in summer 2023. The quilt top is not yet complete but it looks amazing.

If you ever have the chance to take a workshop with Kitty, I highly recommend!

Have a wonderful day! Patty