Introducing Play Time!

I am thrilled to share that my quilt Play Time will be on display at QuiltCon in just a few days.

Early last year, I was invited to join the @unscriptedquiltsbee . My month was June and my prompt for my bee mates was Balance. I asked everyone to give color and shape to everything they were dealing with on a daily basis. Bee members were sent a color palette and a FQ of Painter's Palette Blackberry for the background. You can see all the blocks below - aren't they fun?

Top Row: @emilylangquilts, @sarahgoerquilts and @southbaybella

Middle Row:  @ellynz, @bysarahruiz, @elizabethkray,, and @jenngeorgeburt

Bottom Row: @scarf.mama ,@feltlikesweets, and @eacox24 

As I shuffled the blocks around to figure out the final design, the result resembled a giant playground structure which fit nicely with a common theme that balance was needed to find enough time to create and play.

The background was quilted in a cross-hatch grid and then all the balanced shapes were quilted differently in coordinating colors. (Quilting was done on my domestic machine. I did use a fusible batting for the first time with great results and will do so again. )

As I was quilting it, the idea to add stick figures enjoying the playground was born! There are 37 stick figures scattered around the play structure. If you've a chance to see the quilt in person at the show, let me know how many can you found? (Be warned, one guy blends right into the background!)

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Lavender Marmalade

I am thrilled to share that my quilt plus the pattern for Lavender Marmalade will be featured QuiltCon magazine! Physical copies of the magazine will be available at QuiltCon. Digital copies are available now! Grab yourself a copy and use the discount code QC2650% for 50% off!

Lavender Marmalade is a throw size quilt which finishes 50" x 50". I quilted it on my domestic machine - resulting in lots of threads needed to be buried. The quilt was created as part of QuiltCon's diamond challenge. 

I am honored to have my quilt accepted into the show and featured in the magazine!

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Quilted Vest

As a holiday gift for my youngest, I made them a vest! They chose the fabric - Moda Bluebird's Nest - and requested a blue lining fabric. The vest used two charm packs and then yardage purchased for binding and lining. Quilters Dream Request batting was used to keep the vest from being too thick. Quilting was a diagonal 2" grid.

I used a pretty blue solid for the lining and covered the seams with bias binding. This technique makes the vest reversible.

The pattern came from tracing a 'vintage' vest that I've owned for at least 20 years. It was a fun make and I can see myself making another.

Have a wonderful day! Patty

New Kindle Case

Treated myself to a new Kindle over the holidays. (I had my previous one over ten years - it was well used and ready for retirement!) The new Kindle is a bit larger - and way faster - than my previous one so I spent about an hour creating a new case.

I think I spent more time choosing the fabric than actually assembling! 

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Side Hustle

My daughter and I will be visiting Orlando later this month and I wanted a bag for our adventures. This is the Side Hustle bag from byAnnie. 

I've made several of her patterns before and was very familiar with her techniques so this was a fairly quick sew. There was a lot of bulk around the edges where the zippers come together. Her pattern says to use a hammer to pound down the seams - probably should have actually tried that! 

The lining is Toy Story themed fabric. Although the pattern has the strap fastener at the shoulder, mine is at the hip because I thought that would be easier to handle. The directions for the strap and the strap slider were different then what I am used to with other bag patterns. Should I make this bag again, I will likely do the strap differently.

Counting the days until the trip!

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Bears!

I am excited to share my latest finish - the Poolside tote by Noodlehead using one of my all time favorite prints from Ruby Star. I love how big and roomy the tote is. This will be my bag for going to quilting related events like sewing with friends and guild meetings.

Those bears sure make me smile!

Pattern modifications & materials:

• Did two zipper pockets on the outside instead of one zipper and one slip pocket
• Added a zipped pocket in the lining
• Added a mesh 'pocket' to keep a water bottle upright in the bag
• Used Soft & Stable on the bag and SF101 for the lining 
• Used a 1 1/2" strap for the handles, about 60" each

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Welcome 2026!

The end of one year and the beginning of the next is a wonderful time to reflect on goals accomplished and to set new ones for the upcoming year.  I recently shared my Best of 2025 post and now I'll be linking up to Yvonne's #2025QuiltingCheckin.  I've filled this post with some eye candy of favorite finishes for the year because it is always fun to share them one more time. (The quilt above is my favorite finish of the year - something I use most days - read more here.)

(For reference, see my 2025 goal post and the mid-year check-in.)

I had 5 intentions for 2025.

• Enter at least one new quilt into QuiltCon 2026 (Raleigh!) -  Done!  I proudly entered 4 quilts into the show. Two were accepted (need to blog about those) and two were not - Happy Dance and 1-1-2-3-5-8.

Happy Dance - a favorite finish!

• Finish at least one scrap quilt to be donated to my guild's community giving project. - Done! I donated the Square Up quilt and have two others in progress! The first is ready for basting and quilting - (Read more.) and the second is at the block stage. Enjoying making these pineapple blocks at this point using blue scraps.
• Make time to play and always have at least 2 different kinds of handwork WIPs -  Done!  I did well with this one. I finished one crochet project and started another plus I've got a hand quilting WIP, a embroidery project and a cross stitch underway.

My Granny Square Blanket

• Continue blogging at least once weekly and post finishes on IG - I want my grid to be filled with all the good stuff! I blogged a lot less this year than I had in the past and I really didn't do much with IG. Some of this was because I was working on quilts that took a long time to make and quilts for QuiltCon entries that I wasn't yet ready to share.

1-1-2-3-5-8

• Focus on my personal well being by making time to exercise, to read, to rest, to relax with friends, and - most importantly - recognize joy in every day. In progress! This continues to be an important intention. I do fine with daily exercise and rest but not as good as I would like on the recognizing joy part. I did make several things that were just for me - not a gift, not a quilt show entry - and those were definitely all about fun! There was some concentrated good time with friends - quilting retreats (two of them!), guild meetings, multiple coffee dates - plus picnics with neighbors and pickleball!

Love the Llamas!

Favorite Bag Make of the Year

Moving into 2026, I have similar intentions for the year:

• Enter at least one new quilt into QuiltCon 2027 (Atlanta)
• Finish at one of my two WIP scrap quilts to be donated to my guild's community giving project.
• Make time to play and always have several kinds of handwork WIPs
• Get more consistent about blogging - posts on finishes and a monthly WIP update - and then IG each finish
• Continue to focus on my personal well being by making time to exercise, to read, to rest, to relax with friends, and - most importantly - recognize joy in every day.

Thanks for taking the time to read through my post. I wish you a happy and creative 2026!

Have a wonderful day! Patty