This isn’t one of my planned 2021 quilts but it is one I finally finished. The pattern is one from a Debbie Maddy book called Fantasy Stars. I’m not in love with the quilt but someone will enjoy it.

I cut this for a neighbor that wanted to learn to quilt. She lasted about as long as it took me to cut then she wasn’t interested anymore. No use wasting fabric, so I finally pieced the top and just got the quilting and binding done this week. The white centers don’t stand out in person near as much as they do in the pictures. They are actually a light cream color. It’s really pretty Christmas colors so eventually I will gift it to someone that will love it.

I have another one ready for binding and this one is on the machine to quilt. It may turn out to be my favorite quilt I’ve made so far.

I have to brag a little on my local quilt ladies. I was really impressed what they have been able to accomplish with so few lessons. I have taught a lot of people how to quilt over the last 10 plus years but it really is very rewarding and fulfilling to teach people who sincerely want to learn, and seem to be ones that will stick with it. The more people I teach, the more the craft continues and the more people that learn, makes the world a little brighter one quilt at a time.

The is the most recent one Pam has done For only a few beginner quilts under her belt her octagons and posey blocks came out great. I know she was so proud to see how nice it looked finished. She put so much effort into this and it shows. I think she’s about half way done with her next one. I’m truly impressed with how much she has learned.

Marilyn is another one of my wonderful students. I was worried as she is a perfectionist but she is so eager to be perfect that it shows in all her quilts. She has made a couple beginner quilts but her goal of making them all as perfect as she can certainly shows in this 4 patch posey she made. The sashing colors are perfect.

This is my newest quilter Tonia. She started off with a jelly roll race to learn her 1/4 quarter inch seam and I’ll post her top soon as we get it quilted. She’s already off on her next project. Her daughter wants a black and white quilt so she’s making her a sting quilt using those colors. I feel like Dr. Frankenstein only I’m creating quilters instead of monsters. Hmmmm might be closer to that than I think lol. Here she is working on her first one.

This is the pattern they want to start learning tomorrow. I think they’re planning on leaving one seam open and using as tree skirts. Mine worked out perfectly left round as my sister has a large round coffee table.

I can’t say I’ve been up to much except working and taking care of the house and yard. I did have a spazzy last few days as my long arm died, and trying to get the correct parts at the correct price proved to be a major headache. I have one part on order and if it doesn’t work, at least I know what else I need and where to get it.

I did get to start on the 2nd project I had planned for 2021. It’s a new bargello I haven’t done before. I opened the pattern to find while it’s made in a bargello style, you make numerous small bargello blocks and place them around the center. That center will be a challenge to me also. I’m not a huge fan of blue but since I hadn’t made this one before, I used most of the colors it called for. Not knowing exactly where each color would fall I wasn’t sure what I wanted to change Next time around I’ll be familiar with the pattern and can chose colors more my liking. It should be pretty but I will admit the pattern itself is a bit confusing. But that’s the purpose of 2021. My goal was to take no request, no deadlines, etc. and learn new techniques. I finished up the scrappy snail log cabin and I think I learned a lot about getting each piece to lay straight. I feel like I accomplished the log cabin for 2021. It may be a simple pattern but getting it exact has been a struggle for me in the past.

Here is the new one I’m just starting. As you can see if only got as far as cutting the initial strips.

A couple of weeks ago one of the partners in our firm was exposed to Covid. Unfortunately without telling use he decided to come in one more day and meet with another partner, my boss. Both have now been home sick since January. I try not to be a germophobe but it bothers me how many people think only of themselves.

So, after having the office professionally sanitized and the staff all testing negative we are back at work. I decided you just never know so I’ve used the extra space in my office and made my own little break area. I feel like I work in my own world.

I’ve got my NuWave oven so I can literally bake or air fry anything you can at home. I’ve added an electric kettle that boils water for anything you want. I boil water then heat my veggies with it. I’ve used it for oatmeal instead of using the community microwave. And best of all I bought my own tea picture and I use it to make fresh ice tea. I’ve gone as far as to purchase my own insulated bottles and bring my coffee from home have my own coffee station in my office. I have my own cups and bring my own ice from home. Excessive, probably.

I have to say I rather enjoy living in my own little world here. I don’t have to leave except to talk to a client or use the bathroom which is bleach wiped throughout the day. Ok I might be a germaphobe after all. Waiting on boss to ok my own mini fridge but till then I bring everything in an insulated bag to avoid the community fridge.

And before you ask, YES I have my own personal popcorn machine. What good is an office without popcorn.

That sexy bottle from my sister holds enough coffee for the day and keeps it steaming hot.

Have a blessed day and be safe my friends.

These are a few of the quilts I want to do for 2021, the year of Vicky, aka, Queen V. This will likely be a long post.

This is a log cabin version I’ve wanted to make for a very long time. I’m using an off white, Kaffe design roll and a bunch of Kaffe leftovers. I’m not loving it so far, but I hope once the borders are made and I piece together the whole thing I will like it more. It totals 1804 pieces and I still have 190 pieced strips to make for the border before I can assemble it.

This is one using my crazy curved templates. I made one in 2008 and it was a hot mess. 10 plus years later I hope to do a better job. I used 2 different fabric lines from Tula Pink. The more I made, the less I liked the blocks and the quilt as a whole. Then, I woke up in the middle of the night and thought what if I added some black. Yes quilts sometimes create themselves in my mind while I sleep. Here is the result and I am really liking it so far. Once I finish the log cabin, I’ll finish up these blocks. I hope it comes out as cool as it is in my mind.

Once I get those 2 completed I have a bargello I wanted to make. It also lets me practice on a mariner’s compass before I embark on a huge one I want to make. I bought this as a kit and while I haven’t seen anyone else make one, I still don’t like that all of them are identical colors. I also need a pop of color in all my quilts so I’ll be changing out at least one color from the ones in the picture so I get that zing I’m looking for. I’m eager to see what it becomes.

After that I may start the lone star. It was one of 2 quilts I saw that made me want to learn quilting. This is a simple pattern, so I’m told, but once I know I can do this I will likely make another. I likely won’t use that border idea cause it’s not speaking to me. I’m glad I made the 2 diamond quilts last year as I just wasn’t sure I understood how they have to line up when piecing. I bought the jelly roll recommend in this pattern so it will look close but I’m still debating the background color.

Next up will likely be this paper pieced one. I’m trying to go back and forth between different techniques so I learn to do them more accurately. I bought some unique colors for this one. Again you hope the finished one is as cool as it is in my head but it doesn’t always work out that way. I bought a multicolored blue for the background then wanted the stars to look like they exploded out from the center. I bought 2 colors of silver with black trim for the center star then off to one side I want to “burst” from yellow to orange and off to the other side from blues to greens. It wouldn’t be the first quilt to look better in my head but I guess we’ll know once it’s done.

I think after this I’ll give my brain a rest and make one called Simply Squares. It looks easy enough but it also looks like every seem will need to be exact. I bought jelly rolls for this as it recommended so I’d understand the color placement then I can remake using different colors.

I haven’t decided after that if it will be another bargello or another log cabin type quilt. While bargello’s are easy because you’re just placing strips, it does take some effort to make sure you choose the right colors to make them stand out. I haven’t decided on any colors for this one yet. I need to check fabrics I bought for another quilt as I think I’ll have leftovers and wonder if it would work for this one. The second one is a diamond log cabin. If I have enough, I want to use a bunch of blues I bought in Michigan last year. The log cabin looks a bit challenging so I hope I can understand it enough to not only make it, but get the colors placed right so it works out like it should.

This is the last quilt in my 2021 line up, or at least planned ones I want to do weighs heavy on my mind. I really do think it is likely way above my skill level and since it uses a LOT of fabric, I worry if I’ll be wasting it. My fear isn’t each piece but fitting them all together once I am done. 15 plus years ago I thought wow I would love to be able to make a mariner’s compass quilt. That started my quilting journey but I have never even tried it until now because it looked hard and like it would take a long time. Well 3-400+ quilts later and it’s time. I was so fixed on finding a mariner’s pattern I really liked, that I failed to notice all the flying geese. They are the bane of my quilting world. I don’t make them well which makes me dislike making them. But sometimes you just gotta go all in, so 2021 here we go. Well I guess I better not date it. I’ve never seen one someone made. A lot said they bought it but were too intimidated to start it so who knows I might still be here years later working on it. I purchased a lot of different batiks for the compass and geese and I bought white and hunter for the background as I was undecided which I wanted. I have a hard time lately sewing dark colors but not sure I want that much white in a quilt. Too boring for me.

Those are hopefully my 2021 line up. I still have hundreds of quilts playing around in my head and I know 2021 will likely include a couple of octagon quilts as well as I love making them. Well it goes beyond love. I think I’m actually addicted to making octagon and 4 patch poseys. I want to cut all my fabric into them and see how they come out.

So if you’re so inclined, let me know what you have planned for 2021. Have a blessed day.

A former co-worker of my daughter is moving back to our area and will be staying with me for a while till she gets back on her feet. She’s also my dog groomer so that makes life easier. Imagine my surprise when she said “oh I’d love if you could teach me to quilt”. Well needless to say, I’ve created another quilter.

I gifted her one of my vintage machines so she has a 1950’s Singer 99 all oiled and ready to go. Her first project was a jelly roll race to get used to sewing that elusive 1/4 in accurately. That’s done and while she’s waiting on me to quilt it, she started on a string quilt for her daughter. I warned her about telling people she is quilting and she laughed but she’s already had 3 requests for a quilt. LOL. Live and learn.

She’s been having trouble with the vintage machine so since yesterday was her birthday, I gifted her a little Brother. Nothing fancy but I told her as she progresses, she can upgrade.

With cooler weather setting in for Florida my boys seem to love it. They run around and play a lot more. Even Argus, with his back wants to play with the other 2 more. However when it comes to sleeping for the night, the boys want to be warm. Even Kiljeadean wants a blankie but she has her own room heater and rarely lays anywhere but right in front of it. I’m waiting to find a pile of ashes where she went up in flames.

Here are the boys keeping warm.

I just realized, here we are in February of 2021 and I haven’t finished a single quilt in 2021. I have a few that are pieced and as soon as they are basted I will quilt and bind those, but I haven’t been rushing to do it. Even though they were pieced in 2020, I don’t consider them done till they are DONE so they will be 2021 quilts.

This year I’ve decided to simply make less quilts and do some of the patterns I have longed to do for years. Some I have put aside thinking they are likely outside or above my skill level, but in all honesty, most I have put aside because they are time consuming and I felt I could make a lot more in the time one took. I have now donated or gifted over 400 quilts and it’s time to step back, make less and do the ones that have been on my to do list for years.

So what’s on your to do list for 2021?

Have a blessed day.