Sweet Tooth Cutie Quilt: Ribbon Candy Recovery Ritual

On the day after Christmas, I had my last infusion for 2025.  I feel "off" for a few days and decided to set myself up to ribbon candy quilt until I felt better again.

I pieced a Sweet Tooth Cutie Quilt in some bright colors to prepare for my recovery.  This is one of my favorite quilts to quilt because it's all ribbon candy stitching!

Doesn't this quilt make you feel 10% happier just by looking at it?

I gave this quilt to Taylor, one of the infusion nurses who takes care of me.  I visit a lot of doctors, often, and most of the doctors and staff have quilts.  It was Taylor's turn to get one.

She is adorable and she received this quilt in a suitably adorable fashion.  "Oh my word!  I have compression socks that look just like this fabric (Veggie Tales)!"  "I love it!"  "Can I give you a hug?"  

I tell all quilt recipients that they can throw this in the washer and dryer and that it's suitable for pets.  "Oh my cat is going to steal this, I can just tell!"

Other nurses who already had quilts shared stories of their quilts, and the office staff admired it greatly.  That means I have to make more to bring to the office staff.

These are some of the bright and happy 1 1/2" strips I have in my drawer.  I think there are enough for at least three more of these quilts that will spread some love through the medical group.

That means more ribbon candy happiness for me!

A Christmas Finish: A Fabric Book for Baby

My youngest grandson loves books and by "loves books" I mean "shoves them into his mouth."  

It's a good thing I'm a quilter and there are panels for cloth baby books!

I bought The Land of Opposites at Adirondack Quilts when I taught there in the fall and stitched it together while watching a few episodes of Stitch with Lisa Bongean on YouTube.  I love everything Primitive Gatherings!

My construction techniques for these books are accurate enough to not fall apart.  I claim no additional skill at making fabric books.

With grandbaby #5 on the way, I'm sure I'll be making a few more books.

What's your favorite quilt shop to buy fabric book panels?

New in Color Blocks: Ahoy Matey Machine Quilting Tutorial

This is my fifth year of publishing monthly scrap quilting patterns called Color Block Quilts.  In short, I cut all of my scraps into 2 1/2" squares, group them into color families, stitch them into 16-patches, and then stich them into simple quilts.   All of the quilts for 2025 are grouped together in a free (for now) class.  Once you "buy" the class (for free), it's yours forever even if a price is eventually attached.

This year, all of the patterns are designed for babies!  I made this decision in the summer of 2024 before I knew I'd have a new grandbaby this year (June) and another one coming December/January!  Build it and they will come?

My December pattern is named Ahoy Matey.  I designed this as a toy boat or a pirate ship, but my niece thinks it's the Mayflower.  I guess that works, too, for any history-minded tots!

I quilted swirls and switchbacks in cream thread.  

I used a Baseline Borders Full Line Stencil to mark the waves/swirls using pink Pounce powder.  Yes, I said PINK!  I couldn't get the blue or white powders to show up on the fabric.  Due to my fabric choices, the quilting is really subtle; when the light hits the quilt, though, the quilting SHINES!

Head to the class for the pattern and machine quilting tutorial.

Get stitching, because you never know when a baby (or two) will enter your life!

A Christmas Finish: Baby Bear Bonnet

My youngest grandchild has two mothers who both knit and who both appreciate handmade gifts.  

While we (my daughter, daughter-in-law, grandson, and I) were at the Road to Rhinebeck event at Pick Up Every Stitch in Mount Kisco, NY in October, I bought some brown Gli Occhi del Lupo Corilla fingering yarn from Italy to make the Baby Bear Bonnet for him.

For knitters in the know, it had German short row shaping, I-cord, I-cord cast off, and Kitchener stitch joining for the ears.  For those not in the know, THESE ARE NOT EASY!  I ripped this tiny bonnet out in various amounts at various stages.  

After those bouts of frustration, I love how it turned out and it was SEW CUTE on grandbaby #4.

Note:  I still have yarn left and grandbaby #5 is due shortly.  Back to the needles!

New FREE Color Block Pattern -- Ahoy Matey

This is my fifth year of publishing monthly scrap quilting patterns called Color Block Quilts.  In short, I cut all of my scraps into 2 1/2" squares, group them into color families, stitch them into 16-patches, and then stich them into simple quilts.

This year, all of the patterns are designed for babies!  I made this decision in the summer of 2024 before I knew I'd have a new grandbaby this year (June) and another one coming December/January!  Build it and they will come?

My December pattern is named Ahoy Matey.  All of the quilts for 2025 are grouped together in a free (for now) class.  Once you "buy" the class (for free), it's yours forever even if a price is eventually attached.

Head to the class for the pattern.

Get stitching, because you never know when a baby (or two) will enter your life!

New for Subscribers: Squared Away Cutie Quilt and Clamshells with Rulers

Do you subscribe to As the Bobbin Turns?  It's where my subscribers access the videos I film JUST FOR THEM!

My newest video features my Squared Away Cutie Pattern in green and gray fabrics.  I machine quilted it with clamshells using a ruler on my home sewing machine.

Clamshells were a quick and easy pattern to stitch over the entire quilt.  It also looks great!

I love that the math mathed well on this quilt and the clamshells fit perfectly!

Subscribe to As the Bobbin Turns and watch the video to see how I was able to custom-fit the clamshells without marking!

New on YouTube: Garden Gatherings A La Mode Cutie Quilt

My A La Mode Cutie Pattern is quick and easy to piece -- as easy as pie A La Mode!

I chose to quilt it simply using a wave ruler.  That, too was quick and easy.

It was all so quick and easy that I feel like I blinked and the quilt was finished.  I'm sad I didn't get to work on this beauty longer! 

I did, however, film while I quilted this and added the video to YouTube so you can see how fast this little quilt went together.

To make your own version of this quilt, you'll need:

A La Mode Cutie Pattern

Garden Gatherings Fabric

Tidal Wave Ruler

Handi Grip

Batt Scooters

Tan 50-weight cotton Konfetti Thread

Soft Tan 80-weight polyester DecoBob Thread

and if you've never quilted using a ruler on your home sewing machine, definitely watch my Machine Quilting with Rulers class on Annie's Attic (it's on serious sale the day I'm writing this).

November Project Roundup

 I finished Scrappy Blue Snowball Fight in October, but didn't get to edit the video or take photos for my As the Bobbin Turns subscribers until November.

 

New for Subscribers: Scrappy Blue Snowball Fight

 I'm a big fan of everything Primitive Gatherings.  I've been to two retreats at their Wisconsin retreat center, I subscribe to their cotton quilt box, I purchase every new line of fabric, and I love their patterns.  Oh, and wool applique -- I'm learning to do that, as well.

I have the Snowman Gatherings IV pattern book and want to make every quilt in it!  

I chose the Snowball Fight pattern since it used 2 1/2" squares and I have boxes and Boxes and BOXES of 2 1/2" squares cut for my Color Block projects.  I pulled a little yardage for the snowball blocks but every other bit of this quilt was a 2 1/2" square that I lovingly cut from my scraps.  It's like a free quilt!!!

I machine quilted this quilt on my home sewing machine.  I stitched down each column of blocks from the top of the quilt to the bottom.  

I stitched snowflakes in the snowball blocks:

and stitched continuous curves and a few snowflakes in each nine-patch block:

Subscribers can head to As the Bobbin Turns to watch and learn how I quilted this quilt.  If you aren't yet a subscriber, you can subscribe monthly or annually to get an over-my-shoulder peek at how I tackle my quilts using my home sewing machine.

October Project Roundup

 A sweater for my sweet new grandson!

A pumpkin quilt for my living room:

Some deliciously warm wool socks:

A baby book for my infant grandson.

Dishcloths for my mother and mother-in-law

An acorn pouch for a friend.

A hat for the homeless

Two by Two hat for charity

 I know a a few things:

1. I have a lot of inexpensive wool yarn that I won't use in my upcoming knitting projects
2. I know how to knit hats
3. My church has an outreach to the homeless in our area

Add 1 + 2 + 3 and it will equal:  I'm knitting hats for the homeless

I made my first hat using the Two by Two pattern by Anne Gagnon and Knit Picks Wool of the Andes superwash worsted yarn.

I was knitting at the Kids' Check In Desk at church (my Sunday role) and so many of my kids were curious about what I was doing with that "ball of cat stuff" -- an exact quote from one child.  I decided then to buy a bunch of needles and make "learn to knit" kits.  I switched to a hat pattern with a lot of straight knitting, rather than this one with all ribbing, and already gave away my first kit to a mother/daughter duo.

Hopefully this completed hat will be useful to its new owner.  I have already cast on another hat for another kit...

The Sky Is Falling! pouch

One of the patterns in my Color Blocks, Volume 4 free (for now) class is The Sky Is Falling!  That is one of my Top Ten Favorite Color Block quilts and I *might* have just made another one.*

I wanted to make a dear friend a present for her October birthday so I made a single acorn block and turned it into a zippy pouch with clear vinyl.  (Sorry, no pattern for the pouch.)

I didn't write a pattern for the pouch but here's, in short, what I did.

1. Make the block
2. Layer and quilt the block
3. Cut vinyl to 11" x 11"
4. Stitch 4-fold binding to one edge of the vinyl
5. Stitch a zipper to the bound edge
6. Cut a 3" x 11" piece of fabric and press it wrong sides together
7. Stitch the other size of the zipper to the folded fabric
8. Layer the quilted acorn with the vinyl / zipper / fabric panel and stitch around the edges
9. Bind

This present is winging it's way through the USPS to my friend.  She's already seen a photo of it, so this won't ruin her surprise.

Head on over the Color Blocks Volume 4, enroll for free, download the The Sky Is Falling! pattern, and see what you can make of it!

____

*I totally just made another one.

Trick or Treat or Dishpan Hands?

Both my mother and my mother-in-law know that I'm a quilter and can make amazing things.  The things they most want me to make for them, however, are knitted dishcloths, like I did when I was a little girl.  Every few years I make a few dozen for them and that satisfies their dishwashing needs.

Last week I saw a free dishcloth pattern from KnitPicks.

I immediately knit one up for each of the moms and popped them in the mail.

If you want to download the pattern and only see how to buy the yarn, click this button:

While I just bought luxury yarns for five projects at Pick Up Every Stitch in Mt. Kisco, NY and three specialty socks yarns at the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival, I bought the yarn for these dishcloths at WalMart.

Reading is Fundamental

 Last week was New York Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, NY.  Quilters know that Houston hosts the largest quilt show in the US; knitters know that Rhinebeck hosts the largest sheep and wool fest in the US.  I happen to live near Rhinebeck and I also happen to knit.  What a great combination!

My daughter and her wife are both avid knitters so this festival is an annual tradition for us.  They come and stay for several days as we enjoy all things knitting.  This year was even more special because this was my grandson's first visit to my house!

I made sure I had foods my girls liked and had to make a non-food treat for my grandson.  I made him a fabric book so that we could read it to him and so that he could shove it in his mouth.

I bought the panel from Sue's Fabric World (sorry, she doesn't have an online presence) and she recommends Pellon Craft Fuse for baby books.  It worked great!

I *might* be expecting another grandbaby this winter and *might* have another book panel to stitch together for grandbaby #5.  I will definitely be buying more Pellon Craft Fuse for the next book!

But Do Your Socks GLOW?

 I visit Yarn Bits and Bobs when I'm in Pittsburgh hanging out with my mom.  When I was there in September, I saw this display of Yarn.Rehab from Meadowcroft Dye Works.

The really bright one is called Black Light Elvis and it followed me home.  I had no idea what I was going to make, but it was sooooooo bright I just had to buy it.

Look at all that loveliness!

I downloaded Easy Peasy Socks for First-Timers from Ravelry.  I'm not a first-timer with socks, but I won't turn down something easy.

I started knitting, but when I read the pattern calling for size 5 knitting needles, my brain mixed that up with size 8 knitting needles.  Why, brain?  WHY?!?!?!

My first attempt at the sock was GINORMOUS!

Once I switched to the proper needle size, the socks were done lickety-split.  I needed a FaceTime video conference with my daughter to talk me through the Kitchener Stitch to finish the sock, but I love them!!!

I get very cold feet in the winter thanks to an autoimmune condition, so wool socks are a NECESSITY!

These are supposed to glow under black light.  I haven't tested that theory yet, but will report back once I do.

It's the Great Pumpkin!

 In August I attended a Boo-Cation sewing retreat in Connecticut with quilting friends, old and new.  My friend Maria runs these retreats and does a great job.  She put together several Halloween kits we could choose to make during the weekend.

My eyes spied a kit containing Daiwabo fabric and I immediately knew which quilt I was going to make:

I finished the top at the August quilt retreat, but didn't start machine quilting until September's COVID hit.  COVID hits me like a nuclear warhead (we've been through this three times now) but I was bored, so I asked my husband to help me to my sewing room and to help me as I prepped this little quilt for machine quilting.  I hoped I could handle sitting, coughing, and doing some simple walking foot quilting without his assistance, and it paid off!

I used my FabuLux Meditation thread for the quilting; it picked up on the taupes in the Daiwabo fabrics beautifully and the sheen of the thread makes my heart go pitter-pat.

I finally bound the quilt and it's living on my sofa for the month of October.

My Halloween-loving daughter-in-law is coming to visit in two weeks, so I'm not sure if I'll still have possession of this quilt after she departs.  If she does commandeer it, it couldn't possibly have a better home.

Babies Grow Quickly!

 As I was looking forward to the birth of my grandson, I bought some yarn and fun buttons to make him a baby sweater.  

Well... he's 3 1/2 months old now and it was time to get moving on that baby sweater!

I used the Pop! Baby Cardigan pattern and Big Bad Wool weepaca yarn.

I made this as I was recovering from COVID and let's just say my brain wasn't fully functioning.  I started and Started and STARTED AGAIN.  I ran out of yarn before I could finish the second sleeve.  I raced down to Pick Up Every Stitch to grab another skein of yarn (phew!!!) and finish the sweater.

That one ball of yarn cost me about $150!!!!  Please ignore the lovely bag of yarn I brought home to knit myself a striped Tshirt.  Yes, that happens in yarn shops just like it does in quilt shops!

I tucked in the ends, blocked the sweater, sewed on the buttons, and bagged this up with a cute pair of OshKosh overalls and a gingham top for a fun fall outfit for the boy.  Wait, I said buttons.  DID YOU SEE THE BUTTONS???

How adorable are they?  My grandson has two cats, so this was appropriate.  And adorable.

When I finished the sweater and updated my project to finished on Ravelry, I saw that I originally planned to make the sweater in a 3-6 month size.  And I remembered how in my COVID fog I made it in the 6-9 month size.  And now running out of yarn makes a lot of sense!!!  And it was a great excuse to buy some yummy Myak yarn for a new sweater, too!

September Project Round Up

 September wasn't my most productive month.

I started the month on a long-awaited, restful, magnificent vacation on Hilton Head Island.  I wasn't up to much walking that week, so my sister kindly sent me beach photos from her walks each evening.

I finished my Samadhi scarf in September, just in time to show my team spirit.  Go Steelers!

After vacation, I finished quilting my Aloha Spirit Mystery Quilt.  (Watch me quilt this on YouTube)

I finished machine quilting Shining Brightly, August's Color Block Quilt (free pattern and video HERE)