Monday, August 25, 2025

A Fun Finish -- 10-10 on the Side

 When I feel the need to clean my sewing room, I usually can get past it by finding an interesting scrap block and making a whole quilt from it.  My sewing room then has one less block, but it has scraps from one huge quilt for a net GAIN.

That happened recently with 10-10 on the Side*.  I collect 1 1/2" scrap squares and sew them together whenever I get bored.  I found two 10" checkerboard blocks in my orphan block basket, dragged out my 1 1/2" square scrap box, made more blocks, and put this quilt together.

The quilt is 70" x 70" and used (900) 1 1/2" squares.  My 1 1/2" scrap box laughed at me when I checked to see if looked any emptier.  Nope.  Can't tell at all.

ANYWAY... A new for me goal is to finish the quilts I've already started.  (Don't you dare laugh.)  Before starting yet another quilt, I basted and quilted this quilt.

I chose to quilt this with swirls from my ABC Geometric Circles stencil.  It's my current crush.


You can see why!!!!


There is no pattern for this quilt.  There is no video for this quilt.  I just made it because I wanted to.  If you want a video showing how to use my ABC stencils with switchback quilting between them, watch this video.

This quilt gives me the "oft-washed quilt from a farmhouse" vibe and I love it so much!!!\

_____
* My love of Smokey and the Bandit showed through when I named this quilt.  From Wikipedia's CB Slang page :

CB user will cease broadcasting but will continue to listen.

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

New Subscriber-Only Video -- Orange Checkerboard Asterisks

In an effort to empty my box(es) of orange 2.5" scrap squares, I stitched this scrappy quilt planning on giving it to a charity of some sort.

I used 1,080 squares from my scrap boxes and I wish I could say the boxes were getting emptier.  They aren't  HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?

I chose a no-mark top-to-bottom free-motion quilting design: ***Asterisks***


This was a soothing quilt to quilt.  I filmed a quick video of the technique.  It is the latest video in As the Bobbin Turns, my collection of subscriber-only videos.  You can subscribe monthly or save money by subscribing annually for a peek over my shoulder as I quilt all of my non-work quilts.

Which charity did I give this quilt to?  My sister.  She claimed it so it's hers. 

Family, am I right?

Wednesday, August 13, 2025

Fenced In Cutie Quilt -- Machine Quilting Tutorial

Whenever I'm home and and quilting for Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, or Veterans' Day, I like to pull out some red-white-and-blues to make a quilt for veterans. This year I pulled out a fat quarter pack from Pat Sloan -- Paradise Park. It was GORGEOUS!




Cutie Patterns require 16 fat eighths and Fenced In also require yardage for borders. I didn't have yardage... but I had the other half of each fat quarter! I pieced the border using those leftovers.

I decided to machine quilt this using the walking foot on my home sewing machine. That's such a fun and soothing way to spend an afternoon!

I filmed a quilting tutorial for this quilt so you can watch how simple it is to create this curvy cross-hatch texture at home!

If the video doesn't play, use this direct YouTube link.

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Fenced In Cutie Pattern

White Konfetti 50-weight cotton thread

White DecoBob 80-weight polyester thread

Batt Scooters

Thursday, August 07, 2025

FREE August Color Blocks Quilt Pattern -- Shining Brightly

I've been away from home for the last 26 days.  I spent a week in Wisconsin at the Primitive Gatherings Naughty or Nice Retreat and the rest of the time I've been in Pittsburgh, keeping my mom company while my sister travels.  

Preparing for this, I made a black and gold (Pittsburgh sports teams colors) Color Block quilt for August -- Shining Brightly.


Being born and raised in Pittsburgh, I have a lot of family here and their babies need Pittsburgh-themed baby quilts!  You can choose to make this in any color you like, however.


Pink/Purple/Mint would be pretty.  Blue/Green/Yellow would be great.  Red/White/Blue would make a great lap quilt for a veteran.  Dig into your scraps and see what colors work for you!

Join my FREE 2025 Color Block Class, download the pattern, and get stitching!

I should be home in another 2-3 days and can't wait to start machine quilting this!