One of the groups I belong to recently decided to experiment with adding narrow strips to make a design more interesting. We used orphan blocks for practice. Unfortunately, I didn’t take “before” pictures, but here are the modified blocks. You can click on any block for a closer look.

Our next project is to take the blocks below (made in a previous challenge)

and make them into a finished project, either as they are or modified in any way we want.

Stay tuned!

I had in mind to make 3 quilts for the Quilts of Valor program this year. The last one is ready, so here they are. These are given to military veterans to thank them for their service, but I make them in honor of my parents, who both served in World War II. You can see their pictures in an earlier post, here.

Here are the finished quilts. I’ll now take them to my local QOV representative who will see that they get to deserving veterans.

QOV 2025-1, 60″ x 80″

QOV 2025-2, 61″ x 72″

QOV 2025-3, 61″ x 74″

All these were quilted by Linda Nichols, who is an official QOV longarmer

Now it’s on to the next quilt–you know that story! What are you up making these days?

OK, the first finish isn’t mine, but it’s all the more notable because of that. A friend who had previously made only two quilts decided she wanted to make a sea glass quilt and asked for my help. And by help, I mean I only showed her how to do things; she did every bit of the cutting, fusing, quilting, and binding herself! She just decided she could do it, and she DID.

Sea Glass wall hanging by Michele

The only part that gave her any trouble was the binding, and I think we can all agree that’s a challenge for many quilters.

The second finish is a quilt I made for the Mancuso Celebrating Women challenge.

Full Circle

To make this, I cut up a partial quilt top left by my Grandmother, Mary Lee Ownbey Kimsey. I’ve written before about the dilemma of what to do with the unfinished pieces I inherited, and this seemed an appropriate solution.

Grandmother’s wedding picture, 1908

Granny pieced by hand and her seam allowances were only about 1/8″! However, there was NO chance those seams were coming apart. She took tiny stitches and backstitched frequently to lock the seams. I originally tried taking some of it apart to re-use, but that was almost impossible!

Quilt Stats

Name: Full Circle

Finished size: 24″ x 24″

Designed, pieced, quilted by me, using some pieces joined by my Grandmother some time in the 1950s.

I submitted this in accordance with my resolution to submit more/be rejected more this year. And by the way my entry to the International Quilt Festival was not accepted, but the point is that I tried.

“Irregularly irregular” is the verbal description of atrial fibrillation, a common but abnormal cardiac rhythm. The words stuck in my head (I’m a word person) so that’s what I named this little quilt. The quilt itself is irregularly irregular, but I figure that’s good for art.

The 4 quadrants are all different sizes, the seams are intentionally unmatched, and the quilting is irregularly spaced.

The edges are wonky, too, but THAT was an accident. I found the 2A foot among the accessories for my new Bernina 570 and wondered what it was for. With the help of Ms. Google I quickly found a video of someone using it to finish a quilt edge with a satin stitch, so I tried it.

It distorted the edges, and especially the corners, of the quilt. Of course, this was my first attempt, so I may get better with practice. Or not. Stay tuned.

Quilt Stats

Name: Irregularly Irregular

Finished size: 15″ x 15″

Designed and quilted by me.

And when the next person asks, “What’s this one for?” the answer is “Because I wanted to”!