May 2026- Memorial Day Weekend, Project Update

 I'm excited about a couple of new starts and my progress on a couple of other projects.  I had very little sewing time in April/early May with my Mom here so I'm making up for it now.  My Mom has gone back to live with my brother for a while.  I'll sew as much as I can until she comes back here.  I've found that even though she is easy to care for it definitely changes my routine and takes a lot of time.  I'm sure a lot of you are nodding your head.  Here's my update from the beginning of the month and some of the things I'll be working on in June.  

1. I finished binding Lupine & Laughter.  It looks just like the last photo I took in my previous post and it's my display quilt on my upcoming YouTube video.  I LOVE IT!  I added two extra borders to Bonnie's layout so it finishes at 96 x 96 and contains 2381 pieces.  

2.  I've made more string blocks.  I'm up to 20, enough for a twin size quilt measuring 64 x 80 without borders.  I might stop there temporarily, make the twin quilt, and then come back to making more later.  They are 16" finished.  I don't have a current picture of them all on the design wall but they are making a nice size pile in the pizza box.  

3.  My Disappearing Hour Glass quilt top is done.   I ordered fabric for the backing because I didn't want a pieced backing for this one.  I thought about several options but none of them appealed to me.  There were 2 bolts that had enough for a backing but the rest of them would mean extra piecing.  I wanted something more dramatic for this top.  It's a long story.  

4.  Succulent Garden has been waiting it's turn to get back on the design wall....

5.  Making Bowl Covers, also not yet.  Maybe this weekend?? Now that's a great goal! 

6.  Now for NEW STARTS!  I started 3 new projects, two of them are for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge which I'm linking to.  I realized I wanted to have another couple of ways to cut and use my scraps.  I've been inspired by all the quilters posting their projects so if it was you I have copied THANK YOU!  Please tell me in the comments if it was you because I lost track of who/where I saw it.  

First, I started making Nine Patches in color order.  The squares are cut 2.5".  The nine patches always have a white square in the center.  I'm not sure if I will use them all in one quilt or if I might get enough of one color range to make a quilt in just blues/greens as my friend did.  Here are my 28 blocks.  So far, I've made at least one in almost all the colors.  There is one orange block in there but I started with January's color of blue, then moved on to green and red and pink.  Then I had to make a couple of purple and yellow also.   If they all go in one quilt set straight I'll need 99 blocks for a throw size. 

 Here is the quilt a friend of mine made which I quilted for her:  This is a possible layout with 30 blocks.  And, look at that gorgeous border!  I'm not sure I will get to making the border as she did but I love it.  It really makes the quilt pop doesn't it: 

I also started making 16" Double Star blocks.  I'm really excited about these blocks because they are so scrappy.  I love the variety of background and prints.  Since my orange scrap bag also has yellow in it I ended up making one of each.  These were a test to see if I liked making them and I do.  However, since I was aiming for so much variety I ended up having quite a few leftover pieces.  I might need to make 2 at a time to use up all the pieces I cut.  I'm also thinking of using the extras in an ocean waves block.

And just last night I started a log cabin project.  I wanted to make a test block to check my measurements and write them down so I used old fabrics from my 2.5" strip drawer.  It turns out I really like it!  I made the first one with a green center then changed my mind, took out the green and replaced it with solid brown (Northcott Colorworks in Chocolate).  I thought my brown phase was over but I am excited to have a place for these older fabrics and I think it will look cozy come fall.  Here is my  inspiration quilt, circa 2004, a Thimbleberries pattern.  I've wanted to duplicate this one for a long time. 

I like the larger center which I cut at 3.5" with all the strips cut at 2.5" width.  Lengths are:  3.5", 5.5", 7.5", 9.5", 11.5", 13.5", 15.5", 17.5" and last one at 19.5".  Cut one each of 3.5 and 19.5, two each of the rest.  

Here's what my design wall looks like now: 

And that's what I've been working on the past few weeks!  I think June will be a fun month in the sewing room. 

If you want to see more about my projects I have a YouTube channel @everydaysewist.  I'm just starting to put a couple of tutorials out which I'm very excited about in addition to monthly episodes about my projects.  Everyday Sewist on YouTube

Linking up with:

Angela at Rainbow Scrap Challenge

Happy sewing!

Stephanie

May 2026

Week One:  

Well, how is it May already?!  I really wanted to post more frequently but that hasn't happened...yet.  I'm an optimist so we'll see.  I've been a bit overwhelmed with life lately, not as much time sewing as I'm accustomed to.  

Here are the projects on my May list, only one new project I hope to try, the rest are carry overs from April and earlier.  

1.  Lupine and Laughter, Bonnie Hunter mystery from Nov 2025:  stitch binding down on back. 

2.  16" string blocks with a 30's fabrics.  13 of 30 blocks made.  It doesn't matter how long this takes.  The goal is to use up as much of my 30's stash as possible (it's in one drawer).  Is it possible to empty the drawer??  If 30 blocks doesn't make a big dent I could keep going and make a second twin size quilt.  

3.  Also shown in the photo above is are my Offset columns, an idea I got from Cheryl Arkison.  The colors are rectangles cut 1.5" x 2.5". The lights are 2.5" squares.  I need hundreds of units to make about 45 columns for a queen size quilt.   It's my leader/ender project.  The other projects in this photo are a flannel quilt I'll get back to soon (the top is done except for borders) and blocks for lupine and laughter (now almost finished-see above.)

4.  Disappearing Hour Glass:  needs borders, quilting and binding.  I think I can get that done this month.  

5.  Succulent Garden:  started at retreat in April this year I have almost all the blocks done then I will add filler pieces and then assemble.  I may want to make a couple of extra blocks to replace the darker ones.  I'm not sure how much I'll get to work on it this month, we'll see.  It looks so dark in this photo but it's really not.  

6.  Bowl Covers.  I'd like to try the tutorial from Nikki at Pin, Cut, Sew to make a couple of bowl covers for a quick easy project.  They are reversible.  

Those are the projects on my list this month.  I also want to make a couple of videos for my YouTube Channel:  Everyday Sewist.  Come visit me there!  We might be traveling a bit too.  Good thing it's a long month.  I will dig into my ORANGE stash and scraps and see what I can come up with.  I don't have a plan for a block to make every month so I'm cutting up scraps for Offset (above) and for a future Potato Chip quilt (2.5" x 4.5" rectangles).  I could make some more blocks for my Colorwash quilt (a Terry Rowland tutorial) or make some more tiny houses.  I sure like seeing what everyone is making each month over at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!   

 Rainbow Scrap Challenge

Stephanie

 

New Quilt Pattern Published!

My second pattern as quilt designer has been printed and bagged and is ready for sale! It will be for sale at the Indiana Heritage Quilt Show along with the first one I wrote. I'm quite happy with it except it cost an arm and a leg to make color copies of several of the pages. There's a really great technique in it along with an extra page of things you can do with it. My company is called Lucky Star Quilts and they are carried by Quilts Plus in Indianapolis.

Although I brought more fabric home from work this week I also used some up so I'm running about even in the stash. I brought home some 1/4 yard cuts of the cutest shirtings to replace some of what I had used in the mystery quilt since I still have more to cut for that. And, I bought some fabric that had written on it the whole verse of 'Twas the night before Christmas. I love that story and I thought it would make the cutest pillowcases to have on every bed on...you guessed it...the night before Christmas. I had to get it NOW because everyone knows if you wait it will be GONE when you do want it. To use fabric I completed the two pillowcases I mentioned last time and cut up 4 more yards of strips for the crocheted rug I'm working on and a little bit cut for the mystery quilt.

Today I finished clue #2 of the mystery quilt. (I'm making it, not writing it.) It really feels good to stay on top of that. The clues are really well written and, so far, I like the way it has been broken down. I made 180 4-patches today and they are so cute!! Love them! The pattern was written by Debbie Caffrey.

I've been watching the Olympics also which is when I've been working on my crocheted rug. You can't hurt yourself with the big crochet hook I'm using either!

Snow Day=Sew Day

I'm so happy to stay home today and SEW. I want to finish Clue #2 in the mystery quilt I'm doing. With a day like this I might just get it done! And then I have two snowmen pillowcases to make for the guest room; seems appropriate to have them done and on the bed asap, doesn't it?

I just finished a quilt based on my pattern called "Indiana Fields". It's in repro blues and creams, scrappy; I really like the way it turned out. I dug into my scraps for the whole thing! I did purchase the border fabric and backing, but, still.... I quilted it on my HQ and that worked out pretty well too; not perfect, but good. I'm still at the point where I need lots of practice to keep curves curvy and points pointy. I used a fairly dense pantograph so it would scrunch up alot...and it did! It lost 5" in each direction after washing. I wash all my quilts as soon as they're bound. It's part of the process for me. I love the scrunchiness of a washed quilt.

I've also started keeping a fabric log. In 2010 I have purchased 22.25 yards and used 16 7/8 yards. If I go downstairs NOW to sew I should be able to add another couple of yards to the OUT category...especially if I make those pillowcases! I started this effort to use stash on Jan 1 by opening my scrap drawer and sorting and pressing the whole lot so I could see what I had. I sorted by color. Now, when I go into that drawer it's SO easy to pull out the cream/tans and look for the shirtings I need for the mystery quilt! I'm so glad I did this. It feels so good to USE it! I'm also purchasing just for what I'm working on instead of for future projects. OK, there's always an exception...I did get a yard each of some new Kaffe fabrics that came in and I have no plans for them yet....

I'm excited about the mystery project. It's all scrappy and should look really old when it's finished. I'm making three times as many units as it calls for so I can make 2; one for me and one for my niece who is graduating this year. Shhh, she doesn't know it and may be wondering why I haven't asked her what she wants yet when everyone else ahead of her has gotten one. She really likes OLD things so I think she'll really like this. So, I'm off; I need to cut 65 squares of shirtings and some strips, too, for strip sets.