There has been a lot of this and that in the sewing room lately. Small projects quickly finished, secret sewing done, and no big project on the horizon. Seems like it is just kind of quiet. So, I took a look around this past weekend, and tried to decide on some projects to begin. First up, this little wall hanging quilt of just nine blocks was a gift to me. It was made by a friend who recently passed away. Her small quilts were offered to those who knew her, and I chose this Origami Flower Quilt in purple and gold. I liked that she put onto a churn dash, so I’ll always think of this as Donna’s block. Her pearl buttons in the center were a perfect choice.
I haven’t done one of these before, and it looks like a fun technique. I like the dimensional quality, and it would give me some hand work for finishing.
I’ve been working on the Jolly Bar Row Along Quilt. That project has been delayed on the Jolly Jabber blog as Fat Quarter Shop has reduced their staff and now has longer ship times. The Row Along will now start on June 29, but mine is done. I’ll be sharing my steps as it goes when that starts. You still have time to get the book, Jolly Bar Book Vol 2 for the block patterns, and a Jolly Bar (or use up your stash), and join in. A Jolly Bar is a precut of 5×10 inches, essentially half of a layer cake. I used the Harper’s Garden Jolly Bar to do this quilt, with the solid color Porcelain in Bella Solids.
I’ve had a couple of quilt repairs recently that were quick and easy, nothing really inspiring to do a whole post about. This one was simply popped seams.
Lined up, pinned, then zigzag the seams. Done. I have one more that I’ll show you soon, and I am going to take some time off from repairs until end of summer.
Next up, I plan to quilt this dahlia panel in soft pastels, the Hoffman Dream Big Opal. I want to do this one for me, and it will be a practice piece for another one. I’ve ordered a Dream Big Dahlia in the Sunset colorway to quilt for a Silent Auction to benefit Bullington Gardens later in the year during their Dahlia Days event. See all the colorways for Hoffman Dream Big panels on Fat Quarter Shop.
I ordered this darling Christmas Truck panel, called I’ll Be Home For Christmas, and will be using it in a Christmas in July event. If you want to quilt along with me, the panel is just $7.75. What is it about an old red truck at Christmas that is so charming? Is it just that it represents a simpler, gentler time when we were children and didn’t have a care in the world?
I’ll show you the Quilt of Valor I finished last week soon. I’ve been spending more time in the garden, and will be doing more hiking this summer. What are your plans for the next few weeks?
From My Carolina Home 
I have to finish the binding on 4 QOVs and 3 Grandgirl quilts. Then, I have 2 dresses and 2 skirts ready to sew for 2 of the Grandgirls. We are preparing for our first post-pandemic Quilts of Valor award ceremony on June 20th and a potential spur of the moment award to a 97 year old veteran on his birthday. It feels good to be busy!
Those origami flowers were perfect for the wall hanging. It is beautiful. You have a lot of small things going on. Sometimes it is just nice to get several smaller projects completed. I think it is peaceful.
You are just amazing. Must have more hours in a day than some of us …or certainly they are used more constructively. Good for you and an inspiration for me.
We just moved. My quilting studio is in transition. I think I have about 1/3 unpacked. I am itching to get it all organized and start sewing! I put a box aside that has all my current desires to work on!!! Everytime I eye that box it makes me smile and long for the day…
The origami flower wall-hanging looks pretty! Are you planning to hang it in your house somewhere? I haven’t made anything with a Jolly Bar yet – did you like working with that size of precut? I seem to have finished multiple quilt tops during the last couple months of staying home, so they need to be quilted sometime in the near future!
Coincidences are interesting. I made an origami mini quilt in February. If only I’d seen the churn dash setting, so much prettier than mine. I just got a Dream panel. Our guild had a challenge last year and I wanted to quilt one after seeing the beautiful results.
What are we doing…well, yesterday I spent a few hours patching my favorite thin pair of summer work pants…they had so many tears in them! Stitched a new waistband sort of over the old one and hope it will last another season. I am determined to get more proficient at applique. Have a couple block kits on hand but want to start with something not afraid to mess up. Following a few folks on Craftsy before it goes away. I really like Sarah Fielke’s work and wish I had redeened her classes when I had the chance. So many good teachers on there, still having a hard time imagining they cannot make a go of it! So watching classes, and other times listening to audio books… still working my way through the Maisie Dobbs books and Elizabeth Peters books and enjoying them immensely
That was so kind allowing friends to choose a quilt. I’ve played around with fabric origami but have nt been happy with the results so far but they are still on my list of need to do.
I definitely admire your ability and desire to take on repairing quilts! Not something I would enjoy, I think. I’m four months behind on my Peace Village embroidered quilt, so will be working on that. Also, I need to finish designing and sewing together my panel guild challenge quilt, though we may not meet again until the start of our new year in September. We meet in a senior center and I’m not sure they will be open even in July which is our last meeting for this fiscal year and our annual indoor picnic. We elected officer by Google docs but haven’t installed them. It’s been a crazy few months! I have a baby quilt I really need to get made this week…we’ll see if that happens! LOL
An unexpected positive of this Covid ordeal……productivity has generally been turned up a notch for a lot of quilters….clearly you are one of those on warp speed.
When I was a kid we went to church camp on the train and the camp “Pick-Me-Up truck picked us up at the station and piled a dozen kids and bedrolls in the back. Bouncy, bounce 5 miles to camp. Best part of the summer! Great way to meet all your new cabin mates. Love the origami!!! Your friend was very talented. There are many books by Kumiko Sudo and Mary Hiney out there. Tried a couple for wall hangings. There is really a learning curve there! But so fun! Looks like you have your fingers in lots of pies this week. I just finished “Good Knight” harder than it looked, and a panel that has been languishing in a drawer for years. Did some quirky quilting, some shadow quilting, some clouds, flowers, just for practice, going in an auction for Adopt a Husky, Inc. unless it turns out bad then it just goes to the puppers at the Humane Society. Just sent a bag of fleece blankets (please don’t make me sew with fleece again) to the dogs for the kennels. Lovely being able to have the time to just finish up those odds and ends. Still have a couple masks to make for teachers but hopefully no more. Thanks for asking and giving us all this opportunity to share – sounds like everyone is busy!!!!
Good morning, I plan to buy that Christmas Panel too. Would love to know how you will quilt it. It would be an inexpensive gift to start the holiday season for my grown children. I have never quilted a panel before. Thanks for the idea. ❤️
Lots of great stuff going on at your place. I hopped on over to fatquarters and took a look at all the panels – you gave me some great ideas! But the Origami Flower Quilt made by your friend who passed is stunning. What a wonderful treasure you have.
The origami flower block is very easy to make – I love how she set it in the churn block though. Just a fun little pop of cuteness!
Hello Carole, I send my condolences to you as I am sure you are missing Donna very much. She did leave you with a great treasure with memories. I have never tried this method, yet have saved it on my to do list. I also have decided to create another Churn Dash quilt. They are great for scraps or a very special fabric also. It was nice reading about all of the projects you are doing and are planning to do and look forward to reading about each one on your blog!
I think that I mentioned to you that my main goal is to finish ALL of my UFO’s by the end of the year. Most of the quilt tops are complete, they may need a border or two to completely finish them. But the main problem is matching them up with one of the Scrap Backing that I have also made and find out which will work best with which top. I have also considered just going ahead and doing one fabric backings which would use up a bunch of fabrics that needs to be used and also I would then have a dozen or more quilts to sell or give away. LOL. The other items I am starting to work on are some household projects that I have wanted to do for quite some time. One of those projects is making chair covers for our 4 dining room chairs. I really need to make a new updated list!
I have also been working in my flower beds, pulling weeds and replanting some of the flowers in a variety of new areas. The way in which the weather continues to change almost daily, is making all of this still possible and then impossible. The past 4 days, in between downpouring rain and then periods of the clouds parting just long enough for the sunshine to allow me to do about a half hour of work and then the rain would come pouring back in again. It worked perfectly for the newly transplanted flowers! Between sewing and transplanting flowers that is my schedule again today!
I do hope that you have another great day, Carole! Thank you for sharing!!
The Hoffman panel is dreamy and delicate, and then I hopped over and looked at all the others, so many choices. What a memory in the wall hanging, this will be a treasure , and for the others who also received a memento.
I have the Opal Dream Big panel…as well as in 2 other colorways but haven’t had the “nerve” to start on them yet. I even bought a quilting class with ideas specifically for this panel. Luckily, it wasn’t on Craftsy/Bluprint. Start on yours and maybe that will spur me on! The quilt you chose from your friend is quite lovely. I bought a fabric origami book years ago, loaned it out and never saw it again. One of many, I’m afraid. I should start sending some overdue book fee invoices to my “friends”…lol. Blessings—stay well and keep posting!
You are always keeping yourself busy, Carole.
Love the Christmas Truck panel! Sooo festive! Would the “secret sewing” be for A*****J****** coming up? Can’t wait!
I love those Dream Big panels. I have two but haven’t quilted them yet. I think they’re the tiniest bit intimidating. LOL Good luck with the quilting of yours – I’m excited to see it when you get it finished.