Making A Lather

last report August 1, 2025

15 min to stitch at life in pieces

Friday, December 26, 2025

5 quilt December 26, 2025

It has been awhile since my last report of the 5 quilt project. I found myself stuck with two challenging quilts, Rather than just reporting the same quilts over and over, I just kept working.

It is the end of December, and I am making a new list for 2026. I have 32 quilts next year that are in the running for time at the sewing machine. In 2024, I finished 41. It was a miracle. In 2025, I finished 14. I don't know what the difference was. I do know the 5 quilt project has been a true help in overcoming overwhelm and procrastination. But, some quilts take longer than others. The first mention I found of the 5 quilts was in October 2021. I remember, I was talking with quilty friends and mentioned I was overwhelmed with the shear number of ufos and quilts I want to make. A friend said, maybe if you just focus on a small number of quilts at a time.... And tada, the sun came out and everything was unicorns and rainbows. It has helped me remain active in my favorite sport ( quilting)

Making a report every month may be boring, But it keeps my mind focused. I will try to stay up to date with that.

I try to work on these 5 quilts until they are done. Their turn in the UFO closet is over, and, they need to be finished one way or another.

I finished 4 since August report

1. snowballs is finished

54 x 66

2. Chunky churndash is finished

74 x 76

3. baby xo is finished

50 x 50

4. Holy toledo is finished

76 x 94

I worked on these older Ufos to finish them:

hollow nine - from 2023 that needs the border appliqued. I have cut the flowers and the stem is ready. I just need to attach.

red and brown pfeffernuesse quilt- I discovered a couple blocks turned wrong and had to rip them out and turn them. But, we are back on track, after I resew. It will be ready to quilt. I plan on that next Spring. It will be a top priority in 2026.

My December phd report: I ended with 14 ufos finished this year, and no new starts.

scrap cutting

And I plan on continuing this in 2026, even though, I see no discernable difference in the scrap piles.

quilts to be quilted:

1. wedding ring I have had this ready for a few years, but, I am afraid to quilt it myself. I want it to be special and I don't do special. So I will work to talk my self into it..... some day That didn't happen in

2025

Looking forward to January

hollow nine in the Spring

red and brown pfeffernuesse quilt in the Spring

flying home. I just have blocks that are made. Making a top will be my one monthly goal for January

stars 2 bits - I have had the star blocks for a few years, but, still need to add borders to the blocks

Editya Sitar baskets - I have just a bit started before I dropped the ball.

Soul searching - I have just the blocks

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Sunday, December 21, 2025

stash report December 21, 2025

A new wool mat has come to my house. I know wool mats don't actually wear out, but, they do look a little ratty. It was part of my black friday indulgences.

stash report December 21, 2025

fabric added this week: 0 yards not yet

fabric added year to date for 2025: 78 yards

fabric used this week: 25 yards holy toledo is finished

fabric used year to date for 2025: 290 1/2 yards

212 3/4 yards used more than bought in 2025

I sewed 2 days last week - too much going on for Christmas and, 0f all things, I had an ear infection- aren't a little too old for that?

I cut more of a variety of navy background, and added it to the rug

last week

this week

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Slow Sunday Stitching

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sunday stash at quiltpaintcreate
patchwork and quilts

15 min to stitch at life in pieces

Saturday, December 20, 2025

week 3- rainbow scrap challenge December and 2026

I have decided on a new project for the rainbow scrap challenge 2026. Candy chains is a free pattern from quilted twins. I really enjoy Becky's blog. It will give me a chance to use some very old jelly roll strips, and some from my scrap strip bags.

her picture

Another pattern from quilted twins. I want to make is square dance a free pattern. What I am interested in, is the 16 patch setting including the solid color surrounding them. I don't know if I will do the quilt as the picture, but I want to make the blocks in 2026.

her picture

I hope to borrow Sara's rolling windmill blocks. I have done plain windmills for 2 years. Hers is more exciting. It will use 5 inch scraps which is overflowing.

I will continue with sugar grove blocks, zig zag quilt, and ufo color quilts. ufos in the color of the month add a bit of variety each month, and, moves the older ones a little closer to done.

Now, that may be biting off more than I can chew, but, if not, I really liked red needle's squares in squares block, too. It will use 4 1/2 and 2 1/2 inch squares, and might help me clean those bins out a little bit.

It looks ambitious, but, making goals is a fun part of being a quilter.

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Friday, December 19, 2025

holy toledo finish

By the end of 2017, I had all the parts ready for making my holy Toledo quilt. I added it to my 5 quilt project in May of this year. I discovered that the borders were neither cut or sewn. Still, I wanted to add that to my quilt finish. I have worked on it at open sews and friday group. There are 990 hsts for this quilt. All of it is made with recycled shirt fabric. I found this pattern in Bonnie Hunter's book scraps and shirttails 2. I am very pleased with how it turned out.

76 x 94 = 25 yards

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Friday, December 12, 2025

week 2-rainbow scrap challenge December

Boy, I had a tussle with a nasty germ last week. I think I won. I have been working on my holy toledo quilt, an older ufo in my 5 quilt projects. After adding it to my frame to quilt, I could see that the last row was not right. I decided to take it off the frame, and redo the last row. Now, I am officially quilting it. Never give up, never surrender. LOL

I spent some time adding heat and bond to fabric scraps and cutting more flowers and some leaves for my hollow nine quilt. I had laid it out with the borders, and, realized it would take more flowers than I initially thought.

This is the last of the cutting for the for my bonnie Hunter basket quilt. I consider it a complete kit for making the quilt. I can pick up and take it with me, to begin piecing the blocks.

I have 50 sugar grove blocks. I had planned for 72. I might make it a bit smaller, or take a break, and take it back on again. But, I am growing weary of the project. But, I have developed a great rhythm, that is adequately successful. I cut and sewed the hsts last year, for the rainbow scrap challenge, and assembled the blocks this year.

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Friday, October 31, 2025

toledo top finish

It has taken a bit of time to make the borders. I needed pinwheels for the corners. And, there were the 328 hsts. Not to mention the gazillion hsts in the blocks.

It was so good to see Holy Toledo, as a top. I chose this as my one monthly goal for October. And, I really like it. I usually do, when I make a Bonnie Hunter quilt. It can be found in scraps and shirttails 2 book. I started it in 2016. Making the borders was my one monthly goal for October, but now, I have a top.

Oh and this was on the road with us this week. Boo

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Monday, October 27, 2025

quilt progress

I couldn't resist laying out my red and brown pfeffernuesse quilt. But, it isn't what I remembered. I can't find my book string fling to see how to set the blocks, yet. I'm sure I will, soon. Patience is needed.

I have all the border blocks ready for adding the border to Holy Toledo, an older ufo in my 5 quilt projects. These are the last 6 blocks. I can feel the finish on both these quilts coming very soon. I have been dragging my feet this year, and, a finish will re-motivate me. I can't believe it is the end of October already.

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Monday, October 6, 2025

holy toledo progress

I cut and sewed a few more border pieces for Holy Toledo, an older ufo in my 5 quilt projects. I will need 36 border sections to complete the border. I finished these at a Friday sew group. I was using this project as leader/enders for correcting my hourglass blocks for pfeffernuuse.

I had discovered many of the hourglass blocks were sewn wrong. I spent a few evening times to unpick them, and had a chance to resew them Friday. It was an easy fix. In between sewing, I made hsts and blocks for Holy Toledo. It made both, somewhat boring jobs, a little more fun.

blocks in halves again

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Monday, September 29, 2025

holy toledo

In May, I began working on an older ufo, Holy Toledo is a quiltville pattern from the book shirts and scraptails 2. The top is finished and it is time to work on the borders. I had a chance to cut some of the hsts I need before my Friday sew group. I chain pieced the ones I had, and, started making the block pieces. I need 36. I see more cutting and sewing in my future. I have tried matching the shirt fabric combos before I cut. That might be slowing me. I am just afraid, if I go willy nilly cutting, I might not like the end result. Making the borders, will be my one monthly goal for October.

this is what I am hoping to make in my version

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Friday, September 12, 2025

Snowball quilt finish

Snowball blocks quilt is finished. I made the first block in 2021, when I found this at Suzies-scraps.com, scrappy snowballs. it uses 29 scrappy 2 inch squares in each block plus the sashings.

I added it to my 5 quilt project in June this year. It was just the scrappy project that I enjoy. I cut my scraps down to useable sizes. I can just open a drawer, and the parts are ready to piece into a quilt. The piecing is quick and easy. Each quilt is a wonderful surprise.

54 x 66 = 12 yards

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last report August 1, 2025

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my quilt infatuation

Friday, September 5, 2025

5 quilt September 5, 2025

I try to work on these 5 quilts until they are done. Their turn in the UFO closet is over, and, they need to be finished one way or another.

There is not much change on this report, but, it still helps me keep on track.

I finished 2 ufos in August- 10 th for the year

spiderweb is finished

off track is finished

I worked on these older Ufos to finish them:

scrappy snowball -2 inch scrap block. is a top and ready for quilting.

hollow nine - rainbow scrap challenge from 2023 that needs the border -Which I intend to applique. I need more flowers cut in a variety of colors. I think I am about ready to do that.

holy toledo - The top is ready for pieced borders

chunky churndash is ready for quilting

My august PHD report

scrap cutting

I have added another goal to the 5 quilts project. I want to take one day a month and cut scraps. I will have plenty to choose from since I really didn't cut any for 2024, and the bags of uncut scraps are piling up, all over the fabric room. The bag weighed 1 pound 8 ounces. When I was done, the parts weighed 9 ounces = 1 1/2 yards of useable fabric. I still have a bit left to cut. For the year, the total is 36 1/2 yards of useable fabric.

quilts to be quilted:

1. wedding ring I have had this ready for a few years, but, I am afraid to quilt it myself. I want it to be special and I don't do special. So I will work to talk my self into it..... some day

2. snowball

3. chunky churndash

Looking forward to September

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PHD

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Friday, August 15, 2025

progress

I have half of my holy toledo blocks assembled. There is a lot of matching. I try to pin a couple of rows at night while watching tv. I really like the secondary patterns. I haven't spent much time in my sewing room. I hope I can get back there soon.

I have another top that is nearly finished. The sides are naturally finished with the design of the block, but, the top and bottom borders look unfinished. I hope to get them added today at Friday sew group.

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