Last years post from the end of July had me finishing the last of my Etsy client quilts. That was a big finish, 10 quilts in four months. Sadly, or happily, depending on how you look at it, I miss the business and the busy-ness. There are only so many quilts a person can use, and this client has over 20 from me. One assumes that it is probably a once in a lifetime thing for ones business, but one can hope. Anyway, I have been finishing things and starting to catch up a bit on my to-do list. I updated my white board to reflect what is happening in the studio. I would rather erase than add, but there were some things erased. Trying to keep in mind what I am accomplishing and what is gathering dust.

The two kits I ordered came in the mail. The one, Pumpkin Patches is the pattern I was going to repeat using Fig Tree fabrics from stash. Sadly, not enough oranges left for that. I did a little shopping and found that the fabrics from All Hallows Eve aren’t around anymore. I shopped my stash and came up with a layer cake of Stacy Iest Hsu Holiday Essentials Halloween that will do for a sub in the pattern. Yay!, stash reduction and the pattern is adaptable for layer cakes. What I am hoping to do is to make two at a time, cut everything and then chain piece like nobodies business. The other kit, is cute forest animals, but I don’t see the pattern being replicated for another line of fabrics. Although, I may have enough of the Farm charm line, or the forest babies line (can’t remember the name of it).

Indigo way was quilted, bound and off to the Lions Veterans benefit. The benefit raffle is in October, so it is a bit early. I wanted to get it done because my DH has officially retired from the office where the benefit coordinator worked too. I donated a quilt back in 2019, a big red white and blue star quilt from a Judy Martin pattern. That quilt garnered 250.00 donation, that person definitely got a deal on a really nice quilt. I hope Indigo Way goes for more, I was happy to make it from mostly scraps and with all the Quiltville friends camaraderie.

I have been steadily working on the hoodie sweater, specifically the hood, I need to measure and see how many more rows I need to do. Then I’ll move on to the arm/sleeves, thankfully babies have short arms.

Yesterday I worked on block 16 of Message in a bottle – MIAB. Only 10 more blocks to go, I think 5 are appliqué, then it’s on to the border. The border is appliqué too, diamonds on squares and leaves in squares. Those leaves remind me of the BOM autumn quilt I made a while ago, there were hundreds of leaf shapes. I don’t think I have a picture of it on this computer, nope. I think I made it in 2012 or 2013.

The purple pineapple top was loaded and started too. In my quest to organize all my digital quilting designs, I have found quite a few block designs to choose from. I found a set from Prostitcher that work well, and they stitch out fairly quickly. I’m using a king tut thread that is variegated light lavender on the top. I have to figure out what to do for the borders and the 1 ½ inch strip around it too. This ufo is on its way to being an FO, yay.

The next Fabulous House pattern was released yesterday. It’s a floating house, as in house boat. Brings back memories of a time when I worked as a dock attendant for a few summers. We had a floating shack with a few chairs, a freezer for bait and a fridge for sodas. There was a cash register, the gas pump controls, some bagged chips and a tip jar. That tip jar helped me pay for school and other things. Perfect summer job, as it was a self serve gas station, all we did was hang-out in the sun on the water and read or listen to music.

I need to stitch more on the current Lighthouse piece. I finished the whales head and I’m moving into the base of the lighthouse itself. The lines coming out of the whale are a seagulls legs.

Be Kind.