Scoring Myself on 2025 Goals

Reckoning time has come! Let's take a tally on how well I did in completing last year's quilting goals. 

The goals:

• 1. Cotton Ridge Farm OR Grist Mill
• 2. Wensleydale
• 3.  Aurora
• 4. Continue work on Lake Effect
• 5. Continue work on Grandmother's Flower Garden 
• 6. Use Winnemucca Fabric
• 7. Smoked Cheddar
• 8.  Long Arm Lots of Quilts

1.) I did make Cotton Ridge Farm and I love how it turned out.

2.) I foundation pieced all the Wenselydale blocks with my special stash of Tilda fabrics. I set them aside and now have them with me here in Florida to stitch together.

3.) I did nothing toward making Aurora, so it will make a repeat appearance on the '26 goals.

4.) I did work on Lake Effect, but not very enthusiastically, I admit. I brought it with me to work on while here this winter.

5.) I did work enthusiastically on Grandmother's Flower Garden; I ended up making it even bigger than I expected. Adding a border will be the work for my time here in FL.

6.) I did not use the Winnemucca fabric. However, I have finally decided on a pattern and am planning to cut it out as soon as I get back home in April. There's a retreat soon after we get back, and this will likely be my central retreat effort. 

7.) I did make Smoked Cheddar; began it last winter while in FL, then finished it at retreat.  

8,) I did get some long arming done: Lydia's Lace; Good Life (Tag Sale); Fall Leaves; Blue and White Double Irish Chain;  Red Ohio Stars; 9-Patch Strippy. 

Quilted Autumn Leaves.

And while we are on the subject of long arming, let me confess a most disappointing situation.

 I came out with a bold long arm goal in late October to quilt 5 quilts before the end of the year. I was super motivated after I'd bought 5 backing fabrics on a spectacular sale from Quilted Twins in Dade City, FL. I matched the 5 backs to flimsies in my closets and then my long arm decided to be contrary. Thread breakage, over and over and over and over. It was so aggravating! I spent many hours attempting to remedy this issue. I eventually just quit trying, as other things needed to be done, and I was getting nowhere at correcting the breakage issue. I will tackle it in April when we return. 

To tally this all up, I will give myself 6 out of 8 completed goals. Zilch for Aurora and for Winnemucca. Progress was made on all others, regardless of how much. We won't talk about those 5 backings waiting to go on the long arm!

I did make some quilts that were not even on my goals list: Kaffe Fassett Scrappy 4-patch; Lydia's Lace; a child's quilt using a panel; and a Tilda Hexi/9-Patch table topper.

Kaffe Fassett Scrappy 4-Patch

 

Hexi./9-Patch using Tilda Fabrics,

I have my goals for 2026 ready, so they will appear on my next post. Stay tuned. lovely quilters!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne 

Slow Stitching and December Highlights

The one bit of sewing I have done since being here in our winter home is bind a little wall hanging.

 

Back in the fall sometime, I happened across a stack of what appeared to be orphan blocks that my aunt had made. It has been a year (or maybe two!) since my cousin gave me all his mother's quilting things, so I had sorta' forgotten what all I had. Out of all the blocks in the stack, this little basket appealed to me so much that I quilted it and now have it bound and hanging in our guest room. 

I know why this appealed to me. The floral background fabric is one that I have in my stash and have actually used in a quilt. The other fabrics in the center of this block work perfectly with the floral. Aunt Margaret hand pieced this block, so it was fun to hand quilt it and bind it, thinking about her and how she might have planned on using this block. I didn't see anything else that looked like it was meant to match this, so I suspect she would have used it as the front of a pillow. I did consider that, but went with the little wall hanging instead.

Now for the December highlights. So very little sewing and quilting! So much time for family and friends! That's a fair trade-off, as far as I'm concerned.

TOP ROW: My very dear friend Sharon (who sews with me most Tuesdays!) and I took a walk in Chillicothe's Yoctangee Park to visit a special banner that we Frienzies had placed in the park's Christmas Display. We dedicated the banner to our sweet Frienzies Kay and Lyn, both of whom passed in 2025.  Next, I volunteered for the Greenfield Historical Society's annual Holiday Homes Tour; this dining room is in a historic home near my own, and featured many lovely antique pieces. And last, the Christmas tree is another of Aunt Margaret's projects that I uncovered and finished.

MIDDLE ROW: We hosted our daughters and their families in early December, as I'd finally recovered enough from knee surgery to have them down all at once. It was great having everyone together. Cousins Cate and Reagan (our granddaughters) love playing with the toys in Grandma's basket. The puppets always seem to be popular. And there's the basket block mentioned above that I big-stitch quilted.

BOTTOM ROW: I hosted the Frankfort Girls for our Christmas get-together. We had a lovely brunch followed by a gift exchange. So much fellowship and laughter and goodwill shared with these dear ladies. After Christmas, we had a fun evening of celebrating with all our children and grandchildren! We met for dinner in Columbus at Cap City Diner (Dublin) and then went to Erin's home in Worthington for our family gift-giving. Reagan and Cate had matching pajamas from Gramma Jayne; don't they look darling? The final frame is from Christmas Day, when most of my side of the family converged at our house for a Christmas feast! We had 35 total. We took a picture of 4 generations - Mom, myself, Erin and Cate.

And so we put 2025 to rest; move on to all the great things coming in 2026! I have made a few lists and set a few goals. Those will be shared soon. I guess I will have to revisit "25 once more, as I want to check my goals for last year to see how well I did. 

Since I did mention slow stitching, I will link with Kathy's Quilts and her weekly installment of Slow Sunday Stitching.  

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne

Happy New Year!

I am going to have to do better in 2026! I've blogged so little this past year that I have inadvertently erased an entire post (the one that said Merry Christmas!) Frequency of posting means I remember what to do as well as what NOT to do!

Sorry about that. 

We have survived the 900+ mile trip to our Florida home and are ready to begin a brand new year! We left early New Year's Day and arrived around noon yesterday. Easy traveling when holiday observances keep folks at home rather than on the interstate highways. We made incredibly good time.

We've unpacked the car, cleared out the dust bunnies and are settling in our new 2026 selves. We have made long lists of activities we want to do and places we want to visit. Never fear! Quilt shops and all manner of related endeavors definitely have a high priority for me. I brought several projects, just to be sure I had some variety and also to be sure I wouldn't run out of things to do.

Highest on my list are two projects that have been goals for far too long. Lake Effect and Grandmother's Flower Garden. I will provide details on the individual projects later as I tackle them, but 2026 may be the year that these two very long-standing works in progress (WIPs) are at last finished! Hooray! I honestly think it could happen.

Here's an older picture of Lake Effect. I am filling in blank places in the hexagon parts as well as piecing together the corners on the applique parts. It really does just mean if I stay with this quilt, I can finally have the flimsy finished. It could be soon!

And an older picture of Grandmother's Flower Garden, too. I worked lots and lots on this while here in Florida last winter. I've evened out the sides and the corners; my next step on this quilt is to add a border. 

Typically, I do a round-up of the previous month's highlights, so that will be the topic of my next post. I also will share with you the projects I will work on while here in Florida, as well as the ever-present goals list for the new year. Much to to! I also need to review last year's goals to see how well I did at completing them.

Hope you're having a great day, and

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne
 

Surprise Finds in the Quilting Room

It probably won't come as a complete surprise to anyone that I accumulate way too much stuff. And because certain friends and family know of this tendency, I'm given important things to keep. I am ill-equipped to say no to this stuff. (Actually, I'm a push-over.)

For example, late summer '24, my cousin Sam gave me a couple of tubs of his mother's sewing and quilting items. I adored my Aunt Margaret (Aunt Maggie, as we later came to call her), and I was eager to see what treasures I would find in her little stash.

I've been through all her stuff, and I have dealt with one rather major quilt. I loved how Blue and White Ohio Stars came together - she had some of the blocks finished; I used her fabric to make the rest.

 Now to the present. On Tuesday when Sharon was here sewing with me, she caught sight of the corner of a project piled under my sewing table. Unfamiliar to her, she asked about it. I, too, was curious (I don't regularly sort these piles!) and so I pulled it out.

What a little treasure trove! This little tree has a decidedly 1980s vibe, wouldn't you agree?

 Margaret made several of these little wall hangings/table toppers. I have one; my mom has one. This was unfinished - only the bottom seam needed to be sewed up, and then I added some minimal top-stitching or quilting. While watching TV later that evening, I adorned it with red buttons. 

I am not sure where I will use this little treasure, but I will certainly find a place for it in my Christmas decor.  

This little tree is just one of several items in that pile of stuff. Here's a couple more of Aunt Margaret's goodies.

This holiday-themed Jacob's Ladder measures about 15" square. It was entirely finished, and again, I will attempt to incorporate it into my decor this year.

I just love this simple basket block. We must have had similar tastes, because I actually have some of the outer fabric in my stash. Aunt Margaret hand-pieced this block, and so I think I will hand-quilt it with big-stitch quilting. Here's a close-up of her stitches.

Never, ever will I finish every project that crosses my table or comes into my possession. Endless. That's the sewing list I have. Maybe all quilters have endless project lists. No complaints! I love keeping busy, but I fear I have far too many.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne
 

A Long Absence and Christmas Sewing

No excuses here for why I've neglected the blogging as long as I have. My dedication to regular posting has suffered terribly, and no worthy reason exists.

Just not much of a priority lately, I reckon. I do like that I've blogged for as long as I have, and I want to continue, so I must regain my verve for writing and more regular posting. I will try.

I owe myself a recap of November highlights, and I also have a little Christmas something to share. Let's do last month's wrap-up first. 

 

As I look at these 9 highlight pictures, I can plainly see why I do so little blogging - I do so little quilting! My highlights are more grandbabies and family than quilts and sewing.

TOP ROW: Little Cate came to stay for a weekend; we had such a fun time entertaining her - or more accurately, being entertained by her. The first two pictures are both from that weekend, followed by a picture of Reagan entertaining us while we watched the OSU-Purdue game at her other grandparents' house.

MIDDLE ROW: My one notable sewing accomplishment was the adorable Tilda hexie flowers I stitched during my knee recovery. I must do a post in which I share more of this darling little quilt. The middle picture is the best of my attempts to photograph the Northern Lights when they were visible in south-central Ohio. This is looking out one of the upstairs bedroom windows. And last in this row, another Reagan picture - she too got to stay an overnight with us, and we had the best time. She has the wildest hair!

BOTTOM ROW: We had Thanksgiving at my brother Mark's house and our matriarch Mom got some snuggle time with her great-granddaughter,Reagan, the youngest member of the family. Later in the day, we gathered all 5 siblings around Mom for a picture. I am directly behind Mom. In the red is Sandy, and in the green is Carol. Alan and Mark are behind us. Five kids in six years! I am the oldest; Carol is the baby. The final picture is Grampa Kevin and Cate enjoying a Disney movie with all the essential "stuffies" for comfort.

I truly have done so very little in the sewing room, but today, I accomplished quite a bit as Sharon was here for a full day of stitching and catching up. I worked on a secret Christmas gift, so I will share what Sharon finished.

 She put the finishing touches on this Christmas Tree wall hanging and it looks just magical! It will truly enhance her holiday decorating. I did not take pictures of some of the other items she made - finishing off several table toppers that she intends to give to family; and some Tilda 9-patches that she'd worked on earlier in the fall.

We exchanged Christmas gifts, and had a merry time this afternoon. I have a wonderful new project to dream of - I received a lovely collection of fabric by Sherrie and Chelsi of Moda Fabrics. A granddaughter quilt is certainly in order! Sharon is ready to entertain with a full compliment of charcuterie items for her holiday table. I found a scrumptious array of yummy goodies that just seemed too good to pass on. Sharon has a talent for entertaining in style, so I hope these fill out her feast table.

 As we closed down for the day, I snapped this photo that seemed emblematic of a successful day of sewing and merriment. We really did have a productive day with plenty of cheer of the season.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne 

Accomplishing Things

For awhile this week, I had a supreme sense of accomplishment - at last! 

Sometimes, I find myself with several projects on my work table that require minimal time and attention. Most of the time, just the finishing needs to be tackled. Why I delay finishing things and turn instead to starting something else defies logic, but that's the way I roll more times than I care to admit. At some point, I reach option paralysis, unable to move toward any of the projects - too many options! Deciding which to tackle is just too daunting.

I forged ahead, though, and a breakthrough occurred! Yeaaahh! 

First, I reached for the Tilda hexie flowers and finally finished the next stage that project by sewing the applique blocks to the 9-patch blocks. Small quilt; easy, quick finish. I did finish that little flimsy and I will share it in an upcoming post.

 Next, I tackled a reconstruction project - Snowbird Stars. I haven't yet mentioned it here on the blog, but once you see it, I think you will understand. Tearing into this quilt was a total unplanned event, but the placement of the two lightest setting blocks, didn't please me at all. I knew a correction was coming. 

 

Snowbird Stars, a flimsy I stitched in 2015 is one I am considering for quilting with the new backings mentioned in the last post. I knew I would redo the center to balance the setting blocks more symmetrically. I had already ripped out the blocks, then stopped - left it in a heap of blocks and threads - a deconstruction mess that would be super simple to stitch back together. 

 

Back to work and finish this thing! Yes. I am so much happier with the quilt top now that I've placed the two light setting blocks in the center of the quilt. And I probably will select this top to quilt with one of those new backings I bought.

Was I done? NO! I went back to the quilting room after supper and finally put that oft-mentioned binding on 9-Patch Strippy. I'd been planning on this to be one of my major to-be-accomplished-while-recovering projects, and yet I'd not followed through. It's a big quilt, so I expected I would be in for a bit of a wrestle, but I did just fine - no difficulty at all.  

Another 10-year-old quilt finally finished and ready for use, as needed. This has always been one of my favorite quilt tops, and it's a design totally of my own making. 

These projects had been nagging me to the point of paralysis for days, and yet when I finally put my mind to it, I made significant progress on them. Gosh, that felt good. 

Having these lifted from my mental to-do list allows me to more willingly think about going to the long arm machine to work out the tension kinks I know I need to address.  

In due time, I eventually do the things that need to be done.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne 

A Big Quilting Plan

If I announce it here, it is more likely that I will be compelled to follow through, so let's just get this out there:

I am pledging to quilt at least 5 big quilts before the end of the calendar year.

I did well just before the knee surgery to quilt 2 quilts rather hurriedly and with little advanced planning - impulsive, actually. It was weird how I just marched myself upstairs, found backings, battings and quilt tops and went to it. I wanted to have something to show for myself while recovery kept me a bit out of action. Here are the 2 quilts I quilted. The larger one is still awaiting its binding.

Lydia's Lace layer cake quilt

9-Patch Strippy

 

In the time I was recovering out of the quilting room, I reflected on the progress made in the first 10 months of 2025 - goals accomplished; quilt tops made; UFOs tackled; longarming done; unplanned, impromptu projects. 

One sorely lacking area of real progress: longarming. I am not quilting as many quilts as I ought to be!

Now, how did I come up with this magic number of 5 quilt, you ask? That's how many backings I ordered from a Florida quilt shop, after seeing an email announcing a 50% off sale.

Quilted Twins, the shop in Dade City which I frequent while we are in Florida, sends regular emails announcing sales, specials and deals. I usually don't look at these emails (remember, my stash is substantial), but one that announced a sale on 108" backing fabrics, interested me enough to click on the link.

The five backings came last week, and are neutral enough for me to use on any number of quilt tops I have hanging in closets upstairs. I will probably work on matching tops to backs as soon as this afternoon. All the backs are 3-yard cuts and I got them for 50% or more off. I couldn't resist.

One problem needs to be solved before I can begin. I am in the process of rectifying a tension issue right now. Before ordering these 5 backings, I'd put a little wall hanging on the long arm with the intent of quilting it up real quick - uh, no. Fix that tension first. I still haven't successfully worked it out. The wall hanging is a freebie project made with leftovers from Paris Flea Market Find, which I made in 2024. Here's a link to the freebie wall hanging.

 

Stay tuned and keep me honest! I simply have to achieve this goal!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Jayne