The top is done.

With the blast of cold weather and winter going down a rabbit hole and hibernating is exactly what happened. Work continued and the blocks got sewn together in rows. borders was added and a victory lap was added to keep all the seams from flip flopping when quilting starts.

Baby quilts created with panels happens and one was finished with scraps of binding. The binding box with leftovers was pulled and a few pieces got sorted, added to projects that need binding. Some have starts others are still needing more work. The piles of projects got sorted and packed away for now, important for the space to be cleared. For months it was waiting and that finally happened.

A kitty quilt was requested, that is awaiting some quilting. More snow fell and we continue to clear snow as soon as we can. Life continues with birthdays and celebrations, cake is baked by request for the person who is celebrating a milestone. This one requested a Victoria Sponge, by Mary Berry.

Mystery continues into a top.

We got a big winter storm, with lots of snow. Yesterday was a cleaning up, then going out a few hours later and cleaning up more snow. Late last night the plow came past, our neigbour had offered earlier in the day to use his snowblower to cleanup after the plow and we accepted his offer. In return we baked some dessert and shared it with him and his family. Today will be a relaxing day and recovering from all the shovelling of the snow.

Jaunary RSC26 colour is blue. Last year at Quilt Canada, I bought a book and decided that this is a project to add to my list. All those bits of embroidery floss and threads will be used in this. The book use wool? Instead of wool, flannel will be used.

Also created a piece of fabric to do the embroidery on, it is a soft open woven cotton with flannel as the filling to the sandwich which was quilted with a large stipple.

Quilted a baby panel, it was just to play and practice. It needed more quilting, so it got another layer of a smaller stipple allover the panel again.

The mystery quilt play and layout was done, it is now ready to be sewn into a top.

Bonnie Hunter Mystery Reveal happened on Friday.

Last week with all the cold and icy weather, time spent indoors got the mystery clues all caught up for the next one which happened on Friday morning. As sometimes happens, there may be a called for ruler? Looked at it and decided not to get this ruler.

Printed out the paper piecing version first. Read the instructions for cutting the rectangles and sewing them as if one had the called for ruler. Then decided to sew them like this first. Early one morning, a light bulb went off reminding me of another ruler in my sewing room. Quilt in a day flying geese ruler.

So true to making due with what we have, I repurposed it for the mystery and it worked.The crazy part, it was the exact size for the required pieces.

Next was the cat ears, so those got made. the leftover corner bits was also sewn into triangle squares and turned into pinwheels. (This is not part of the pattern, just something for me).

These trimmed bits very many times ends up in the trash, making pinwheels just made more sense to me.

Once the reveal happened, parts got sorted into units for the bigger blocks. With this one, the bottom of some of the scraps got scraped clean. I actually had to buy extra fabric to be able to continue to finish some blocks. (Also decided this is one of the best Bonnie Hunter mystery quilts ever. Have many blocks in multiple colours waiting in boxes waiting to be used one day. Those will be turned into leaders and enders for another one in a very scrappy rainbow version of this one.)

This one was made with mainly larger leftover fabrics from two kingsize quilts, so much more controlled and matching for a better word to describe it.

The quilt compromise of two sets of larger blocks, to create the main part of the quilt. It has a flying geese border, with four cornerstone blocks to frame the center of the quilt.

Time will be spent over the next while to sew the elements together and assemble the quilt top.

Bonnie Hunter mystery.

Old man winter is here with a blast. -24C on the first day of the year? Time to get busy and hibernate, bears definitely know a thing or two. They sleep through it all, smart of them.

All the pieces are sewn so far, except part six. It is all ready for sewing together, awaiting their turn. I like to trim the blocks to the unfinished size, taking extra time to do this step.

Is it required? no just to trim the dog ears with a pair of scissors.

A New Year.

The start of a new year is always exciting. Every year we add, finish or even remove things we want to do. It is less about achieving large goals, celebrating all those mini goals we can and do, with ease and grace. Sewing a half an hour a day is something I do every day, it allows me to do everything else I need to do as well. Over the years, taking this bit of time every day has helped me express my creativity and finish many projects. A number of these projects take years to complete, they are creative challenges. They are not the only projects that I work on, many gets added into the mix that was not planned. I am okay with that, do I get frustrated sometimes that things go beep in the night and they are on the backburner for longer than I had anticipated? Sometimes I do, we are human after all.

The plan for 2026 is to continue work on all the projects that are on going. The past year saw a whole rubbermaid of quilt tops quilted and finished, something which was totally unplanned. One of those happy accidents that happens in life. A large number of them got gifted, a few has ended up in the linen closet which needs to be sorted and rearranged again. We rotate quilts as the seasons turn, winter is here and is packing a punch!

The box with the leftover binding gets used a lot, however it has not been empty yet! It gets checked everytime before new binding is made. The baby panels will be quilted next and as much as possible of this binding will be used, just like all the scraps in purple and green is currently being used for the Bonnie Hunter mystery which started in November 2025.

The Cape of Good Hope Quilters mystery yielded extra strips sets which was used to create this baby quilt, so nothing got wasted. A Rubbermaid tub has been filled with leftover bits from all the completed projects, recently it came in handy when our eldest son sent their wedding quilt back after ten years to be repaired as it has been much loved and used. After a quick turn around, hubby took it back to them on a business trip and they have their wedding quilt back to enjoy and keep them warm.

No new starts for projects for the new year, joining the RSC26 colour challenge is a must for me. Why? It keeps me grounded and sewing the whole year round. SoScrappy hosts this year in and year out. Many a quilt has seen major progress by working on the called for colour of the month. Omygosh with nearly 20 000 pieces got completed by just making the blocks in the colours each month. Baby steps and units, team work is dream work.

Merry Christmas 🎄

Soon Christmas day will be upon us, a very busy time for many of us. Thinking of all of those family and friends that will be far away or by themselves. Wishing everyone a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Finishes for the year Part 2.

The quilts quilted and finished. The kingsize bargello in jewel colours is done, all hand quilted.

A wedding quilt for hubby's nephew, this one was machine quilted in a heatwave in summer with a very short deadline. It is now at its forever home with the happy couple.

My brother's sons wedding quilt.

A quilt for my friends nephew who is battling cancer. The front above and the back below.

Michigan, another mystery quilt from Laundry Basket quilts is a finished quilt.

Old Town Bonnie Hunter is done too, also a mystery.