One Monthly Goal - August Finish

My goal for August was to complete my Halo quilt top.

This was a quilt that I started a couple of years ago then stalled on. I'm glad that I came across a Halo sewalong on Instagram that helped motivate me to get back at it. We were to do two blocks per week....easy peasy.

I'm so happy that I accomplished my goal...

When it came time to sew the blocks together I used a method of organizing the blocks that I learned on a retreat last year. 

Normally I would gather up all the blocks for the first two vertical rows off of the design wall and sew them together, then gather up each subsequent row and sew it on. 

This method, instead, has you get all of the blocks carefully stacked in a pile waiting to be sewn together.  It's a bit scary, but it works! Thanks to SS for teaching me a new trick!

And, of course, I just had to put a few stitches in....there's just something special about the very beginning of a hand-quilting project.

I'm using Hobb's wool batting, which is like quilting through butter, and Wonderfil Spaghetti thread for big-stitch quilting. For someone like me that has spent 40 years working on traditional tiny stitches, this kind of quilting is taking some concentration. 

I love everything about this quilt....I wish I'd had the patience to make it a bed-sized quilt, but I settled for a lap-sized quilt :(

Meanwhile, I've been a bit behind in the Summer Sampler 2020 sewalong. One block is released each week. The theme this year is blocks that are constructed in a manner easier than they seem. They are all quite unique and are looking good up on the design wall.

In the picture above you can also see a narrow peek of my Leaders and Enders blocks. I've been keeping two little containers near my sewing machine...one with 1" light strips, and the other with 1" dark strips. I'm really wanting this to be a full bed quilt so I imagine I'll be working on it for a while!

I'll leave you with a couple of pictures of a bouquet of roses from our garden. They are really starting to flourish (it's a fairly new garden), and they have suffered a little from a couple of heat waves we've had this summer, but we are getting some spectacular blooms.

I am linking up with Elm Street Quilts for One Monthly Goal - August Finish, and with Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?.

Scrappy days...

I'm taking a couple of days to work on some scrappy quilts....my favourite.

I know there are so many UFO's in the sewing room (as someone was kind enough to remind me), but I couldn't resist the 15-day mystery sewalong hosted by Edyta Sitar.

Here is my quilt, made of 30's fabrics from my stash...

There's a couple of bits I would change if I did it over, but I'm pretty happy with it. I was not going to do a border, but Edyta showed us a few options and I really like the pieced option. I think it would set this quilt off nicely. On the other hand, it would be nice just to call this one done! lol


For a long time I've wanted to do Jen Kingwell's Halo quilt and it's actually started. Now there is an Instagram sewalong for Halo, where you try to finish and post 2 blocks per week. I've joined in as it seems like a good way to get back to this quilt. Here are the four blocks that I had already pieced...

This would be a good one to piece by hand....but I already have enough slow stitching projects on the go.


Next bit of scrappiness??....my ongoing leaders-and-enders project, log cabin blocks made of 1" logs...

I know there is not a lot on contrast, but I also know that I am going to absolutely love this quilt. I can already picture it on my bed!!

Does anyone else find that once you start down the rabbit hole of fussy-cutting you tend to try to incorporate it all the time?

For instance, the peace sign...

....and my hedgehogs...I wish I'd purchased more of that one!...

 ...some bunnies...

 ...I love the kiwi fabric...

..and some words...

I keep a stack of partially made log cabins next to the sewing machine and they turn into finished blocks surprisingly quickly.


Last bit of scrappy for today is the mystery quilt that Bonnie Hunter is running currently, called Unity. As always with Bonnie's quilt patterns, there is always a lot of piecing involved!

Even a bit of "ghastly" fuss-cutting going on...

I feel a little guilty to get this personal sewing time, as we as quilters have been called on to make items for "the cause", but I'm going to sweep that guilt away....we've all been doing what we can.

I did get some scrub caps made for ICU nurses...there was a call out for some in a city near here....

I know my daughter's girlfriend seemed to appreciate getting a few. She works across the border in health care and says it's pretty bad there :(

This weekend we all expected to be sewing gowns for our local LTC facility, which has been hit especially hard but the kits for the gowns did not arrive before the weekend. So I am taking this bit of personal sewing time for myself, knowing that it'll be a busy week ahead.

I am linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?.

I am also linking up with Cynthia over at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework.

On the design wall...

It's the coldest day of the year...so far. Why does this weather seem to translate to being a sew day? I don't know, but I'll run with it!

I've done a bit of catch-up sewing this morning. First on the agenda was my temperature quilt for 2020...

I'm really liking this. Each goose represents the forecasted high temperature in Celcius for each day. Today I got to use a new colour for -8 degrees!

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I've been working on a Leaders and Enders project for a few months. Today I arranged what I have completed so far on to the design wall....

I have two small bins next to my sewing machine...one holds 1" strips of lighter scraps...the other has 1" strips of darker strips. The centres of my log cabins are orange 1.5" squares. 

These are made into log cabin blocks that are 4.5" unfinished. I know there is not a lot of contrast, but hopefully enough. This is truly what a quilt means to me, using up the scrappy bits.

 I think I'll carry on until I get a full-sized quilt because I can tell already that I'm going to love this quilt!

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I'm taking a BOM class at my LQS in Waterford, Quilt Junction...the pattern is My Kinda Town.

I completed the first block in modern fabrics, which I do love...but the block wasn't really doing it for me. Then I had the idea of using my leftover Japanese taupes from my Queen's Garden quilt. 

Here are my two blocks...I'll have to re-do the one on the right...

I am linking up with My Quilt Infatuation....then I am headed to Caledonia to the local radio station to pick up my prize...I won a contest for a Valentine's dinner for Saturday night....woohoo!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Queen's Garden...almost a real quilt!

This week it seemed like all I did stitching-wise was miles and miles of binding!....and I'm not one to especially like to do it like some of you are. I just regard it as something that needs doing in order to have a completed quilt.

I don't have show-and-tell for all of my labours as they were not my own quilts....but it was especially nice to help an old friend by doing this for her.

Now...back to my Queen's Garden quilt. 

I was ready to get all the components sewn together when I realised that I hadn't finished the embroidery. Well, that is now completed.

So happy... I can now get it together and get the borders on. 

But, hold on a minute...nothing is ever that easy, is it?

On the original pattern, the designer had appliqued small circles where the orange peels meet. I had decided early on not to do the circles as the fabric that I am working with is fairly thick.

Most of my orange peels "kiss" nicely, but then there are a few like the one above that I just don't think I can live with. 

Sometimes you just have to make the decision to fix things. What does it for me is the thought that so much work has gone into this quilt already...do I really want to cheap out just because it will take a little longer to do it right? That makes the decision so much easier.

I auditioned a couple of different sizes of circles, using my Karen Kay Buckley Perfect Circles. By doing this, I can see that it will be the right choice to add the circles....

Here are a few circles sewn on. I think it's a lot more pleasing now...

I guess the designer knew what she was doing! Although, I did have the thought that the circles were added to maybe cover her own orange peels not meeting properly??? lol...maybe!


Now I'll share my current Leaders and Enders project. I had hesitated to show anyone yet as there is not a lot of contrast in the blocks and it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, but I'm starting to love it so here goes!

I am making little log cabins out of 1" strips, with 1-1/2" orange centres.

Here are the containers I keep by my sewing machine, full of "logs" ready to sew...

....and here is a pile of log cabins in various states of construction...

I am keeping the scraps somewhat bright and modern.

Here are a few up on the design wall...

They aren't all sewn together yet, but I'm getting a feeling on how it will look. 

For me, it will be true quilt in every sense of what a quilt is meant to be...something that uses up every scrap...a riot of colour....and, as a bonus, it will be made of what could be argued as the most traditional of blocks, the Log Cabin. 

I only hope it keeps my interest long enough to grown into a full-sized quilt!!

As always on Sundays, I am linking up with Kathy for Slow Sunday Stitching to see what other slow stitchers are working on today.

One Monthly Goal - August

August???....already???....

I thought I'd check in and share what is up on the design wall lately at my house. 

First up....my Temperature Quilt, which is across the top of the picture.

Those rows represent May, June, and July....I actually finished the July row this morning so I'm almost up-to-date.

All the rows for January thru' April are sewn together and by the end of August I'd like to have the whole thing all together so I can share it a the next Guild meeting.

I figure it will be nice to show this one in progress so other people who may want to do a Temperature Quilt for 2020 can start looking for ideas for their own quilt. The secret?....keep the block choice simple so as not to get bogged down with it. I only work on mine once a week or so and it's very quick to do.


Next up...a quilt that I haven't shared yet. It's one I came across on Instagram called Shades of Scotland Souvenir Quilt. 

Here are the blocks....

There will be 16 blocks in total. When I go to Scotland in the Fall each block will "photo-bomb" a photo of some Scottish scenery, so when I put the quilt together I'll have a nice memento of my trip!

You can check the idea out at #shadesofscotlandsouvenirquilt on Instagram. You can also follow me on Instagram at @sandra.croley if you'd like to see my version progress when I am in Scotland!

Mine won't be a large quilt....the blocks are supposed to be 6.5"....mine are only 5-7/8" due to a printing problem, which is ok since they will all be consistently that size.


Next up is a BOM I'm falling a bit behind on....Geometric Fun designed by Gosia  at Quilts My Way...

That picture represents blocks 1 and 2....block 5 has just been released, so I have some sewing to do! 

Here is my colouring page for this quilt...

Getting this one up-to-date will be my goal for August.



I've started a new "leader and ender" project this month to use up small scraps. 

The blocks are log cabins, starting with a 1/2" orange centre and 1" logs.

I'm not quite sure if this one will work because there may not be enough contrast between the lights and darks, but I will continue as I have a vision for this quilt and I will trust that vision...for now.


Finally, I'll share some gardening pictures.

My perennial bed is out of control with weeds and such this year, but that is a project for this month. 

I do love this lily, which was a gift four years ago. The lily has always been beautiful, but it's never been this tall!....

.....and I don't know why it gives me so much pleasure to succeed at garlic, but it does...

I know what is on the calendar for this weekend...braiding the garlic :)


I didn't know whether to share this, but what the heck!! lol....

I've recently run a unique 5k....which was held at a nudist campground. During the race the runners had dyed cornstarch thrown us. I'll never do a marathon or a triathalon, but I can now say I've done something that many people haven't!! 

I don't know who had it worse for bouncy bits...the women or the men, bwahahaha!!! Not a great picture, but it's all you're getting!

I am linking up with Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?,  Busy Hands Quilts for Finished or Not Fridays, and with Elm Street Quilts for One Monthly Goal - August.