Sunday Stash and Stitching 11/8/2026

For the first time in several weeks, the stash report shows no new fabric added for the week and a significant amount on the outgoing side. It seems unlikely that I will get my numbers back to even before the end of the year, but at least I'm making a dent.

The majority of the the fabric used went into Magical Geese, my recent entry in our guild's Paint Chip Challenge. I used 5.375 yards for this quilt, plus another 3/4 yard for the sample of a different pattern I had considered (see it HERE.)

Magical Geese, 43.5" square

The rest of the week's fabric usage went to the borders/settings for two different Hollow 9-Patch quilt tops. You can see the other top and read more about both quilts in this blog post.

Hollow 9-Patch #1, 48.5" x 62"

2026 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                 7.75 yards

Used year to date:          154.25 yards

Added last week:                  0.0 yards

Added year to date:          203.5 yards

Net added in 2026:       49.25 yards

Kate's 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces has us tracking how many days each week we get in at least 15 minutes of quilting time. I finished one very old UFO this week, and got two more small quilts layered with backing and batting, ready to be quilted. I'm hoping to get at least one of them done next week.

15 Minute Challenge 2026

11/1 - 11/7              7 of 7 days

2026 Total        304 of 311 days

Success rate                97.7%   

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate and join the 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces. Thanks so much to Donna and Kate for continuing to host these link-ups.

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Hollow 9-Patch Quilt Tops

The push to move more of my many rainbow quilts toward finished is continuing, and this week I have two quilt tops to share. One of my projects for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge in 2024 was Hollow 9-Patch blocks. I ended that year with around 80 blocks and joined some of them together in January, 2025.

Hollow 9-Patch #1, 40.5" x 53.5"

I had originally intended that to be a completed quilt top, but it always felt rather unfinished to me. Then I found this amazing fabric last year. It seemed like the perfect choice to be the border on a rainbow quilt. 

That first Hollow 9-Patch top was the choice for a border of the new fabric, and I love the way it turned out. I still have enough fabric left to border one more small quilt, but I wish I had bought even more.

Hollow 9-Patch #1, 48.5" x 62"

Here's a closer look at some of the blocks and the border fabric.

I still had more Hollow 9-Patch blocks left, and I wanted to do something different with them. I joined them into on-point rows sorted by color, then added setting triangles and a border to finish off the top.

Hollow 9-Patch #2, 41" x 49.5"

These two quilt tops have now joined the collection in the To-Be-Quilted closet. I hope to get them finished soon, but there are many other quilt tops also waiting.

Be sure to check out all of the wonderful scrappy projects at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge every Saturday and Oh Scrap! over at Quilting is more fun than Housework on Sunday. 

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Magical Geese Finished!

The East Cobb Quilters' Guild holds a challenge for their members every year, and this year it was a Paint Chip Challenge. To participate, we started by selecting an envelope with a paint chip inside. The theme of our quilt had to be based on the name of the color. Our entry must feature the color of the paint chip (or other values of that color.) We could also include one additional color plus neutrals.

The paint chip I received was Valspar #1001-2A Magic Wand. This photo is from the Valspar website. As you can see, the color is a pink that leans a bit toward lavender.

Coming up with a quilt design inspired by the name "Magic Wand" took some thought. In the end, I realized that my personal version of a magic wand has got to be a needle. Being able to sew led to my career making costumes for professional theaters, plus my all-time favorite hobby of quilting.

There are so many "magic tricks" that quilters can produce like optical illusions. I considered many different design ideas, then stitched up two test samples with fabrics from my stash. The first was my version of a 3D design that I've seen in a variety of places, including the quilt patterns "Entwined Illusion" or "Entangled Sky". My sample piece measures 20.5” x 23”.

3D Boxes, 20.5" x 23"

Besides 3D and optical illusion designs, I have always been fascinated by quilt designs that are pieced entirely with straight seams but have the appearance of curves. Think about a Storm at Sea quilt or a Bargello quilt. My second sample was a block from a quilt pattern by Judy Martin called “July Fireworks.” 

That single block isn't terribly exciting, but when you put several of them together along with sashing and border units, suddenly they are transformed into circles of flying geese! I named my quilt Magical Geese.

Magical Geese, 43.5" square

The pale pink solid was the closest match I could find to the "Magic Wand" paint chip. The fabrics are all Century Solids by Andover: Sugar (lightest), Girly Girl (medium), and Raspberry (dark). The backing fabric is "Fairy Rings" by Sarah Maxwell for Andover.

quilt back

The quilt was finished with stitch-in-the-ditch quilting along all of the pieced seams. I also added rings to emphasize the circles, orange peels in the centers of the stars and elaborate feather designs in the background.

I'm  linking up with:

Wednesday Wait Loss at Inquiring Quilter

Put Your Foot Down at A Quiltery

I Quilted This! at Quilting and Learning

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty

Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday (TGIFF) at Slice of Pi Quilts 

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Sunday Stash and Stitching 11/1/2026

Once again, my stash report has moved in the wrong direction, with the addition of six yards of fabric this week. In the process of prepping some UFOs and quilt tops for finishing, I discovered that I hadn't set aside any fabric for border or binding on a couple of quilts. Fortunately, they were basics from Connecting Threads, so I was able to get some more (the top two pieces in the photo.) The bottom piece is intended as the background to go with a baggie of parts for red/white/blue bowtie blocks.

2026 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                   0.0 yards

Used year to date:            146.5 yards

Added last week:                  6.0 yards

Added year to date:          203.5 yards

Net added in 2026:         57.0 yards

Kate's 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces has us tracking how many days each week we get in at least 15 minutes of quilting time. I finished my guild challenge quilt (post coming soon), then worked on quilting a very old UFO. I hope to have plenty of progress to share soon.

15 Minute Challenge 2026

10/25 - 10/31          7 of 7 days

2026 Total        297 of 304 days

Success rate                97.7%   

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate and join the 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces. Thanks so much to Donna and Kate for continuing to host these link-ups.

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Sunday Stash and Stitching 10/25/2026

It has been three weeks since my stash report showed any increase on the usage side, but that has finally changed. I used almost two yards for the finishing of my Sewcialites 2 mini quilt, and there was no new fabric added to the stash this week.

Sewcialites 2, 23.5" square

2026 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                1.875 yards

Used year to date:            146.5 yards

Added last week:                  0.0 yards

Added year to date:          197.5 yards

Net added in 2026:         51.0 yards

Kate's 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces has us tracking how many days each week we get in at least 15 minutes of quilting time. Most of my quilting time this week was focused on finishing up my entry for the East Cobb Quilters' Guild challenge. We will be showing our quilts at the guild meeting on Friday, then I can share mine online after that.

15 Minute Challenge 2026

10/18 - 10/24          7 of 7 days

2026 Total        290 of 297 days

Success rate              97.64%   

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate and join the 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces. Thanks so much to Donna and Kate for continuing to host these link-ups.

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Sewcialites 2 Mini Quilt is Finished!

My efforts to finish more quilts this year continue to be successful. The latest finish is my Sewcialites 2 Mini Quilt.

Sewcialites 2, 23.5" square

This quilt was started in 2024 as part of a guild Block of the Month challenge. We used the Sewcialites 2 pattern by Fat Quarter Shop. This originally ran as a weekly block program from October, 2022 until April, 2023. All of the block patterns are still available on the Fat Quarter Shop's website, now all combined into one handy document.

The FQS pattern included directions for three different sizes of blocks: 3", 6" or 9". I decided to challenge myself and make the 3" blocks. Some weren't too hard, but some of those with lots of tiny triangles were especially difficult. 

This quilt top was finished in March, 2025. I included the project on my list for this year's guild UFO Challenge, and it was the number chosen for October. That finally motivated me to get it done. This is my 15th finish for 2025!

The backing fabric is "Provence II" by Doreen Speckmann. It's another oldie from my stash, purchased back in 2001. 

I'm  linking up with:

Wednesday Wait Loss at Inquiring Quilter

Put Your Foot Down at A Quiltery

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty

Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday (TGIFF) at Tasha Quilts 

Favorite Quilt Finish at Quilting JetGirl

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Sunday Stash and Stitching 10/18/2026

For the second week in a row, there are no changes to my stash report. I've been spending plenty of time quilting, but most of it was on a challenge project that isn't finished yet. I hope to have something to share next week.

2026 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                   0.0 yards

Used year to date:        144.625 yards

Added last week:                  0.0 yards

Added year to date:          197.5 yards

Net added in 2026:     52.875 yards

The last thing I need is another new quilting project, but that rarely prevents me from starting one. Alison Glass has started a new quilt along, the Community Quilt Along making the Color Study quilt, and I couldn't resist the chance to join in on this beautiful rainbow quilt.

The quilt along started at the beginning of October. One block pattern is being released each week, and the third block pattern just came out on Friday. This is my version of the first block. I'm using a single dark background fabric along with scraps/stash fabrics.

It's not too late to join the quilt along. There will be a new block pattern each week until next April, with a two-week break over the holidays. All you need to do is register at the website HERE. You can use fabrics from your stash to make the quilt or there is also a kit available.

Kate's 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces has us tracking how many days each week we get in at least 15 minutes of quilting time. The majority of my quilting time has been focused on finishing a challenge quilt with a deadline approaching rapidly. When I need a break from that, I've been playing with ideas for a slightly different layout for the Color Study quilt.

15 Minute Challenge 2026

10/11 - 10/17          7 of 7 days

2026 Total        283 of 290 days

Success rate                97.6%   

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate and join the 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces. Thanks so much to Donna and Kate for continuing to host these link-ups. I'm also linking up with Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework. 

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Jane Stickle Update

Much to my surprise, it has been almost a year since the last update post on my Jane Stickle Sampler blocks. I've shown a recently-finished block or two occasionally, but never the full accumulation.

The blocks in this photo were all made since the last update in October, 2025. 

Top row: E11, H5, I2, K7, D4

2nd row: E13, H3, H8, G12, I1

3rd row: D11, H7, G6, H1, F13

4th row: G10, G2, G3, B7, D8

5th row: H12, G5, G8, F8, I6

(The letter-number listings for the blocks indicate their placement in the original quilt, i.e. B7 = 2nd row down, 7th block from the left.)

I'm including some close-up shots of a few of my favorite blocks that have been finished recently. This first one was mostly foundation pieced.

As of my October, 2025 update on this quilt, I had completed 72 blocks out of the 169 blocks needed for the center of the quilt. Now I am up to a total of 97 blocks, and one of them needs to get remade because it came out the wrong size.

I'm hoping to spend time on this quilt more often in the months ahead. I've been focused on quilting/finishing more quilts this year, but I've missed doing more piecing, which is my favorite part of the process. Making only 25 blocks in the past year isn't moving this project forward at the pace I would like, and I certainly don't want it to drag on forever. For now I'm going to set a new goal of making at least one block every week.

Below is one of the blocks that was especially challenging. The block measures 5" and will finish at 4.5" in the quilt. That little star at the center is about 1" high. I was amazed that it turned out as well as it did!

I'm  linking up with:

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

Wednesday Wait Loss at Inquiring Quilter

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Sunday Stash and Stitching 10/11/2026

There's good news and not-so-good news for the stash report this week. The good news is that no new fabric was added to the stash. Unfortunately, I don't have any fabric usage to report either. I did finish one small quilt yesterday, but I'll wait and count the fabric used after I get some photos and share it in a blog post.

2026 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                   0.0 yards

Used year to date:        144.625 yards

Added last week:                  0.0 yards

Added year to date:          197.5 yards

Net added in 2026:     52.875 yards

Kate's 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces has us tracking how many days each week we get in at least 15 minutes of quilting time. Unlike most weeks,  the majority of my quilting time last week was focused on finishing a single project, my Sewcialites 2 quilt. When I needed a break from that, I spent some time making a few blocks for my Jane Stickle Sampler Quilt. I was unpleasantly surprised when I finished the block shown above and discovered that it is 1/8" too big top to bottom. If I trim it to the right size, I will lose the points when it gets pieced into the quilt. I can't figure out a way to fix it and get it to the right size, so I guess I'll be making that one again.

15 Minute Challenge 2026

10/4 - 10/10            7 of 7 days

2026 Total        276 of 283 days

Success rate                97.5%   

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate and join the 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces. Thanks so much to Donna and Kate for continuing to host these link-ups. 

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Sunday Stash and Stitching 10/4/2026

We took a little road trip last week, and the primary stop was Hamilton, Missouri, the home of Missouri Star Quilt Co. It was such a treat to shop for fabric in person, and the Missouri Star stores are wonderful. I went with a list, which may have helped me limit my purchases by a little bit, but I still ended up buying more than I expected.

I have specific plans for the fabrics on the left side (two pairs of pajama pants, a jacket lining, and a quilt back.) The upper three fabrics on the right are intended for some of my rainbow quilt projects, and the black/white prints will be added to the general stash.

The trip home went through Paducah, so of course I did some shopping there too. The top two fabrics are both wide backs, and the others are regular width. I've used that wavy print at the top before, and I was very happy to get the end of the bolt. Total yardage added to the stash was 35.75 yards.

I can count some fabric as used too. I finished 15 tote bags, which our guild donates to the church where we meet. Unfortunately, I forgot to get any photos of them before turning them in. I also finished the binding on my Stack and Whack Spinners Quilt, which I shared a few days ago. Almost 8 yards used.

 Stack and Whack Spinners Quilt

2026 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:               7.875 yards

Used year to date:        144.625 yards

Added last week:              35.75 yards

Added year to date:          197.5 yards

Net added in 2026:     52.875 yards

Kate's 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces has us tracking how many days each week we get in at least 15 minutes of quilting time. Surprisingly enough, there was only one day in the last two weeks that didn't include some sort of quilting activity, mostly hand applique during the week we were gone. Here are two blocks for my Jane Stickle Sampler Quilt that were finished recently.

15 Minute Challenge 2026

9/20 - 9/26             6 of 7 days

9/27 - 10/3             7 of 7 days

2026 Total        269 of 276 days

Success rate                97.5%   

Our stop in Paducah also included a visit to the National Quilt Museum, a fantastic place to see amazing quilts. There were three new exhibits that have gone up recently, and my favorite was a collection of kaleidoscope quilts by Paula Nadelstern. Here's just one of her incredible quilts.

Kaleidoscopic XVII: Caribbean Blues by Paula Nadelstern, 1997

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate and join the 15 Minutes to Stitch Challenge at Life in Pieces. Thanks so much to Donna and Kate for continuing to host these link-ups. 

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA