Stash Report and Stitching Time 8/31/2025

My stash report posts (and all other blog posts) have been missing in action since early in the month, but I have a good reason--we went to Alaska! It was the trip of a lifetime, with time spent in Anchorage and at Denali National Park, followed by a fantastic cruise from Seward to Vancouver, BC. We got home late Monday night, and I'm finally feeling like I've adjusted back to normal life.

We saw all sorts of wildlife, plus lots of amazing scenery, but I thought I would share a couple of photos geared more to the quilting audience. This garment was in the Anchorage Museum, but I don't have any information about it.

We saw this wall of hexie panels outside a food court in Seward.

There are some small changes to the stash that have happened this month. Of course I visited quilt shops when I had the chance in Alaska, but showed great restraint in my purchases, adding less than 2 yards to the stash (some fat quarters and one panel.) We didn't see the Aurora Borealis, but these remind me of it.

The usage for the month happened before we left town. I used 1-5/8 yards to enlarge both the top and the back of my Star Pulse quilt, plus the binding (see it HERE.) I also used 1/2 yard for a simple tote bag made as a guild project.

2025 STASH TOTALS

Used in August:                2.125 yards

Used year to date:            48.25 yards

Added in August:              1.875 yards

Added year to date:        58.375 yards

Net added in 2025:    10.125 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. Thanks to lots of prep before we left for Alaska, I had plenty of applique with me and found time to work on it every day except one. It sure felt good to get back to my sewing room this week!

15 Minute Challenge for 2025

8/3 - 8/30             27 of 28 days

2025 Total         240 of 242 days

Success rate              99.17 %   

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

To-Do Tuesday (on Wednesday) 11/25/2020

Not only did I miss posting my to-do list last week, I'm a day late getting it posted for this week. The days just run together sometimes. Today I will catch up with the To-Do Tuesday Weekly Progress Update and Link-up hosted by Roseanne and Sue at Home Sewn By Us. I finished everything on my last to-do list and need to figure out what to include on the next one.

To-Do List for 11/10 - 11/16:

1. Alaska QAL--finish joining blocks together                ✔ done

The blocks are all joined together into a finished quilt top! Blog post is HERE.

2. Alycia's QOV Mystery--do the next step                    ✔ done

The next two steps are done, which means a finished top! I will blog about this one later in the week--here's a little sneak peek photo.

3. Scrappy Bear Paws--cut the sashing, begin joining    ✔ done

Not only did I start joining blocks and sashing, I got everything stitched together into ho

yet another finished quilt top. Do you wonder why I missed posting last week? You can read more about this one HERE.

4. Glorified 9-Patch--stitch one brown block                  ✔ done

One brown block is done, another started.

To-Do List for 11/17 - 11/23:

1. Practice What I Preach--finish quilting + binding

2. Glorified 9-Patch--stitch one brown block

3. Frolic (Bonnie Hunter 2019 mystery)--figure out plan for borders (unless I decide to go ahead and start her new mystery)

4. Sewcialites QAL--make block #10

That should be more than enough to keep me busy for the next week. I'll report on my progress and post a new set of goals next Tuesday. I'm linking up with other To-Do Tuesday lists at Home Sewn by Us .

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving everyone!

Julie in GA

Alaska Quilt Top

My version of the Alaska quilt is a finished top!

Alaska quilt top, 63.5" x 81.5"

my variation of a pattern by Laundry Basket Quilts

Even before the announcement of a quilt-along to make the Alaska Rainbow Quilt at Laundry Basket Quilts, I had been intrigued by the possibilities of this pattern. It is a beautiful variation on a traditional kaleidoscope design. I decided to make mine using autumn colors. Here's a closer shot of the center so you can get a better look at the fabrics.

The pattern made a quilt that measures 63" square before borders. I did a little redesigning, adding an extra row of blocks at the top and bottom to make my quilt rectangular. 

 

The Alaska Rainbow quilt along is still going on at Laundry Basket Quilts. You can also buy different versions of the pattern or precut kits at their website. 

Finishing this quilt top was my One Monthly Goal for November. I will link up at Elm Street Quilts at the end of the month.

Linking up with:

Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Whoop Whoop Friday at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

To-Do Tuesday 11/10/2020

Today is time once again for the To-Do Tuesday Weekly Progress Update and Link-up hosted by Roseanne and Sue at Home Sewn By Us. The to-do list really helped me stay focused on my goals during the last week.

To-Do List for 11/3 - 11/9:

1. Glorified 9-Patch--prep more blocks                   ✔ done

I finished the fourth yellow block (see them HERE) and started working on the next set of blocks.

2. Alaska QAL--plan new rows and begin piecing     ✔ done

All of the blocks for the added rows have been made, and I have started joining blocks together.

3. Scrappy Bear Paws--figure out sashing/setting fabrics    ✔ done

The fabrics chosen for the sashing and setting triangles/border are both light blues.

4. Square Dance blocks--complete any colors that need more blocks  ✔ done

All blocks are made, layout has been decided, ready to start assembly.

5. Alycia's QOV Mystery--do the next step              ✔ done

I'm up to date with the steps for this mystery.

The Square Dance blocks are getting a break this week, but the rest of the projects from last week's list continue for another week.

To-Do List for 11/10 - 11/16:

1. Alaska QAL--finish joining blocks together

2. Alycia's QOV Mystery--do the next step 

3. Scrappy Bear Paws--cut the sashing and setting triangles, begin joining 

4. Glorified 9-Patch--stitch one brown block

That should be more than enough to keep me busy for the next week. I'll report on my progress and post a new set of goals next Tuesday. I'm linking up with other To-Do Tuesday lists at Home Sewn by Us .

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 11/9/2020

For some reason, Monday has turned into the day when I share the progress on my Alaska quilt, and that is true once again this week. A few days ago I finished making the new blocks needed to turn my version of this quilt into a rectangle, then spent much of Sunday sewing blocks together.

As you can see, I have been joining the blocks together into groups. I find it much easier to handle medium-sized chunks like these rather than many long rows of blocks. The blocks that will run down the left side, mirroring those on the right, are at the machine waiting to be stitched together. I hope to have a completed quilt top by the end of the week! I can't wait to get some outdoor photos of this once it is finished for a better representation of the colors.

Linking up with:
Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA 

One Monthly Goal--November, 2020

I have been working steadily on my blocks for the Alaska Quilt-Along at Laundry Basket Quilts. In fact, I've already finished all the blocks in the pattern a couple weeks ahead of schedule. The center of the quilt before borders finishes at 63" square.

I would prefer to end up with a rectangular quilt and have been playing with some ideas for how to extend the design and add a row at the top and bottom. Yesterday I replaced portions of some blocks that were already made. Here is how they looked before and after the changes. These blocks are at the center of the top and bottom rows in the photo above.

Before 

After

The next step is to finalize my plan for the added rows, then begin piecing those blocks. My One Monthly Goal for November is to make the extra blocks, then to put all the blocks together into a finished quilt top.

Linking up with:

One Monthly Goal at Elm Street Quilts

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

To-Do Tuesday 11/3/2020

Good morning on Election Day 2020. If you haven't done so already, please get out and vote at some point today. It is a right and a privilege that every American citizen has earned, and it is important that everyone do their part. We were among the many who voted early, and it feels good to have it out of the way. 

Today is also time once again for the To-Do Tuesday Weekly Progress Update and Link-up hosted by Roseanne and Sue at Home Sewn By Us. I missed posting a list last week, and I can't even remember why, but here's a recap of my list from two weeks ago.

To-do list for 10/20 - 10/26:

1. Scrappy Bear Paw--make yellow block     ✔ done

2. Square Dance blocks--complete any colors that need more blocks  not done

3. Alaska QAL--make next set of blocks       ✔ done

I've made all the blocks from the pattern, but I'm thinking about adding another row top and bottom to make the quilt rectangular. You can read more about this project in yesterday's post.

4. Glorified 9-Patch--make yellow block #3  ✔ done

Here are my three completed yellow blocks.

5. Alycia's QOV Mystery--do the next step   ✔ done

We have made a total of 17 chain blocks and 18 Friendship Star blocks so far.

All in all, good progress on my projects. Let's check out the list for the week ahead.

To-Do List for 11/3 - 11/9:

1. Glorified 9-Patch--prep more blocks

2. Alaska QAL--plan new rows and begin piecing

3. Scrappy Bear Paws--figure out sashing/setting fabrics

4. Square Dance blocks--complete any colors that need more blocks

5. Alycia's QOV Mystery--do the next step

That should be more than enough to keep me busy for the next week. I'll report on my progress and post a new set of goals next Tuesday. I'm linking up with other To-Do Tuesday lists at Home Sewn by Us .

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 11/2/2020

My blocks for the Alaska Quilt Along have been accumulating on my main design wall. I made the last set of blocks a couple days ago.

Without any borders, these blocks would make a quilt measuring 63" square. That doesn't seem like a very useful size, so I have been playing with ideas for how to add a row of blocks at the top and bottom to make it rectangular. That would take the finished size up to 63" x 81". The top row in the next photo is my first attempt at adding a row, and I'm still planning to change some of the fabrics around.

Linking up with:
Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA 

Stitching and DeStashing--Week 43, 2020

The majority of my quilting time over the past week was spent on making more blocks for the Alaska Quilt-Along, hosted by Edyta Sitar at Laundry Basket Quilts. I've been trying out different fabric combinations and finally settled on my choices. That made it possible to start mass producing my blocks. I made 20 blocks for that quilt last week, using 2.5 yards of fabric. I also used 1/4 yard for my latest Scrappy Bear Paw block, shown in yesterday's post.

2020 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                             2.75 yards

Used year to date:                      173.25 yards

Added last week:                              0.0 yards

Added year to date:                        53.0 yards

Net used year to date             120.25 yards

Here are some of the blocks I've been making for the Alaska quilt. This would be the top right corner of the quilt. I need to make three more blocks like the 8-pointed star in the second row toward the right, then there are the final five blocks still to be made for the center of the quilt.

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 have been pushing hard on those Alaska blocks and spent much more than 15 minutes on them every day last week.

15 Minute Challenge:  

10/18 - 10/24            7 of 7 days

2020 Total          289 of 298 days

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate and join the 15 Minutes to Stitch challenge at Life in Pieces. 

Happy quilting and stay safe everyone!

Julie in GA

To-Do Tuesday 10/20/2020

Good morning on this beautiful October day! It is time once again for the To-Do Tuesday Weekly Progress Update and Link-up hosted by Roseanne and Sue at Home Sewn By Us. Last week was a good one, with check marks next to all of my goals for the week. I hope I can do as well again this week!

To-do list for 10/13 - 10/19:

1.  Square Dance blocks--finish yellow/green blocks                    ✔ done

I made the last set of yellow/light green blocks. All of my blocks for October were shared in this post.

2.  Alaska QAL--make next set of blocks                                     ✔ done

This week's blocks are done, and I have figured out my final fabric decisions. This block was finished yesterday.

3.  Glorified 9Patch--finish at least one block                               ✔ done

 Glorified 9Patch block #2

4.  Cleaning/organization--spend one hour or more                 ✔ done

I have been concentrating on going through some of the piles of paperwork that are sitting around the sewing room.

Once again, next week's goals are mostly continuing to make progress on the same projects as last week.

To-do list for 10/20 - 10/26:

1. Scrappy Bear Paw--make yellow block

2. Square Dance blocks--complete any colors that need more blocks

3. Alaska QAL--make next set of blocks

4. Glorified 9-Patch--make yellow block #3

5. Alycia's QOV Mystery--do the next step

That should be more than enough to keep me busy for the next week. I'll report on my progress and post a new set of goals next Tuesday. I'm linking up with other To-Do Tuesday lists at Home Sewn by Us .

Julie in GA

Design Wall Monday 10/19/2020

Most of my quilting time over the weekend was spent working on more blocks for the Alaska Quilt Along at Laundry Basket Quilts. I'm still uncertain about a couple of my fabric choices and have been looking at switching them around a bit. 

Because I wanted to make sure my fabrics would work well together, I jumped ahead on the order of blocks and made one of the eight-pointed stars. The pattern called for a single fabric for the star points, but I thought it would be more interesting with two. My first attempt was the block on the left. It seemed rather dark, so I switched both of the star fabrics for the second block. 

Here are each of those blocks on the wall with some of the other blocks that were already made.

I cut some extra pieces of the star points and played with a couple of different combinations, laying the cut pieces on top of the already made blocks.. The geometric print from the first block worked nicely with either of the fabrics in the second block.

I realized that there is another version of the star block in the pattern, and it uses a different fabric for the small wedges next to the star points in my blocks. That fabric seems too similar to the brightest fabric in the second and fourth blocks below.

I'm still undecided about which combination of fabrics to use for these blocks. Until I make a choice, this project will be stalled out. I don't want to lose my  momentum with this quilt, so I need to just make a decision and go forward with it. It's only fabric, right?

Linking up with:
Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA 

Design Wall Monday 10/12/2020

Last week I showed my fabric pull for a new project, the Alaska Quilt-Along by Laundry Basket Quilts. This week I can share my first group of blocks. Our assignment for the week was to make four each of blocks #1 and #3. I got those done, plus I also figured out that Block #9 was a mirror image of #3. so I went ahead and made those blocks right away too. This is not the way the blocks will be positioned in the final quilt.

I've already switched out one of my original fabric choices, and I'm still debating one of the others. I will leave it for now and decide when I get further along.

The quilt along just started last Friday. It's not too late to join the fun. You can find more information at the Laundry Basket Quilts blog HERE. 

Linking up with:
Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA 

Stitching and DeStashing--Week 41, 2020

It seems like I've spent more time shuffling fabrics on and off my shelves over the last week than I have been cutting and sewing. That's just part of the process when starting new projects, but it's one of my favorite parts despite the mess I make. That means there's not much change to the stash report--just 3/8 yard used on my first set of blocks for the Alaska Quilt-Along at Laundry Basket Quilts.

I'm a little worried that the corner wedges seem awfully dark. Today I might cut some pieces of an alternate fabric and see how it looks there before I make any more blocks.

2020 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                              .375 yards

Used year to date:                     166.375 yards

Added last week:                              0.0 yards

Added year to date:                         53.0 yards

Net used year to date            113.375 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. Not only did I get started on the Alaska QAL blocks, I also started a new hand-piecing project, which was shared in yesterday's post. Those two new projects plus a couple of older ones kept me busy for well over 15 minutes every day.

15 Minute Challenge:  

10/4 - 10/10             7 of 7 days

2020 Total          275 of 284 days

Check out more stash reports at quiltpaintcreate and join the 15 Minutes to Stitch challenge at Life in Pieces. 

Happy quilting and stay safe everyone!

Julie in GA

To-Do Tuesday 10/6/2020

It's October, the weather is feeling like fall, and it is Tuesday, which means it is time once again for the To-Do Tuesday Weekly Progress Update and Link-up hosted by Roseanne and Sue at Home Sewn By Us. I completed half of the items on my list from last week, mostly because I got distracted by a new project late in the week.

To-do list for 9/29 - 10/5

1. Glorious Hexagons--finish joining blocks together                       ✔ done

The blocks are all stitched together and the borders have been added--it's a finished quilt top! Reveal post coming soon. Here a portion of the quilt. The blocks were English paper pieced.

2. Square Dance blocks--begin making yellow blocks                      ✔ done

Twelve blocks done, twenty to go. They certainly are bright and cheery!

3. "Practice What I Preach"--figure out quilting design for border    no

I didn't even touch this quilt all week. It is in a heap on a chair waiting to be finished.

4. Cleaning--finish clearing cutting table          no

The cutting table is now back to the same state it was a week ago, but it was much worse for several days. I was pulling possible fabrics for a new project and had them scattered all over the place. 

To-do list for 10/6 - 10/12:

1. Glorious Hexagons--take photos and write blog post

2. RSC Square Dance--continue with yellow/green blocks

3. Cleaning sewing room--spend at least one hour cleaning up the cutting table

4. Alaska QAL--make first set of blocks. This is the new project. It's a quilt along with Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts, and it starts this Friday, 10/9. Here's the pattern for the QAL.

Alaska Rainbow, pattern by Laundry Basket Quilts

My version is going to be in autumn colors instead of the rainbow. You can read more and see my fabric choices in yesterday's post. 

That should be more than enough to keep me busy for the next week. I'll report on my progress and post a new set of goals next Tuesday. I'm linking up with other To-Do Tuesday lists at Home Sewn by Us .

Julie in GA