Best of 2024--End of Year Review

For the tenth straight year, Cheryl of Meadow Mist Designs is hosting the Best of 2024 Linky Party, a chance to link up our top blog posts from the past year. Cheryl suggested some ways to choose our best posts such as most views, most comments, best tutorials, and favorite finishes. I'm going to include several of her suggestions, plus throw in a couple of my own. Each listing has a link back to my original blog post.

1. Most views: Jabberwocky

The blocks for this quilt were made throughout 2023 as part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, and I got them all joined together in late January, 2024. The block pattern is by Judy Martin in The Block Book. The book is out of print, but you can still find copies online.

Jabberwocky, block pattern by Judy Martin

65" x 76.75"

2a. Most comments: Orange Peel Rainbow

The applique blocks for this quilt were stitched as part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge all through 2019 and up to the summer of 2020.  The blocks were joined together in August, 2020. The quilt top waited patiently until spring of 2024, when I added a border, then finished it for entry into a local quilt show. This is also my favorite finished quilt of 2024.

Orange Peel Rainbow

39.5" x 51.5"

3. Favorite mystery: Lighthouse Inn Modern Mystery Quiltalong

This was my second mystery quilt by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr of Modern Quilt Studio, and they are masters at keeping you guessing while you make the blocks. I love the way my colors in this quilt worked together with the navy background, and the gradation of block sizes makes for an intriguing design.

Lighthouse Inn quilt top

57.5" x 82"

4. Favorite self-designed quilt: Herringbone

While cleaning off my cutting table one day in July, I ran across a portion of an old Kleenex box that I had saved as a quilt design inspiration. That led to my making a small, scrappy herringbone quilt from a wide range of turquoise, teal and aqua scraps. I would have made it larger, but ran out of the light contrast fabric.

Herringbone quilt top

33" x 39.5"

I might still add a border to this little quilt top, and I'm also thinking about making it again with the ends of the strips cut at a different angle. This is a design that I can envision making in multiple variations.

5. Project of the year: Placemats Parade

2024 turned out to be the year of the placemat for me. I started out by making placemats for all the different Project Quilting challenges at the beginning of the year. Those were followed by 22 placemats made for our guild's Christmas market, then many others to be donated by the guild to Meals on Wheels. The final total number of placemats made in 2024 came to 80!

Piles of placemats

Those are some of my quilting highlights from the past year. I'm still thinking about plans and goals for 2025, but I'd be willing to bet that placemats will appear again. My top goal is to start fewer new projects and get more of the old ones finished. 

Thanks to Cheryl for giving us all the opportunity to share our favorite posts and projects from the past year. I'm joining up with her "Best of 2024" linky party.

Happy quilting and Happy New Year to all!

Julie in GA

Stash Report and Stitching Time 8/25/2024

It's amazing to me that we are starting the last week of August. The days slip by so quickly sometimes, and suddenly it's almost autumn. We've had some beautiful weather this past week, cooler and less humid than usual for August, which has made spending time outdoors much more enjoyable.

That nicer weather also made it possible for me to get some outdoor photos of my latest finished quilt top, the Lighthouse Inn Modern Mystery, designed by Modern Quilt Studio. You can read about my quilt and see several photos in my blog post HERE, but I'm going to repeat one shot because I'm so excited to have this quilt top together.

Lighthouse Inn quilt top

57.5" x 82"

This quilt made a good dent in my solids stash, using a total of 7.25 yards of fabric. The only fabric I had to buy for it was the navy background (and that was counted in a stash report back in June.)

I also used 1.375 yards of scraps to make a set of "Terry" blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. You can see those in yesterday's post. The pile of scraps from trimming down the blocks was so pretty that I had to get a photo of them.

2024 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                   8.625 yards

Used year to date:                 69.0 yards

Added last week:                    0.0 yards

Added year to date:               60.0 yards

Net used in 2024:                9.0 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. Those Terry blocks were very time consuming and turned into the primary project for the week. I'm glad to have them done and be able to work on something else.

15 Minute Challenge for 2024

8/18 - 8/24               7 of 7 days

2024 Total          234 of 237 days

Success rate                 98.7 %   

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

Lighthouse Inn Mystery Reveal

For the second year in a row, my favorite quilting project of the entire summer has been another mystery quilt by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr. of Modern Quilt Studio. Last year it was the Summer Camp Mystery, and today I am sharing my version of their Lighthouse Inn Modern Mystery.

Lighthouse Inn quilt top

57.5" x 82"

It all started with choosing a color palette. We needed two distinct groups of fabrics, twelve lighter and twelve darker. The bundle offered by Modern Quilt Studio included a whole rainbow of colors and an off-white background. I decided to go with a more limited range, sticking to the colors of the sunset with Kona navy as my background. (You might notice that I've shown lots more than 12 fabrics in each group.)

We started making blocks on June 1st, with new clues posted on a weekly basis. Each week we made multiple sets of blocks with our light fabrics and matching sets of blocks (although sometimes mirror-imaged) with the darker fabrics. Here are my groups of blocks, week by week.

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

After four weeks, we were done making blocks, and it was time for a "Shift Change." All of the blocks got cut in half diagonally, then each light half got stitched to a dark half to make a new block. After combining all the light halves and dark halves into new blocks, they all got trimmed down to different sizes ranging from 3.5" up to 7.25". The sizes increase evenly in 1/4" increments. . Here are all of my blocks after that part of the process was complete.

At that point, we received the final reveal of the quilt design. The blocks get set on point, graduating in size from smallest at one end of the quilt to largest at the other. Here is the layout I decided to use.

The next step was adding background strips to two sides of each block. Since every set of blocks is a different size, the background strips were also different sizes. Then to get the right look for the layout, the strips had to be sewn to the correct sides. It was a slow, painstaking process, but definitely worth it in the end. Here are all the blocks with background added, but before they got joined together.

I'm very happy with the way my quilt top turned out, and I love the vibrant colors. The navy background really sets it all off beautifully.

Finishing this quilt top was my One Monthly Goal (OMG) for August. It had been awhile since I posted a goal, and it feels great to have succeeded on this one!

If you are interested in seeing other versions of the Lighthouse Inn Mystery Quilt, you can check them out at the Lighthouse Inn Virtual Exhibition page at Modern Quilt Studio. There are also lots of posts with photos and discussions of the process at the Facebook page for Modern Quilt Studio. They had many participants in this mystery, and you will be blown away by the variety of quilts people have made. I can't wait to see what Weeks and Bill come up with for their next mystery!

Linking up with:

Modern Quilt Studio Facebook page

Lighthouse Inn Virtual Exhibition at Modern Quilt Studio

Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at Inquiring Quilter

Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework

One Monthly Goal at Stories from the Sewing Room

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

One Monthly Goal--August 2024

It has been several months since I joined in with the One Monthly Goal link up, hosted by Anne-Marie at Stories from the Sewing Room. I have a definite goal for August, and today is my last chance to join the party.

June 1st was the start date for the Lighthouse Inn Mystery , designed by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr of Modern Quilt Studio. I kept up pretty well with the weekly clues, which had us making 18 blocks most weeks for the first four weeks. You can see my original blocks in THIS POST. After the blocks were made, they all got sliced in half diagonally, then a light half block got joined to a corresponding dark half. Then those sets of new blocks all got trimmed down to different sizes. Here is a photo of all of my blocks after that stage was complete.

The next step was adding background, then the final layout. Every block  gets background added to two sides. Here are my blocks and background for the upper portion of the quilt. The background is sewn to the blocks, but they have not all been stitched together yet. The top edge will get trimmed straight across after everything is joined together.

My One Monthly Goal for August is to get all of my blocks and background joined together into a completed quilt top. It is slow work to keep everything oriented in the right direction, plus I have to do lots of pinning to have the diagonal rows line up correctly. I'm very eager to see how this quilt top will look when it is assembled.

For lots more great photos of other Lighthouse Inn quilts, check out the Modern Quilt Studio Patterns and Fabrics Facebook group (you don't have to be a member.) You can find out how to join the Lighthouse Inn mystery at the Modern Quilt Studio website HERE.

I'm linking up with the One Monthly Goal party at Stories from the Sewing Room. Check it out to see what other quilters are hoping to accomplish this month! I'm also linking up with Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication and Wednesday Wait Loss at Inquiring Quilter.

Happy quilting!

Julie in GA

Lighthouse Inn Mystery Update

Spoiler alert! For anyone considering doing the Modern Quilt Studio's Lighthouse Inn Mystery: if you want it to be a surprise, don't read this post. It is filled with photos of my blocks from that mystery. For everyone else, welcome to my latest project/current obsession!

There has been lots of progress on my blocks for the Lighthouse Inn Modern Mystery Quiltalong since I first shared them two weeks ago (see that post HERE.) At that time, all of the blocks were made, and I was in the process of slicing them in half diagonally, joining a dark half to a light half, then trimming each matching group down to a specific size. That was a nerve-wracking process with the knowledge that a wrong cut would mean needing to make new blocks. Here are all of my blocks after that step was completed.

There are 18 groups of square blocks, all of them in matching sets of either four or five blocks per group. Each set is trimmed to a different size, with the smallest blocks at 3.5" and the largest at 7.25". The sizes increase evenly in 1/4" increments. Then there are also those four triangle blocks at the bottom.

After finishing that step, I figured that we would end up framing the blocks with different size strips of background to bring them all up to the same size, and I was partially right about that. I was also pretty sure the blocks would be set on point in the final layout, and that guess was correct.

The final reveal of the mystery came last Friday. Rather than completely framing the blocks with background, they each get strips of background added to two sides. There were two different layout options we needed to choose from before starting to add the background. My first choice was the "Daybreak" layout, and that's how my blocks are arranged in this photo, with the dark side of all the blocks facing the same direction.

I thought that would be my favorite layout, but figured I should look at the other option too. This layout is called "Dusk.)

I loved the way the light and dark halves of the blocks turned into vertical columns in this version. This is the layout I will be using for my quilt.

The next step is adding background strips to the top two edges of the blocks as they are shown above. That means lots more careful work ahead! Since every set of blocks is a different size, the background strips will all be different widths. Then to get the right look for the layout, the strips have to be sewn to the correct sides. My background fabric is navy blue, and I can't wait to see how it looks with my sunset color palette.

It's not too late to join the fun (although it might not be much of a  mystery for you.) For lots more great photos and inspiration, check out the Modern Quilt Studio Patterns and Fabrics Facebook group (you don't have to be a member.) You can find out how to join the Lighthouse Inn mystery at their website HERE.

Linking up with:

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at Inquiring Quilter

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA 

Stash Report and Stitching Time 7/7/2024

My stash report for the past week reflects a much larger addition to the stash than usage for the week. I discovered that a stack of fabric I'd purchased on a Memorial weekend sale never got reported. The fabrics are shown below, mostly 1/2 yard pieces. The total amount added to the stash was 11 yards.

As for usage, I used 1-1/8 yard to make the many little Terry blocks shared in yesterday's post. It doesn't take much fabric to make such small blocks!

2024 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                   1.125 yards

Used year to date:              46.125 yards

Added last week:                   11.0 yards

Added year to date:               43.0 yards

Net used in 2024:            3.125 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. I spent much of the week working on the blocks for the Lighthouse Inn Mystery by Modern Quilt Studio, which I posted about at the beginning of the week. Here are all the blocks after they got sliced in half diagonally, then joined back together with other halves.

15 Minute Challenge for 2024: 

6/30 - 7/6               7 of 7 days

2024 Total          185 of 188 days

Success rate                 98.4 %   

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

A New Modern Mystery

Spoiler alert! For anyone considering doing the Modern Quilt Studio's Lighthouse Inn Mystery: if you want it to be a surprise, don't read this post. It is filled with photos of my blocks from that mystery. For everyone else, welcome to my latest project.

Last summer was my first time participating in any mystery designed by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr of Modern Quilt Studio. That was the Summer Camp Mystery, and I had a great time following along and making a quilt that I love. This is my Summer Camp quilt top, inspired by the colors of the Southwest U.S. It was completed last August and is still waiting to be quilted.

There was another MQS mystery offered in January, but I had too many other things happening at that time to take part. When the new summer mystery, the Lighthouse Inn Modern Mystery Quiltalong, was announced, I decided to jump in again. The first step was choosing fabrics. The design calls for two groups of fabrics, a lighter group and a darker group. I decided to use the colors of a sunrise combined with a navy background.

The clues for the mystery started on June 1st. Each week we've been making a set of blocks with our light fabrics and a matching set of blocks (although sometimes mirror-imaged) with the darker fabrics. Here are my groups of blocks, week by week.

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

After four weeks of making blocks, it was time for a "Shift Change." All of the blocks get cut in half diagonally, following very specific diagrams for which direction to cut. Then each light half gets combined with a dark half to make a new block. I've barely made a start on this step. I started with some of the easiest blocks, the four-patches from Week 3.

After combining all the light halves and dark halves into new blocks, they all get trimmed down, again following very specific diagrams. This part of the mystery definitely requires a clear head and good focus. I sure don't want to cut something the wrong way and need to remake blocks. 

It's not too late to join the fun (although it might not be much of a  mystery for you.) For lots more great photos and inspiration, check out the Modern Quilt Studio Patterns and Fabrics Facebook group (you don't have to be a member.) You can find out how to join the Lighthouse Inn mystery at their website HERE.

Linking up with:

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Monday Musings at Songbird Designs

Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at Inquiring Quilter

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA 

Summer Camp Mystery Quilt Reveal

My very favorite quilting project of the entire summer has been the  Summer Camp Mystery by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr. of Modern Quilt Studio. Today is the official end of the mystery and reveal/link-up of participant's quilts. I can't wait to see them all! Here is my finished quilt top which I am calling "Sedona."

The mystery started on June 1st with the first group of block patterns, and continued with clues until July 14th. Each week we got to choose which blocks we wanted to make, averaging about 20 blocks in 4-5 different block designs per week. The blocks are small, only 5" finished size, and cutting all the pieces probably took longer than stitching the blocks. It was a challenge to keep up each week, but I loved every minute of it! Here are some of my blocks up close.

My color palette was inspired by the U.S. desert southwest, especially the red rocks around Sedona. The pattern for the mystery included three choices of quilt size to make, and at the end, we discovered that there were three different layouts to choose from too. My quilt top features the "Campfire" layout in the napping (medium) size, approximately 55" x 78". I haven't figured out a plan yet for how I want to quilt it, but it will be very simple quilting to let all the block piecing be the focus.

Indoor photo

If you are interested in seeing other versions of the Summer Camp Mystery Quilt, you can check them out at the Facebook page for Modern Quilt Studio. They had over 1000 participants in this mystery, and you will be blown away by the variety of quilts people have made. I can't wait to see what Weeks and Bill come up with for their next mystery!

Linking up with:

Modern Quilt Studio Facebook page

Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Can I Get a Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict

Brag About Your Beauties at From Bolt to Beauty

Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than Housework

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA

Stash Report and Stitching Time 8/6/2023

There's good news and bad news from my sewing room this week. The good news is that I have been busy joining together all those many blocks for the Modern Quilt Studio 2023 Summer Camp Mystery, and I now have a finished quilt top! The bad news is that the designers of the mystery quilt (Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr of Modern Quilt Studio) have asked us to refrain from posting photos of our quilts/tops until the official reveal date of September 1st. I'm going to give a little sneak peek in the meantime. It doesn't really look much different than earlier posts sharing some of the blocks on the background fabric.

Because this quilt top is finished, I'm finally going to include it in my stash report. I used a total of 7 yards in this top, and there was no new fabric added this week. I'm back in the black!

2023 STASH TOTALS

Used last week:                          7.0 yards

Used year to date:                   67.50 yards

Added last week:                         0.0 yards

Added year to date:                62.375 yards

Net added in 2023                5.125 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. I spent the early part of the week assembling the mystery quilt, then switched over to some projects for the guild's Christmas fair.

15 Minute Challenge for 2023: 

7/30 - 8/5             7 of 7 days

2023 Total      207 of 217 days

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

Happy quilting everyone!

Julie in GA