2025 Stay at Home Round Robin - Centre Block

It's the first day of the 2025 Stay at Home Round Robin (SAHRR) hosted by Gail @ Quilting Gail.

It's time to get your centre block ready.  You can use an orphan block, or make a new block.  Think about what size you want your finished quilt to be and whether you want a specific colour scheme or a scrappy quilt.

I decided to use an orphan block for my centre.  This is the Corona block by Quilting Latinas -- one of several new bilingual quilt patterns.  I made this 12.5-inch block from Kona Black, Meringue, Chartreuse, and Lapis for the pattern release on October 30.  Life got the better of me, and I didn't get any more blocks made for a quilt.

Make sure you link up your centre block with Gail before Sunday night to be entered in the prize giveaway.

In order to qualify for prizes from our sponsors, we need to know who you are and how to contact you.  We also need to know where you live, so please put your name and country in the Caption line (see below) when you link up.  It is best to link up with a blog or Instagram post so we'll have your e-mail address.  If you do not have either, you can send me a photo of your round each week, and I will add it to the link up for you and enter you into the draw.  You can e-mail me at anjaclyke [at] gmail [dot] com.

Schedule:

• January 13 - Centre block - hosted by Gail @ Quilting Gail
• January 20 - 1st Round - hosted by Kathleen @ Kathleen McMusing
• January 27 - 2nd Round - hosted by Anja @ Anja Quilts
• February 3 - 3rd Round - hosted by Gail @ Quilting Gail
• February 10 - 4th Round - hosted by Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life
• February 17 - 5th Round - hosted by Brenda @ Songbird Designs
• February 24 - 6th Round - hosted by Emily @ The Darling Dogwood
• March 24 - Quilt/Quilt Top Parade - hosted by Gail @ Quilting Gai

2025 Stay at Home Round Robin

It's time for Quilting Gail's annual Stay at Home Round Robin (SAHRR).  Gail began SAHRR in 2020.  Starting in 2021, she invited several friends to join.  2025 marks the sixth year of SAHRR.

Gail explains:

This is a common activity in many quilt guilds. A round robin (in quilting terms) is where each person makes a centre block. This block is put in a bag or container, maybe with extra fabric, perhaps with a notebook, and the bag is passed onto another quilter in the group. They are given instructions as to what kind of border (or round) they are to add on to the quilt. Sometimes the next person will make a border for each side, or one side or two sides of the block. It’s then passed on to another quilter and it continues on … when the quilt centre and all the borders are completed, it is returned to the original maker of the centre block.

For SAHRR, there is no passing of your project to other people -- you do all your own sewing.  Each week, there will be a theme for the round, and you choose how to interpret and implement that theme.  You can check out the FAQs on Gail's blog.

Schedule:

• January 13 - Centre block - hosted by Gail @ Quilting Gail
• January 20 - 1st Round - hosted by Kathleen @ Kathleen McMusing
• January 27 - 2nd Round - hosted by Anja @ Anja Quilts
• February 3 - 3rd Round - hosted by Gail @ Quilting Gail
• February 10 - 4th Round - hosted by Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life
• February 17 - 5th Round - hosted by Brenda @ Songbird Designs
• February 24 - 6th Round - hosted by Emily @ The Darling Dogwood
• March 24 - Quilt/Quilt Top Parade - hosted by Gail @ Quilting Gail

Sponsors - Every time you link up, you will receive one entry to win one prize.  Stay tuned for more details on the sponsors and the prizes available.

 

If you want to sew along with us, start thinking about your centre block.  It could be an orphan block, or a new block that you make.  Each week, you can visit all six bloggers to see how we've interpreted the theme.

See you on January 13 for the centre block reveal.

First Finish of 2025

Hello 2025.  I have my first finish of the year!!

I started Quilting Jetgirl's Star Pulse QAL on January 2, 2024.  This is the bonus quilt that is made from the extra HSTs created during the process.

As the quilt is small, I decided to use it for free-motion quilting practice using my domestic Baby Lock Accomplish.

I definitely need more practice, but I'm okay with the result.

I decided to use a light lime green thread as the backing fabric is green.

I created a scrappy binding to match the general areas of four of the colours in the quilt.

I'm linking up with:

Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday @ Devoted Quilter

Finished or Not Friday @ Alycia Quilts

Brag About Your Beauties @ From Bolt to Beauty

Pattern: Bonus HST quilt from Star Pulse quilt pattern
Size: 32.5 x 40.5 inches
Started: January 2, 2024
Completed: January 2, 2025
Techniques: machine piecing, HSTs
Quilting: free-motion quilting on Baby Lock Accomplish
Fabric: Kona Black, Meringue, Cactus, Chartreuse, Bluegrass, Bahama Blue, Lagoon, Lapis

Binding: Kona Cactus, Bluegrass, Lapis, Bahama Blue

Thread: Connecting Threads Lucid Pear #21240
Batting: Warm and Natural

Maritime Modern Quilt Guild 2024 Block of Month

For three years, Dena and I have hosted a block of the month for our guild -- Maritime Modern Quilt Guild.

This year's version was based on the Communique Quilt by Mouse in my Pocket.  We used the throw size, breaking it up into 9 sections.

I had an idea to use the same block throughout the quilt.  I used a star fabric in the centre of each block and a variety of Kona solids for the star points. 

I decided to use Kona Natural for the background, the long 2-inch strips, and the 2-inch units.  I was crazy enough to make 4-inch sawtooth stars, but not crazy enough to make 2-inch ones. 😬

A few months in, I was regretting making the 4-inch stars, but I kept going because I had a vision.

It was worth it in the end!

This quilt top will be sent to be professionally quilted as I won a longarming prize from Sandra @ Musings of Menopausal Melon for her annual QAL earlier this year.  Now that the Canada Post strike is over, I'll be able to ship it.

2024 Monthly Colour Challenge

I fell behind in the Monthly Colour Challenge hosted by Patterns by Jen for the last couple of years.

I decided to combine blocks from several years.  These 30 blocks will make a 60 x 72 inch quilt.

And now this quilt top joins the ever-growing pile of tops that need some quilting love.  LOL  I hoping to make a dent in the pile in 2025.

TGIFF - Sandhill Sling

It's time once again for Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday (TGIFF).  TGIFF is the opportunity to share your finish from this week.  You can find out who is hosting each week by heading over to the TGIFF blog.

Sign up here if you are interested in hosting TGIFF in 2025.

My swap partner at Sewtopia Nashville gifted me a beautiful orange Sandhill Sling (by Noodlehead).  I tweaked it to convert it to a cross-body bag.  I love it even more!!  A co-worker who I exchange Christmas gifts with has been commenting about it all year, so I asked her if she wanted one for Christmas. 😊  She choose the fabric from my stash, and here is the finish.

I used a fun butterfly print for the lining, and I found butterfly zipper charms at Michaels.

It has been gifted, and she loved it.  I need to start looking for some orange canvas fabric to have in my stash so I can replace my Sandhill once I wear it out.

It's time for you to link up your finishes from this week.  Please also visit a few of the link ups to get some inspiration and to share some quilty love. ♥

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

TGIFF - Zippered Pouches

Welcome back to Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday (TGIFF).  TGIFF is the opportunity to share your finish from this week.  You can find out who is hosting each week by heading over to the TGIFF blog.

Sign up here if you are interested in hosting TGIFF in 2025.

You may have seen that I completed a Redwood Tote last week.  I had some leftover fabrics, so decided to make matching zippered pouches to be gifted with the Redwood.  If you follow me regularly, you know that I love the Open Wide Zippered Pouch by Noodlehead.

And there was even enough of the lining fabric for both pouches.

It's time for you to link up your finishes from this week.  Please also visit a few of the link ups to get some inspiration and to share some quilty love. ♥

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

TGIFF - Redwood Tote

Welcome to Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday (TGIFF).  TGIFF is the opportunity to share your finish from this week.  You can find out who is hosting each week by heading over to the TGIFF blog.

If you are interested in hosting TGIFF in 2025, you can sign up here.

While attending Sewtopia Anaheim last month, I finally made a Redwood Tote from a kit I purchased at Sewtopia Milwaukee.

I made a Redwood Tote a few years ago using waxed canvas.  This version using cotton fabric has a different feel to it.

A fun print for the lining.  I was going to keep this for myself, but I've decided to gift it for Christmas.

It's time for you to link up your finishes from this week.  Please visit a few of the link ups to get some inspiration and to share some quilty love. ♥

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Bags, Bags, and More Bags

Maritime Modern Quilt Guild held a retreat last weekend, and we did a secret swap partner.

I forgot to take photos of the projects I made, so I borrowed photos from my partner.  Oops.  I converted a Sandhill Sling into a cross-body bag and made an open wide zippered pouch.

Photo from @nested_seams_studio

I added a fun zipper pull.

Photo from @nested_seams_studio

I received gifts from Becky, and I am thrilled with the goodies I received.  A wonderful zippered pouch.

And then a matching Buckthorn tote.  ♥

This was our first time doing a secret swap at retreat, and we can't wait to do it again.

I'm linking up with:

Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday @ Slice of Pi Quilts

Finished or Not Friday @ Alycia Quilts

Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation

Brag About Your Beauties @ From Bolt to Beauty

TGIFF - Halloween Bags

I have a finish!!!  I've been starting a lot of projects, but I haven't been finishing many things. 😊

While looking for something else, I found a free pattern from the Fat Quarter Shop -- Trick or Treat Carry Along Bag.  I had to go to my LQS for fabric to finish a project and found some awesome Halloween prints.  So I had to make two bags for my nieces.

I love the black print from Patrick Lose Studios.  But I really, really love the glow-in-the-dark orange print from Henry Glass

I wish the mummy print from Moda was glow-in-the-dark.

These have already been shipped to my nieces with a bunch of glow sticks.

Happy Halloween!

TGIFF - HST Baby Quilt

Welcome to Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday (TGIFF).  TGIFF is the opportunity to share your finish from this week.  You can find out who is hosting each week by heading over to the TGIFF blog.

This week's finish is a long overdue UFO.  I started a temperature quilt in 2020, but life happened, and I didn't get any further than June 30.  I was tidying up my sewing room and finally decided that I was not going to finish this project and put in the garbage can.  Luckily, I immediately had an idea to turn it into a baby quilt. 

I quilted diagonal lines in a light yellow thread.

I found a piece of minky in my stash that was just the right size.  That rarely happens.  I forgot how much I love the softness of minky on the back of a quilt.

I used Kona Poppy for the binding.  The quilt has already been gifted and is being loved.

It's time for you to link up your finishes from this week.  Please visit a few of the link ups to get some inspiration and to share some quilty love. ♥

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

TGIFF - Drawstring Bags

Welcome to Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday (TGIFF).  TGIFF is the opportunity to share your finish from this week.  You can find out who is hosting each week by heading over to the TGIFF blog.

Things have been hectic at work, so my sewing time has been limited.  I did manage to few a few drawstring bags.  The pattern is by Kandou Patterns.  I purchased a kit while at Sewtopia Milwaukee earlier this year.  This is the medium size with leather strap.

I was creative with my cutting, so I could make the small size as well.  I just needed to add a Kona solid from my stash to make the inside pockets on both bags.

This is the small size, with the strap made from fabric.  I prefer the fabric strap as the leather one is a bit stiff.

A different Kona solid for these inside pockets.

The pattern was easy to follow, and the bags sewed up quickly.

It's time for you to link up your finishes from this week.  Please visit a few of the link ups to get some inspiration and to share some quilty love. ♥

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

TGIFF - Retreat Bag

Welcome to Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday (TGIFF).  TGIFF is the opportunity to share your finish from this week.  You can find out who is hosting each week by heading over to the TGIFF blog.

Have you ever procrastinated with finishing a project?  A project that could be completed in an evening?  I started this large Retreat Bag back in November at Sewtopia Nashville.  I was going to add the outer pockets and straps, but I didn't have enough of the orange Ruby Star Society print for the pockets.  I thought I could make it work, but when I started assembling the bag, I realized I probably couldn't make it work.  

I put the bag aside because I didn't want to "waste" the fabric.  I knew it wouldn't work, but I wanted it to work.  So I've been procrastinating all these months, but finally decided it was time to finish.

I love it!!  I've made several small Retreat bags, but this was my first large one.  There's so much room inside.

It's time for you to link up your finishes from this week.  Please visit a few of the link ups to get some inspiration and to share some quilty love. ♥

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

WIP Wednesday - Star Pulse Bonus HST Quilt

Did you know that you can make a bonus HST quilt using the Star Pulse pattern by Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl?

You can see my version of Star Pulse here.  The bonus quilt is about 33 x 41 inches.

Adding some background fabric squares to the bonus HSTs gives a striking design.

I'm linking up with:

Midweek Makers @ Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss @ The Inquiring Quilter

Star Pulse Quilt Along

Did you sew along with Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl for her Star Pulse QAL?  It's a great pattern with lots of variations.  I made the throw size with a single background.

I used Kona Black for the background, along with Meringue, Cactus, Chartreuse, Bluegrass, Bahama Blue, Lagoon, and Lapis.

I love this pattern!  I will take some time to figure out a quilting plan.