As an Island Batik Ambassador, I receive a lot of thread from Aurifil Thread, plus, I have purchase lot of it from Carola when she vends at quilt shows. And recently, the small fabric store (Essem) that I occasionally teach and work at is also selling Aurifil thread. Yup, I do LOVE it!
Karen Neary is a Canadian Aurifil seller. She is prompt and thorough with her products. It’s well worth visiting THIS POST to see some beautiful creations using Aurifil Thread. I was able to purchase some Monofiliment (invisible) thread from her! Karen recently posted this picture on Facebook to illustrate the various thread weights.
From Left to Right, the weights are. 12. 28. 40. 50. 80. I use 50 weight for piecing and either 50 or 40 weight for quilting.
She also sent me this … which explains what the bottom (print side) or label on the Aurifil Thread spool is all about:
A Finish!
January’s colour for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge is Pink (see So Scrappy). I started 2 projects using my Island Batik Scraps … and this one is finished.
This quilt was made with the Accuquilt die “Glorified 9 Patch.” Of course, using the die makes sewing curves so very easy!!!
I used Aurifil Thread for piecing and quilting.
Quilt Stats:
Size: 35″ x 35″
Fabric: Scraps of pink Island Batik and Island Batik Solid White
I’m hoping to teach this quilt at Essem in March. Class participants will use the Accuquilt Die to cut PERFECT pieces and learn how to piece curves together easily. Contact Essem Textiles if you are interested in the class.
Don’t Forget:
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
Kathleen has chosen Prompt 1. She chose it according to the first initial of her name. “K.” And she has chosen King’s Cross.
But WAIT!! I didn’t want to do a “K” block. So …
I chose the first initial of my name; “G.” After looking at the “G” blocks in Quilter’s Cache, I settled on “Geese.” I actually did migrating geese and followed Deb Tucker’s Youtube video HERE.
I did the migrating geese and trimmed the geese blocks to 6 1/4” x 13 3/4“. My centre block is 12 1/2” unfinished. I figured to fit the geese blocks onto my centre block, I need to add 1″ to each side. I cut 4 strips 1 1/2” wide and added them to the centre block. The corner stones are 6 1/4” x 6 1/4“.
This round finishes at 26″ x 26.”
The Schedule
January 13: The links for the Centre blocks are on THIS POST.
March 24: Parade: showing all of your finished SAHRRs!
Link Party
You can find this week’s Link party at Kathleen’s blog: Kathleen McMusing
Pictures of other participants
Please note that future pictures need to be sent to me by midnight on Saturday. Thank you.
Rosie is doing her SAHRR as a QOV! What a great Centre Block!
Judy B’s Dresden Plate is 16 1/2” x 16 1/2” So pretty!
Kristin’s using an old orphan block – love the scrappiness!
Kristi is using a pretty block from Today’s Quilter’s Magazine Issue #111.
Robin has a very pretty soft pallet for her centre block!
Sue has used 4 tiny orphan blocks and is planning a very scrappy quilt!
Jacomina has a pretty block with a circle inside lime green!
Patricia is using turtle fabric for her centre block.
Carolyn has a pretty Christmas block
We have Sponsors!
We reached out to several companies that we all LOVE and many of them agreed to sponsor the SAHRR 2025!!! We will keep track of all of the participants that link to our Linky parties each week. We will make a list and use a random number generator to choose the winners for each prize! So, if you link up to 3 Linky parties, you will have 3 opportunities to win! If you don’t have a blog or Instagram account, contact me, or one of the other co-hosts and we will post your SAHRR on our blog. This way you still have an opportunity to win!
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
The Centre Blocks were linked on THIS POST. Tomorrow, Round #1 will be hosted by Kathleen @ Kathleen McMusing!
Stitching Stuff
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
Pink Blocks: just cause I’m trying to use Island Batik scraps. This might be combined with other colours in the near future. The pink blocks are cut 2 1/4” x 4 1/2” and the white strip is 1″ x 4 1/2“. This project was inspired by the Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2025. If I have enough pink blocks, it will become a baby quilt. If I don’t have enough, it will be joined by another colour.
SunlitGarden: a small quilt for a blog hop hosted by Jennifer of Curlicue Creations … it will be her newest signature collection and it’s absolutely gorgeous!!! Unfortunately, until the blog hop, you’ll only see black and white!!
IB February Project: sorry, no picture, except for the Studio 180 tool and the fabric!
IB March Project: as leaders & enders … and no picture!
Quilting projects:
Test Quilt: SSB
Glorified 9 patch
Sunday Stash
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!
I did finish my Helen Godden’s Christmas Countdown . You can read about it HERE. This project used over 1/2 yard of fabric … not a lot, I know, but it still counts!
Fabric Used in the last week: 0.5 yards
Fabric Used in 2025: 0.5
Fabric Added in the last week: 0 yards
Fabric Added this year: 0 yards
Net Fabric used: 0.5 yards
To Do
Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.
To Do from the last week:
Finish: Helen Godden’s Christmas Countdown ’24. √ DONE.
2025 SAHRR – bind it. XX Not Done XX
Quilt Glorified 9 patch.√ DONE.
Work on “Pink Blocks“. in progress
Work on Sunlit Garden.in progress
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √ DONE.
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.√ DONE.
To Do for next week:
2025 SAHRR – bind it
Bind Glorified 9 patch
Work on “Pink Blocks”
Work on IB February Project
Do IB March Project as leaders and enders … for now
Get Sunlit Garden to flimsy stage
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.
Teaching
I’m teaching at Essem today. It’s binding by machine and the class is full!!! If you’d like to take this class let Essem know.
OR … I might consider doing it on Zoom. If you’re interested, let me know!
Don’t Forget
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
Well, it’s not my first finish, but it’s one I can show you. (Don’t worry, you’ll see the other when the time is right!)
My sister & I spent a couple of days on Zoom, watching Helen Godden’s youtube videos <Helen Godden’s Christmas Countdown > and working on this project. We did the same thing last year with last year’s Countdown.
Here is the half-way mark:
And here is the Finished project:
And one from the back … where you can see the mess! I also took 2 squares from the binding, folded them in half and tucked them in the corner for hangers.
Quilt Stats:
Size: 12″ x 16″
Fabric: Island Batik solid white and “Grass” from Glorious Greens for the binding.
Aurifil Thread: Black for the main stitching and a green for the binding
The coloured portions of the tree and the border were done with Inktense Pencils and Aloe-vera gel
Island Batik Announcement
Here’s what is on the Island Batik (now Lumin) frequently asked questions page: see HERE.
Lumin Fabrics is the parent company of various fabric brands, all bringing innovative designs and creative sparks to quilters and sewers around the world. With the desire to launch additional brands, the team at Island Batik launched Lumin Fabrics as our Parent Company, created White Owl Textiles to serve the print market and Ecco Cotton to provide the highest quality solid fabrics. Lumin Fabrics will continue to grow and offer fabrics for all your creative needs.
Of course, the first question that Island Batik Ambassador’s asked is “How does this affect the ambassadors?” The short answer is ‘nothing will change for this year.’ However, next year will likely include fabric from White Owl Textiles and Ecco Cotton, along with Island Batik. Exciting times!
Don’t Forget:
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
Yay!! I’m an Island Batik Ambassador for 2025! It is truly a great privilege to be invited back for another year.
I’ve had a few boxes arrive and here’s my unboxing video:
Here’s a pictorial view of what came in the boxes:
Box #1
The first box had a die from the Accuquilt company! This is an Irish Chain, Block on Board. With this cutting die, you can cut all the pieces necessary for the block at one time. They will be cut accurately with percision!
Box #2
This was a HEAVY box and contained the following: Oliso ProLight Iron and a carrying case, (mine is Coral), Schmetz Needles [Piecing & Quilting, Vinyl, and Universal], Aurifil Thread [#2605 -Silver Grey, #2735 -Medium Blue, & #6722 -Sea Buscuit]
Precut Fabrics:
10″ Stack of Tantalizing Teals from the Gradations collections
2 1/2” Strip Pack of Brilliant Blues from the Gradations collections
10″ Stack of Earthly Stories along with 2 yards of Cornsilk (Neutral) and 2 yards of Weave-Brownie (Blenders) … and I already have plans for this fabric!
1/2 yard cuts
Light Grey Solid
Universe (Marvellous Multis)
Dandelion-Wisteria (Blenders)
Colbalt Solid
Heavenly (Brilliant Blues)
Marble Aqua (Blenders)
Turquoise Solid
Azalea (Precious Pinks)
Dot Sky (Blenders)
Pink Solid
Eggplant (Playful Purples)
Cheerio-Navy (Blenders)
February Blog Hop: Here’s my 1/2 yard cuts of Radiant Burst, along with a 2 yard cut of Thistle (Playful Purples) and a 2 yard cut of Azure (Brilliant Blues). This fabric is for February’s Blog Hop using Studio 180 tools! This fabric collection will be shipping to shops in February!
Solids and Neutral: A package with 4 yards each of solid White, Black and Dark Grey. Along with a 6 yard piece of Platinum. I use a LOT of neutrals and these will be perfect in future projects!
Fabric for the May Blog Hop: It’s a Surprise!!!
A lovely story about this box: It was HEAVY. Very HEAVY. I have a lot of my parcels sent to a postal box in Blaine (just over the US /Canadian border). When I was struggling with the parcel as I opened it, a lovely young man offered to carry it out to my car, on the provision that I carried out his fly fishing supplies. I agreed and he carried my box to the car!! His kindness warmed my heart!
Box #3 & 4
A 2 1/2″ Strip set of Splish Splash with 2 yard cuts of Oatmeal and Blueberry. Doesn’t it look like fun fabric to play with?
Everyone that is doing the SAHRR starts with a Centre Block. It’s up to each person to choose which block they want to use. Some people use an orphan block. Or you can use one of the blocks that one of the SAHRR team has used. OR you can use any block of your choice!! Any size that you want! It can be square or rectangle … even a triangle if you wish! 😁
My block is the Starflower block. I found this block at The Quilter’s Cache: Quilt Blocks Galore. If you want to be overwhelmed by block choices, this is the place to go. There are blocks from 4″ to 24″ and several that you can make any size you desire! The lists of block patterns tell you the level difficulty and if they are paper pieced or have appliqué.
For my SAHRR 2025, I am using the Island Batik fabric collection “Poetic Bouquet,” designed by Kathy Engle for Heidi Pridemore of The Whimsical Workshop and Island Batik’s solid white.
The Starflower block can be found HERE. I made the block exactly according to the directions. Here’s 2 of the Half-square triangles before trimming.
And my Centre block, it is currently is 12 1/2” and will finish at 12″ in the quilt:
The Schedule
January 13: Visit each of the co-hosts to see their centre block.
March 24: Parade: showing all of your finished SAHRRs!
Link Party
Use this Link to show us your Centre block. If you don’t have a blog, FB or IG email me a picture of your block & I’ll post it on next weeks SAHRR blog and enter you into the draw. (quiltinggail@yahoo.ca)
We reached out to several companies that we all LOVE and many of them agreed to sponsor the SAHRR 2025!!! We will keep track of all of the participants that link to our Linky parties each week. We will make a list and use a random number generator to choose the winners for each prize! So, if you link up to 3 Linky parties, you will have 3 opportunities to win! If you don’t have a blog or Instagram account, contact me, or one of the other co-hosts and we will post your SAHRR on our blog. This way you still have an opportunity to win!
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
This is a heritage rose that my dad planted in Victoria in 1965. I dug it up and transplanted it here (near Vancouver, BC) after my mother passed away. To my surprise it has thrived! The one branch with a few buds was not cut down in the fall … and now it’s blooming! And, it smells heavenly!
SAHRR is starting soon!
You can read all about it on THIS POST. The Centre Blocks will be shown tomorrow!
Stitching Stuff
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
Pink Blocks: just cause I’m trying to use Island Batik scraps. This might be combined with other colours in the near future
SunlitGarden: a small quilt for a blog hop hosted by Jennifer of Curlicue Creations … it will be her newest signature collection and it’s absolutely gorgeous!!! Unfortunately, until the blog hop, you’ll only see black and white!!
Quilting projects:
Test Quilt: SSB
Glorified 9 patch
Helen Godden’s Christmas Countdown ’24 (my sister & I are doing this by zoom) Traced the pattern on to Island Batik’s solid white and started quilting with Aurifil Black thread. Hobbs 80/20 is in the middle.
Sunday Stash
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!
No finishes, no shopping … the numbers remain at “0”
Fabric Used in the last week: 0 yards
Fabric Used in 2025: 0
Fabric Added in the last week: 0 yards
Fabric Added this year: 0 yards
Net Fabric used: 0 yards
To Do
Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.
To Do from the last week:
2025 SAHRR finish quilting it. √ DONE.
Quilt Test Quilt: SSB. XX Not Done XX
Finish Glorified 9 patch for class sample in progress
Work on “Pink Blocks” in progress
Work on Sunlit Gardenin progress
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √ DONE.
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.√ DONE.
To Do for next week:
Finish: Helen Godden’s Christmas Countdown ’24
2025 SAHRR – bind it
Quilt Glorified 9 patch
Work on “Pink Blocks”
Work on Sunlit Garden
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.
Don’t Forget
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
That’s correct! I haven’t finished any projects so far this year! I’ve been busy sewing / quilting on 2 major projects, but not one is finished and I can’t show you either of them yet!
One of the projects is the SAHRR (Stay at Home Round Robin) that starts on Monday!! I’ll be using the beautiful Poetic Bouquet fabric collection. The other project is for a new fabric line called Sunlit Garden … no it’s not Black and White, but my picture is!!
Island Batik Ambassadors
Island Batik has announced the 2025 Ambassadors and I’m thrilled and excited to be included! There are 22 of us this year! Several have started posting their unboxing videos and everyone has received absolutely gorgeous fabric!!
We have another box arriving next week and I decided to wait until it arrives to post about my fabulous fabrics and awesome goodies from the industry partners! There are a LOT of fabulous projects planned for future months!
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
Last year I missed 40 days … for a total of 89%. Hopefully this year, I can do the same! And, I’m off to a roaring start, at 100%! LOL!!!
January: 5 / 5 days
Total: 5 / 5100 %
Do you have a Lot of UFOs?
If you do, and you want some help in decreasing them, I suggest that you visit Ms P Designs and sign up for your PHD in 2025!!! It’s easy to do and it will also help you from increasing your UFO list. Check it out HERE.
Glorified 9 patch: for class sample. In Pink … to go with The Rainbow Scrap challenge hosted by So Scrappy
Pink Blocks: just cause I’m trying to use Island Batik scraps. This might be combined with other colours in the near future
SunlitGarden: a small quilt for a blog hop hosted by Jennifer of Curlicue Creations … it will be her newest signature collection and it’s absolutely gorgeous!!! Unfortunately, until the blog hop, you’ll only see black and white!!
Quilting projects:
Test Quilt: SSB
SAHRR ’25
Sunday Stash
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!
Last year I used a total of 221 yards with 89 yards being non Island Batik fabric! Nothing finished and no shopping gives me 0 across the board!
Fabric Used in the last week: 0 yards
Fabric Used in 2025: 0
Fabric Added in the last week: 0 yards
Fabric Added this year: 0 yards
Net Fabric used: 0 yards
To Do
Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.
To Do from the last report:
2025 SAHRR Quilt it! in progress
Quilt Test Quilt: SSB. XX Not Done XX
Work on Glorified 9 patch for class sample in progress
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √ DONE.
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.√ DONE.
To Do for next week:
2025 SAHRR finish quilting it
Quilt Test Quilt: SSB
Finish Glorified 9 patch for class sample
Work on “Pink Blocks“
Work on Sunlit Garden
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.
Don’t Forget
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
I have been an Island Batik ambassador since 2019 and have a bit of a stash of Island Batik fabrics (And I LOVE it!!!). Aside from the monthly projects and challenges, I often use Island Batik fabrics for other projects. I absolutely LOVE the richness of the colours and the quality of the fabric. Below is an example of what I made this year.
January
I worked on this Helen Godden topper while Zoom quilting with my sister (she did the same one at the same time!). The details of where you can get the pattern and instructions are on THIS POST. I used Island Batik’s solid white for the background, coloured it with Sharpie Stained markers and used a dark green for the binding.
White Rabbit Blog Hop. This was a super fun quilt to make!! You can read about it HERE.
February
Island Batik Blog Hop Log Cabin Challenge. You can read more about these 2 quilts on THIS POST.
And the directions for how to make the diagonal backing is HERE.
This was a retreat bag I made … see HERE for details.
This heart quilt was made for the “It Moose Be Love” blog hop. The informal instructions and details can be found HERE.
March
The Island Batik challenge for March was all up to us. I got carried away and made these 3 quilts using greens from my Island Batik Scraps. I did use yardage for the borders of the one on the right and left. You can read more about them HERE.
This purple / blue quilt was made for the Fast and Fun Blog Hop sponsored by Villa Rosa. It is their Gypsy Rose pattern. See THIS POST for more details.
The Stay at Home Round Robin wrapped up in March. You can read about it and access the links to the various prompts HERE. (And yes, we’re doing it again in 2025!)
The Give it a Whirl blog hop had me making this fun quilt. Details and close-ups are available HERE.
April
Making a Funky Friend was April’s challenge. This is Taylor the Tiger. It was challenging to make, but fun! He had a few adventures and you can read about them on THIS POST.
May
The first weekend in May was the Boundary Bay Quilt Guild Show. The Baby Challenge was “Forest Friends”. This was my entry … You can read about it HERE.
This Fall Mystery Quilt was finished in time for the Boundary Bay Quilt Show. You can read about it HERE and see other Mystery Quilts that were at the show.
The May Island Batik challenge was to Paper Piece a quilt for a celebration. I chose Christmas and made a tree skirt. You can read about it HERE.
I made a rocket quilt for the “On the Road Again” blog hop. It was about transportation … you can read about it HERE.
June
Island Batik’s June challenge was to make a quilt for the Sleep in Heavenly Peace charity. You can read about it HERE.
A fellow Island Batik ambassador (Denise Looney) offered a free quilt-a-long making a St. Paddy’s quilt. You can read about it HERE.
A former Island Batik ambassador (Claudia Porter) had a signature collection and asked if I wanted to participate in a blog hop. This is the quilt I made, using “Prisms.” You can read about it at THIS POST.
July
Nothing like celebrating Canada Day with a red maple leaf! You can read about it HERE.
These next 2 quilts were a pattern by mmmquilts and you can read about them HERE. I love how the same pattern with different fabrics look so different!
This whale was made for the “Something Smells Fishy” blog hop and you can read about it HERE. And also find a link to the free pattern!
August
These were 2 mini quilts that I made. Read about it HERE.
This quilt used left-overs from a Lone Star quilt … the fabric is from the Pin Dot Floral collection. You can read about it HERE.
September
This was a very fun quilt to Applique! This POST has all the details.
I made a bunch of tissue holders. You can read about them on THIS POST.
October
Island Batik’s October challenge was a ByAnnie bag. I chose to make “Payday” in the small and large size. You can read about them on THIS POST.
I was invited to make a quilt using “Twilight,” a signature fabric collection for Claudia Porter. I ended up making 3 quilts. Read about them HERE.
This little mini was made for Hobbs Batting and hung in their booth at the Houston Quilt Market. See THIS POST for more details.
November
Island Batik’s Challenge for this month was Dresden Plates. I made this vase with flowers … you can read more about it on THIS POST.
The Jelly Roll mystery quilt reveal. See this post and the links to all the clues.
December
I made this Christmas card using Island Batik fabric and a MSQC Template. You can read about it HERE.
This table mat used various Island Batik fabrics, Hobbs batting and Aurifil thread. The bows and poinsettia were cut out using Templates from Missouri Star Quilt Company. You can see more details on THIS POST.
I made 2 large Clam-up ByAnnie bags for the Butterfly Haven blog hop. See HERE for more details.
This was the block of the month Colour Challenge, hosted by Patterns by Jen. It was a fun BOM to do! You can read about it on THIS POST.
It was up to us to make whatever we wanted for the December challenge. I made this quilt using Peppermint Sprinkles. You can read about it on THIS POST.
Floral Fusion was a free quilt-along by Denise Looney!! I LOVE her patterns, so I had to sew along. I really really like the final quilt! This POST has all the details.
My last project of the year was super simple … you can read about it on THIS POST.
I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions. To me, I usually break them within the first week … Yes, I’d like to loose more weight, be more fit, eat more nutritiously, and so on … but realistically … I hate dieting. I like to exercise now and then, but I know I’m not consistent with it. And I do like to eat junk food … so I don’t make resolutions!
However, on the quilting front, there are things I’d like to achieve:
buy as little fabric as possible
sew as much as possible
design more quilts
use up my stash
These aren’t resolutions because I KNOW that
I will buy some fabric! As large as my stash is, often the ‘right’ fabric is not in it!!
I will sew a LOT … but life happens and sometimes it’s not possible to sew as much as I’d like
I will design some quilts … but I’ve got to be in the mood and inspiration needs to be part of the design process
I will use some of my stash, but not ALL of it! I have 2 stashes: One contains all my Island Batik fabric and the other is all the rest of the fabric. I keep them separate and I keep track of them separately.
I will continue to blog at least weekly and often twice a week. That likely won’t change, but who knows. I will also continue to keep track of my sewing days (I aim for 30 minutes a day), what’s on my Design Wall, keep track of what fabric I’ve used, write out my “To Do” list and show my monthly favourite finish. The logos below may change, but the intent will not.
Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? Do you keep them??
I wish each and every one of you All the Best in 2025!!
Don’t Forget:
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
My current state of life, only you can see more of the floor in this picture than in my room!
Stitching Stuff
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!
In the past 2 weeks, I posted about my Floral Fusion (9 yards) and a small table topper (2 yards).
Fabric Used in the last 2 weeks: 11 yards
Fabric Used in 2024: 221 yards from non-IB: 89
Fabric Added in the last week: 0 yards
Fabric Added this year: 32 yards
Net Fabric used: 189 yards
To Do
Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.
To Do from the last report:
2025 SAHRR Finish Prompt 6. √ DONE
Work on Test Quilt: SSB – block #1 & start block #2 √ DONE
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √ DONE.
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.√ DONE.
To Do for next week:
Still keeping the list small!
2025 SAHRR Quilt it!
Quilt Test Quilt: SSB
Work on Glorified 9 patch for class sample
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.
Favourite Finish for December 2024
Yvonne from Quilting Jetgirl has a blog post with the Favourite finishes of the month. Well worth the visit to see all the eye candy!
As usual, I’m having trouble choosing just 1!!! It’s between these 2 quilts. I’m in LOVE with both of them!!!
Don’t Forget
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
I wasn’t going to … I really wasn’t going to be doing any last minute sewing/quilting. Nope … I was all organized and didn’t need to … until ….
I went to set up my nativity scene. It’s beautiful ceramic figures that a fellow nursing classmate made. When she passed away during Covid, I gratefully accepted the set! What memories accompany the figures. I know that she completed them in the mid 70’s when taking a year away from nursing school. I had placed them on a piece of gorgeous dark blue fabric (Ravine), fully intending to make it into a table mat … but of course I forgot until I went to set up the set!
I figured that I had time, so I pulled out backing, Hobbs fusible batting and did a very quick meander with Aurifil #2600 (Dove Grey). Binding it with the same fabric and called it ‘done.’
I love how the lights and the fabric really show off the figures!
Don’t Forget:
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
Earlier this year, as we had a parade for the 2024 SAHRR (pronounced Stay At Home Round Robin), we announced that we would be doing it again in 2025.
This year’s logo was designed by Brenda of Songbird Designs … isn’t it fantastic?
For the past 5 years, I have done a SAHRR and have made different quilts. The first year I did it on my own and then for the next 4 years, I had some fantastic blogging/quilting friends join in the fun!
Here’s my quilts from previous SAHRRs. The last 2 are ones I did on my own. It’s so much MORE fun with others! Here’s the LINK where you can see all the quilts made last year.
As you can tell, except for the 2 I did on my own, the rounds are all different. This year promises to be different as well!
All of my SAHRR quilts are made with Island Batik fabrics, Hobbs batting and Aurifil thread.
What is a Round Robin?
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.
So, I stay at home?
That’s correct! You and your centre block and the borders all stay home. You have to make the decisions as to what to add when given directions. How big, how many … it’s up to you. We will let you know what each of us does and there may be short tutorials on some of our blogs.
How do I join?
There’s nothing to join, no sign up. All you need to do is follow our blogs (see the links below)
How often does this happen?
Once a week. On January 13, we will show you our centre blocks.
The SAHRR Team met in July and I haven’t seen any of the centre blocks … so it’s going to be a surprise for me as well!
Then on January 20 (and each Monday following) we will give you instructions as to what the next border/round is to be. Again, we will all show you our centre blocks with the first border to give you some ideas.
Here are my blogging co-hosts in the order of what we will be doing and the linky parties we will be hosting each week. (There will only be one linky party each week … and we’ll direct you to it …)
January 13: Each of the co-leaders will be sharing their centre blocks (you will have to visit each of their blogs to see them). I will host the first linky party and you can also show your centre block.
March 24: Parade: showing all of your finished SAHRRs!
We have Sponsors!
We reached out to several companies that we all LOVE and many of them agreed to sponsor the SAHRR 2025!!! We will keep track of all of the participants that link to our Linky parties each week. We will make a list and use a random number generator to choose the winners for each prize! So, if you link up to 3 Linky parties, you will have 3 opportunities to win! If you don’t have a blog or Instagram account, contact me, or one of the other co-hosts and we will post your SAHRR on our blog. This way you still have an opportunity to win!
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I don’t want to make that round? It’s your quilt – you can leave it out.
What size do I make it? That’s up to you … you are sort-of the designer here.
Are the rounds hard? No … each round is pretty simple … squares, rectangles, half-square triangles with perhaps a surprise.
What colours do I use? That’s up to you … you can follow what one of the SAHRR leader uses or have your own colour scheme.
What if I miss a round? You can leave it out, or go back to the blog where the directions are given.
Will you cut my fabric for me? No!
How often will the quilt police check on me and my progress? There are NO quilt police!! None!!
What do I do now?
Make sure that you follow each of the SAHRR leaders so that you don’t miss their posts.
Start thinking about what you might do for a centre block. Do you have an orphan block you’d like to use? Or do you want to try a new block … now is the time!
Relax … this is easy … and it’s only one round each week!
Next Week
Next week, I’ll have a wrap-up of my 2024 tallies: Stash Report & Stitching Stuff. I will also talk about my goals for 2025, share my To Do list and what’s on my Design wall …
Thank you very much, Denise, for this beautiful pattern. Be sure to visit Quiltery and buy the pattern!!
Don’t Forget
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
That’s a great reason to quilt on … and leave the dust there! 😁
Stitching Stuff
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!
In the past week, I posted about my Island Batik December challenge. You can read about it HERE.
Fabric Used in the last week: 8 yards
Fabric Used in 2024: 210 yards from non-IB: 85
Fabric Added in the last week: 0 yards
Fabric Added this year: 32 yards
Net Fabric used: 180 yards
To Do
Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.
To Do from the last report:
Bind Floral Fusion.√ DONE
2025 SAHRR Work on Prompt 6. in progress
Work on Test Quilt: SSB – block #1. in progress
Monthly Colour Challenge – need to sandwich, quilt and bind. √ DONE
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √ DONE.
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.√ DONE.
To Do for next week:
Still keeping the list small!
2025 SAHRR Finish Prompt 6.
Work on Test Quilt: SSB – block #1 & start block #2
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.
Don’t Forget
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
Here’s what Island Batik said about this month’s challenge:
December brings another month to embark on your own project, regardless of its size, theme, or technique! Seize this chance to unleash your creativity without constraints. Enjoy the process!
Way back in May, we had to make a paper pieced quilt that celebrated a holiday of our choice. I chose to make this Christmas tree skirt:
You can read about it HERE. The fabric is Peppermint Sprinkles. And, I LOVED it!
I wanted a quilt to coordinate with the tree skirt. I cut a bunch of 2 1/2” strips from Peppermint Sprinkles and made this Judy Niemeyer quilt “Fractured Paint Box.” I also used, Island Batik’s solid black. You can access the pattern HERE.
I was so involved with the piecing, I forgot to take any progress pictures. However, I can tell you that I used my Oliso Iron with every single seam that was sewn!
And pictures of the back and close-up of the quilting:
The back diagonal strip was made with the extra block I had as well as left over strips of fabric, along with solid black.
Quilting: All done on my domestic sewing machine: Janome M7. Rulers used were Silly Moon’s 7″ Beanie (for the centre circle) and Rocket for the stitch in the ditch around each block. The rest of the quilt was free motioned with feathers.
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
Good thing that quilt shops don’t give out tickets!!! I would have a plethora of them!
Monthly Colour Challenge
December’s colour is Gold. Visit Jen at Patterns by Jen to get your free pattern for this month. It’s free for the month and after that you’ll need to pay a small fee for it.
Remember when I was on holidays and sewing on my hand-crank in the 5th wheel?
I was working on the border and sashing in the above video. I actually pieced the whole top while we were dry camping!
The quilt was quilted using a HUGE variety of Silly Moon rulers (Drop 3, Twinkle, Jelly, Rocket, Cupid, Beanie and Turkey was used in the sashing/border). I went to my bin of left-over binding and pulled out a variety of colours that were used in the quilt … it was fun to use them (and I still have lots left-over!)
Thank you, Jen for the great inspiration and fun BOM!!!
Quilt Stats:
Size: 47″ x 62″
Fabric: Island Batik: Assortment, with solid light grey and solid black for the sashing & border.
Quilting: All ruler quilted on my domestic sewing machine: Janome M7. Rulers used were Silly Moon’s 6″ Beanie, Rocket, Cupid, Drop, Jelly & Turkey.
Stitching Stuff
Kate, from Life in Pieces, is hosting “Stitching Stuff” and the goal is to sew for at least 15 minutes a day. I use Kate’s guideline, but my personal goal is to sew for 30 minutes a day. On those “blah” days, it does motivate me to sit at my machine and 30 minutes often turns into several hours. Thank you Kate for the motivation!
Donna at Quilt Paint Create hosts a weekly linky party where you can display your stash numbers. This has really kept my stash from growing (somewhat!) Before I buy anything, I am always mindful of the fact that I need to report it on my blog … That sometimes stops me in my tracks!
In the past week, I have posted about the following finishes. I estimate that the round table topper used about 1 yard of fabric total (check it out HERE). I’m not going to count the fabric in the clam-up bags since Jennifer sent it to me recently for the purpose of making the bags (see THIS POST). The block of the month (above) used over 9 yards … so a total of 10 yards this week.
Fabric Used in the last week: 10 yards
Fabric Used in 2024: 202 yards from non-IB: 85
Fabric Added in the last week: 0 yards
Fabric Added this year: 32 yards
Net Fabric used: 170 yards
To Do
Carol from Quilt Schmilt is hosting “To Do” every week.
To Do from the last report:
Finish quilting Floral Fusion.√ DONE
2025 SAHRR Work on Prompt 6. NOT DONE
Monthly Colour Challenge – need to sandwich, quilt and bind. √ DONE
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder! √ DONE.
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.√ DONE.
To Do for next week:
Keeping the list small!
Bind Floral Fusion.
2025 SAHRR Work on Prompt 6.
Work on Test Quilt: SSB – block #1
Monthly Colour Challenge – need to sandwich, quilt and bind.
Do NOT be distracted by any SQUIRRELS! I NEED this continual reminder!
Tidy & clean studio for 30 minutes.
Don’t Forget
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
Earlier in the fall, Jennifer asked if I would be willing to make a project that featured her Signature collection … Butterfly Haven is so very pretty, I couldn’t resist saying “yes.” But, due to time restraints, I knew it had to be something small …
I decided to make 2 large byAnnie Clam Up bags. These are the fabrics that I ordered from Jennifer:
Outside of #1: 712401852. Coordinating #1: 712404891
Outside of #2: 712401873. Coordinating #2: 712403891
I always like the inside of bags to be lighter, so I can find what I’m looking for!
And here is individual pictures of each bag:
Blog Hop
I know each of the participating bloggers. They are all talented quilters, so it promises to be a great blog hop!! Here’s a list of the other participating bloggers:
I am now a Silly Moon affiliate! So what does that mean? When you use my affiliate code Quiltinggail2024 at Silly Moon, you will receive 10% off your order and I will receive a small commission.
Quilting Gail 