What I’m Working On…

I had Friday off last week and didn’t have big plans for the weekend so I got in some sewing time.  I also got some time in over the week.  I think I told you in another post that I had the neighbor kids here and was doing back up care.

I was back to my old schedule of pinning things together at naptime and then sewing what I had pinned in the evening after they left.


Then the next day I would pin again and the next evening sew together what I had pinned.   It’s a slow process to work that way but, if there is a will to get a quilt top finished, there is a way…and this is the way I’m practicing.


By the end of the week, I had gotten this far.  Oh my, I am loving this.


Saturday I didn’t get in much sewing time.  I did errands and have been working on some LONG overdue house projects.  Sewing and stitching haven’t been on the top of my list.  I’ll tell you all about that in upcoming blog posts.

Sunday morning rolled around and I had Carver and Gannon here.  Craig had to do chores at the farm and Kalissa had worked the overnight shift and needed to sleep.  Grandma to the rescue.

While the boys were here I putzed on the two outer edge pieces.  When I design a quilt, I often don’t plan super far ahead.  At the last minute, I decided to do a cut-out on the edge of the quilt.   I needed to make more pieces so I worked on that while the boys were here.


I decided to make corner pieces like this…

After that, I did some more cutting.  Carver took my camera and took this picture of me.


Then I looked over and saw Gannon doing this…


He has a playdough dough cutter (think play pizza cutter), he was “cutting” fabric.  Oh my…be still my heart.

I know many of you drop everything and give kids your undivided attention.  I do that some…but often, I let them hang with me and get to know what I love and am doing.  A relationship is a two-way street and I think it’s sad when we only work to know the kids but don’t help to get the kids to know us.  Gannon and Carver live close and see me quilting all of the time.  They talk to me about quilting.  I love that.  When they are old a gray themselves, they will always know I was a quilter.  Seeing Gannon do this was so special to me!!

Craig came and took Carver to Sunday School then went and got omelets for us from the Fire Department to the south of us as they were having a  benefit.  I went and picked up Carver…then back to the house to enjoy omelets.

After that, I went upstairs and pieced the edge sashing then put it on the quilt.  Here is my quilt all together as a top.


Kalissa says it’s one of her favorites.  You might remember last week when I was trying to decide what to do when I realized I didn’t have enough of the pink blocks…then I decided to throw in some of all of the blocks I had left.  In the end, I love that there are sorts of different blocks in it.

Here is my interesting outer border.  I think it’s fun.  I’m so glad I did that too.

Pardon the rocks on the edge holding it down.  It was so windy.


Now the top is sitting and waiting to see what is happening next to it.  I submitted this one for publication.  I have no idea if they will take it or not.  I kind of hope they do just for the simple fact that I know some of you will want a pattern for it…and I don’t want to write it.  I hate pattern writing.

Besides getting that quilt into a top, I managed to get two quilts bound.  The last time Sandra from the Cresco Ladies came, she sent four quilt tops that were finished except for the binding.  I sent two off to a person who volunteered to do some binding and I bound the other two.  I don’t mind binding a bit.

Here is the first quilt.  It’s kind of fall-ish.  The colors are so pretty.

I took a close-up picture as I know many of you might love seeing this block.  It’s perfect for a charity quilt…or a quilt that you need to use up strips.

Here is the backing.  Donna the longarmer from the Cresco Ladies group did some awesome leaves for the quilting motif.


It turned out to be such a great quilt.

The next one is another great quilt…This one is a disappearing nine patch.

The prints all coordinate nicely from reds to golds to greens with a great background print to compliment it all.

Here is the backing…

I tried to be a picture of the pretty swirl motif Donna used but the camera didn’t pick it up the best.


That was my quilting from this week.  I have another busy week ahead along with a busy weekend so I don’t look for much sewing to be happening.  We’ll see.  Sometimes I’m surprised.

41 thoughts on “What I’m Working On…”

  1. Beautiful quilt, Jo! Will you bind in black?

    The Fall quilt is Missouri Stat Quilt Company’s Two-Step quilt. Very fun to make.

  2. This quilt is beautiful! Have you named it? If our grandchildren don’t see us quilting how will they know the hours and time that went into it to appreciate one when they receive it? How will they know about hobbies, and the pleasure that you can get from having one?

  3. I love, love, love your quilt, Jo! The colours, the design, the border……it all fits together perfectly :-)

  4. Beautiful Jo, just like Samantha M I loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee it too. publisher doesn’t accept it , THEY MUST BE MAD. Love your assistant, Gannon, what a wonderful moment.

  5. Gannon “cutting” fabric, priceless!
    Love the quilt. Especially like the border, however I cannot figure out how you are going to bind the “V”s. Maybe you could show us?

  6. Beautiful quilt! It will always hold special memories of time with Gannon. Curious to see how you bind it. Keep us posted! ❤️

  7. Love your quilt, Jo. Those colors are amazing!
    Just finished a Disappearing nine patch for my son’s girl friend. A great fall back pattern that I love.
    Love and prayers

  8. Charnette Harvey

    Love the quilt I have leftover blocks ,fabric and other pieces I pray they pick it up! Your grands are the best love !

  9. Ivy Greenawalt

    Yes, please show us how to bind this kind of edge. And thank you for sharing and writing such wonderful blog posts!!

  10. Jo, This is a winner for sure! It does sparkle and twinkle! One of the amazing parts is that this started from scraps from a Bopnnie Hunter mystery. And if I recall they weren’t all your leftovers. A friend told me that “nakori mono” is Japanese for leftovers. You took something others were tired of and just look at this amazing quilt. Some might call it frugality, I call it elegant. You are a quilting artista.

  11. Stunning!!! I agree with Kalissa, it’s my favorite. The black totally sets off the whole quilt. Like you, I don’t give my grandkids undivided attention. They need to learn to play and do things by themselves, for themselves. When my three year old grandson was here Saturday he asked if he could sew squares for a blanket. We didn’t have time but I have some boyish squares cut and ready for the next time he asks. I have several pictures of him sewing masks by the hundreds with me. That’s definitely a memory I don’t want him to forget. Have a great week, Jo.

  12. I really love your quilt!! It is stunning! The quilt finishes were pretty too. I can’t imagine the magazine not wanting to publish your quilt. It is fun to see the grandkids working with you. My mother had the same idea – have the kids involved with her activities. I believe it helps to teach kids that it isn’t all about them.

  13. My heart jumped when I first saw the photo of Gannon – I thought he had picked up your real rotary cutter! (Of course, you wouldn’t have taken time to take a photo of that!). Your new quilt is absolutely wonderful.

  14. I admit, I’m really hoping a magazine picks up this latest stunner of yours (out of leftovers!). I would love to make it.

  15. Judith Fairchild

    Your quilt is a lovely happy quilt. Hope the magazine takes to it. The picture of Gannon cutting Fabric is so great. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if some of your grandsons pick up the quilting bug. Since they’re interested now.

  16. The quilts are all beautiful and I especially am attracted to the one you’ve designed and the last one you shared, Jo. The quilting design on the one you think didn’t show up well shows up just fine and suits the quilt in a lovely way. It always amazes me how quilters are able to choose just the right quilting pattern when they sew the sandwich together!

  17. Love the quilt, LOVE the borders!!! The whole top is stunning… and inspiring – I hope it is picked up for publication too.
    The Cresco Ladies’ quilts look great – lots of talent and love in your neck of the woods – thanks for sharing!

  18. I love your pink/blue/aqua quilt! That outer edge is beautiful. Have fun with binding that one, for me it would be a challenge. Keep up the good works.

  19. Your quilt top turned out BEAUTIFUL! I am glad you ran out of pink blocks and added those blue ones. They really do make it sparkle! I hope it gets picked up for publishing. I would love to have the pattern and if they don’t pick it up, you have to figure out something for us Jo. LOL! Love the border!!!!!!

  20. Love, love, love the border!
    I help my little grandsons make “books” on the sewing machine…they love using the snips to help cut apart the chain piecing. The 3 yo loves all things mechanical and loves turning the crank on my featherweight. So much fun

  21. I love how adorable your grandson is copying you! I love the two quilts you bound – the one with flowers being my favorite! And the cut-out final border you used for the quilt you pieced is to die for! I swear somehow you have made an arrangement with God to have forty-eight-hour days! How do you do it all? I’m sure they will want to publish your quilt. I have never seen a border like that! You are fantastic!!

  22. Ginny Andersen

    Your latest quilt is Stunning! The colorway just sparkles!
    I loved the “cutting” picture of Gannon! So special!

  23. LOVE your newest creation!!! Colors–the black sets it all off beautifully– sure do hope that it will be chosen to be featured!! Really unique design. Gannon –awwww– priceless!! Carver took a great picture too!!
    Know the hectic busy days sometimes (maybe often) are a bit much, but geez what you accomplish is amazing!!

  24. Gorgeous quilt. It reminds me of the designs from a Kaleidoscope. You are a fantastic quilt designer. I love all the hands-on learning your grandchildren receive.

  25. Your quilt is an absolute stunner!! Jaw dropping WOW! I’ll be looking for it to be published somewhere! No publisher could say no to that quilt!

    And I couldn’t agree more about teaching children that relationships are two way streets, it’s wonderful that they know you as much as you know them. That is what makes a relationship special, to know and to be known is what we all search out as humans.

  26. Love this quilt. I am sure it will get published. Let us know what issue to find it in when the quilt gets published

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