A Messy House is a Sign of a Happy Quilter: Quilt Block Mania

Friday, 14 August 2026

Future Projects

What a busy four months! Sold our car and caravan, repaired and prepared a house for sale, sold it, and started renovating our back yard.... AND planned our next holiday. No wonder I haven't been able to spend much time in the sewing room. Maybe this week.

I tend to do the same challenges / sew alongs /projects each year, with the different one offs in between. This year I planned to finish off some tops that had been on the shelf for a while - of which I did finish a few. The first sew along of the year for the past 6-7 years has been the Focuscutting Sewalong. This year the shape was a square. Usually the shapes make a hexie, and a square (above) doesn't fit my 'hexie' quilt, so I'm not as enthusiastic about it this year. I've made a few, and have a few more to make - they will be holiday sewing.

Another year long project is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I really enjoy using up scraps and 'crumbs' to make little bits and pieces. I usually make them as leaders and enders when sewing different projects. This month the colour is yellow.

Block Mania is another monthly project that I like. I don't do a lot of the blocks but when something comes up that I like, I make it. This month the theme is 'Night Sky'. I subscribe to The Inquiring Quilter and I really like the block that Jennifer has designed. I found this fabric, but might go a little darker for the sky. I can see me making a number of these blocks, each one a little different. But for tomorrow, just this one.

A FaceBook Group I follow, Moda Blockheads, is starting a new project the end of September, so I'll be making some or all of those blocks. A new block comes out each week. I'll start this after the holiday.

And last, and probably my favourite, is Bonnie Hunters Quiltville Mystery. I love sewing pieces each week and seeing how the pieces all come together. I've made this mystery every year since Orca in 2011. This starts in November.

Link Up Parties for Inspiration:

Finished(or Not) Friday – Alycia Quilts

Off the Wall Fridays - Creations - Quilts, Art, Whatever

Wednesday Wait Loss - The Inquiring Quilter

So Scrappy

Saturday, 25 July 2026

This Week in the Sewing Room...

I subscribe to The Inquiring Quilter and each month as part of Quilt Block Mania, there is a different theme. I was first introduced to Jennifer and the Inquiring Quilter many years ago as part of Partners in Design, and over the years I have made a number of the designs. July is movie month, and I liked six of the designs, so this past week I made two of them.

Above is movie clapper by Tammy Silvers. This was the easiest to make as I already had black scraps handy and wanted to use an aqua scrap fabric as the RSC colour this month is aqua. It was all paper pieced, and I'm enjoying paper piecing at present.

The block has 4 paper piecing sections and then added borders to make the block. I think each section of the paper piecing would make great borders on other quilts - in different colours.

The next block was Movie Projector by The Inquiring Quilter. I started cutting out the pieces and got confused. It's been a while since I made a block with so many pieces, and I couldn't remember where I put my little tags so made some new ones to label the pieces.

I made the 'base' block ready to applique and discovered that I only had one leg cut out. I didn't realise that the one piece was for two legs. I traced the applique pieces and ironed them onto the fabric.

I then realised that the applique legs would overlap and I thought they would look better if sewn into the top part of the block - so I unpicked the bottom section from the top

and ironed the applique on.

I then stitched the bottom piece back on.

All that is left to do is to finish the stitching around the applique, iron and trim to size. I'm thinking these blocks will be wall hangings or pennant type hangings used for theme parties, or movie buffs.

In years gone by I would save all the off cuts from applique and iron them onto calico, but I'm over that now 😀. Below is one I made that still sits pegged to my curtain.