With less than 7 weeks left in the year, I’m thinking about what I want to accomplish/finish up before 2019 ends.

First on the list – I’m going to make a little rectangle top with the leftover jelly roll strips from Mom’s Bento Box.

Next – Use one of my new dies from Blue Wren to make a RWB hourglass top. I drafted this one a while back but it uses 4 inch finished quarter square triangles.

My new die is a 6 inch block so I redrafted it. This one will be 54 x 72 and the hourglass blocks will be set 9×12.

Also on the list …

• Quilting 4 tops
• finishing the ripple blanket
• knitting hats
• piecing one more top (I’ve not decided what)
• Stitching the last wool felt stocking

What do you plan to finish up this year?!

I’m thankful for all those who served including my dad and Keith’s dad.

You know that my focus is donation quilting and while I don’t exclusively make quilts for veterans I try each year to make at least a couple to donate and through my MaryQuilts.com website, I share inspiration/instructions for veteran quilts.

Here’s the link to ideas for Veteran quilts on my website. And here are a few of my donation quilts you’ll find there.

I love twisted blocks! I’ve made a number of quilts with them over the years … some with focus prints, some with blocks.

A year or so ago, I found some leftover pinwheel blocks and made a small twisted pinwheel doll quilt. I really want to make a larger version of this quilt so I drafted it out tonight (at 4 am when I should have been sleeping but couldn’t) … I often design in RWB even when I plan to make a multicolored scrap quilt because it’s quick and easy to design in 3 colors AND a lot of my readers make and donate quilts for veterans so I like having quilt ideas for them.

Here’s my doll quilt

And here is my plan for the full size quilt.

• Quilt size will be 54 x 72
• Block size will be 9 inches finished
• Pinwheel blocks with be 6.5 inches with seam allowances and made from 3 inch finished HSTs (3.5 inches with seam allowances)
• I’ll use the instructions posted on my Website for my Twisted 9 patch to twist the blocks.

I wanted to see what my Plus quilt would look like without the sashing so I drafted a quick version. I’d like to make this one scrappy and probably wouldn’t put borders on it.

You can see how to make the blocks on my website at this link.

I haven’t sewn any this weekend but I have been moving and folding fabric … progress is being made.

Stephanie announced September’s precut the other day – it’s Fat Quarters. I have more fat quarters than any other precut and I’ve been debating what to make this month. I think I’ve decided to make a HST quilt maybe a larger version of this one I made earlier in the year using Charm Squares. I had one random pack of squares and had been wanting to try a quilt setting the HST as diamonds.

I played around a little with another variation this afternoon and I’m guessing I probably won’t decide which to use until I choose my fat quarters.

I finished a little quilt earlier this year from a single Jelly Roll that I’d gotten from Craftsy and I’ve been thinking about making another one – I haven’t calculated how many 2.5 inch strips this one would take but the block size is 12 inches finished and the quilt size is 60×84. I wanted to see how it would look alternating blue and red framed blocks … I’d go scrappy with my strips of course but it’s easier to draft in just 3 colors.

This may be my Jelly Roll project the next time Stephanie pulls Jelly Rolls out of the hat for our Precut Party.

In addition to playing around in TouchDraw drafting quilts, I’m doing some binding and am ready to start sewing my Hexagon flower and 9 patches together – all the blocks are made/appliquéd.

Today was a travel day and since I had plenty of time to kill on the trip home from Jamaica, I played around with some ideas for 16 patch star quilts.

For a 12 inch finished block, the squares in the 16 patch would be 1.5 inches finished (2 inches with seam allowances) and the half square triangles would be 3 inches finished (3.5 inches with seam allowances).

For a larger quilt with a 16 inch finished block, the squares in the 16 patch would be 2 inches finished (2.5 inches with seam allowances) and the half square triangles would be 4 inches finished (4.5 inches with seam allowances).

And how about a RWB one? This one is a little more complicated, but more interesting too. The pieced border continues the pattern to the edges.

I’m looking forward to being back in the sewing room but probably not this weekend … I’m very tired and Keith travels Monday so we’ll probably have a relaxing weekend … once Finn calms down after getting home in the morning!

I’m sure you all could figure out this quilt by yourself but I wrote up a few notes on the website and drafted it in RWB – eventually, I’ll make one for a veteran too.

RWB Windmills

I plan a lot more quilts than I actually make but I’ve spent a couple hours this morning drafting (and shopping for) another quilt.

Do you remember this vintage quilt from eBay?

Even though borders aren’t my favorite thing to sew, I really, really like this quilt and can see making several of them. Connecting Threads came out with a new map line of fabric a few months back and I’ve bought a bunch of it not knowing what I might use it for and I’ve decided this quilt will look good in this collection. I had to shop some because I bought fat quarters and just a little yardage and I needed more yardage. The fat quarters will be saved for another quilt.

Before I could shop, I had to think about my rounds … I drafted several different versions and while I’ll make my final decision once I’m ready to start and have the fabric in front of me, I think it will end up like the quilt on the left.