I always start a new project on New Years Day and I was feeling guilty with two unfinished projects in front of me. I finished piecing one that has a real story behind it so I’ll save that for tomorrow. I worked all evening finishing up the pink uneven log cabin.
Yes, Greta helped me all evening and I let her to make up for me forgetting she was in the quilt shop all last night and today.
Did you see I ran out of bobbin with about 2” to go? And did you see that red heart in the middle? Guess what that’s covering up! As I was quilting it the seam was pulling apart – good grief. If you recall the red quilt that was nothing but problems then you’ll know this pink one nearly topped it.
When Facebook was blowing up about uneven log cabin quilts I decided I needed to try one but I assumed each strip was cut unevenly. Nope, strips were just cut at assorted widths and the blocks squared up. Duh. After a few blocks I knew this technique was not for me anyway. Not after 50 years of piecing as precisely as I possibly could! I hated the uneven blocks that had no rhyme or reason to them.
So tomorrow I will start something new….for the new year. I have some antique blocks I could work with as well as a collection of prints I like. I have a piece of background that I want to use but don’t know how.
I finished the quilt but it’s one and done. I’ll take a full picture tomorrow. I do like all the shades of pink – I think of pink as a neutral and I love pink. I don’t mean baby girl pink – I mean a dull tannish pink. What color pink would you call this?
So Happy New Year, Readers! What will you work on tomorrow?
P.S.
JB wants to thank you all for the well wishes – he got the stitches out this morning and he looks good. I think he feels good, too.
Mary I just love pink quilts so big course I want to make one like yours. I like the shades of pink you’ve used. I’m not drawn to the bright bubble gum pinks at all. I can’t make this quilt because I do not have enough pinks. You are fortunate that you can fabric shop in your own house!
JB is lookin good!
Jean – I actually had to go buy more pinks so I could stay in this soft rose shade!! I bought 1/8 yd pieces – about 20 of them. Such a shame because I have lots of pink fabric but they just weren’t right. So you see even with a building full of fabric I didn’t have what I envisioned. Typical.
Happy New Year everyone. Greta likes the pink quilt and so do I! JB looks much better and like it’s not painful.
The sun is trying to shine! But the weather is going to keep sliding own the thermometer! If the sun shines, it will not be so bad.
I also need to vacuum my hobby room! Yikes! But, I have to do bookwork first! Procrastination always catches me! 🙄
Stay safe and warm!
How I really enjoy hearing the usual stuff in each of your lives. Much nicer than the news. We have to think of the positive things. And the weather where each of you live. Haven’t heard from the lady in Buffalo, NY who had all of the lake effect snow a couple years ago?
For those of us who have days of strong winds, blizzards, cold, whatever. We just put on more clothes and get things done, or if possible, just stay home. There are things that have to be done like chores, feeding critters, etc. We will survive? We do what we have to.
Thanks for the weather reports in your areas. Better than the TV weathermen.
I just can’t throw away the scraps, but they are running out of control. Maybe time to cut them up for dog beds at the shelter — and I love the scraps?
Happy New Year. And we will survive?
Betty in Rapid City
Hey Betty, Great to hear from you! I lived South of Buffalo growing up and we did what you did! Kept on keeping on! I am in Central Ohio now—for 52 years so guess I’m here to stay!😹😹. It was 34 when I got up
So decided to take my walk when it warmed up. It went down to 32 and is 30 now. VERY COLD weather the rest of the week.
Mary, I love seeing JB looking so much better❤️. And, I do believe that is Greta’s pink quilt! I love it😀. Did you see the Instagram I sent you of using scraps to make Christmas trees. Really neat.
The BUCKEYES are beating Oregon 24 to nothing😀😀
JB and Greta both look great!
4more cards yesterday, we’re up to 34!! Big thanks to:
Tina in Oregon ( very funny AND inspirational)
Barbara in South Carolina
Sharon in Washington
Judy in Maryland
I want all of you to know I’m saving these cards forever. I’ll be pulling them out and reading them again and again, whenever I need a reminder that there ARE kind and caring people in this world
“Happy New Year,” to you all! It is our tradition to watch the Rose Parade. It looks like a beautiful sunny day there. The colors and flowers are brilliant and the horses are icing on the cake! Just saw some mini therapy horses all decked out in colorful ribbons. They are bound to brighten everyone’s day!
Your pink quilt is so soft and soothing, Mary. I will be anxious to see your 2025 projects and thank you for sharing them with us.💙
Happy New Year to all! May Rick and Mary have a healthy year!
What am I doing today? Watching the Peach Bowl, rooting on Arizona State is the main plan. Christmas is beginning to come down. I’ll also do an overview of what quilt projects in the works of various stages languishing in drawers. I’m resorting to your method, Mary, sort of. Each quilt name will go on a slip of paper and thrown into a jar. Each month I’ll put out a slip and that project will be completed that month. At least, that’s the plan.
JB looks much more alert. 🙂
l love the pink quilt! Happy New Year!
I love the tannish pink, my kind of pink also.
I sewed all yesterday too. Reworking a log cabin design to enter into Sisters Outdoor Quilt show in July. This is the 50th anni ersary of the show preceeded by a,week n of classes from teachers from all over the world. It is a fun week.
JB looks relived and happy about getting those stitches out. You take such good care of your animals. They are lucky and am sure you think you are the lucky one to have them. How many animals do you currently have? I am happy you are back in the saddle to Mary.
Happy New Year!
Shirley from central Oregon
Shirley, on Christmas Eve, Mary posted a tally of all her animals except the chickens, and the next day she said she had “about 25 chickens”. So: 2 dogs, 10 cats, 5 geese, 2 goats, 1 parakeet, 25 chickens. That adds up to 45! Wishing a happy and healthy New Year to all 47 of the residents at Mary and Rick’s place.
i agree. i do love the pink. the thought of everything not needing to be perfect would be a draw, and the finished quilt seems more “restful” to the eye than the traditional (is it color , imperfect pattern, or most likely the heart providing a focal point? who knows!) what i do know is that the heart is by far the cutest and most perfect adornment , and i would be tempted to make a small version just so that i could add the heart!! ps. jb, you look mewvelous!
JB looks like he feels so much better, bless his kitty heart. Our three cats did not celebrate New Year’s last night (other than trying to steal some of the cheese we were eating, 🤗) but they’re all sound asleep. We didn’t stay up late, but our daughter and SIL and my sister came over for snacky dinner after we all went to see the Bob Dylan movie—it was excellent. Really well cast and the actors truly did their homework to accurately portray historic characters. The kids headed home to Duluth early this morning—long drive but the weather is not bad. Katie is coincidentally a nurse at the hospital where Bob Dylan was born in 1941. Sort of. They built a brand-new hospital that opened last spring and the old one is about to be torn down. The kids moved there in June so she never worked at the old one—the new one has state-of-the-art everything and she loves it. Happy new year to all. Oh—and I love your pink quilt!!
I love the pinks in your quilt. I call them a dusty pink.
So glad JB is doing well. He looks content. 💕
Hope you had a good New Year Eve. We celebrated at our home with our family. We woke to the tragic news from New Orleans. Our family was just there at Bourbon Street two weeks ago when we took a cruise out of New Orleans. We are shocked and saddened.
I haven’t really been able to get into my sewing loft since before Thanksgiving. I’ll be taking Christmas decorations down for the next couple days and after that, I’m going to go enjoy some much needed sewing time. 💕❤️
Mary, may 2025 bring you as many blessings as you bring to all of us by sharing your quilts and life with us. Happy New Year!
4- patches for 2025! If you make a 4-patch and twirl it, they all magically nest together. I’m liking the 3 1/2′ size the best. Just finished a brown one in 2 1/2″ and I love that too. Blessings to everyone in 2025! We got a dusting of snow for today. good sewing weather.
Four patches on point are universally designable. The last one I made was 4″.
Happy New Year everyone! I am finishing up a blue quilt I started at least ten years ago. I will send it to the longarmer next week. Then I will concentrate on finishing up a grandson’s quilt for his thirteenth birthday which is in March. I am going to a retreat the end of January so I am getting some projects together for that. Maybe I will make some progress on my bitcoin quilt while I am there and also a paper piecing project for Christmas. I have a leader/ender checkerboard quilt going at the same time when I sew on anything else.
Mary, I love the pink quilt! Such pretty shades of pink and I like that there is no light/dark distinction. It is so cute that Greta wants to stay so close by your side. I am so glad you are feeling so much better.
So nice to see JB and he is looking pretty good considering his age and surgery. I like the low volume pink colors and the wonky log cabin blocks. Not sure I could do a wonky block, my mind isn’t built for messy, uneven blocks. I look forward to seeing it all done. Wonder what new project you will start now? I hope to get into my quilting room and put all the wrapping items away and get back to my college quilt that I started. Weather is turning cold here in central Wisconsin for the next week.
I love your dirty pink quilt! I’d also love to see the quilt coat. Wishing everyone all the best in 2025.
I love your pink quilt. I’ve looked at the pictures several times to see all the different fabrics you used. I don’t think I would have a problem with making a block like yours but I do have a hard time using homespuns because of the plaids. I keep thinking it all needs to be straight. Too much garment sewing I guess.
Happy New Year to all,
Your pink quilt looks great. My favorite patch for a quilt is a heart. Just some extra love,
Glad JB is doing good.
Busy today getting ready for a granddaughter and her 2 toddlers coming tomorrow. Brave gal coming from Ohio to Chicago and to Minneapolis and rent a car to Rochester.
Stay warm !
NancyTD – yes, I agree – she is very brave!! That’s quite a long complicated trip. At least the weather and roads are good for driving to Rochester.
I like your mauve pink quilt. I cut 2 1/2” strips once from a batch of those colors and paired gray with it for a jelly roll quilt. So happy to know all the pets are doing good at your place. Sure puts our hearts at rest but then again Tim is still out wandering probably. I hope Diana shows her coat to us!
I’ll be home sewing this afternoon after we go to a brunch for a young girl who spent a lot of time growing up at our house with my grandkids swimming and making up plays, picnics and visiting museums with us as I considered her another grandchild. Her family had difficult times so being around us brought her joy as much as she did to us. She is here visiting from California and am excited to catch up with her since attending her wedding couple years ago. Her husband is a producer for Disney films. They both have very happy attitudes and a joy to talk to despite some sadness in their families. The rain here is going to turn to a messy mixture of snow but who would have thought we were using our hot tub yesterday with 45 degree temps in the morning. Dec 31 and watching blue jays and cardinals at the feeder while soaking in hot tub. A good memory.
The heart is the perfect solution for the problem.
Love the quilt. I love string quilts because I consider them as mindless sewing. I took a class with you in Victoria Texas many years ago and that was my first string experience. We sewed on newsprint then but I HATED pulling out the paper so now I sew on a muslin or fabric foundation.
My sister and I message every night and we both decided to keep a record of our quilt starts and finishes from now on. I have no idea how many quilts I have made. So that is one resolution.
Rosalie – I, too, hate removing that paper and never do it anymore but I also don’t like sewing on a foundation piece because the quilt then gets twice as heavy which is heavy already due to all the seams. Oh, Victoria was a great class and time to remember. We used to travel so much! Met so many nice people and classes were fun – but we were younger then. Haha!!
So happy to see JB doing so well. They say animals adapt easily to physical issues, so he should be doing great soon. Glad he has you to take care of him!
I’m going to get started on something today. Just don’t know what yet. Maybe a small quilt and pick out a large project to get started on for the year?
Happy New Year everyone!
Mary love your pink log cabin quilt. What a finish. JB looks much better and looks like he will monitor all your 2025 quilt making. I have decided to make my daughter a pink ribbon quilt for her journey of fighting breast cancer, she will have reconstruction surgery at the end of January. She is so ready to have this behind her. She has been a real trooper and positive throughout this whole ordeal.
Happy New Year to you and Rick and all the followers of this blog. Good health to everyone and take care of yourself.
Rita – Our daughter-in-law had her reconstructive surgery on December 23 and is doing well. She will go back to work in another week. She has also been very positive through this whole ordeal. So happy your daughter is doing well.
Rita – I hope it’s finished for her very soon, too. Her positive attitude will make it all easier for her in the end. We all wish her the very best outcome.
I call that shade of pink dirty pink because it’s not a bright pink. Happy New year! Maybe 2025 be a better year than 2024 with lots of quilts!
Love the pink quilt but I don’t like doing uneven things either. I started saving all the tiny little cut-offs and wonky pieces to do “crumb” blocks but I just can’t make myself sew pieces any which way. I’m just happy to look at pictures of them instead.
JB looks great and Greta seems happy to be your helper. Happy New Year everyone! I’ll be pulling out my strips to work on the Bitcoin quilt today.
Barbara – I think I’ll devote a bit of time to my next Bitcoin quilt, too. I have quite a few columns done and I should just do a few every week but I think it’s kind of boring sewing.
Yes it is boring, so I have to take it in stages. But I love the look of the finish!
Happy New Year Mary! I am so glad to see that JB is doing well, he looks a lot more like his old self, and better than before the op when his eye was bothering him. It was a brave decision of yours to let him be operated on, but it was clearly the right decision. I love the fabrics in your low-volume pink quilt: I would call them soft rose. I thought the heart was sweet, and wouldn’t have know it wasn’t deliberate unless you had told me! Looking forward to seeing a photo of the whole thing. I always like log cabin quilt, uneven or otherwise. It is such a classic pattern. Did you know the oldest known log cabin quilts are from Sweden?
Fiona – being Swedish I love that fact! Makes me want to start another log cabin quilt but not an uneven one unless it’s just uneven widths. Ha! I have that old book about Swedish quilts – I should find it. I love soft rose – I really don’t think it’s mauve which is too blue to me.
JB does look good. I really like your uneven log cabin quilt. I love those colors of pinks. When I saw the red heart on the quilt, I didn’t even think about it covering a problem. I just like hearts and thought it was really cute. It’s a great idea.
Happy New Year to everyone!!
Hi Mary, l always stitch a heart over something on my quilt.tiny holes in recycled fabrics etc. J.b looks like a ginger pirate now, poor little lad,l,d like to give him a hug!l washed my quilt today, so will send a photo when it is dry.Spent the afternoon stitching down the facing on my Japanese quilt, just got to put on the top facing for a sleeve,decided not to do a normal binding this time.Tomorrow it’s time to vacuum, carpet covered in threads and slivers of fabric!
Take care everyone, best wishes from Sandy
Sandy – I really like facing instead of binding – I’m going to consider JB a pirate now!! How warm is it there?
I’m happy to see JB looking so good. I’m sure you’re relieved. Looks like Greta has claimed your new pink quilt … and who can blame her? I actually enjoy ‘improv’ or ‘wonky’ piecing … I don’t have to be so precise, lol! The only thing is, the more blocks I make, the smaller my pieces seem to get. Wouldn’t you think I’d make them bigger to get it finished? Oh, well … I don’t do a lot of it, but I do enjoy it. Can’t wait to see your New Year’s start. I have no plans … hoping for ambition to find me one of these days. Happy New Year Mary and everyone!
I agree JB looks really good, much healthier! I love the variety in your pink log cabin quilt, Mary. Very pretty! I’ve not started anything new yet. Wednesday @ noon many of us from our church are meeting for a potluck & prayer service. So many have serious health concerns & we’ll start 2025 off with prayer. I’m taking a slow cooker with Sauerkraut & pork + mashed potatoes as requested. Ron & I went out for an early dinner yesterday & it seems everyone else had the same idea. Service was slow, but I’m sure some didn’t show up for work. It also wasn’t our server’s fault! I hope everyone tipped well! Wishing everyone a wonderful 2025!!
Love this quilt! All the “tannish pinks” and all the various prints together. And the red heart just moves it over the top. A gorgeous quilt. Feminine and cozy.
The dear little kitty is looking better. Has he learned to compensate yet for the loss of the eye? I suppose he had a good start on that before the surgery with the impaired vision?
May 2025 be calm and peaceful for you and Rick. And healthy!
Mary, I love the uneven pink log cabin. All of the different pink fabrics create a lot of interest and texture. I would guess that some of the prints could be called a dusty pink, and some seem to be halfway between that and a pale mauve.
I am glad that JB is doing well. Please keep us posted!
JB looks so good! I’m sure he’ll be back to his old self soon.
I think of tannish pink as vintage pinks. A little dull, a little mauvy, a little old looking.
Cut out 52 fleece blankets today for sending to Uganda. Lightweight, but enough to wrap a baby in. Blanket stitch the edges and they are done.
I also have a whole pile of those uneven log cabin blocks. I haven’t pieced them into a quilt yet as haven’t had time, but they are all trimmed and ready. Wasn’t sure I would like it, but I loved it! Mindless piecing is what I call it. Started a new one last week that I will take to sew days as I have to have something mindless to do when with friends. Too much talking and snacking makes for mindless sewing time.
I’m presenting at my quilt guild in January. I made a coat out of an old quilt, entered it into the state fair and now they want me to talk about the coat. I can do that, but it would be a short talk. I am also going to include some ways to repurpose old quilts and/or linens into new items. I have several cutter quilts and pieces that I frequently use to make crafts for our church sale in November. I just can’t seem to throw any of those old quilts out! They have just got to be used up. You know – Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without!
Looks like we’ll have some interesting weather the next few days, colder next week. Stay warm all!
Oh, Diana, please send in a photo of your quilt jacket. It sounds lovely. Would love to sit in on some of your showings, but I am too far away to drive and too old to walk, so I’ll have to settle for pictures and descriptions. 8)
Diana – please show us your coat!
Yes, please send a photo of your quilt coat😺😺
Happy New Year Mary and all! I love your pink quilt, and am a fan also of that salmony pink color! It looks great. I agree, JB does look like he feels better. I will be working on quilting a quilt that has been waiting for a LONG TIME! My grandmother memory quilt. 2025 will be the year it gets done ( after like 25 yrs). Hopefully I will have a photo of it in the near future.
Looking forward to the photo, Karla. 25 years marinating will make it all the better when it’s finished.
Karla – 2025 is the perfect time to finish it! Starts the year out right, I always think
JB does look really good, and Greta is just beautiful.
Take care and stay warm, Mary 🥰
Happy New Year, Friends
Jeanie – was it your friend who just lost his young wife? I forget. Do you think he’d like to receive cards from strangers? Or is that just too weird?
Mary – No, it was not Jeanie. It was Jeanine from SE Iowa. I sent you an email about it, but maybe you didn’t connect the two together. My husband and I went to the visitation and it was very large, but we both felt they have enough support here in our community to get them through this difficult time in their life. The husband was doing well. He stated to us that he didn’t want his wife to linger when she had lost all her motor skills and couldn’t even communicate with the family. God will get them through this time, but it won’t be easy. Thanks for your concern for the family.
Jeanine – I will go back and check my email! I’m so glad you let me know – what a sad situation but yes, I would feel the same way about a loved one. A reader suggested the cards but I agree with you – this is not a situation for cards from strangers.
Happy New Year.Glad JB is doing ok. I am working on knitting myself a hat. I am going to need it as we are in for some real cold weather for several weeks or more/ The big tree comes down tomorrow and by weekend Christmas put away for another year. Carolyn b Shenandoah valley Va.