May Muster

HI!
Been awhile since I have written here and while using my trusty thesaurus to find some alliteration to go with May round up, the word 'muster' came up and that has a very military connotation which was perfect.

This past month I have been working so hard to post more consistently to social media, have a theme and engage more...It is exhausting but also fun and productive.

I know the algorithms don't allow for everyone to see everything all the time. I also know that not everyone is on my newsletter list.

So, what you missed in May...

I started the month with a baby theme as the family shared thoughts about our little's upcoming birthday and the end of the school year and how fast they grow!!

Baby Bottle Rockets and Binky Blooms were 2 of the first in my Nestled Babies series back in 2015 long before I was even a Bobbin (grandma:).

Click the pics for the patterns.

These little cuties are in the pattern queue too and I am excited to get them into the world. I Loved my sewing cards as a kid but they wore out since they were cardboard. My pattern will be fusible applique' with metal grommets for ease of stitching.

Dear friends came to visit this month too and we always have SO much fun and SO many laughs!! They were the perfect excuse to take the Architectural River tour downtown...it was AMAZING and we had perfect weather. The boat took you up the river but also out onto Lake Michigan where the best city views could be had as they gave you all the info about the interesting buildings that make up the skyline.

That means I closed out May on a patriotic theme partly because I have been having way too much fun designing patriotic table runners for this summer's celebrations and partly because Memorial Day would end the month.

Star Trio Runner and Tulip Star Runner are the first 2 releases, and they are both quick and easy. Star Trio is all piecing, and the Tulip Star has some fusible applique'. They are designed to be weekend projects that can be easily quilted yourself at home.

Obviously, I couldn't put a whole month's worth of posts here so I hope you will take a peek at my IG or FB feeds for the other stuff.

I also invite you to join my newsletter. Sign up HERE via the secure pop up:)

Lastly, here is one of the blog posts I shared this month. It is close to my heart due to the way my Coast Guard and quilting lives converged. GO CG!

Keep Stitching!

Botanical Beauty block #9

 Celebrate!

Did you know that the very first use 

of fireworks to celebrate the 4th of July

was on the first anniversary of our 

declared independence, July 4th, 1777!

In 1776, then-future President John Adams 

sent a letter to his wife, Abigail, 

outlining how the country's declared 

independence from England should be celebrated. 

He wrote that the day should be marked 

with "pomp & parade, with shews (shows), 

games, sports, bonfires, bells and illuminations 

from one end of this continent to the other 

from this time forward forever more (sic)."

The next year, a July 4th fireworks display 

in Philadelphia began and ended with 13 rockets, 

according to American University historian 

James R. Heintze.

"The evening was closed with the ringing of bells, 

and at night there was a grand exhibition 

of fireworks, which began and concluded 

with thirteen rockets on the commons, 

and the city was beautifully illuminated," he wrote. "Everything was conducted with the greatest order and decorum, and the face of joy and gladness was universal."

By about five years later, the fireworks 

shows included a wide variety of 

types of fireworks such as serpents, 

wheels, table rockets, cherry trees, 

fountains and sunflowers.

So there you have it: 

We celebrate our independence 

with fireworks and picnics because 

that's the way our founders 

intended it to be.

It is quite the spectacle now

with towns going bigger and

better all the time.

I still love a great show but am 

also aware now how these

can affect veterans.

As to the origin of my block above, 

maybe you remember it from 

another quilt of mine published

in AQ magazine a few years back,

Rockets Red Glare.

So, even if you aren't up for 

making Botanical Beauty, there

are other fun patriotic quilts to make:)

Keep Quilting:)

Botanical Beauty block #8

 Welcome to block #8, Homestead.

This is a modified block from my Village Square 

quilt a few years ago that was published in

American Quilter Magazine.

When I named this block, I was

thinking about how the colonists came here

then had to set up a new home.

Having done that my whole life via 

military transfers, I can't imagine how

much harder it was for them!!

My process was very involved and sometimes 

difficult and yet I didn't have

to clear my own land or build my own

home when I arrived.

My food was already grown and in a 

nice grocery store for me to pluck 

necessities off a shelf for my family.

The Homestead Act didn't come until 1862.

Before that the colonists had to endure rough 

terrain and build roads before they

could even get to a spot to clear for a home.

During the war, soldiers and troops could

just plunder what you had already 

grown for your family...No protections.

They were badass!

My trials pale in comparison and I am 

so grateful to those who stuck it out and 

prospered in the face of adversity.

IF you are new to our quilt along,

the FULL pattern is available as a 

PDF digital download HERE.

Etsy offers tips for printing digital patterns.

Please be sure to print ACTUAL SIZE.

All templates have a 1" square for accuracy.

This is a single-copy purchase for a single user!

Copies may not be forwarded or copied to 

be shared with others!

The pattern is required for the QAL.

My accompanying posts and videos

will not provide any measurements.

I will be providing technique

tips and history tidbits.

The QAL is taking place in 

my FB Group, 

Robin's Rocking Needles

 with blog posts

adding additional information.

Make sure all your notifications

are turned on so you don't miss anything.

If you aren't a member yet, please 

answer all 3 questions an agree to the 

rules in order to be accepted. Thank you.

HAPPY QUILTING:)

Botanical Beauty block #7

 Welcome back for block 7, Laurel Wreaths.

You will make 2 of these this month.

Laurel leaves were part of my WLL quilt along

back in 2020 and HERE is the blog post

about the original quilt.

Since then, I have been playing with

other layouts. This is one of the layouts

that I have put into repeat as a fabric

design too for that exciting someday...:)

The symbolic history of the laurel is one of 

triumph and achievement since the 

original Greek Olympics and you 

can read more about that HERE if you choose.

I find it a nice easy simple shape especially for 

beginner hand appliquers.

The best way I have found to make them even

is to fold my freezer paper in half, 

trace half the leaf to my freezer paper, 

refold then cut on the traced line. 

This gives me a symmetrical

leaf to trace to fabric.

I hope you find some other fun 

uses for this fun leaf shape!

~Keep Stitching~

Botanical Beauty block #5

Welcome to block #5, Tulip Star.

I designed this block about 10 years 

ago and planned to do it in red, white, and green.

Here is the center of the original.

It is soooo close to done:) and instead 

of finishing it, I have created a 

small wall hanging pattern and 

now included it in my Botanical Beauty Sampler. 

It has been enlarged and shrunk down 

depending on my feelings for that project.

I am loving the red, white, and blue!!

So, now imagine making multiples of 

this block and setting them together

as shown above.

What a gorgeous patriotic quilt you 

will have and they sort of look

like fireworks:)

IF you are new to our quilt along,

the FULL pattern is available as a 

PDF digital download HERE.

Etsy offers tips for printing digital patterns.

Please be sure to print ACTUAL SIZE.

All templates have a 1" square for accuracy.

This is a single-copy purchase for a single user!

Copies may not be forwarded or copied to 

be shared with others!

The pattern is required for the QAL.

My accompanying posts and videos

will not provide any measurements.

I will be providing technique

tips and history tidbits.

The QAL is taking place in 

my FB Group, 

Robin's Rocking Needles

 with blog posts

adding additional information.

Make sure all your notifications

are turned on so you don't miss anything.

If you aren't a member yet, please 

answer all 3 questions an agree to the 

rules in order to be accepted. Thank you.

SCHEDULE

Looks like a lot but time flies when we quilt:)

February 2025: Pattern Release

February '25-April '26: 1 block per month

May '26: Finishing Instructions

June '26: Time to get it quilted

July 2026: Show that baby off to all 

who will want to see to celebrate 

our country's 250th birthday. 

HAPPY QUILTING:)

Poppy Pod Lane

I have a love of poppy flowers and 

have designed some larger quilts 

that the magazines maybe find
overwhelming...?

So I designed a smaller piece and

Primitive Quilts & Projects

picked it up:)  YAY!

Their magazine is so full of beauty.

I started previewing my fabrics

to see how they would look

as quarter-square triangles.

Once the top was finished,

it was time to work on the 

embroidery for the 

applique' section.

Once all my applique'

was fused in place,

on to basting....

Yes, I pin baste 

small projects for 

machine quilting.

My quilting was straight

stitching along the diagonal line

of the pieced area; and as

I stitched down my raw 

edges of applique' with 

free motion scribble stitch, that 

area became quilted as well.

I had some wonderful

pattern testers that shared

their final minis with me:)

Thank you Brenda and Mary!!

Mary gave me a fun

change up from the 

original color scheme

and she knows how 

much I love orange:)

Make it in whatever colors

make your heart sing and 

don't forget to show me!

You can always post on my FB page HERE!

I can't wait to see it:)

The magazine is still out 

on shelves now and there 

is plenty of time to have it 

done for July!!

Keep stitchin'

Quilting with my Grandma

This photo is from 1994 when we went to celebrate my Grandma and Grandpa's 50th Anniversary!
L-R: Grandma Bea, my mom Ellen, Me, my babies; Devin on my hip and Lauren in front.

 

 

Ten years after her passing, I finally took the time to quilt with my Grandma.  I didn't learn to quilt from my Grandma and by the time I learned, she was already very sick.  Before she passed though, she had set aside a couple of UFOs and other pieces for me.

 



First up is this puff quilt made in 1976 to celebrate the Bicentennial.  Over the years it had become faded because she kept it out all the time to enjoy it.  So, at some point she decided to start taking it apart to redo some of the puffs in fabric she had saved.  When I received it, it was in sections with many little scraps of paper pinned to puffs notifying the order in the quilt: 2nd row, 3rd down, etc. 
Gram had done A LOT of easing in on those seams during assembly (must be genetic:)) and trying to sew through all the layers upon layers of seams was a pain in my big backside!! It did NOT take long for me to decide, no way Jose! Plus a sweet friend reminded me that Gram was gone and she wouldn't know:) 

What I ended up doing was salvaging the largest chunk for myself which is a good lap size. The reassembly in just that was a bit much but doable. The remainder of decent puffs were put into a good size pillow cover for my mom and the remaining fabric was donated to an appraiser friend who also does restoration work.
There is still some fabric left and I have an EPP design that I am working on to use it.  I will have enough to make a small table topper for myself and my mom!

What I learned:  I NEVER need to make a puff quilt:))

Next up was a box of horribly ugly 70s fabric that she was using to make a scrappy strip quilt.  When I opened the box, there were 8 finished, 12" blocks with all the green/red centers cut for approximately 32 blocks according to a sketch done in pen. YIKES!  Again, I pretty much knew that wasn't happening!  So now what to do with what was done.  These blocks had been done in the foundation method with a muslin??? that was more like cheesecloth.  I found a price tag on one of the fabric pieces that stated it cost $1.49/yd. and was purchased at the Fabric Bonanza.  I never heard of that store.....

I decided to give Foundation piecing a try and made 8 more quadrants, added some large green areas to try to quiet all the other colors, and some hippy-like floral applique.

I had a friend quilt it on her long arm machine with an all over floral design before I added the applique flowers--SO much easier!  Here is the new quilt with Grandma's finished 8 making up the 2 large blocks and my 8 quadrants in the borders and in the green areas for some movement.  It ended up being about 60" square and a perfect lap quilt for me!

What I learned:  Foundation piecing is SO much easier than paper piecing and I don't know why I didn't try it before!
I also was reminded of how much Grandma LOVED her moth balls.  With every press of the iron I was reminded over and over:)

For an added fun memory, I found some fabrics in the strips that seemed very familiar to me.  I went digging through some things and found this little doll quilt that Grandma had made me to match the Holly Hobbie puff quilt she had also made me.  I no longer have the puff quilt but do have the doll quilt.

If you look very closely, you will see the match to the pink swirl and the green floral fabrics.  Thank you Grandma for the lovely memories!!