Broken Dishes block, in 30's repro fabric

 Good day, and welcome to my blog.

I am away from home on a business trip, but I brought my computer with me, so that I can blog on my usual Monday morning. (and do business work)

When I am in between large projects, I often pull out a small ongoing project of Broken Dishes blocks (also called the Envelope pattern).  

I have pre-cut fabric squares (3 inches) and unbleached muslin squares. Two of each to start.

(OK I had sewn my green squares together by the time I thought of showing my process in a blog post.)

Draw a diagonal line as you see here on the back of the light fabric.  Sew a scant 1/4 inch away from the drawn line, first on one side, then the other.  Cut along the drawn line.

Press open, seams towards the darker fabric.  Arrange half square triangles as in the photo above.  Sewn top and bottom pieces into twosies.

Press again towards darker fabric.  Now pin and sew these two pieces together.  Pins will help keep that center intersection in the right place, but seams should nest nicely.

Because I started with 3 inch fabric squares (not 2 and 7/8, not 3 and 7/8) my final blocks are ending up at an odd size.  This doesn't matter, as long as I keep a steady seam allowance width and all blocks end up the same size.

Note I haven't cut off the dog ears.  If this becomes important later, I will do so.

  

I have a pile of these blocks now.  But they are small (less than 5 inches square) so it will take quite a few to make a reasonably sized quilt.

Linking up with Monday Musings, Sew and Tell at Melva Loves Scraps, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Nina-Marie, Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, From Bolt to Beauty, Frederique at Quilting, Patchwork, Applique, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

Shadowpoint quilt: a big finish

 Good day, and welcome to my blog.  It's been cold in the American Midwest, and today the temperature is above freezing for the first time in a while.

I have a finish to report this week.  This is the Shadowpoint pattern from Quilted Twins.  Go to their free patterns web page and scroll down until you see it.

This was started in mid-2025 and I blogged about it in This Post.

It became a big top (for me) and I described it in This Post.

Well, it became time for it to go to my long arm quilter for a finish.  Pale pink backing, cotton batting, and a quilting design of curving vine and leaves.

It is 86 inches by 101 inches in size, a bit too large to lay out on my "design floor".  But this picture shows the pattern:

25 patch blocks look as though they are floating above a medium gray background, casting shadows.  I had sewn the 25 patch blocks together and had them in a pile, before I even found this pattern.

A closer look at one area:

And one corner:

I love the optical illusion of this pattern.  Warning: you use a lot of background material for this setting, and a good bit of black material too.  Read the directions if you choose this pattern, so that you have enough.

Linking up with Monday Musings, Sew and Tell at Melva Loves Scraps, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Nina-Marie, Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, From Bolt to Beauty, Frederique at Quilting, Patchwork, Applique, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

Columns quilt is now a top

 Good day, and welcome to my blog.  It's been cold in the American Midwest, and our snow has not melted!  I should have spent more time in my sewing nook but the past week just sped away.

I did get my Columns quilt in feedsack fabrics finished into a flimsy or top though.

Last week I described my progress.

Now I have added the setting triangles and sewn the rows together.  This pattern looks so much better with the blocks set on point.

And a close up of a corner:

The top is 56 inches by about 85 inches in size.  Kona navy blue is the fabric in the dark squares, and Kona Snow is the fabric in the white squares and setting triangles.  Plans are to have a white backing, and my local long arm quilter do some sort of swirling quilting pattern.  Not yet though.  I enjoyed making this top.

Linking up with Monday Musings, Sew and Tell at Melva Loves Scraps, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Nina-Marie, Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, From Bolt to Beauty, Frederique at Quilting, Patchwork, Applique, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

A columns quilt project in feedsack fabrics

 Good day and welcome to my blog.

We are shoveled out in the great American Midwest (20+ inches of snow) but not going anywhere.  I am baking bread and updating my blog.

I have been working on a columns quilt pattern.  One starts with a simple block with a diagonal pattern:

The 'black' squares are actually a deep navy blue, but they look black against the Kona Snow white squares.  I cut 3 inch squares of feedsacks and vintage fabrics for this.  They finish at 2.5 inches.  Note the printed patterns on the vintage fabrics are larger and different from the 1930's reproduction fabrics that are available now.

Set out the blocks, finishing at 10 inches, and rotate some to get the overall pattern:

Keep going.  I laid the initial blocks on point out on my floor (I don't have a design wall).

No, not enough blocks.  Sew some more blocks.

That's better.  The sides and top and bottom will be filled in with Kona snow setting squares.  I had hoped to get that done yesterday but ran out of time.

Leave piles of feedsacks collected over time on the worktable.  I'll put them away later.

As mentioned, I have made this pattern before.  The start of the old project is described in this Blog Post, and the finish in this Blog Post.

Using repro fabrics and a finished square size of 1.5 inches, the previous quilt looks like this:

Today: cut those setting squares and start assembling.

Linking up with Monday Musings, Sew and Tell at Melva Loves Scraps, Wednesday Wait Loss (she featured my last blog post, thank you!), Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Nina-Marie, Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, From Bolt to Beauty, Frederique at Quilting, Patchwork, Applique, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

Simplicity II in batiks now a top

 Good day, and welcome to my blog.

I have been busy in my sewing nook, and I have a new top.  I have been working with a set of batik strips from a Bali pop, as described in this Blog Post.  I have used the Simplicity II pattern from Jordan fabrics, and it works great with 2.5 inch strips, purchased or otherwise.

One makes the blocks and assembles them in a pleasing way, adding borders if you wish:

I like the 3-D look.  A closer look at a corner:

I have set this top away for the moment.  It may be quilted by me on my own machine (a trusty old Kenmore).  I am distracted now by a new start - but that is for next week, when I am a little farther along on it.

Linking up with Monday Musings, Sew and Tell at Melva Loves Scraps, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery (she featured my post - thank you!), Nina-Marie, Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, From Bolt to Beauty, Frederique at Quilting, Patchwork, Applique, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

Simplicity II pattern in batik fabrics

 Good day, and welcome to my blog.

My last blog entry discussed a project using the Simplicity II pattern available on the Jordan Fabrics website.  I liked the pattern so much I have started it again, using a collection of batik 2.5 inch strips:

I believe I ordered this Bali pop to fill out my order of a specialty ruler, so that I wouldn't have to pay shipping costs.

I have sewn the blocks together, and auditioned settings.

Not the final setting, as it turns out.  I am currently assembling the blocks into a throw-sized quilt.  Borders will be cut and added later this week.

This pattern does have a bit of leftover fabric strips, after cutting for blocks.

In other news:

Simplicity II in Christmas fabrics is quilted, bound, and washed with color catchers.  It was quilted with a Holly leaf and berry pattern, which maybe you can see below, on the back of the quilt.

A straw-colored thread was used for the quilting by the long arm quilter, at my request.  As mentioned, this will go to a departing minister and his family this coming week.

Linking up with Monday Musings, Sew and Tell at Melva Loves Scraps, Wednesday Wait Loss (she featured my Christmas Simplicity II top - thank you!), Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Nina-Marie, Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, From Bolt to Beauty, Frederique at Quilting, Patchwork, Applique, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian

Simplicity II quilt top in Christmas fabrics

 Good day, and welcome to my blog.  It's a cool day in the American Midwest, but lots of sunshine.

I'll tell you today about a project I have that has a deadline.  It is for the departing minister of our church, who is leaving at the end of January.

Dec. 20, 2025:  I decide to make a quilt using the Simplicity II pattern, available at Jordan Fabrics.

An older Hoffman jingle pop would be nice.

I opened and admired the fabrics.

On to making the blocks.  There is a tutorial video on the Jordan fabrics web page.

After a break for family and Christmas visiting, I was back at it this past weekend.  Center complete:

And with borders attached.  Alas, they are a little wavy.

I had only the package of Hoffman fabrics in my stash, and a trip to a local quilt store was necessary to find border fabric.  I found the Hoffman green inner border fabric (yeah) but the outer border is a Moda fabric.  It is black with gold stars and fits in well, as you can see.

Now it must go to the long arm quilter I use, and I hope she can get it done rather quickly.  I need to then trim, bind, and wash it with color catchers.  Before the end of January.

Linking up with Monday Musings, Sew and Tell at Melva Loves Scraps, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle and Thread Thursday, Put your Foot Down at the Quiltery, Nina-Marie, Finished or Not at Alycia Quilts, From Bolt to Beauty, Frederique at Quilting, Patchwork, Applique, Oh Scrap at Quilting is more Fun than Housework.

I have a page on Facebook: keep up with my infrequent quilt and stamp posts at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

Viridian