The Bitsy End to 2024

I thought after my last Post two weeks ago, I would only have one finish to write about but I managed to sewqueeze out a Quilt repair, EPP over fifty Tumbling Blocks and two flimsies before heading back to the GP House to spend the last week of December with the darling Granddaughter. I’ll be somewhat brief, hopefully, to explain these pics.

• The Fish Quilt, upper left, was made and gifted twenty-five years ago to the Master Quilt Holder for his 47th birthday. After the last washing earlier this year, I noticed the binding was coming apart in several places and planned to do a quick mending. But, upon further examination, I  saw the crossed-hatch machine quilting across the framed nine patches  were coming apart so this was going to take more time. Fortunately, unlike Demando the Son, Hubby is patient and didn’t mind that his quilt sat on a chair in the dining room all these months. It helped he has three other quilts to use when he’s reclining in his chair. After finally being tired of seeing it in the dining room, I decided to mend it by removing all the cross-hatch quilting and requilting the middle and hand sewing the binding. I should mention that this was one of the first quilts I machine quilted and it didn’t hold up to all of the washings. I read sometime ago that machine quilting should last 250 washing which definitely did not happen and at the least only lasted ten washings. Coincidentally, I finished it the day before Hubby’s birthday and jokingly referred to it as a Silver Anniversary re-gifting of his birthday quilt. Another interesting side note is that the quilt pattern is the same one used for The Granddaughter Quilt #1 which was made the same year, 1999, and was finally finished earlier this year. Kind of serendipitous, right?
• I really dropped the ball when it came to making new Halloween, Fall and Christmas quilts this year. I only managed to make the Kitty Christmas Table Runner, upper right, and only did so because I thought it was needed for the GP House because I misplaced the one we had. As luck would have it, I found it and the Kitty Christmas Table Runner is now a wall hanging. The pattern is a modified version of Villa Rosa’s Clover pattern  and I used Urban Chiks Kitty Christmas fabrics.
• As mentioned in earlier Posts, I’ve become a big fan of Kate at The Last Homely House YouTube videos and once again I was inspired by her EPP project of making Tumbling blocks with Liberty Fabrics. I am not yet a fan of Liberty fabrics but thought it would look nice with Kaffe Fassett fabrics but the blocks needed to be larger, like 9” blocks. I’ll write more about my epic EPP project once I get to the next stage of sewing the 58 blocks together to make a 52”x 70” flimsy. I’ve already sewn two rows together and the first seam had me asking why did I ever wanted to make this but the sewing got easier after the first few blocks were sewn together.
• Two flimsies (last two pics) were made to close out the year: one using Zen Chic’s Frisky fabric line and the other one with a fat quarter bundle of Kaffe Fassett fabrics received on Christmas Eve. I have a new favorite pattern which is Fat Quarter Shop Fat Eighth Flip pattern which is what I used for the Frisky fabrics and a variation I’m calling Fat Quarter Flip for the Kaffe Fassett fabrics. I’ll provide more details once these flimsies are machine quilted which I hope will be in January after my sewing desk is cleaned and reorganized.

It wouldn’t be an End of Year Post without providing some stats, right?

• Forty-four quilts were finished: 26 were lap size and larger, 18 were smaller, baby quilts, table runners, wall hangings, etc.
• Thirteen were backed with Plush also referred to as Patchwork Throws, Baby Boomer Blankies or Baby Blankies.
• Fourteen were UFOs; two were over 20 years old and two were 19 years old.
• Seven Flimsies

I compiled my own Top Nine Quilts pic based on Post views and you can find links to these quilts by clicking on the 2024 Quilts and Project tab on my Blog. I had a pretty productive year considering we spent over a hundred days at the GP House where I don’t have the conveniences of my home sewing studio. But, I’m not complaining since it’s nice to take a break and I rather spend time with the darling Granddaughter who is growing up too fast.

My plans for 2025 are to enjoy my Kaffe Fassett fabrics, more EPP and FPP projects and spending time with my wool and felt stash. I really don’t want to purchase any new fabrics as my 2024/25 Project List includes some lovely fabric bundles which have been sitting on the shelf for too long. My aim is to add new scraps to the already existing heap but then  I want a break from making scrap quilts. And Wonders of Wonders, I figured out the annual puzzle of adding the new 2025 tab to my Blog without any problems.

Wishing you a most blessed and Happy New Year filled with Love, Good Health and Peace.