Winter Village Houses #3 are finished. Now to make Houses #4 and #5. These really take no time at all, so I know I can get them done this week before all the holiday chaos sets in. This is going to be a fun little quilt.
Have you thought at all about what projects you want to work on in the New Year? 2026 is the year of our nation’s 250th birthday, so you can be sure you will be seeing a lot of red, white, and blue quilts coming up. I haven’t decided whether to do Sewcialites 3. I might. It is usually a fun sew-along. There is one sew-along that I have my eye on: the Celebrating 250 Years of America Quilt Along from the Celebrate with Quilts book by Susan Ache and Lissa Alexander. The pattern in the book is called the Peppermint Rose quilt. Kimberly is using the upcoming Rosie collection by Fig Tree, and I think it will be a spectacular quilt. Check out the YouTube Behind the Seams video where Kimberly talks about the gazillion projects she will work on in 2026. She describes the Peppermint Rose/250 Years of America quilt at about the 54 minute mark. She also discusses all her projects on her blog The Jolly Jabber. You will get some great ideas there.
I’ve been wearing my Christmas sweaters quite a lot and it was time to give them a wash. The tags said I could wash them in the washing machine on delicate/cold, so that is what I did. Only my washer was not up to the job of draining all the water and giving them a good spin to get the rest of the water out. Good grief, that red one must have weighed 20 pounds. I had to drag it dripping wet out of the machine and squeeze the water out, which was a fail as my hands aren’t very strong. I hung it outside for the entire day, but our weather has been very foggy and damp, so I can’t say it dried out at all. Finally I was able to get more water out of it and put it back in the washer on the drain/spin cycle and it came out pretty well. I need to remember to wash my winter things in the summer when the heat and sunshine will work with me. Is it me, or are today’s washing machines getting wimpier?
(By the way, notice my impressive stash of spray starch in the background.) When I buy it in quantities, the check out clerks always look at me suspiciously and ask “What are you going to do with all that? As if I am some kind of starch graffiti artist.
Hope you all had a great weekend. Our son Ahren arrives this coming Sunday, and I can tell you, we are pretty excited about that!
15 Responses
LOL – starch graffiti artist! Poor lady didn’t have a clue. Quilters do stashes of many things!
Your houses look to be finished soon. As for me, still working on the applique medallion part of the Christmas quilt – probably have that done by next year (ever hopeful) as it is all hand stitched. Two blocks and sashings to go. But so many quilts rolling around my head. I’d like to do a quilt for my son – have 2 lined up – one with a panel of wolves and another making use of an old shirt that he had with the most awesome design on the back – giant whale with surfers (purchased in Florida when he was about 14). That shirt has been passed on to his sister and now back with me. Just need to design some patterns to fit! Then there are the unfinished ones that I’m determined to plough through.
Ahren and I picked out a ton of fabric for a quilt using William Morris style fabrics about three years ago. It is all still sitting in a bin. Making him a quilt with it needs to be at the top of my priority list! My problem was that I did not care for the pattern he picked out. I need to find something more suitable that I will enjoy making and get it done. I have a few UFOs from this year’s sew alongs to finish up and then I can start creating some new things!
My daughter did that years ago with me too. Chose all the fabrics. I eventually got it made – scrappy. Quilted it to death and it was so firm – but now it is all squidgy and even her husband has been caught with it wrapped around himself! I did manage to get a wedding quilt made for them on time though, including more of her choices over the years. Fatal letting a child choosing fabric!!!
I was making things with skull fabric and Star Wars fabrics for years. At least he’s out of that phase!
oh.my.gawd. skulls. that would be tough.
I was wondering where you’ve been. I think I’m not getting the messages every day that is your blog. But…….I’m too busy anyway because I’ve been deep in 1883 with Emma, Pierce, Hawks and Islington! I do read a lot of the books you recommend but oh my! These have been a pleasant way to spend half a month. I finished 8 last night, immediately went to check on 9 and alas, its not published yet. Thank you so much for introducing me to Emma. BTW, I want her to end up with the Duke. The quilt is fun…makes me wsnt to do a house quilt.
You could try “re-subscribing” to the blog and see if you start getting the notifications again. I post three or four times a week, so I haven’t gone anywhere. I am so glad you were as immersed in the Emma M. Lion books as I was! I am holding my breath for Volume 9 as well. I am definitely Team Islington too.
Your starch stash reminds me of my husband’s egg nog stash! He buys enough during the season to freeze & have in his coffee every morning year round. Regarding washing machines…ours’ is about 30 years old. It’s top loading Maytag with an agitator & I don’t want to jinx it by saying how well it’s held up. Irreplaceable! Ahren is going to be so impressed with his dad’s progress! That’s so exciting for all of you!
When Ahren was here last year Dennis would practice walking on the front porch and we would follow behind him with the wheel chair in case he got tired or off balance. Now he is able to get around just about anywhere and the wheel chair is gathering dust in the garage!
I’ve stopped making Christmas quilts except for the one I love that’s a UFO. Having quilts quilted this days just about requires a bank loan!
How exciting that Ahren is coming home for Christmas!!!
Yes, washing sweaters in the summer is the ticket. Your poor hands trying to squeeze all that water out.
It’s a 2nd snow day for us in less than a week (4″ last Friday) and that is really unusual since we’ve had hardly any snow at all for the last several years. The forecast says we may get 6″ today. Hearty soup for supper for sure.
Hugs!
Soup sounds so good! It has been so damp and super foggy here. The fog sort of permeates everything and makes it wet everywhere. Plus the damp cold seems to go right through my clothes to my bones!
1) I looked at the video and that quilt is gorgeous. I might buy the book….like I don’t have a million books and patterns to choose from.
2) yay for Ahren!
3) I’ve almost finished my xmas sewing. I really want to get it done so I can bake cookies. I keep eating the ingredients b4 I get the cookies baked. It’s just ridiculous.
4) yay for soups!
I’m taking the beast for a bath today….we’re having some more lighting put in the family room. old eyes. I need more lighting at night. 2 guys working here for 4 to 5 hrs means I have to keep the dog busy and entertained all afternoon. a bath will kill 1 hour of it. ;p
Dennis and I took Archie over to Tractor Supply to give him a bath this past weekend. I love the ease of doing that. They have a room with big washtubs and choices of shampoos, and they supply clean towels. He is always up for the adventure (both Dennis and Archie) and it takes no time at all. He gets all dopey and relaxed when I massage the shampoo into his fur and rinse him with warm water. (Now I am referring to Archie).
I just have four or five more houses to make for the Winter Village quilt and all the blocks will be done. I won’t promise to put them together before Christmas, but I am satisfied to have gotten this far with some holiday sewing. Goodness knows, I have not been doing much.
I am looking forward to some fresh projects for the new year. Both the Sewcialites and the 250 Year Celebration projects don’t begin until February, so maybe I can get that Halloween Figs project off the design wall by then. lol
Your little red houses are so lovely and charming! It will be so nice to see the finished quilt top. And I love your Christmas sweaters….. they are Christmas-y without being “in your face” Christmas!
I’m so glad that Ahren will be with you for the holidays again. He will indeed be impressed at the great progress that your husband has achieved this year.
The countdown to Ahren’s arrival has begun! I am so excited to have him here. He is very much missed.