When I started to gather photos to write this post, I was thinking that I probably don’t have much to show for my year of quilting. However, I wasn’t entirely correct about that! While I may not have had many finishes at the end of the year, when I look back, I actually completed more than I originally thought. I have compiled photos of the quilt tops I finished as well as the quilts that I finally had quilted. Enjoy the photos.
I will begin with the quilts that I had quilted this year. The photo above is Blueberry Delight, a sew along with Fat Quarter Shop that featured their foundation piecing papers.
The last quilt to come back from the quilter in 2025 is Into the Wind (Miss Rosie pattern), a quilt top finished some years ago in 3 Sisters fabrics.
Moda Blockheads 3 yielded a gazillion blocks, which ended up being made into two quilts. This is the first of them, all 8″ blocks.
This cheerful quilt is Viola, another Miss Rosie pattern. I used fabrics by a designer named Denyse Schimdt, whom I have not seen anything from in ages. The quilt is meant to be 4 blocks by 4 blocks and I made it smaller, which I regret.
This is Cabins in the Woods, a quilt pattern called Base Camp by Sweetwater, which I used just a few blocks of to make the table topper.
Now for my finished quilt tops:
This was such a fun project. The blocks are made from the Riley Blake Challenge, which they do each year. I used blocks from various years of their challenges, and set them around a central medallion of a large checkerboard/barn block. I love how this turned out in the Lori Holt fabrics I had on hand. I will not wait so long to get this quilted!
This is a rare quilt that I finished AND got quilted in the same year that I made it! Eva graduated from middle school in May, and I wanted to honor the occasion with a quilt that captured all the fun seasonal things the two of us had done together from preschool through high school. I sourced the blocks from all over, but the project’s inspiration came from Sherri McConnell’s annual quilt-along from last year.
This pretty quilt top is called Moonlight and is from a pattern in Susan Ache’s book Halloween Memories. I started it in 2024, but got sidetracked when my husband became ill. I am so glad I went back and finished it.
Clearly, I am a woman who cannot resist a Halloween/Fall project. This gigantic quilt is from a Primitive Gatherings sew-along called Pumpkin Spice Gatherings. Each week we made a number of blocks in a single design, which changed up each week, and were ultimately arranged into this design. All the open white space will lend itself to creative quilting.
Every year, the Fat Quarter Shop does a free autumn-themed sew-along. The projects are always small: wall hangings or table toppers. The 2025 project, Autumn Nights, was a fun, quick sew-along, which I enjoyed. I’ve completed projects over the past three years and know I will dive into this year’s as well.
Why on earth do I think I need to make so many Halloween-themed quilts? Who knows, but I love them. This is Spooks and Spells, a kit I bought. The fabric and pattern is by Stacy Iest Hsu. It made great use of a panel, which was cut up to be featured as the center of each quilt block. Super cute.
Who doesn’t need a new seasonal mug rug? Now, if I limited myself to using my Halloween stash for this purpose, I wouldn’t be drowning in full-sized Halloween quilts. The pattern is by Carried Away, fabrics from Fig Tree stash.
Finally, my most involved project for 2025 (and 2024) is Strawberry Garden. The pattern for this quilt is in a book of the same name by Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree & Co. My gosh, this quilt took me forever to finish. I love the results, but it will be a minute before I tackle another project that is so labor-intensive.
Looking back, it was a pretty good year for quilt projects! I plan to get super organized (my word of the year for 2026) and finish up a number of WIPs and UFOs. I also have a couple of sew alongs on my radar, and will keep you posted on anything new that is coming up.
Happy sewing to all of you and best wishes for a productive and creative New Year!
30 Responses
Nicole, A beautiful quilt show for us to get motivated and start sewing!! Happy New Year!!
Thanks Doris! I want to get a few things finished up and clear the decks for something new.
You/your blog has had a very positive influence on me.
First – I am machine binding my utility quilts now. In 2025, this meant 5 military quilts, 5 charity quilts, and 3 baby quilts got done easily because of one of your blog posts.
Second – I am joining my Guild’s UFO group this year. We buy in at $5 each. We assign a specific UFO to each turn in month (March, May, July, September, November). We show the coordinator our finished item by each turn in month (at guild meeting, photo by text, photo on guild’s private Facebook page). There are rewards each turn in month and also at the end. I am taking full advantage. Example – My first/March turn in month assignment – binding on 3 quilts which will finish them.
Three – I am joining my local shops Block of the month group, I am making two quilts, I have the fabric for both quilts, we start Thursday. My quilts will be different. I am using a white background like the sample, but I am putting more white space between the blocks, and my border will be white. My quilt will have more breathing room.
And fourth – I taught quilting for years, but no longer have the stamina nor thumbs to teach an all day class. My guild has 30 minute demo classes before most monthly meetings. I have volunteered to do four this year, one per quarter. Quilt labels, machine binding, chain piecing blocks, stabilizing T-shirts for a quilt.
You and your blog motivated me on all of that. Thank you!
yay, you! what a wonderful turn of events.
Vickie, you have totally made my day. Thank you so much for your kind words. There is nothing more gratifying than to hear that something one has shared has been helpful to others.
I think it is admirable that you donate so many quilts to the military and charities. Do you do the quilting on them yourself or just donate the tops to the organizations to have quilted? That is my stumbling block. I could donate so many quilt tops, but I certainly can’t afford to spend hundreds of dollars to have them quilted first.
I envy you that you have a local quilt guild and shops that you can interact with. The 30 minute demos before meetings is a brilliant idea. Both for people like you with so much knowledge, and for those who can’t manage a day long class.
Thanks again for your comment.
The military quilts – the military quilt group takes care of the quilting and the binding. I did the tops, made the binding, gave them the backing. They take care of the batting.
Kids charity quilts – this is a guild project. We have been donating quilts to the kids camp for 32+ years. Over a hundred per year. One of my long armers offers deep discounts for charity quilts.
I love seeing your quilts over the past year, whether finished or not! I started and finished 3 this year, and finished 2 others These were special gifts, and all pushed those on the WIPs that I planned to do to the bottom of the list. So this year I REALLY plan to get some of those done. I know I will jump into a couple of QALs too. And there may be a long arm in my future!
A long arm could be the start of something great for you! How wonderful to be able to quilt your own projects.
Also, it sounds like you are a fairly disciplined quilter and don’t take on too many projects at once. I have never had that kind of focus and am kind of all over the place with my projects. Hence, I get overwhelmed and end up with a lot of WIPs!
There are some good QALs coming up this year. Sherri from A Quiltitng LIfe just posted on her yearly free sew-along, and by the look of her first block, it will be a good one.
Nicole you had a phenomenal quilting and reading year. Your husband has been ill and you still accomplished so much. That’s a success in my book.
I am actually quite surprised at how much I got done! Sewing and reading are obviously an escape for me!
As always Nicole you are inspiring!!! Love seeing all your quilts! I am hoping to get one WIP completed every month this year!
I am.committed to finishing mine off as well. One a month is a great goal!
Kerry, this is a great idea!
Thanks for giving is a trunk show this morning–great way to begin the week! You definitely accomplished a lot last year! I say that a finish counts as a finish no matter when it was started! And it goes without saying that you certainly reached some great reading goals in 2025! ‘Organized’ is a good choice for your word of the year. Most of us probably should use it, as well!
I am really committed to focusing on my goals this year and trying not to be so distracted by shiny. new things!
SQUIRREL!!! you made me go look at Sherri’s blog.
I think we should sew this one together….
Come on, it would be fun.
one block a month? that is doable.
Thanks for sharing your wonderful quilts this morning! I am inspired to take inventory and see exactly what quilt projects I managed to complete in 2025 AND maybe make a plan to finish multiple UFOs in 2026! Thanks!
I really liked Kerry’s idea of striving to wrap up one WIP per month.
Well, Into the Wind is my favorite of your year’s crop. I love the colors and I do like Miss Rosie patterns. I also like the Blueberry table topper, though blue is not my favorite color. I like Viola too…..it would have been lovely in a 4×4 block, but the pattern is very nice. My hat is off to you, Nicole, for all you turn out. It was fun to see all these quilts.
Thanks so much Carol!
so many beautiful quilts. I’ve finished a couple of quilts for kids. started several more for myself and one for a friend. so much fun to see what you’ve sewn. I’ve always found you to be inspirational.
I am always really excited for a new year/new projects, but I HAVE GOT to finish some of the projects left over from 2025. Love the idea of tackling one a month. But first, that darn Halloween Figs one.
Gorgeous quilts, thanks for the show.
Thank you Kerry!
Thank you for the beautiful quilt show! Your piecing is always exquisite!
Such a lovely array, Nicole. Miss Viola caught my eye! I, too, have wondered what happened to Denyse Schmidt. (When I peruse back issues of magazines or older quilt books I often stop to look up the people mentioned in the articles or captions.)
Such beautiful quilts you shared. I need to document the quilts I did complete in 2025. In January I create a list of the projects I would like to complete and ones I want to start. I have done Sherri’s BOM in the past. Also have a stash of Denyse Schmidt fabric waiting for the perfect project.
Love them all! I think you accomplished a lot especially given that they seem pretty complex. Can’t wait to see what you work on in 2026!