WIP: Basket Quilt and Mini-Dwellings

We've had some nice cooler days, but the last couple of days the weather has been sultry! Wind from North (Equator), means hot! I had to do a couple of errands Wednesday morning, and I have to say I was glad when it was done and I was home again!

Today is Equinox (March 20). The beginning of the 'cold season' for us living on the Southern Hemisphere, although we won't feel any difference until beginning April. Can't wait for cooler days! 

Since my previous post, there has been some progress on the Basket Quilt. 

All the small triangles were cut and pieced together with the 4-patches,  for the second border. 

The corner blocks are done too

As I have mentioned earlier; what I have left of the basket weave fabrics as well as the first (gremlin) blocks I made (and didn't like that much), go into the pieced backing

There's no more I can do on this one until I get the ordered background fabric for the basket blocks.  

A little progress on the Mini-Dwellings stitchery

The tree is done.

Trunk & branches are backstitches, leaves are lazy daisy stitches. 

It has been years since I did lazy daisy stitches, it took me some stitches getting into it

Thread Update: The parcel has arrived and is at the Customs! I should get it by next week. 

Even if I haven't worked with red fabrics, at least there are a few red squares in the blocks for the Basket Quilt that should count. 

Linking up with Angela and the RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2026) 

and

Melva Loves Scraps - Sew & Tell

 

Basket Quilt and Mini-Dwellings WIP

I'm still waiting for the quilting thread! SIGH! 

The 'problem order' made it through US Customs and has made it to France! Scheduled to arrive next week. 

Meanwhile; progress on the Basket quilt

The 4 scrappy 16-patches corner blocks are done

The small 4-patches - measure 2.5" square - for the second border is done; 72 out of 72!

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Mini-Dwellings is UFO #25 on my UFO/WIP list

The small house block has been sitting on my sewing table for weeks. The idea is to make a small wall hanging, but I wanted to add that little extra to make it more interesting. I wanted to add some embroidery, but haven't found the 'right' design.

This block is leftover from 'Dwellings' I finished last year. 

During the weekend, I flipped through several issues of Australian 'Creating Country Threads Stitchery' magazines to see if I could find something I like. 

I did! 

I chose three stitchery patterns, and this is a combination of the three. 

I don't have a lightbox, I had to tape the pattern and fabric to the window to get the design transferred. The shades on the fabric make it look dirty.

I dived into my DMC floss to see if I have the recommended colors. 

I have 9 colors out of 5. That meant going to the neighbor town for shopping! 

I got what I needed, and it was a nice long walk. 

These are the colors + black. 

I may swap the purple with another color, I shall see when I'm there...

 

Basket Quilt UFO - WIP

It took me some days deciding on how to do the basket blocks, since I was not that eager to do the original block design. Then I saw Melva's beautiful Basket block and knew right away my blocks need a 'flower pot'! 

I think the left one looks much better and I decided on that design. 

I also get to use up my basket weave fabrics that have been sitting on the shelf for some years! What I don't use for the blocks, will be used for a pieced backing. I made 5 of the design to the right, those blocks will be used for the backing too.

The pattern calls for 16 Basket blocks and I'm happy to say they are all done! 

I went through ALL my stash looking for suitable background fabric for the blocks. The one I intended is not enough! Of course! It's a beautiful Crab Apple Hill Studio called 'Tea Rose'. IMO; it would have been perfect. I need about 2 yards, I have only 1 yard. I have a few in neutrals cream, but I didn't like any of them, they look a bit dull. So, I went hunting online and did order one with tiny flowers in muted colors that should fit. 

I love making this quilt (so far! lol), but there's something with the block I don't like, but I can't pinpoint or explain exactly what it is. Hm.... they look like the Gremlins?! LOL

What do you think? 

Next step is to make 72 4-patch units for the second border, using 1.5" squares! That means I need 288 1.5" squares! Good thing I have quite some cut already, for this ongoing project I haven't worked on for a very long time. I forgot to add this one when I did my UFO/WIP list for this year.

I haven't done anything red this week. 

I have A Quilting Life's BOM for March to do. It includes red. It should be done by next week. 

Update on the delayed quilting thread order: The company has re-shipped my order, hopefully with the right custom papers this time. 

...and I'm still waiting for other quilting thread too. SIGH! I have 5-6 quilts thread basted and ready to be quilted. Oh well, I have more than enough other WIPs to work on, while waiting... 

Linking up with Angela and the RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2026)

 

Coffee With Dad - An RSC Flimsy, Another WIP

As the title says; Coffee with Dad is a Flimsy!

Viola at Familie Barwitzki challenged me to work on my UFO #26, since 26 is her birthday. Now that Swirling Stars is on hold, waiting (forever! due to shipping error from the online shop!) for ordered quilting thread, I accepted the challenge. 

In my previous post I mentioned I had too many blocks for one quilt. 

That is absolutely not true! I don't know where my head was, or better say brain (it must have melted in the heat these days!), when I figured out I need 36 coffee cup blocks! I had 64 blocks and thought I would use the 'leftovers' for another smaller quilt. 

OK, it didn't turn out! After re-reading the pattern, I noticed I misread. It reads; 'make 36 sets of 2 matching'. It's there I made the mistake; I must have read '36' only. LOL

The idea was to make it a lap quilt size; approximately 60 x 72 inches. It grew bigger! lol Instead of the intended size, I made it 60 x 84 inches. 

A pieced backing is done too. (Photos later).

The chosen RSC color for March is RED

I did part of A Quilting Life's BOM 2025 last year (RSC colors). I'm doing the rest of the blocks this year

One of them is the block for March, in red

Next up to work on: UFO #5 - Basket Quilt.

The pattern is called 'Retro Baskets' by Chris Jurd, published in Marvellous Machine-made Quilts magazine. I can't find any date/year this magazine was published. I got it from an ex-pen friend in New Zealand, in May 2008. Some pages are missing, she kept patterns she wanted to make. 

I don't have any records of when I started working on this quilt. I believe it was in 2020, since it is on my UFO list 2021 (#10).

After making the first two blocks (whenever that was), I got a bit discouraged. I didn't like the blocks; they looked dull and lacked contrast (here). Great suggestions from my dear quilting friends, I ripped off the outer border and changed it to low volume fabric (here).  

I've spent hours (over)thinking what fabrics to use on the next blocks. I pulled out this, that and fabrics I could think of. I didn't like any of them! After sleeping on it, I came up with the idea to use leftovers from 'Over the River and Through the Woods'. It may not work either.... together with the fabrics I chose when I decided to make the quilt. I'm NOT going to buy any new fabrics for this one! What I have, has to work! lol

More pondering... SIGH! 

Then, looking at the blocks for the umpteenth time! 

There's something with them I don't like, but what? Then I saw Melva's beautiful basket block and knew right away this is how I want to make them look like a basket with flowers, if you follow what I mean

Years ago, for unknown reason, I decided I needed to add basket weave fabric to my stash. Don't ask me why, because they are still there! LOL I don't remember how many I bought, I have 6 half yards left. I also have one in bright blue that will be used as part of the backing on True Blue. Another one was pink. (YIKES!) If I remember right, most of it was used to make Arreli's pink quilt and RSC blocks. 

I made another block, using basket weave fabric for the 'basket'. 

Doesn't this one (to the left) look more like a basket with flowers? 

Which one would you prefer? I think I'd go for the one to the left. I don't want more overthinking! lol I've already spent 3-4 days pondering about this one. The few blocks I've already made can be used for a pieced backing.

It's still hot here. We are not much outside, except yard work / weeding (when the weather allows) and grocery shopping in early mornings before it gets too hot. 

Yesterday we decided we have to get out for a longer walk. Layer of sun protection, bottle of water, and out we went. We went to the neighbour town Rose Hill and back, about 6.2 miles / 10 km. It was hot, about 89.6F / 32C with a nice breeze, it was bearable. 

On our way home, we discovered a breadfruit tree with fruits 

(click on the photo to enlarge)

Although it is classified as a fruit, it is used as a vegetable; like potatoes

 

Lots of fruits on this tree

The trees become monsters and usually have a lot of fruits

Linking up with Angela and RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2026)

 

Basket Blocks, Over the River and Cyclone Freddy

 Thank you everyone for your input on the basket blocks (previous post)! It really helps getting others opinion. 

I've been pondering what to do and in the end I decided to rip off the outer rectangles and replace them with Moda Marbles / neutrals.

This is how they looked like...

.... and how they look now. IMO, the rectangles were too busy. Now they actually look like baskets, don't they?! :)

A few more. The colors on the right one looks a bit washed out, brighter in real. 

This is my favorite so far. The colors are blue/greyish, really beautiful. Unfortunately I don't have more of the dark and light blue, they were part of a layer cake bought years ago. The dots fabric is part of some fat quarters I have left, may make something in blue and not include this one in the basket quilt. 

I'm still into PINK, but that will be for the Saturday post! 

I've totally forgotten to show progress on 'Over the River' stitchery

This is approximately half of the first section. 

My goal is to stitch a little bit each day, so far so good. Jocelyn over at Canadian Needle Nana is working on another gorgeous Crabapple Hill design; 'Snow Days'. Be sure to check it out here.  

Cyclone 'Freddy' paid a visit last weekend + Monday. It was a powerful cyclone with gusts ('eye'/center) at 225 km/h - 139.8 miles/h when it past North/Northwest of Mauritius late Monday afternoon. Fortunate it passed ('eye') about 140 km /  87 miles off the coast. We had gusts of 126 km/h - 78 miles/h, so it wasn't that bad. No damages to our property or in the area (we are about 50 km / 31 miles South from the Northern coast) High waves and storm surges mostly where the reef doesn't protect, and some huge trees down. Another cyclone is formed, but trajectory shows it heads South before it causes any danger to the Mascarene Islands.  
 

Basket Quilt UFO back in the closet, or not?

 Does it happen to you? You pull out a project / UFO from the shelf or closet for so to get it back in to where it was? Yesterday was my turn! Why?

I don't remember when I decided on fabric and made two blocks for this quilt. 

Photo from the magazine

What I know is I received the magazine (Marvellous Machine-Made Quilts) from an ex-pen pal in New Zealand in 2008. The magazine does have some great quilts and I have made these; Colorado Star (made two quilts for our sofas) and Split Hourglass quilt. It was sew fun making these quilts (even if it took some time! lol). I'd love to make the latter again, super for scraps. 

Well, back to the Basket Quilt. I'm not happy with the fabrics I chose when I started making it (whenever that was). 

I find the two blocks I made a bit dull and lack of contrast. What do you think? 

These are the fabrics I had chosen for the blocks and borders

...this one for the outer border. I'm not going to purchase fabric for this one, except backing, maybe....

I may have to change colors/fabrics? Or get in more contrasts? I spent half of yesterday pondering what to do. I'm going to use the background I've chosen; a very light green on white, toile looking. Now that I've joined RSC, make the baskets in RSC colors? ...or just scrappy using more contrasts compared to the already made blocks? 

I'd love your suggestions! 

Time to Count UFO's - Again!

 It's that time of the (new) year again; counting UFO's! I'm not cheating, I did count my UFO's at the end of 2020 and I have not added more! lol I must admit I was a bit surprised after I counted 15 UFO's! I thought I had less! After all, we are not real quilters if we don't have UFO's, isn't it?! 

I have signed up for the APQ and Quiltsy Team's UFO Challenge 2021. If you would like to join the UFO Challenge at APQ, click here for more info. I signed up for the first time in 2020 and I had sew much fun! I finished 11 out of 12 UFO's, but the greatest part was to see all the gorgeous finished quilts! Some quilts are stunning and takes your breathe away!

How could I not sign up for this year too?! There are some easy to finish and some where I have to make the entire quilt except a couple of blocks already made. 

OK, so here's my UFO list 2021: 

#1 – Blue & white Irish Chain 

#2 – Black/White/Poppies WH  

#3 – Got the Blues 

#4 – Christmas quilt 

#5 – Pineapple quilt 

#6 – Christmas Stockings Kit 

#7 – Log Cabin blocks (Nancy Halvorsen) - JANUARY 

#8 – Scrappy quilt 

#9 – PS Quilt 

#10 – Basket quilt  

#11 – Kitchen WH 

#12 – PSQ Blocks 

#13 – Crumb Quilt 

#14 – Scrappy Flannel quilt 

#15 –Scrappy 4” squares 

These UFO's should keep me out of trouble this year! 

HAPPY QUILTING AND GOOD LUCK ON FINISHING YOUR UFO'S!