Quilting Weather

Rain = quilting weather.

It was nice in the morning, but got cloudy in the early afternoon with rain off and on. 

What's better than spending time in the sewing room? Well, not actually a 'sewing room'. My 'sewing / quilting room' is the dining room table, because that table is big; 42 x 84 inches / 107 x 255 cm. I love that! 

I have just finished two RSC (UFOs) quilts, the Scrap Jar Stars quilts. Yes, I know; I have to take photos!!! I WAS going to take photos today! Then it got cloudy, dark and dreary! SIGH! 

I have two quilts to be quilted; UFO #20 (Country Charm) and #8 (Got the Blues), both thread basted. (UFO list) 

I'm quilting 'Country Charm' in loopy swirls design.

About 1/4 is done.

My goal is to get it done by the weekend. Let's see how that goes! 

 

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!

************

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...

 

JANUARY 2026 - Time (again!) for UFOs and Goals for the New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Here we go again! UFOs / WIPs / RSC 2026! 

I think I'd better start with the UFO's I did finish in 2025: 

You can see them all here. 

1) New York Beauty

2) Keep Believing / Tomten's Quilt

3) Dwellings / House quilt

4) Snowman wall quilt

5) No name purple quilt

6) Keep the Home Fires Burning

7) Sherri McConnell BOM 2024

8) Over the River and Through the Woods

My UFO/WIP/OGP list for 2025 is as long as a freight train and here is an updated list per January 1, 2026. It does not look much better compared to the 2025 list! YIKES!!!

1) PSQ 36-patches blocks

2) Wedding Ring quilt

3) Scrappy Christmas Stars

4) Christmas Card Holder

5) Basket quilt

Update: Out of the box / debating fabrics - February 27, 2026

Update: Decided on block design - WIP - March 8, 2026

Update: All basket blocks and corner blocks done / working on border #2 - Week 11, 2026

Update: Assembling the blocks/borders - Week 16, 2026

Update: Flimsy and Pieced backing - April 20-22, 2026

6) Scrappy 4-inches blocks (Diamond in a square)

7) Crumb quilt

8) Got the Blues - Progress: Thread basted

Update: Quilting completed June 19, 2026 / Waiting for ordered binding fabric

9) Poppy Wall quilt

10) Granny Squares

11) Swirling Stars RSC - flimsy Jan 27, 2026

Update: Thread basted and started custom quilting (February 8, 2026)

Update: Waiting for ordered quilting thread (February 25, 2026)

FINISHED MARCH 27, 2026

12) Star Streams / Progress: Thread basted 2025

WIP: Quilting (week #4 - 2026) - FINISHED JAN 31, 2026

13) Patchwork Potpourri

14) Star Quilt / Brown and Orange RSC

 WIP: Making remining blocks (second week Jan 2026)

Flimsy (Jan 11, 2026)

Update: Thread basted February 5, 2026

Update: Started custom quilting the blocks April 8, 2026

FINISHED MAY 5, 2026

15) 182 Day Solstice RSC

Update: WIP: Last block (#8) / assembling blocks - April 13, 2026

Update: Flimsy April 16, 2026

16) 35 Scrap Jar blocks RSC - Work in progress (end Dec 2025) 

Update: 2 flimsies + pieced backings (first week Jan 2026)

Update: Thread basted - May 17, 2026

2x FINISHED MAY 27, 2026

17) 94 Zip It (Zipper) blocks RSC - WIP (Jan 28, 2026): First blocks sewn together

Update: Flimsy (Jan 31, 2026)

Update: Thread basted (beginning February 2026)

FINISHED MAY 13, 2026

18) 64 Split Nine blocks RSC

19) Kris Kringle Kit

20) Country Charm / Progress: Thread basted

Update: Quilting: End of May 2026

FINISHED JUNE 7, 2026

21) Ocean Waves (Half Square Triangles from RSC and other blocks) 

WIP -  beginning Jan 2026

   FINISHED MAY 7, 2026

22) Christmas Table Topper

FINISHED MAY 16, 2026

23) Tea cozy / Keep Believing - WIP (Jan 12, 2026) / FINISHED JAN 15, 2026

24) Small Wall quilt / Keep believing - Progress: Flimsy (Jan 11, 2026)

FINISHED JAN 24, 2026

25) Mini-Dwellings (leftover house block  from Dwellings)

Update: embroidery part drawn - March 15, 2026

Update: Embroidery done / Thread basted May 13, 2026

Update: Started quilting end of May 2026  

26) Coffee with Dad RSC

Update: WIP: Piecing together blocks (February 25, 2026)

Update: Flimsy - February 27, 2026

Update: Thread basted March 8, 2026

FINISHED MAY 8, 2026

27) Sherry McConnel BOM 2025 RSC - WIP

28) Eclipse RSC

29) Scrappy blocks RSC

30) Hollow Nine blocks RSC

31) Scrappy Flannel blocks

Knitting / Crocheting: 

Shawl - knitting

Open finger gloves - knitting

Santa - knitting

Gnome - knitting

Bed cover - knitting

Granny Squares blanket - crocheting

As you can see, there are way too many! It won't be possible to finish them all by end of 2026. My goal is to finish at least one per month. Let's see how that goes! 

What about you? Do you have any goals for 2026? 

HAPPY QUILTING! 

RSC Week 11 - More Yellow

Where did the week go? It's already middle March, which means we are heading towards cooler days! Hot and sticky today. 

Beginning of the week was wet and thundery. We got almost 4" rain. Not much, but every little drop counts. Mauritius is in drought (it's the rainy season and almost no rain!?) Water restrictions are put in force. Water reservoirs are about 40% or less. 

Enough of weather, whatever it is, we can't do anything about it! 

Over to sewing!

The RSC color for March is yellow. 

I made most of the blocks at the beginning of the month (here), but I needed to make a few more blocks for 'Eclipse'. 

I love this warm yellow fabric so much. It's not easy to see, it has tulips, daffodils and other flowers with silver accents. Unfortunately it doesn't show very good on the photo.

I made a full circle! The sun! 

I made two half circles and pieced them together. 

Difficult getting the color right, it is a bit warmer than the photo. I tried to adjust the tint too, as you can see the pink background, to no avail. Sigh! 

Using up more yellow fabrics; placemats and trivets. 

Over the last weeks I've made 4 Norwegian flag table runners for my shop. I've finished 3, the last one to be quilted. (No photos). Last year I made some flag mug rug tops, which I quilted yesterday. I'm running out of red for the flags and bindings, I have enough for either the mug rugs or the TR. I have to purchase more, but before I do that I'll see if there is other things I really need. Remember I'm on SSD (Strict-Stash-Diet) this year! 

I also finished 'Keep the Home Fires Burning' (my goal for March) this week. I need to sweep the porch before I can put the quilt on the floor and take photos. 

Linking up with Angela and RSC (Rainbow Scrap Challenge) 

 

January 2025 - Time (again!) for UFOs

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Here we go again! UFOs / WIPs 2025! 

I know I'm one week early, but I also know there's no chance I'll get any of these UFOs / WIPs finished before 2025! 

I've been a slug the last couple of years, finished only a few. 

The list does not differ much from January 2024, just added a few more! Haha! 

1) New York Beauty - Finished February 18, 2025

Progress 2024: blocks pieced together, thread basted, ready for quilting

2) PSQ 36-patches

Progress: more blocks added 

3) Wedding Ring quilt

Progress: Zero!

4) Scrappy Christmas Stars

Progress: Zero!

5) Advent Calendar Woodland - Finished 2023

6) Christmas Card Holder

Progress: Decided on fabric

7) Vegetable wall hanging/storage - Finished 2022

8) Basket Quilt

Progress: Zero!

9) Scrappy 4"

Progress: Zero!

10) Pineapple Quilt - Finished 2024

Take photos!

11) Crumb Quilt

Progress: Zero!

12) Irish Chain - Finished January 2024

Take Photos!

13) Got the Blues

Progress: All blocks done

14) Poppy Wall Quilt

Progress: Zero!

15) Scrappy Flannel Quilt

Progress: Zero!

16) Tomten's Quilt - Finished May 17, 2025

Progress: All blocks done, ready for sashing

17) Granny Squares

Progress: Zero!

18) House Quilt (Dwellings) Finished April 10, 2025

Progress: Zero

19) Snowman Wall Quilt

Progress: Thread basted, ready for quilting Finished April 30, 2025

20) Swirling Stars - RSC 2024

Progress: All blocks done

21) Star Streams

Progress: Flimsy + pieced backing, purchase batting

22-1) Bases Loaded, Purple - Finished May 13, 2024

Take Photos!

22-2) No name purple - Finished Jan 12, 2025

Progress: thread basted, ready for quilting

23) Patchwork Potpourri

24) Star Quilt / Brown Orange

Progress: Zero

25) Flag Table Runner - Finished Jan 9, 2024

26) Keep the Home Fires Burning - RSC 2024 - Finished March 12, 2025

Progress: Flimsy + pieced backing, purchase batting

27) A Quilting Life BOM 2024 - RSC 2024 Finished June 8, 2025

Flimsy + pieced backing + batting, ready to be quilted

28) 182 Day Solstice 

Progress: 13 out of 25 blocks made

29) 35 Scrap Jar blocks

Progress: Made blocks only

30) 94 Zipper blocks

Progress: Made blocks only

31) 64 Split 9 blocks

Progress: Made blocks only

32) Kris Kringle KIT

Progress: Zero! 

33) Country Charm

Progress: Blocks made for the center unit

Currently making blocks for this one. 

Knitting / Stitchery / Cross-Stitching

Shawl - (knitting)

Open Finger Gloves (knitting)

Santa (knitting)

Gnome (knitting)

Bed Cover (knitting)

Granny Square Blanket (crocheting)

Over the River and Through the Woods (stitchery)   -  Finished Dec 14, 2025

Progress: First section done. Started third section.

Bits of Blue (cross-stitching)  Sampler finished June 22, 2025

Progress: Zero

As you can see, there are way too many! I'm not saying I'm going to finish ALL by 2025. My goal; I'll be happy if I can finish one per month. 

What about you? Are UFOs top priority 2025? 

I think I'll start with a piece of Banana- Rum Bars I made yesterday! YUM! 

RSC Week #25 - Never ending Blues

 How did it come it's midsummer already?! 

This year, so far, has flown by with record speed.

I missed last Saturday's RSC posting. We took advantage of the sunny weather and did some (never ending!) yard work. I'm glad we did, Sunday it was pouring rain, and rain showers ever since. I did grocery shopping and went for a walk this afternoon, it was pouring rain just after I returned home.

What has been going on the last two weeks? 

I've quilted and added pockets to 6 blue Advent Calendars for my Etsy Shop. Sleeves are added too. I ran out of red for binding, re-ordered and it was delivered yesterday.

I thought I had enough silver metallic thread for to quilt three other blue calendars. I'm quite organized when it comes to sewing threads, they are all in plastic containers, sorted on brands. When I found one almost empty silver metallic spool, I knew that is what I have left. It was just enough to quilt one calendar, not enough to stitch down the pockets. More is on the way, I should get it by next week. (Sorry, no photos of the calendars yet).

More Step blocks have been made for Star Streams

'Of course' I ran out of white-on-white background fabric! More is on the way, not sure when I'll get it. 

Some Zipper blocks were made too.

I'm also working on a blue table runner for the buffet in our TV-room. Hopefully I have photos for my next 'blue' blogpost. 

Linking up with Angela and the RSC - Rainbow Scrap Challenge

 

RSC Week #23 - More Blues

June is a busy month here at Grandma's Red Needle. 

BLUE was selected by Angela at SuperScrappy as the RSC - Rainbow Scrap Challenge - color for June. 

I have several blue WIPs and with the head start last week, I made several blocks for some of the WIPs. 

This week I've made 

4 Scrap Jar blocks

New BOM block from Sherri McConnel, 'A Quilting Life'

I'm currently working on BLUE Advent Calendars (no photos yet) for my Etsy Shop 

I like to start early, to avoid 'stress-sewing' closer to the Advent Season. 

Linking up with Angela and RSC - Rainbow Scrap Challenge

 

Pin in the Quilt - YIKES!

Finally! A UFO is under the needle!

This quilt was a result of the RSC - Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2023.

I had all those purples I wanted to use and ended up making two purple quilts. 

After the tops were done, both were put away. The main reason I wasn't sure how to quilt them. 

2-3 weeks ago I pulled the tops out from their 'hiding places' and got both sandwiched. The biggest one, the one I'm currently quilting, has a partly pieced backing (to use up more purple). It wasn't enough for the backing (no other fabric in my stash suitable), I did purchase a 108" wide backing, just enough for both quilts. 

To get a pieced backing straight can be a real PITA! 

Fortunate I have a big dinner table turned into my sewing table. I tape part of the backing to the table, mark the center and the four sides. I mark the backing center with a long pin, then add the batting and top. Since I always thread baste quilts before quilting, I have figured out long pins are much better (for me) compared to safety pins to hold the three layers together before thread basting. 

I don't have any photos from the preparation for this quilt. However, I did a blog post some years ago, for another quilt. To get an idea how it works for me. 

I'm very careful to remove all the pins after the quilt is thread basted.

I thought I had removed all pins on this one, but to my surprise and horror (!), the pin in the center of the backing was overseen! Yikes! It was between the batting and backing!

I noticed the pin when I started quilting (I start quilting from the center). Thank goodness I discovered it before the quilting was done at that specific area! 

I had to open up some of the thread basting from one end to the center, put my hand between the backing and batting to get that darn pin out! 

(the photo shows the pin after it was removed from inside the layers).

This quilt seems taking F-O-R-E-V-E-R to quilt! 

I decided on straight seams, which I think suits the quilt. It is made of HST (Half-Square-Triangles) in scrappy white / cream and a variety of purples. All the white /cream is quilted.

 I decided to quilt inside each purple HST! My goodness me! Why did I decide on that?! Because I know it'll look good when it's done! 

Variety of purple Masterpiece and King Tut being used for the HST.

(Sneak peek of the backing).

Threads to be buried by hand, because I don't like the look done on the sewing machine. 

My goal was getting it done by April. That didn't happen! New goal date; middle May! 

 

 

RSC Week #16 - End of Yellow... Almost

...at least for me!

I have a small finish

The table topper got black border and binding, Grunge Onyx Black

The hot pads, placemats and coasters are quilted and binding added to the front.

Round hot pads and coasters

Square placemats and hot pads

Both fabrics have some blue / turquoise and I found this Moda Marbles Key West Blue 9880-49 in my stash. I had a look at the new Moda Marbles color chart and it looks like it has been replaced with 9863 Turquoise.   

The bindings need to be hand sewn or machine sewn to the back. I do not have matching thread at all, either too light or too dark. 

Need to purchase a small spool, but that has to wait some days. Usually parcels to Mauritius transit through Dubai Airport. A few days ago, Dubai got rain worth of 2 years, in about 24 hours! Streets flooded, airport flooded, flights cancelled, everything to a standstill. Airport is still disrupted after the storm. Parcels are usually shipped UPS, I wonder if the company is redirecting flights to other airports. 

Yellow yardage and squares are stored away for this time. 

This weekend I'm actually working on a UFO! Part of it is quilted and before I continue, it's time for an afternoon CUPPA. Thunderstorms this morning and torrential rain expected, meteo says. Perfect sewing weather! 

Fascinating scenery this morning. If you look closely to the right, you'll see a faded

 second rainbow.

Linking up with Angela and the RSC - Rainbow Scrap Challenge