Project Update: 30.09.2025

Hello Friends and Welcome!

As I've been settling into the Autumn season and the spontaneous schedule of house showings, it's been difficult to find as much motivation to work on my quilt projects.

I'm still excited about seeing them progress and inspired by the choices I've made for each project, but knowing that I'll need to pack them away at a moment's notice has certainly slowed me down.

Of course, we are just coming up to two weeks on the market, so I am still adjusting to the change and I'm sure I'll settle into a system that balances my personal sewing time with potential house showings!

In the meantime, I've done my best with the time I have found!

The Generations Quilt Project

So far, finding time for hand sewn projects has been easier since I can take them with me when I leave the house during showings. As a result, I've made some really good progress on my Generations Quilt blocks!

I started by finishing the applique on my last few Dresden Plates!

With these six completed, I have now finished 34 Dresden Plates!

I have loved working on these and would happily make more, but it seemed like a good time to shift my focus back to Six Pointed Star blocks!

I already had several of the Star appliques pieced, so I got straight to stitching them onto background squares!

I don't know that I would choose these four backgrounds to go together in a finished quilt, but I have had a lot of fun stitching them!

And there is more fun yet because I still have two more basted and ready to be appliqued!

With these Six Pointed Stars, I now have 32 completed blocks and two more in progress! Once finished, I'll have 34 Dresdens and 34 Stars ready to show off to my Mom and Grandma!

I'll be seeing both of them later this week for our guild's October meeting, and I plan to bring my blocks with me so we can talk a little about how we'd like to put these quilts together! Hopefully I'll have a Generations Quilt update to share future plans with all of you soon!

My Generations Quilt is based on the traditional Dresden Plate and Six Pointed Star blocks, using templates drafted from extant blocks by Valerie Anne.

Potato Chip Challenge Quilt

Though hand stitching is much more transportable, I have been excited to work on my Potato Chip quilt as well!

Even if I didn't finish it in time for the challenge deadline, I'm still really excited to try the watercolour piecing technique and I love how the quilt top is coming together so far!

Of course, Meara decided to insert herself into my photo session. I was using the light coming in our front door and a cat ran by, so she could not be persuaded to leave!

Even so, the gradient is really starting to show itself in the piecing now that the quilt top is up to 3x3 blocks!

With the quilt top growing, I was excited to get started on the next row of blocks and introduce some of my darker prints!

So far, I have pieced two of those darker blocks, so not quite enough to attach them to the quilt top, but I'm looking forward to making the next few blocks when I have some more time to set up my sewing machine and ironing board again!

And though the quilt top isn't finished yet, I have been thinking about what's needed to quilt it.

Over the weekend, Mom and I went to a few local quilt stores and I picked up some backing fabric and quilting thread that I think will work for my watercolour Potato Chip quilt!

I chose this Tossed Mandala print by Lilac Bee Designs and Studio E Fabrics for the quilt backing. I feel like the floral mandala print matches the floral prints in the front of the quilt!

I also found a variegated pinkish-lilac thread that should blend with the variety of prints and values I've used in the quilt top! It's a Valdani cotton thread in the colour Hawaiian Orchid.

Now I just have to finish piecing my quilt top!

My Potato Chip quilt is based on a design by Brenda Logan of Conquering Mount Scrapmore.

Rainbow Railfence Quilt

Though I only added stitches to two of my projects, I do have another quilt to share an update on; Rainbow Railfence!

I finished this quilt at the end of 2020 and have been using it since then!

But a quilt that gets used will eventually need to be washed, and I've been really worried about dye bleeds since this quilt has such a wide range of colours and values, as well as quite a bit of black fabric.

I've read about quilters using dye catching sheets when machine washing quilts, so I've been looking for those for a few years and finally found them while Mom and I were checking out quilt shops last weekend!

The dye catchers went into the wash white and came out a bruised brownish-purple colour, so they certainly did their job!

Of course, not every quilt will need dye catchers when washed—reds and blacks tend to be the most notorious colours when it comes to dye bleeding—but it's never a bad idea to try to protect your quilts!

Rainbow Railfence is my own original design, by Valerie Anne of the Fibre Arts blog.

Friends, it has been so exciting to look back at how much stitching I've done over the last few weeks in spite of the challenges presented by selling our house! Though I may have slown down, I know I'll continue to find time for stitching as the showings continue!

Of course, I'm sure many of you have been just as productive and I would love to see what you've been working on! Please share photos and stories of your own projects in the comments below, by sending me an email, or by visiting me on Instagram!

And with October's imminent arrival, be sure to check back with me next week for the piecing instructions for the first unit of our Midnight Circus quilt along!

Until Next Time Friends, Keep Creating!

~VA