May 08: Joe works at the neighborhood Dollar General. During this Covid-19 crisis, that often means double shifts and time only to sleep. This quilt is his thank you for a job well done. The retro backing is not available but hopefully will be come football season. Everything else is ordered.
May 19: After waiting 10 days, Fabric.com sent an email that the black flannel was not available. A first.
May 20: Ordered some Kaufman Yellow flannel hoping it might be a better match than the Citrus. Still looking for some retro fabric & notice there are shysters trying to sell small pieces for a huge price.

Apr 10: Carin Jackson ​has a quilt on the way.
Apr 16: Quilt is here.
Apr 17: Realized the back is not larger than the top so we have to figure out what to do. Carin will send fabric for leaders.
Apr 20: Back leaders are here.
Apr 21: Prepped.
Apr 23: Loaded.
Apr 24: Programmed ready to quilt. Quilting.
​Apr 25: Quilted.

May 20, 2019: Been hoping to make this quilt for awhile. Made the mistake of stopping in at the local quilt shop just to say hello. Got me thinking deeper about fabrics. Contrast to make the flag (not the borders) "wave" is the key.
Jun 13: Settled on some fabrics. Wanted more contrast but this will work. Ordered Andover Stars Navy Fabric. I will piece or paper piece the stars if I can perfect it.
Jun 17: The navy fabric is here so I am all set to piece when I get/make the time. Working on my star. Found a paper pieced star pattern I like.
​Jul 19: Pre-washed all the fabrics except red charms (5" squares).
Jul 23: Asked Joan if she would be interested in doing the paper piecing. She just might. Turns out I pieced the stars
Aug 01: When I offered John a quilt, he chose 15 Stars over the others I am planning: Disappearing Pinwheel, & Glory.
Nov 11: Veterans Day.  Been working on stars since Saturday trying to get the right dimensions. Ain't easy as the slightest change makes a huge difference. Looks like I have enough fabric for John's stars too.
Nov 13: After 5 long days & many samples, I finally have a star that I think will work nicely. Now I understand why the author of this quilt design used wonky stars but I got stubborn and want something more like the real flag. Where is Betsy Ross when you need her? My star isn't perfect but it is visually close.
Nov 16: Have 16 stars cut ready to sew. Helping a friend a couple of days this week.
Nov 17: Sewing one set of 16 stars together.
Nov 21: Have one set of stars ready for the quilt.
Nov 27: Red charms (5" squares) are ready for the quilt. Just leaves HSTs (half square triangles) & borders...then can assemble.
​Nov 28: Working on HSTs. Process: 2 strips 4" wide. Sew together along long sides, both sides. Use HST strip ruler to cut 5" sq HSTs along the seams alternating sides. 10 squares per strip. 4 strips per quilt. 33 blocks - 15 A blocks & 18 B blocks. All blocks are ready now to assemble.
Nov 29: Working on A & B blocks.
Nov 30: A & B blocks are done ready to square & then assemble into the quilt. Whew.
Jan 19, 2020: Resuming work to join the blocks.
Jan 20: The blocks are joined into rows.
Jan 23: Joining rows into quilt center. Done. Only borders left to do.
Jan 28: Started adding inner white border.
Feb 03: White border is on. Cut the red & blue borders and blue backing. Need to pre-wash the blue fabric.
Feb 20: All the borders are on & the quilt top is finished.
Feb 21: Sampled the Modern Eccentric quilting design & love it! So does John.
Mar 22: Made the backing & loaded it.
Mar 23: Finished loading. Quilting.
​Mar 25: Quilted.
Mar 26: Made & attached binding by machine. Started the hand work of stitching the binding to the back.
​Mar 31, 2020: Finished.

Jan 11: Love this quilt by Jipco Herzog. This is her third quilt using the winter train panel.
Jan 18: Prepped ready to load.
Jan 21: Loading.
Jan 24: Quilting w/Greg McGuire.
​Jan 25: Quilted.

Jan 04: I understand this is the first of a series of winter theme quilts by Jipco.
​Jan 14: Quilting. Teaching friend Greg McGuire to longarm.
Jan 15: Quilted.

                                     Making this quilt for Alicia Miller
Dec 24, 2016: Purchased 3 charm packs from Ye Olde Forest Quilt Shop during their annual stocking stuffer promotion.
Nov 06, 2018: Today, my friend & very special lady, Alicia, selected this for her quilt. We've been working up to this for several months now. Can't wait to get started.
Nov 07: Working on a rendition.
Nov 08: Ordered fabric for background, borders, binding & backing.
​Nov 13: All fabrics are here.
Jul 03: 2019: Started working with the charm packs (2).
Jul 04: Cutting background charms, i.e. 5" squares.
Jul 06: Arranged the blocks.
Jul 09: Sewing the blocks.
Jul 12: The blocks are done. Next cut, swap, sew back together into final blocks.
Jul 15: I intentionally cut the background square a tad too big so I trimmed the blocks. Cutting 1" from the center all the way around, swapping corners & turning the center square to get the final layout, then sewing the 9 pieces back together into the final block. MSQC video
​Sep 06: Resumed piecing.
​Sep 07: The center is done.
Sep 08: First border is on. Widening the outer border from 3" to 6".
Sep 10: Backing, outer border & binding are cut and ready to sew.
​Sep 11: Bought the Paper Dolls pattern by Vicki Malaski. Quilt top is finished.
Nov 30: Loaded & quilting.
Dec 01: Quilted.
​Dec 02: Binding is attached ready for hand work.
Jan 01, 2020: Bound.

Oct 24: Just got in Joan's 2nd Christmas Puppies quilt. Not identical but close.
Oct 28: Prepped, loaded, quilted.

Green is my favorite color.

I have had my eye on this layer cake for months. Finally decided to get it before it was gone.

Yes, muted, but not the backing.

Sep 23: First saw this on Sept 15. Joan: "This is Fireside Puppies and the pattern was a Henry Glass one.  It used two panels that were broken down into blocks...It is very cute and a second one nearly identical would follow as these are going to go in the "kids" room -- now their guest room -- during the holidays this year." 
Oct 01: Using ​Bam longarming pantograph.
Oct 22: Prepped, loaded, quilting, quilted.

Sep 22, 2019: What a Day!!!  Samira, Munirah's sister, is not the least bit shy,. She was so excited about all the quilts. As I showed her how to use the website to get an idea of what she would like, she kept finding lots of them that she liked. I think she up to about 4,000 favorites so far. Well, may only 10 or so. Having seen the back of the Lodge Quilt Joan made for me, she was sold on the idea of white whole cloth perhaps as the backing of something dusty mauve on front. Donna Kleinke's pattern sets are the place to start looking. Also check out Donna's website. Any quilting design used on the front of the quilt quilt will stand out on the back.
Sep 25: Samira wants this panel sold by eQuilters.com for the center of her quilt. So much for dusty mauve. Bet I can work it in nicely in the borders.
​Sep 26: Ordered the panel. Need to expand this panel to an 80x100 quilt.
Oct 02: The panel is here. When we get a chance, we'll plan this out.
Dec 09: We have a plan ... except for how I will quilt it. Samira is leaving that to me...something I hate to do for someone else.
​Dec 10: Suggested backing options. Munirah made a choice for busy Samira so we have all our fabrics chosen, purchased & on the way.
Dec 11: What to quilt? Considered Teacups & Roses and other roses patterns until I found Donna Keinke's Elegant Butterflies. Got a sec to speak to Samira who chose butterflies over roses. Perfect. Done & done planning. 
Dec 23: Top background white pearlescent weave fabric is here & gorgeous.

Sep 22, 2019: What a Day!!! Emad is Samira's son. Samira is Munirah's sister. The sister live together. In all of the quilt discussion going on, Emad saw the Mosaic Red/Orange fabric on the dot screen. Without further ado, he said "I want that in a (no-piece) a simple quilt with just one border 60 x 80--just big enough to share with someone on the sofa. Just like that. I found these fabrics so far. Waiting for his feedback.
​Sep 26: Final selections made. Fabric is ordered.
Oct 02: This quilt just got canceled. Any one interested before I try to see if I can return the fabric? If not, I'll shorten it to a throw, add a gold inner border & enjoy. And of course use wool batting. It will be a twin to my beloved Haberdashery.
Oct 03: An order for $107.92 came in today of which I only need one $5.50 panel for Blakley's quilt. Ouch. The fabric is gorgeous. My picture does not do it justice.