Going for My PHD in 2026

I made so much progress with the 2025 PHD Challenge from Ms P Designs USA that I thought I should take the PHD Challenge again.  Many of this year's projects come from deeper within the dark recesses of my UFO stash, so they need much more work than last year's projects. 

Head over to Ms P Designs USA 2026 PHD Challenge to see what others are working on.  It's inspiring!

TRUE UFOs

#1 Baby Bricks - needs quilting and finishing

#2 Blue & Orange - have 13 blocks and some coordinating fabric, need a plan

#3 Blue Strips - started in 1996! Have 1 strip and some cut out pieces, need a plan

#4 Carnival Quilt - quilt we make in class for a school fund-raiser

#5 Christmas Sampler - need to find the blocks and make a plan

#6 Chunky Churn Dash - started as a leader & ender in 2025, plan is to just keep making blocks

#7 Flags - bought at a thrift store years ago for 50c, never touched

#8 Frame Cross-Stitch - the stitching was finished in 2025, now to frame it

#9 Kaffe Fassett style scraps - from my MIL's stash, need a plan, leaning towards a chandelier quilt

#10 Lighthouse blocks - have 2 blocks and fabrics, need a plan

#11 Ocean Waves - remaking an old quilt, steady progress so far

#12 Red, White, and Green D9P - started on a whim with scraps, don't like it, need a plan

#13 Sapphire Jubilee small version - got it sandwiched last year, need to quilt and finish

#14 Scrappy Spools - planned start last year, plan is to just keep making blocks, no set deadline since I want to enjoy the process

#15 Stuffed Bunny - Grown Up E asked for this years ago, does she still want it?

#16 USA fabrics - My father bought this to make something for my sister years and years ago.  Is she interested?

PLANNED STARTS

#1 Alter dress for wedding by May

#2 Baby quilts for church as needed

#3 Rainbow Scrap Challenge - My first time doing this, so I need a plan.

MAYBES

Lupine and Laughter - Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt - Little S likes the colors, but there was no time in the fall.  Maybe after the reveal if she still likes it.

Last & First Report

2025 ended uneventfully in the sewing room.  I just kept sewing on ongoing projects.  I am very satisfied with my numbers for the year.  Time spent sewing is higher than expected.  Net fabric out was just shy of my goal.  

2025 15 Minutes to Stitch Results

15 minute days last week = 7/7

15 minute days/Dec = 23/27

15 minute days/2025 = 313/361

Success Rate 2025 = 87%

 

2025 Stash Totals

Used last week: 0 yards

Used year to date: 136.22 yards

Acquired recently: 0 yards  

Acquired year to date: 42 yards

Net used in 2025: 94.22 more yards used

I'll stick with last year's goals and see that happens in 2026.  75% stitching time and 100 net yards of fabric out.  

Tentative layout.

2026 is off to a good start.  I have a list of projects I would like to finish and am starting on them.  The rag quilt for my nephew's baby girl needs to be done by the end of January, so that is priority.  

Almost finished cutting for the back.

But I am being more intentional about my leader and enders and am sewing the bunny for Grown Up E in between.

Bunny parts ready to run through the machine.

My numbers are the best they will ever be!!

2026 15 Minutes to Stitch

15 minute days/Jan = 3/3

15 minute days/2026 = 3/3

Success Rate 2025 = 100%

2026 Stash Totals

Used last week: 0 yards

Used year to date: 0 yards

Acquired recently: 0 yards  

Acquired year to date: 0 yards

Net used in 2026: 0 more yards used

Linking up to:

Kate  

Donna  

Frederique at quiltingpatch

and..... 

 

Ready for 2026

Cleaning off my work table has been on my to do list since August.  I usually work on the scrapbooks/albums during the summer when I can focus for longer periods of time than during school.  When school started I had not finished the pages I set up, and the photos and supplies just stayed piled up on the edges and I sewed around them.

After Christmas I decided to deal with the photo stuff - not just put it away until next summer, but create the album pages they represented.  I'm so glad I did.  Kill two birds with one stone - advance on the albums and clear off the table.  Since it was so close to the end of 2025 I was really motivated.  Cleaning up the scrapbook mess gave me back about a third of my table!  Woohoo!  

I am ready to sew in 2026.

PHD End of the Year Report

I really appreciated the PHD challenge from Miss P USA Designs.  Having the PHD list really helped me stay on track this year.  Check out PHD 2025 Wrap Up to see how everyone did.

As 2025 comes to an end, I have a great final report:

• 11 quilt finishes from the original 14 PHD quilty projects
• 7 unplanned starts with finishes!  
• 1 moved from wishful thinking to planned start
• 1 quilt with progress, but not finished
• only 1 project with no progress at all

My oldest finish: Mr. D's Quilt

The Most Impressive Finish: Dear Jane

Biggest Step Out of My Comfort Zone: Buying a Pattern "Scrappy Spools"

Thank you, Miss P USA Designs.  I will definitely join the PHD Challenge again in 2026.

Christmas Honor

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Grown Up E and her husband hosted us in Savannah.  His family and their friends joined us for the afternoon and a good time was had by all.  Lots of food and fun.  But no photos!

I was very strategic and sewed before we left on Wednesday, took some unsewing to do on Thursday if there was a lull, and then sewed a bit when we got back on Friday.  There was a lull on Christmas Day, so I did my unsewing and helped Little S graph out the letters for her cross-stitch.

Finished before she was 24 hours old!

Baby Honor is E & C's god daughter, and Little S is also friends with the family.  Honor was due in January, but arrived in the first minutes of Christmas morning.  Instead of joining us for the festivities as originally planned, food was taken to them in the hospital.  When we learned her middle name we were not surprised she arrived early - Honor Noel - a beautiful Christmas gift!

Update: photo at about 4 days old

15 Minutes to Stitch

15 minute days last weeks = 7/7

15 minute days/Dec = 23/27

15 minute days/2025 = 313/361

Success Rate = 87%

 

Stitching and unstitching took place, but nothing that made the stash numbers move.

2025 Stash Totals

Used last week: 0 yards

Used year to date: 136.22 yards

Acquired recently: 0 yards  

Acquired year to date: 42 yards

Net used in 2025: 94.22 more yards used

My dream goal was 100 net yards out for the year.  I didn't quite get there and I don't think I will in the next few days, but I am very pleased with my progress this year.

Linking up to:

Kate at Life in Pieces  

Donna at quiltpaintcreate 

Frederique at quiltingpatch

and....... soscrappy

My Dear Jane Journey is Over

The last stitches went into Dear Jane's binding tonight.  It is too late and dark to take photos of the full quilt.  That will come later to give it the attention it deserves.

Last scallop pinned and ready to machine sew the binding on. 

I did not get much time to sew this week due to the end of the quarter & holiday deadlines at school, but once the weekend arrived I made up for it.

Keeping the overlap overlapped1

It was probably a good thing that hand stitching took so long - nearly a month.  The whole time I was thinking of how on earth I was going to join the binding ends on a scalloped edge. 

Clipped up to the overlap, ready for hand stitching.

I went with a 45 degree fold on one end and tucked in the other end - with lots of pins.  It ended up being a bit thicker where the tails overlapped, but I think that will give it more stability.  I hand-stitched the overlap to ensure that it stays in place.  It seems very sturdy.

Last two scallops.

Now that it is done my feelings are muddled.  I am definitely not happy or excited.  Maybe more relieved that I did actually finish, but once I finished the last of the blocks this time last year, I knew I would.  Dare I say a sadness that this journey is over.  

Last four clips!

I've known for years that this was my last BIG quilting project.  I have made what I consider a "masterpiece" given my skills at the time for each of my girls.  Dear Jane is the third and final and will go to Little S eventually.  

After 11 years, putting in the last stitch.

15 Minutes to Stitch

15 minute days last weeks = 3/7

15 minute days/Dec = 16/20

15 minute days/2025 = 306/354

Success Rate = 86%

 

Now I can report the fabric out for the Dear Jane top.  I used estimates found online for the blocks since they were so hard to calculate.  Sashing, border, and binding was more straight-forward.  

Backing was a sheet from Goodwill purchased specifically for this, since I did not want a seam in the back.  I never counted it in, so I won't count it out either. 

2025 Stash Totals

Used last week: 25.12 yards for Dear Jane entire top

Used year to date: 136.22 yards

Acquired recently: 0 yards  

Acquired year to date: 42 yards

Net used in 2025: 94.22 more yards used

Hmmm.... what can I do in the next 10 days to use up 6 yards and meet my dream goal of 100 net yards out for the year?!?

Linking up to:

Kate at Life in Pieces

Donna at quiltpaintcreate

Frederique at quiltingpatch

and .... soscrappy 

The End is in Sight

Definitely slower progress this week, but I expected that.  I finished hand-stitching the third side.  It took three tries of sewing and unsewing to get the third corner done.  That really slowed things down, but I knew I would always notice if I didn't make it better.

Third corner is finally done!

  

I have the equivalent of one complete side left and that includes the last corner.  I never counted how many scallops there actually are and I think that was a good thing!  Probably still on track to finish by Christmas.  Little S comes home today and she won't have school work on this visit, so she can help me with my school work!!  And I can stitch while we chat.

A variety of snow"can" scarves!

I spend one evening cutting felt pieces for an upcoming craft activity at school.  Then another bit of time cutting flannel scarves for "Frosty the Snow Can", which is going to be condensation in a can.  This is why I can't throw anything away - I do actually eventually use it - even the small bits!!

15 Minutes to Stitch

15 minute days last weeks = 7/7

15 minute days/Dec = 13/13

15 minute days/2025 = 303/347

Success Rate = 87%

 

Still can't report fabric out for Dear Jane, but I did get a bit out with the snow"can" scarves.  

2025 Stash Totals

Used last week: 0.56 yards

Used year to date: 111.1 yards

Acquired recently: 0 yards  

Acquired year to date: 42 yards

Net used in 2025: 69.1 more yards used

Linking up to:

Kate at Life in Pieces

Donna at quiltpaintcreate

Frederique at quiltingpatch

and ... soscrappy