What I'm Working On

For a while last year I was making a TO DO list.  It helped me stay on track, so I will try to get back in the habit again.  With so many projects on my PhD list, I need to stick with the plan. 

How did I do on my To Do list from Jan 11-17?

• make the burp cloth for Baby Ana Paula - it is already cut out DONE
• finish framing Little S's cross-stitch for Ana Paula DONE
• work on Stuffed Bunny as leader & ender SURPRISE FINISH
• deal with misc piles that accumulated in the sewing room PROGRESS
• make a final decision on RSC block IDEAS BUT NO FINAL DECISION 
• start the RSC block 
• work on deconstructing dress for the wedding during TV time  NO PROGRESS
• start the Carnival Quilt with my students, plan & draw their quilt squares DONE

I didn't sew much more than the 15 minutes each day since I was so tired from teaching through laryngitis each day.  But it was enough to make some progress.

TO DO LIST FOR JANUARY 18-24:

• deal with misc piles that accumulated in the sewing room
• make a final decision on RSC block
• start the RSC block 
• work on deconstructing dress for the wedding during TV time
• cut the colored border pieces for the students to sew to their squares for the Carnival Quilt  
• start students on sewing the borders to the squares for Carnival Quilt
• have students plan layout for Carnival Quilt
• have students join blocks

This will be a week of mostly sewing at school.  With the machine at school, it will a good time to focus on deconstructing the dress at home.

Slow and Steady Wins Again

A busy week at school and a case of laryngitis made for slow progress.  But progress nonetheless.  Having a plan in place really helped me get something sewn on the afternoons I came home and just didn't want to do anything at all.  

Floppy bunny for Grown Up E

I had been using the parts of the floppy bunny as leaders & enders while I made the rag quilt last week.  This week it was far enough along that it turned into my main project.  I never imagined it would be finished so soon.  Slow and steady wins the race.

Another burp cloth for AP!

I also finished the burp cloth I  had cut out when I was cutting for the rag quilt.

Flag blocks ready to sew

I always forget how important it is to leave things ready to go.  Having to figure things out when I'm not up to it leads to no progress.  I pulled out the Scrappy Spools again and got some pieces ready to sew.

 2026 15 Minutes to Stitch

15 minute days this week = 7/7

15 minute days/Jan = 17/17

15 minute days/2026 = 17/17 

Success Rate 2025 = 100%

More stash movement this week!

2026 Stash Totals

Used last week: 0.33 for burp cloth + 1.00  for floppy bunny

Used year to date: 4.35 yards

Acquired recently: 0 yards  

Acquired year to date: 0 yards

Net used in 2026: 4.35 more yards used

Linking up to:

Kate at Life in Pieces 

Donna at  quiltpaintcreate

Frederique at quiltingpatch

and..... so scrappy

 

First Finish of 2026

The rag quilt for my nephew's new baby girl has a tight deadline - end of January.  I got right on it once I had a plan and it went together pretty quickly.  Even with going back to work and doing last errands to prepare Little S to head back to college, I got it done this week.  

All ready to go into the dryer for extra "fluff"

I got it all cut out last weekend and used up a lot of bits and pieces of flannel.  Then just kept sewing and sewing.  Each day I added a strip and then cut the seams while watching TV in the evenings.  My scissor tips were not sharp enough to cut all 4 layers at once, but I was able to cut 2 layers and that was just at the limit of cramping my hands.

Seams are trimmed and already pretty fluffy!

Little S likes it so much she wants one of her own - much larger though.  We planned that she can make it herself since she has the skill set.  She thinks she could maybe even use the sewing machines in one of the art studios on campus.  We will revisit this idea at Spring Break.

2026 15 Minutes to Stitch

15 minute days this week = 7/7

15 minute days/Jan = 10/10

15 minute days/2026 = 10/10 

Success Rate 2025 = 100%

In addition to the rag quilt, I also did some mending for Little S.  She has a pair of overalls that were "high waters."  I added a faux cuff to the legs with a coordinating fabric and then a matching band on the bib pocket.  No picture, but she is happy with the finished product.  

So I have stash movement this week already!

2026 Stash Totals

Used last week: 0.22 for overalls + 2.8 for rag quilt

Used year to date: 3.02 yards

Acquired recently: 0 yards  

Acquired year to date: 0 yards

Net used in 2026: 3.02 more yards used

Linking up to:

Kate at Life in Pieces

Donna at quiltpaintcreate 

Frederique at quiltingpatch

and..... so scrappy

 

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

#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.

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

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 at Life in Pieces 

Donna at quiltpaintcreate 

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.