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

Bound (Almost) and Determined!

I stuck with my plan to work at the binding in spurts - mark, machine sew the binding in a scallop shape, trim the excess quilt, clip in place, hand sew, repeat.  On Sunday I got enough machine sewn to start hand stitching down the first side.  Yes, it works.  

Sides 1 (top) and 2 (right side)

Then after getting more of the scallops hand-stitched down, I realized I was going to have to redo the corner shape, so that was some unsewing and reconfiguring.  But I think is better now - and reproducible.  

First finished corner.

Since I changed that corner I also had to unsew the next corner.  Fortunately I had only machine sewn a few scallops that were after it, so I just unsewed it all to make it easier to reshape.  This is a good lesson in patience.  If I am patient, I will be happier in the end.

Hand stitching for the next few days is ready.

So after seven days, I have the equivalent of 2 sides and 2 corners complete!!! The third side has been sewn - part of it twice since the tension was not quite right! - and is half clipped and ready for hand stitching. 

Scallops patiently waiting!

If I focus and don't eat or grade papers, I can hand-stitch 4 scallops during a 45 minute TV show.  Trimming and clipping replace a scallop or two when necessary. Knowing that helps me pace myself.  Four is good, less is fine. 

15 Minutes to Stitch

15 minute days last weeks = 7/7

15 minute days/Nov = 27/30

15 minute days/Dec = 6/6

15 minute days/2025 = 296/340

Success Rate = 87%

 

Definitely getting in 15 minutes these days.  I calculate that if I stick with it, I can be done by Christmas.  End of the semester and extra grading might throw me off a bit, but I still think it's doable.

No stash movement this week.  But I did look back and nothing was ever reported for Dear Jane as it was under construction, so that will be a big number when it's done.

2025 Stash Totals

Used last week: 0 yards 

Used year to date: 110.5 yards

Acquired recently: 0 yards  

Acquired year to date: 42 yards

Net used in 2025: 68.5 more yards used

Linking up to:

Kate at Life in Pieces

Donna at quiltpaintcreate

Frederique at quiltingpatch

and ... soscrappy

And So It Begins

Most of the sewing I did was figuring out the binding for Dear Jane.  I got a pattern made for the scallops and discovered that my first choice for a binding color didn't really work.  Little S helped find an acceptable fabric for the binding.  Since the edge is curved, I was nervous about having enough to work with. but I still wanted just a narrow binding to show on the front so I made it 2 3/8".   I did not cut the curves until after I sewed on the binding - just in case.  

Binding going on!!

The sewing is very tedious and hurts  my eyes and shoulders, so I think I will work on it in spurts.  Sew, trim curves, hand stitch down, repeat.  I knew getting the binding on would not be easy, but I am hopeful that I can get in the groove this weekend and then work at it during the week.  I'd really like to finish by the end of December since that will be 11 years in the making.

The curve works!!

It was a "family first" week and I am thankful for that.  We had Little S at home for a few days.  Then we headed back to Savannah to have Thanksgiving with Teacher E and her husband C's family and some of their friends.  We took most everything already cooked and ready to heat up, so time in the kitchen was minimal.  Her MIL made a comment about how effortless joining the families has been and it is so true.  I am continually thankful for my in-laws in Guatemala who always welcomed me and my family.  Now it carries on to E & C and how his family is just another branch on the tree.  Little S stayed behind with her sister since classes start back up on Monday and it doesn't make sense to make yet another trip back and forth.  It was nice have extra noise in the house for a few days.

Yes, it is going to work!!!

You can see in these photos have the quilting stitching is not "dense" as requested.  There are so many pieces that don't have any quilting stitches touching them.  I know the pieces are super small, but that is why I requested "dense" quilting.  It was a new longarm service because my favorite quilter retired.  I am trying to stay calm and just keep moving forward.  I am thinking maybe I can go back and quilt between the lines ???  What are the odds I can sew a smooth curve - slim.  Or just call it done??  Any recommendations??

15 Minutes to Stitch

15 minute days last weeks = 4/7

15 minute days/Nov = 20/29

15 minute days/2025 = 289/333

Success Rate = 87%

 

I was questioning my total days in 2025.  Sure enough I was pretty off.  That improved my success rate - not that it really matters.  This year I am happy with any forward progress.  

No stash movement this week.  I need to look back and see if anything was reported for Dear Jane as it was under construction.

2025 Stash Totals

Used last week: 0 yards 

Used year to date: 110.5 yards

Acquired recently: 0 yards  

Acquired year to date: 42 yards

Net used in 2025: 68.5 more yards used

Linking up to:

Kate at Life in Pieces

Donna at quiltpaintcreate

Frederique at quiltingpatch

and ...  soscrappy

Friday Finish for Felix

My sister-in-law asked me if I would fix some spots on my nephew's quilt that Grandma made for him.  He is a high school freshman and this quilt is still very special to him and gets used daily.  My mother has been gone for over 12 years now, and this is possibly the last big project she made since she was in a slow decline.  She had made sunbonnet baby quilts for all the granddaughters, and was determined to make overall Sam for the first grandson.  

Felix's Quilt from Grandma

Felix LOVES this quilt.  When I got it all spread out, I could see the signs of previous fixes which my SIL had mentioned.  She had marked the spots that needed attention this time with pinned on tags.  That was very helpful.  As I went through I literally wrote a check on the tag when I made the initial fix, then I double checked after I double checked the surrounding area for needs.  I gave the quilt a good examination to give it some preventative maintenance as well.  I can see that certain fabrics are showing more wear than others.  I know that the camo fabric was from my brother's shorts as a kid, so no telling how old that was and if it was leftover scraps or pre-worn! This was a good project for a slow day off.

It is inspiring to see how her work, even in her lesser capacity, has held up over all these year.  It is heartening to see how much he loves it.  He is only three years away from college.  Will he take it with him?  

UPDATE: As I wrote this I was thinking of Felix's little brother, who never met his Grandma.  But he did get a quilt from her.  I was looking for the old post about it and discovered that I had never published the post even though it was all ready to go.  So this Friday Finish has a bonus link!