October PhD Report

End of summer and back to school cut into my PhD reporting, but I have been sewing.  I had quite a few new starts since I help our church's outreach to new single mothers by making them baby quilts.  But they all got done and did not join the UFO pile.  And I uncovered what I suspect is my oldest UFO and added it to the list - and moved it forward!

At 5/6 of the way through 2025 I have:

• 9 quilt finishes from the original 14 PHD projects
• 7 unplanned starts with finishes!  
• 1 moved from wishful thinking to planned start
• 2 quilts with progress 
• only 1 quilt that hasn't been touched

With two more months in 2025, I think I can finish this list!  I am determined!

Unexpected New Starts & Finishes -  4 baby quilts for church

The pink quilt is new to coordinate with the jungle quilt.

Then two flower gardens for twin baby girls.  Every block & every fabric has flowers.

red backing 

yellow backing

And completed just in the nick of time for the baby shower:

Groovy pink baby quilt

Easy Finish - This one just needed a binding and I got it done just in time for the October report.

Sapphire Jubilee Part 1

Finish - After I got borders on the hexagon quilt, I found out that Grown Up E's godson will have a sibling.  She liked this quilt for the new baby, so I waited until they found out if it's a boy or girl before finishing it.  It's a girl, so I did change the borders and chose a different backing to make it more girlish.

Ready for Baby Honor!

Progress - Back from the quilter at the end of July.  Still in a pillowcase waiting.  My plan is to work on it over Thanksgiving break when I will have some uninterrupted days.  I need to cut the scallops and bind it.  Maybe I'll start preparing the binding before hand - that would be smart.

10 years in the making!

Oldest UFO - This one is at least 23-24 years old.  The way it was stored I saw it ALL the time. I don't know how it didn't make the original list.  So I finally added the borders and found a backing.  Now I just need to buy batting and get it done.  I should be able to do that by the end of the year.  

Far from perfect, but very pretty.

Miss P Designs USA is challenging us to get those PHDs done!  I am determined to get my PHD in 2025.  Thanks for the motivation.  Check out other October PHD reports at Miss P Designs USA.

Sapphire Jubilee Part 1 Finished!

This was by far the easiest finish on the UFO list, so I deliberately saved it for when I needed something easy.  Like many others, I started the Quiltmaker Jubilee quilt several years ago.  I made mine a Sapphire Jubilee since I had plenty of blues and prefer blue to red.  I made all the blocks, but the final layout did not speak to me so I set the blocks aside.

The smaller variation.

In 2023 we had visitors who I had not seen in decades.  Our week together included sewing tips and show & tell of my quilts.  That inspired me to get out my Sapphire Jubilee blocks and figure out a layout.  

Back from the Long-armer

I ended up with 2 quilts.  The larger one got all the way to the quilted stage and then got tucked away.  It only needed binding and I even had the leftover fabric still packed up with it.

Finishing up the binding.

I knew this week was going to be very busy and I was caught up on anything else that would be "mindless" sewing.  Perfect timing.  Got the strips cut and joined one day.  Ironed and pinned on another day.  It took 2 days to get it sewn on one side.  Then another day to flip and machine sew on the other side.  That plus more unsewing of the Ocean Waves blocks kept me busy for the week.  

52" x 72"

It worked out mathematically using the existing blocks but is more long and skinny than I would usually make.  Someone will love it.

Plaid flannel backing

Friday was Mad Science Day at school.  Among other really fun stuff, we do "Aliens on the Move" about static electricity with balloons, various types of paper aliens and various types of fabrics.  I always have to round up the fabrics the night before.  As I was putting things away this morning, I realized that it would be much easier just to keep the fleece which is already in squares with the bin of Mad Science supplies.  

Then I had the DUH moment, when I realized I can just cut 5" squares of flannel and store that as well.  Since I was on a roll, I found an old hand towel to cut up instead of taking in a bunch of washcloths each year and then having to wash them afterwards.  Now I am going to be on the lookout for an old wool sweater/scarf that I can also cut up to add to my "Alien Kit" for next year.   What else can I be "smarter" about?!

Both "aliens" are moving!

15 Minutes to Stitch

15 minute days last weeks = 6/7

15 minute days/Oct = 26/31

15 minute days/Nov = 1/1

15 minute days/2025 = 269/325

Success Rate = 83%

 

I looked back to see if I had counted out the Jubilee blocks when I made them and it turns out that I stopped blogging in the middle of part 3.  So I will count the entirety of this quilt as fabric out now.  Then when I finish the smaller variation I will adjust for the part already counted out.  The math will be easier that way. 

2025 Stash Totals

Used last week: 7.03 yards for Sapphire Jubilee Pt 1 and 0.61 yds for Mad Science squares

Used year to date: 108.41 yards

Acquired recently: 0 yards  

Acquired year to date: 42 yards

Net used in 2025: 66.41 more yards used

Linking up to:

Kate at Life in Pieces

Donna at quiltpaintcreate

Frederique at quiltingpatch

Mr. D's Quilt is a Top

This is finally a completed quilt top!  I will always think of it as "Mr. D's Quilt".  He was a co-worker in Guatemala who asked me to make the quilt from a pattern in one of my magazines and fabric from the small stash I had then.  I don't remember much else except that he changed his mind and that was fine with me because I really liked it.  But that is as far as it got. 

Pretty good match after all those years.

I think it is 23-26 years old.  So definitely my oldest UFO - unless there is something hiding in the deep recesses of the sewing room!  

Far from perfect, but very pretty.

Since I had nothing of the original fabrics I just went with similar for solid borders.

I worked on my new Leader Ender project and completed two blocks.  Chunky Churn Dash is a free pattern from Bonnie Hunter.  Appropriate this week because we made butter with cream and jars at school to supplement the pioneer lesson!

I also worked on unsewing these blocks.  Maybe 15 years ago, my sister gave me an Ocean Waves quilt top she thrifted.  It was kind of icky so I took the risk and washed it.  The pinks ran so the whites turned pink, and I set it aside. It resurfaced this summer and Little S was willing to unsew, so I had her remove all the white/pink, which was not a good quality or well sewn anyways.  That left me with a stack of "rings".  

I'll likely keep the original layout. Once they are all done, I'll worry about color placement.

Since I currently have nothing urgent, I did some research to figure out the best way to deal with these and have most of a plan.  Then I unsewed the rings into 4 sides.  I have 5 more to go and then I will give them a careful pressing and decide what colors to add as the backing.  

15 Minutes to Stitch

15 minute days last weeks = 5/7

15 minute days/Oct = 22/25

15 minute days/2025 = 263/318

Success Rate = 83%

 

Finally stash movement for Mr. D's Quilt.

2025 Stash Totals

Used last week: 3 yards

Used year to date: 100.77 yards

Acquired recently: 0 yards  

Acquired year to date: 42 yards

Net used in 2025: 58.77 more yards used

Linking up to:

Kate at Life in Pieces

Donna at quiltpaintcreate

Frederique at quiltingpatch

Oldest UFO Saw Some Love

I am caught up on the quilts for the church outreach, so I went back to my "to do" list from weeks ago.  I started this as a leaders and enders project a while back and then it got waylaid by the church quilts.  Before I had time to reconsider, I joined the blocks.  I got the blocks all joined, gave it a nice pressing, and hung it in the "to be finished" closet.  Unfortunately I did not get a new picture of it.

I kept this layout and it looks just fine.

Then I considered a new project and actually pulled some scraps for it.  It ended up being my leaders and enders project.

But I had a reality check and realized I needed to work on some UFOs.  The one closest to the machine and maybe easiest to do was this one.   It started as a commissioned project for a friend when we lived in Guatemala.  They changed their mind.  I folded it up and set it aside.   

I went with the darker maroon for the first border.

I remember working on it when we lived in the "yellow house on the corner."  That would have been when Teacher E was between 1-4 years old, so about 23-26 years ago.  Wow!! At the time I thought I was doing precise careful work with small pieces!  Hmmmpf.  Adding the first round of borders on it showed me that that was not the case.  I also noticed that the quality of fabric was definitely a factor, but those were the times I used what I had.  The design was from a magazine, but looking at it now I see all kinds of easier ways to make it - mainly not having bias edged triangles. 

Making progress.

I got a first border on it and have a similar fabric that will make the next border.  

All of this plus some long overdue mending kept me sewing all week.

15 Minutes to Stitch

15 minute days last weeks = 7/7

15 minute days/Oct = 17/18

15 minute days/2025 = 258/311

Success Rate = 83%

 

Progress was made, but no stash movement yet.

2025 Stash Totals

Used last week: 0 yds

Used year to date: 97.77 yards

Acquired recently: 0 yards  

Acquired year to date: 42 yards

Net used in 2025: 55.77 more yards used

Linking up to:

Kate at Life in Pieces

Donna at quiltpaintcreate

Frederique at quiltingpatch

Got it Done!!

I had a tight deadline to get the pink quilt done by Saturday and then it got even tighter.  I ended up not being able to go to the baby shower, so I had to finish it sooner to drop it off to the organizer.

Groovy pink baby quilt

Pedal to the metal.  Got it done on Wednesday evening and still got my report cards done by Friday.  What a week!

Perfect backing!

I used up nearly all the groovy pink strips from the Greenville trip, lots of random pink, and some purple. For the backing/binding I used nearly all the magenta that has been in the stash forever because it bleeds so badly.  It was perfect for this project, so I washed it three times until the wash water ran clean.

Long, long week and then came Friday.  It was rainy so we had rainy day recess on a Friday that was also the last day of the quarter and the start of a 3-day weekend for the students and the end of a full moon week.  I left school as quickly as I could and made a stop at my favorite thrift store as a consolation prize!

Who knew a small bag could hold 600 squares?

Didn't find what I was looking for, but I did find a bag of precut 2" squares.  I am trying so hard to use up what I have, so I hesitated.  Then I realized that was a lot of neutrals that I could combine with the overflowing 2" strip drawer which is low on neutrals and get things used up faster.  I counted when I got home.  $2 for approximately 600 squares/1.67 yards.  It's worth it just for the labor of not cutting that many squares!

 15 Minutes to Stitch

15 minute days last weeks = 6/7

15 minute days/Oct = 10/11

15 minute days/2025 = 251/304

Success Rate = 83%

 

Fabric moving in both directions this week.

2025 Stash Totals

Used last week: 4.2 yds groovy pink quilt

Used year to date: 97.77 yards

Acquired recently: 1.67 yards bag of 2" squares

Acquired year to date: 42 yards

Net used in 2025: 55.77 more yards used

Linking up to:

Kate at Life in Pieces

Donna at quiltpaintcreate

Frederique at quiltingpatch

Back on Track

The last three weeks flew by in a blur with not much sewing.  I had done so well on the yellow flower garden and already had the red flower garden under the needle and ready to go.  Didn't happen, didn't happen, and still didn't happen.  

Some of it was a bad case of the blahs. Then there was the day trip with my sisters to visit our brother and his family.  Then my birthday evening.  Then another day trip to see Grown Up E and Little S.  Then parent conferences.  All of that really got me off of my regular routine of school, lesson planning, and some sewing.  So here it is three weeks later and I may be back on track!

red flower back quilt front

The good news is that the red flower garden baby quilt done at last.  

red backing 

The church outreach needs another girl quilt, but my husband just took the last one that I had to give to friends in Spain.  So the pressure is on to get one ready by next Saturday.  

I had this somewhat started a while back, so I figured it was the closest to the finish line and just plowed forward. The groovy pink fabric was a $1 bag of precut strips from our trip to Recraft in Greenville, SC.  I didn't have enough of a single pink, so I just kept adding shades as I went.  The determining factor for size was the groovy pink.  I wanted to use it all up and I came pretty close.

Perfect? No.  Cute? Yes!  Having an urgent deadline will get this one moving along and keep me back on track for sewing. 

15 Minutes to Stitch

15 minute days/last 3 weeks = 9/21

15 minute days/Oct = 4/4

15 minute days/2025 = 243/298

Success Rate = 82%

 

I can now count out the red backing and binding.  

2025 Stash Totals

Used last week: 1.92 yards red backing & binding

Used year to date: 93.57 yards

Acquired recently: 0 yards 

Acquired year to date: 40.33 yards

Net used in 2025: 53.27 more yards used

Linking up to:

Kate at Life in Pieces

Donna at quiltpaintcreate

Frederique at quiltingpatch

What I'm Working On

 How did I do on the list for SEPTEMBER 7 - 13?

• quilt the yellow backed flower garden DONE
• bind the yellow backed flower garden DONE
• quilt the red backed flower garden STARTED
• bind the red backed flower garden NO
• join baby bricks into a top NO
• prepare a backing for the scrappy baby bricks NO
• start thinking about what project will be next after the baby bricks NO
• clean sewing room PROGRESS

Off to a good start.

TO DO LIST FOR SEPTEMBER 14 - 20:

• finish quilting the red backed quilt
• bind the red backed quilt
• join the scrappy baby bricks
• prepare a backing for the scrappy baby bricks 
• start thinking about what project will be next after the baby bricks 
• clean sewing room
• get the scrapbook project off the sewing table

• 

  Try again next week?