Summer Mode - Finally

I'm still not sleeping in, but at least my body is starting to relax.   

30 year old UFO in a sandwich bag!

Even though I knew I should work on the Baby Bricks, I pulled out another UFO to consider.  The more I thought about it, the more I realized that this was truly my oldest UFO not the one I finished last year.  I started this soon after we moved from Russia to Guatemala which was late 1996.  My stash fit in a small cardboard box.  I remember wanted to make a "row by row" quilt in blues with each row being a different block.  According to the contents of the bag, I had an entire row of 9 patches on point, a few appliqued hearts, quite a few baby blocks, and some related scraps for future blocks.  

very rough idea

Not knowing what else to do, I kept making baby blocks with the fabrics that were already cut. Then I realized a row would not show off all of this work.  So what if I changed the plan and made the baby blocks into a larger block as the center?  I could adapt the other blocks and build borders around the baby blocks.  I cut and sewed just enough more to form a decent sized rectangle.  Working with 2" rhombuses is not for the faint of heart.  I can check baby blocks off my bucket list now!   

finally done

I got as far as I could on than baby blocks since joining the rows was stressful and made a few machine applique hearts (no more handwork for me!) and called a halt on that project.  I switched over to finally sandwiching the baby bricks quilt and while I was at it I sandwiched the impromptu red & yellow pinwheel quilt.

flannel back - paint sample style!

Since I was on a roll, I started quilting.  I got the baby bricks done in an afternoon.  I wasn't sure about the mix of flannels for the backing, but I am desperately trying to use what I have.  It works!   

This one turned into a great little quilt.

I really had no idea how to quilt the pinwheels with a walking foot since my "go to" diagonals would not work and the backing would show everything.  I started with straight lines through the yellow blocks following the angle of the triangles with yellow thread.  Then I used red thread and kept with the straight line theme, but with wider intervals on the smaller side of the yellow blocks.  

more flannel - thinking of Little S in Spain!

I knew I needed to change things up, so when I continued the next morning.  I used the red thread again, but at a right angle to the yellow lines on the larger side of the yellow blocks across half of the remaining section.  Then I switched it up again with a concentric chevrons in the last section.  All that to say - something very different for me, but I think it turned out well and it gave me confidence to try new things.

2026 15 Minutes to Stitch

15 minute days this week = 6/7

15 minutes days/June = 11/13

15 minute days/2026 = 135/164 

Success Rate 2026 = 82%

A whopping migraine kept me from sewing one day, but otherwise it was a great week in the sewing room!! 

More stash movement this week.  Baby Bricks were never counted out so I get to count out the front and back!  Woohoo!   And the backing for the Red & Yellow Pinwheels.  Another finish or two and I'll be breaking even.

  

2026 Stash Totals

Used last week: 4.41 = 3.17 yards for Baby Bricks & 1.24 yards for Red & Yellow Pinwheel backing 

Used year to date: 40.42 yards

Acquired recently: 0 yards  

Acquired year to date: 35 yards

Stash movement for 2026: 4.51 more yards acquired than used

Linking up to:

Kate at Life in Pieces 

Donna at quiltpaintcreate 

Frederique at  quiltingpatch

Angela at soscrappy