A New Project, or How to Use Up Purple Scraps

I had some partial 2-1/2" strips of purple prints left over from designing Diabolical Jane. Rather than put them in the scrap drawers, I decided to use them in a new project. I so rarely work with purple that I knew if I put them away, I'd never use them. Looking through my scrap drawers and stash, I decided on amber golds and soft oranges to complement the purples, and ivory low volume prints for the background.

I decided on a Plus and Chain layout, 6" plus blocks and nine patch blocks framed by sashing for a chain effect. Easy sewing for a quick charity quilt. Since my design wall is still occupied , the tabletop will have to suffice for a quick layout check:

It's hard to see with bad lighting, so few blocks, and too much contrast between the tabletop and the blocks. The sashing will be the same cream and ivory prints used in the blocks. Squint, and the chain effect becomes clearer. 

If I get the blocks assembled before I go on retreat in April, I can pack this up and take it as my extra project in case I finish everything else. My priority will be assembling Diabolical Jane, but I have four days, a lot of sewing time, and I would hate to run out of projects to work on. 

Link Up: Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Diabolical Jane: Final Layout on the Wall

 After much tinkering, I've decided on the layout for my version of Diabolical Jane. 

My version repeats some of the fabrics more than the original, but I'm satisfied and I don't feel the need to find a couple more prints just to increase the fabric count. 

I will carefully transfer this to the flannel side of a vinyl table cloth, roll it around a pool noodle, and take it to retreat in April. The construction is log cabin-like, starting from the outside center and building in to make each quadrant. 

I'm seeing an optical effect that's interesting. See the shadow along the right side of the folded border fabric? It looks like a narrow inner border. I kind of like it. What do you think? When I get the whole interior sewn I can decide if I want an inner border and purchase fabric for it while I'm there. 

I've been having so much fun with this project. It's hard to put it aside to save it for retreat! But there's four days of sewing and I need projects to keep me busy. I'll have to be patient, put it aside, and save it to work on there. 

Link Up: Small Quilts and Doll Quilts 3/23, NTT 3/26, Alycia Quilts 3/27

Opal-Inspired Baby Quilt Flimsy

I wrote about being inspired by the colors of opal gemstones in this post. This was my color inspiration:

Opal gemstone, screen capture from Google image search

I pulled a palette of aqua, orange and yellow along with white-based low volume prints with a lot of color in them. This is what I ended up with, for a baby quilt.

The blocks are small, 6", and the top finished at 36 by 42", so I'll be able to use one WOF for backing if I quilt it on my domestic machine. I have a lot of small to medium pieces of batting on hand, so I'm sure I have or can piece a batting of the right size. I was able to find peach flannel for the back in the club's stash - perfect! When finished, this quilt will eventually go to a young family at Luke Airforce Base. 

I love this palette for a baby, and I'm pleased with how this top turned out. 

Link up: Alycia Quilts

Designing Diabolical Jane

Diabolical Jane is laid out in quadrants that are built like half log cabin blocks. 

I'm laying pieces out on my cutting table, and when I get one quadrant I like, I'll put tall four up on the design wall.

I swear, I'm obsessed with this project! Every time I walk past it I have to stop and move something around. It's like doing a jigsaw puzzle - just one more piece. No wait, how about this? no...

I've already edited out all the solid fabrics I thought I was going to use. This project needs prints, prints, prints! 

Since I'm laying out only one quadrant to start with, I pulled out my hinged mirrors to try to get a sense of what four quadrants would look like. 

Not really very helpful. The mirrors aren't big enough to go far enough out to show more of the whole layout. 

I'm thinking of eliminating the light and bright aqua prints, too distracting. I may actually repeat one or two of the other prints already used. We'll see. More cutting, playing, and rearranging to come. And I'm sure when I have one satisfactory quadrant and put all four on the wall, I'll need to tweak some more. 

Link Up: Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Positively Scrappy: A Finished Quilt and a Quick Tutorial

I'm calling this latest scrap quilt Positively Scrappy. 

It's a donation quilt going to an agency that assists victims of sexual violence, mostly teen girls (think trafficking, stepfather issues, etc.). We learned a couple years ago that their teen clients gravitate to quilts that have black in them. This quilt has a variety of black and charcoal prints, but also a lot of color in the low volume background fabrics. Whenever I can include Plus motifs I think it gives the quilt a subtle hopeful and positive vibe. 

For what is essentially a black and white quilt, Positively Scrappy is amazingly colorful. I love how this quilt turned out, so much so that I wish I could have kept it. But I intended from the start for it to be a donation quilt and I used club-supplied batting and backing. It's already on its way to offering comfort to someone. 

The block is super easy to make and is a great scrap buster. It would work as well with Pluses of any color, or a rainbow of colors in the whole quilt. 

Here are the instructions for one 8" block. 

From assorted low volume prints, the more variety the better:

     - Cut 4, 3-1/2" squares

     - Cut 4, 1-1/2" by 2-1/2" pieces

From a dark color:

     - Cut one 2-1/2" by 6-1/2" piece

     - Cut 2, 2-1/2" squares

Note: if you use a directional print, be mindful of how you want the pieces to go in the finished plus. 

Sew a small low volume rectangle to one side of each dark square and to each end of the long dark piece. Press toward the dark. 

Lay out the pieces and sew the top and bottom rows; press outward toward the light squares. 

Sew the rows together; press toward the center. 

By pressing this way, you can turn the blocks 90 degrees and the seams will nest when you sew the columns together. 

To make the blocks for the ends of the alternate columns, cut two pieces 3-1/2" by 4-1/2" and one piece 2-1/2" by 4-1/2" from low volume prints. Sew them together with the narrower piece in the center. Don't press until you sew them to the ends of the columns and you know which way you need the seams to go. 

I made my version 7 blocks wide by 9 blocks long for a 56" by 72" quilt, a good size for a teen. 60 Plus blocks and six end blocks. 

I will definitely make another version of Positively Scrappy. This ended up being a fun and cheerful quilt. 

Link up: Alycia Quilts 3/13, My Quilt Infatuation 3/19

Planning and Cutting for Diabolical Jane

Recently a quilt image popped up in my Pinterest feed that looked intriguing. It's called Diabolical Jane, and several clicks later I found the source, a tutorial by Jessie Aller. Her version is a copy of a 200 year old quilt she saw on a museum tour with the DC Modern Quilt Guild. Check out their images at the link.

I printed out Jessie's tutorial and studied the images, both of the antique original and her version. Her tutorial uses 4" wide pieces and makes a huge quilt, but I wanted something smaller using 2-1/2" strips so I refigured the cutting sizes. 

The quilt looks so complex, and the diabolical part of the name is a reference to the challenge of fabric selection. So I did what I advised the students in my color classes to do: view the pattern in greyscale and note the value placement. Also note the scale and character of the prints. 

Image from Jessie Aller tutorial, printed in greyscale

To help choose fabrics, I laid out the ones I'm considering in light, medium, and dark values. Apparently I saved the photo to greyscale and didn't save a color version. Most of the prints have purple and/or teal in them. 

I've started cutting some of the fabrics that I know I'll use, but I need more options. No problem, I'm going shopping with friends later this week. 

To keep track of what fabric is planned for where, I'm using the handy coloring page included in the tutorial, along with a lightened copy folded to see one quadrant, and a page for logging my fabrics.

I'm sure I'll end up collecting several more prints so I can audition them on the design wall. I want to give the palette my own spin, not just copy the inspiration image. 

Wish me luck - this could be a colossal fail or it could turn out to be something. I need to get it cut and ready to assemble at retreat in April. 

Link Up: Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

 

February Stash Report and Goals Update

Much of February was taken up with a visit from and a collaborative project with my friend Cherie that we're keeping under wraps for now. But I did accomplish some other things, or at least make progress. I started the Opal-Inspired project, which generated leftover scraps. Those scraps became 16-patch blocks. 

Opal-Inspired

The Positively Scrappy flimsy was ready for quilting (backing from PCQ's stash) and I had a successful quilting experience with it: no long arm issues at all! Such a relief after all the issues with the teal project. 

Positively Scrappy

Since the new projects are not pieced to the flimsy stage yet and the yardage for Positively Scrappy has already been counted out, I have only the backing for the X and Plus quilt to count out. It's pieced and ready for quilting at my next long arm time slot. 

February Stash Report: 

IN this month: None.
OUT this month: 4 yards (Backing for X and Plus quilt, 4 yards.)

IN YTD: 21 yards
OUT YTD: 24.25 yards

YTD Net Change: 3.25 yards out

Goals Update: 

February Recap: 

1. Make a Stacked Slabs top, small throw size, to show at PCQ meeting on 2/9. Take it and several of the other PCQ top samples to talk about charity sew day projects. Done and top has been donated. 

2. Assist a friend on the long arm on Feb. 4th. Done. 

3. Host Cherie the week of the 16th for our own at-home retreat. Yes, and we got our secret collaborative project done to the flimsy stage. WE HAD A GREAT TIME!

4. Piece backing for X and Plus quilt; quilt on PCQ's long arm on Feb. 24. Pieced the backing for X and Plus, but quilted Positively Scrappy instead. 

5. Piece backing for the leftover Postage Stamp Blocks top. Done and donated for someone else to quilt and finish. 

6. Work on new Mary's Triangles project at social sewing. Progress: project is cut and kitted up and first few blocks have been started. 

7. Work on new opal-inspired piecing project. Progress: blocks are complete and ready to join into rows. Bonus: pieced the leftover fabrics into small 16-patch blocks. 

Other: Donated 3 older UFO tops, prototypes from my Charity Quilt patterns, to the community service committee. 

One of my goals for the year is to do something about my unquilted UFO tops. Most of them are prototypes or teaching samples from Community Service patterns. You can see them all in the Free Charity Quilt Patterns tab above. I gave three of them to the new community service committee chair. They can hold them for sew day teaching samples, or quilt and donate them, as they wish. They are no longer my UFOs. 

March Goals: 

1. Participate in PCQ's quilt show on March 7. In addition to having two quilts in the show, I signed up to help with take-down after the show closes. I need to add labels to those two quilts.

2. Prep projects for April retreat. Includes fabric shopping, layout and cutting. This is the top priority for March.

3. Quilt the X and Plus top. 

4. Take the Bernina 770 in for repairs. Something is causing thread nests on the underside and thread shredding on the top (not the needle, I've tried several). Also the needle threader is out of alignment. 

5. Work on next steps of the confidential collaborative project.

6. Work on the Mary's Triangles project at social sewing.

7. Continue searching for sashing fabric for Crossroads Wheel blocks.

8. Assemble the Opal-Inspired blocks - OR - the 16 patch blocks made from the leftovers into a top. 

It may not sound like as much as a typical month, but for my April retreat I want to make a Diabolical Jane top, and fabric selection is said to be truly a diabolical challenge. That has to be my focus so I'll be ready to go. 

Positively Scrappy: Quilted and Ready for Binding

Last week my friend Cherie (SeeMoreQuilts.blogspot.com) was here for an at-home retreat at my house. We had a great time and got a lot accomplished, but we're keeping the project under wraps for a while. 

Since then, I had a time slot on PCQ's long arm, so I was able to get Positively Scrappy quilted. I had absolutely no problems whatsoever with the machine or the quilting using the club's light grey thread. 

Well, except that I ran out of bobbin about 90 percent of the way across the last pass and had to stop and wind another bobbin. Sheesh! But still, no quality problems. 

If I say so myself, I love how this quilt turned out. For an essentially black and white quilt, it has A LOT of color in it. It's actually a very cheerful quilt despite all that black.

I still need to bind and label it. The binding is a one of the black/grey prints used in the top. 

At 54" by 72" this will be a good throw size for a teen. It's perfect for one of the charities we support. 

Link Up: Alycia Quilts 

Because...Friends

Last year my buddy Kevin the Quilter send two beautifully pieced tops for me to quilt and donate to one of PCQ's charities. I was blown away by the tiny precision piecing. Kevin's piecing has inspired me to work smaller, which led to the creation of Cherry Jubilee and The Scrappy Pinterest Project. 

Still working with small pieces, I started the Opal Inspired project. I cut one 2" WOF strip of each fabric, and after making the Opal Inspired blocks, I had a lot of partial strips left over. Since the colors are perfect for a baby quilt, I made 16 patch blocks out of them. A few scraps of darker green and orange from my scrap drawer were added for a bit more variety. Here I have nine sets of four identical 6" blocks. 

Taking a page from Kevin's playbook, I spun the seams. When the blocks are sewn together the seams will all nest. 

These blocks could make a 36 by 36 inch baby quilt, or I could add sashing and make it a little bigger. I want to keep it narrow enough to use one width of fabric for the backing, so we'll see. 

So, because Kevin inspired me, this project came into being. Now another friend, Cherie, is coming to spend a few days sewing with me. We're working on a collaborative project that we prefer to keep confidential, so I won't be posting about the project. But I can show you that my sewing room is cleaned up and ready for Cherie. 

My table opens up large enough that we can create a workspace for her to sew at the end of it. I just need to bring in a chair for her and we'll be ready to go. 

She's arriving tomorrow and will be here the rest of the week. So fun to have our own at-home retreat! 

Link up: Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Opal-Inspired

PCQ has a display window in our Creative Arts Center and we change out the display each month. This year they're using birthstones to determine the featured color each month. January was Garnet, and my red Cherry Jubilee quilt was featured. 

October is Opal. Not my birthstone, but the idea of an opal-inspired color palette got the wheels turning in my brain. I googled images of opals. 

Opal gemstone, screen capture from Google image search

To me, this suggests a palette of low volumes with occasional flecks of aqua, orange, and yellow. Which, by the way, would be good colors for a baby quilt. I pulled fabrics in these colors and selected the most suitable.

I made a few small blocks with scattered bits of my chosen colors. This could be interesting.

The blocks are small, only 6". Once cut, they go together quickly. I've been making them in batches of four matching blocks that can be widely spaced in the quilt top. A 6 by 7 layout will yield a 36" by 42" baby quilt. 

Here are the blocks on my design wall. The overall effect is light with flashes of color. I'll kit it up to sew the top together at social sewing. 

We'll see if the girls on the window committee view this as Opal-inspired in October. 

Link up: Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Leftover "Almost Postage Stamp" Blocks

Back in 2024 when I started making my Almost Postage Stamp quilt, PCQ was pushing for twin bed size quilts for donation. Then in 2025 we made some changes to our roster of charities, and we no longer need bedspread-size quilts. Smaller throws are now preferred. 

I had planned for my Almost Postage Stamp quilt to be bedspread size, but by reducing the number of blocks I could make it smaller. However, the blocks were already made. What to do with them?  Use them with alternate blocks for another top. 

I couldn't find anything suitable in my stash for the focus fabric. After all, it had to coordinate with already-made blocks, not be the inspiration for the color palette. So a friend and I went shopping, and we found this batik with the right colors in it. But it looked busy next to the checkerboard blocks. She suggested adding a frame around it to give it some separation. Brilliant! 

Since the pieced blocks were already made, this top came together quickly at a couple of mornings of social sewing. It finished at 48 by 60". I found fabric suitable for the backing in PCQ's stash, prepped binding, put in a request for batting from the charity committee, and turned the whole package in for someone else to quilt. 

Win-win-win! No more orphan blocks or UFO here for me. The blocks got used, the long arm committee gets a throw size quilt to use for training, and someone in Hospice will get a nice throw when it's finished. 

Link up: Alycia Quilts

January Stash Report and Goals Update

January was a busy month. I was able to accomplish most of my goals, and even a little extra. It was also a good month for my stash report. A couple of finishes helped. 

The big finish this month was my teal quilt. After all the woes with the quilting, it's finally done and the quilting looks good. I'm able to count out the backing and binding in my stash report. 

Another finish was the X and Plus top. I didn't expect to make this much progress! 

Also (no photos yet, coming soon) I was able to use my leftover Almost Postage Stamp blocks and piece a top at social sewing. 

And the most important finish, my grandson's video game quilt with minky backing. It's already shipped, delivered, and waiting for him to open next weekend. 

All these finishes boosted my stash usage numbers! But I also scored some goodies at an estate sale, which offset my usage. Not too bad, though. 

January Stash Report

IN this Month: 21 yards (21 yards from estate sale @ <$1.40/yd)

OUT this month: 20-1/4 yards. (Backing and binding for teal quilt, 5-3/4 yards. Top for Cannon's quilt and leftovers given away, 6 yards. Binding, 1/2 yard.  Est 4-1.4 yards per EQ for X and Plus top. Leftover Almost Postage Stamp blocks top, 2-3/4 yards excluding blocks already counted.) 

YTD Net change: 3/4 yard added. 

Goals Update

January Recap: 

1. Get Minky and quilt grandson's video game quilt. Bind and finish. Must be shipped by January 31.  Done and shipped 1/15. 

2. Talk to Spoonflower about printing sashing fabric for my Crossroads Wheel project. Not done; still have some local shops to check out before pursuing bespoke fabric from Spoonflower. 

3. Pull fabrics and cut pieces for an X and Plus quilt. Done, and completed the flimsy. 

4. Start planning a long-term piecing project to work on at social sewing. Yes, have been cutting for a new scrappy project involving Mary's Triangles.

5. Go through my UFOs and figure out a plan for them. Progress. Donated one UFO top together with backing, batting and binding for it to PCQ, Feathered Star. Currently working with new PCQ Charity committee president regarding several other UFOs. 

Other:
1) Assembled a top using the leftover blocks from my Almost Postage Stamp quilt at social sewing. Found fabric for backing for it. 
2) Prepped back, batting and binding for Positively Scrappy and turned it in for someone else to quilt and finish. 

February Goals: 

1. Make a Stacked Slabs top, small throw size, to show at PCQ meeting on 2/9. Take it and several of the other PCQ top samples to talk about charity sew day projects. (Pattern in Charity Quilts tab above) 

2. Assist a friend on the long arm on Feb. 4th. 

3. Host Cherie the week of the 16th for our own at-home retreat. 

4. Piece backing for X and Plus quilt; quilt it on PCQ's long arm on Feb. 24. 

5. Piece backing for the leftover Postage Stamp Blocks top. 

6. Work on new Mary's Triangles project at social sewing. 

7. Work on new opal-inspired piecing project. 

I'll finish with one more photo. Each club has a display window in our Creative Arts building. This year the committee chose birthstones to inspire the color of the month to be displayed. January's birthstone is garnet, so they put out a call for dark red projects. My Cherry Jubilee is featured (folded) at the upper right. (The back of the window looks into the Fiber Arts room)

Photo credit: PCQ's window committee

X and Plus Top

One of my goals this month was to make progress on making X and Plus blocks. Not only did I make progress, I finished the top.

It's still somewhat busy, but not nearly as busy as many of the X and Plus quilts out there. The monochromatic green color palette helps, as does the white space. 

It finished at 60 x 72", adult throw size. Since it's just a little too long to hang well on my wall in vertical orientation, I also tried it in horizontal orientation. It looks crooked but that's photographer error - there's a group of agaves in the way of where I had to stand. 

I found a green and white modern print in my stash that I can use for backing. I'll get it quilted in February and then donate it. It was fun to make but now I've gotten the X and Plus blocks out of my system, and it's time to move on to something else. 

As X and Plus quilts go, I like how this one turned out. 

Link up: Alycia Quilts 1/30

The Perfect Border Fabric

Yes!!! I actually had enough in my stash of the perfect fabric for the border of my X and Plus top. This is a print that I've had for a long time and I've always loved it, but I've never been able to use more than small bits of it in scrappy quilts. I inherited it from the stash of Dorris McM of Circle in the Square Quilters, who passed away in 2008. 

This print was so different from everything else of its time. The leaves are flat and stamped-like, very crisp, and the colors are mostly clear midtones. Most of the prints of that era were blurry like batiks and extremely bright (think Laurel Birch). I always loved this print but it never went with anything. Now I recognize it as a precursor to the flat, crisp prints of the Modern Quilting era. 

I'm so glad it works here as the border of my X and Plus top. 

Link up: Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Feathered Star

 One of my goals this month is to look at my UFOs and decide what to do about them. Most are unquilted tops. One of the tops is a small Feathered Star.

I originally made it several years ago as a test to see if I wanted to make a queen size feathered star medallion quilt. The answer was No. 

This little top measures 45" square and could be a baby quilt for a little girl. PCQ now is able to donate baby quilts to expectant families at Luke AFB which is nearby. This could be a nice donation quilt.

PCQ recently put out a call for small charity quilts to use for long arm training and certification. Perfect! They can practice on this top, bind it, and donate it the next time they take baby quilts to Luke.

 I prepped backing, binding, and frankenbatting, bundled it up, and turned it in. At the recent Long Arm Users Group meeting, a friend selected it from the cabinet to quilt. She wants to learn free motion as opposed to using a panto. Perfect! 

One UFO dealt with, one practice quilt available for learning, and a baby quilt to be donated. Win-Win-Win! 

Link up: Alycia Quilts

X and Plus Progress

Piecing X and Plus blocks was a nice relief from the stress of dealing with the quilting problems of the teal quilt. Thankfully, the quilting problems were resolved. At that point I still needed a few more X and Plus blocks. No problem. 

Here are my 20 blocks for a 48 x 60" top. 

As is, it would be a small throw or lap quilt. I'm considering adding borders, but I need to see what I have enough yardage of in my stash that could work. I've been doing well at using stash, and may not have enough of anything suitable. And yet, my green baskets are still full. No, I don't plan to purchase anything for a border. This will be a donation quilt, and it will be fine if it ends up just this size. 

Link up: Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Finally Finished: The Teal Quilt

After all the problems, the Teal Quilt is finally finished. Whoo-hoo! 

This was more of a challenge than I anticipated. 

First, it's a remake of the Black and Tan quilt I made last year, but making it monochromatic meant finding just the right fabric hue, value, and intensity. Shopping ensued. The placement of darks and mediums is crucial for the dark diagonal grid framework to emerge. Squint at the photo and you'll see it more clearly. 

Second, and more frustrating, the quilting was a nightmare, as I've written about in several recent posts. Thanks to much troubleshooting by the ladies on PCQ's Long Arm Committee, the issues were resolved and I was able to quilt it. 

I'm keeping this quilt for me. PCQ is having a quilt show in March, and I'm entering it. It feels good to have this one done and I'm pleased with how it turned out. 

Link ups: Alycia Quilts 1/16, My Quilt Infatuation 1/22

X and Plus Blocks

Back when I lived in St. Louis and was a member of the St. Louis Modern Quilt Guild, I was part of a bee, and one of the members had us make X and Plus blocks one month. It's a fun block to make, and a popular one. 

I've long thought about making an X and Plus quilt. But most of the images I've seen are a chaotic splash of colors. Even those that are symmetrical and laid out with care are usually blindingly bright or have nowhere to rest the eye. Then I saw this monochromatic version from Zen Chick - Brigitte Heitland. Much easier on the eyes than most versions! Click on the link and check it out. 

I have an overabundance of greens in my stash: an overflowing basket of green-greens, a pretty full basket of yellow-greens, and a very full basket of teals and blue-greens. I could make a similar version. 

Over the Christmas holidays I cut a few pieces and started making blocks. I'm using white on white or very subtle white ground prints for the triangles, all the same fabric within one block. Most of the green prints will be used in two blocks, but a few of the fabrics were scraps and will only be used once. 

I'll cut a few more pieces and make a few more blocks, and see where this is going. Thank you, Brigitte, for the inspiration! 

Linking up with Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

The Teal Quilt is Quilted

I cannot speak highly enough of the dedication and thoroughness and support of PCQ's long arm committee. They took seriously my issues with quilting the teal quilt. They scheduled a thread testing session and work day for themselves and invited me to bring my teal thread for them to test. 

They tweaked everything they possible could. They got the machine to quilt perfectly and I was able to start quilting my quilt. No more eyelashes on the back! 

Looking good! 

Two thirds of the way quilted, and I ran out of bobbin. After inserting the new bobbin, the machine made a funny sound and acted up again. Major eyelashes. The girls on the committee tweaked some more, did a lot of testing, and after four hours that afternoon, called it a day with plans to reconvene the next morning. I took the quilt off the frame, took it home and removed the bad quilting. 

Next morning the girls on the committee tweaked everything some more. They cleaned and adjusted everything again and again. They tried my teal thread and they tried white thread, same type. They tried different bobbins. They even tried a different bobbin case. Finally they were satisfied with the quilting and I was able to finish the last two passes. There were a couple of thread breaks and a couple of small birds nests on the underside, but those are small and near enough to the edge that I can unpick the bad parts and restitch on my domestic machine. 

I'm grateful to the members of the committee for their dedication to solving the problem and helping me get my project quilted. I hope no one else has to deal with such problems next time they're quilting. 

I have another reserved time slot on the 8th - this week! - and I'll be quilting my grandson's quilt with minky backing. Wish me luck!