The last 3 rows...................

I had great ambitions when I got up but it took me most of the day to get started on the last 3 rows of this quilt.  I finally got the triangles up on the design wall.

I continued working on them and got all three rows sewn and then the first two sewn together.  

Now I can make some more of the Kaleidoscope blocks from the same triangle selection.  I have 17 blocks already made.  I need to decide if I'm going to make it with 24 blocks (40" x 60") or 48 blocks (60" x 80").  If I make the smaller size I could add a couple borders to increase it to 52" x 72".

Last night was predicted to be high 20s or low 30s and today they are saying 41 degrees.  I don't have anything growing that can be affected by a frost.  Then 60s are back and 70s by Sunday.  This is typical April weather in northern IL.

9 rows...............

After lots of family fun yesterday I sewed the top three rows and sewed them together.  Now I need to design the bottom 3 rows and choose the fabrics that will be the separator strips and top and bottom border, if I'm still going to make it like the previous quilt.

I did a little hand stitching on the binding of the other quilt but no photo.

 

Making progress.............

The 6 row section is sewn together now.  I didn't get any farther on it because I was making 2 batches of Chex Mix to use up all of the ingredients left from the Christmas marathon.  Later in the evening I made frosted creams since I have company coming today.

I haven't done the final pressing yet but my points are matching up pretty well.

I started the hand stitching about 6" before a corner and made it down one short side and around the next corner.

Happy Easter to all who celebrate it!  It's going to be sunny here but chilly.

6 rows..................

Two more rows were sewn last night but I didn't get them attached to the section of 4 rows yet.  When I get that done I'll sew the top 3 rows and then be ready to design the bottom 3 rows.  I need 69 pieces for the 3 rows and I have one piece each of 70 fabrics set aside for that section.

Earlier in the day I trimmed this diamond quilt and cut the binding for it.  I got the binding sewn on the front last night and I will hand finish this one.

Last year a Lungwort/ Pulmonaria plant migrated from the back yard to the front garden. I was going to dig it out last year and never got around to it.  When I went out to get my mail I saw it was blooming.  It is ahead of the plants in the back garden in size and blooming.  I checked it out online and it says it is rarely damaged by deer, so my readers with visiting deer might want to try it.  After it blooms, the spotted leaves get very large.  It spreads to other parts of the garden but can be easily dug up and planted where you want it.  I  love the spotted leaves as contrast with the other plants in the garden.  It is one the earliest bee loving plants.

Sewing two rows....................

I had little ones visiting early last evening so I spent a lot of the day straightening, cleaning and putting all sharp objects up high.  After they all left I started sewing 2 more rows together.  I like the combination of colors in this beginning of a row.

By 10 p.m. I had two rows sewn but was too tired to sew them together.

We had lots of storms roll through yesterday morning and again in the evening.  I had 1.5" of rain in the gauge from the morning rain.  I'll check it again today to see how much we got in the evening.  There were several severe storm warnings for the area and a couple tornado watches north of us so we lucked out and didn't get the severe weather.
 

Assembly started....................

I needed to start sewing this quilt together before pieces start fluttering off the design wall.  I had the window open a couple days ago and found 2 pieces on the floor when I returned to the room.  I can sew 2 rows at a time because the triangles are pointing in opposite directions from one row to the other as I work my way across the rows. While sewing I have the 2 piles in the position they are in, in this photo.  When I start the first row I have a little flag attached that reminds me that is the top row.  These triangles don't have nipped corners so I have to figure out the matching point.

Here is how much the rows will shrink after stitching.

All Marcia Derse fabrics in this one, at least 70 different fabrics.

I forgot to take the photo of the March dishcloths for yesterday's monthly recap, so here they are today.

March 2026 monthly recap....................

Three quilts were finished in March.  On the left a flannel quilt, the top made 2 years ago.  It is 53" x 70".  In the center is Kaffe Strippy 2, the top was finished last December.  It is 47.5" x 71".  On the right is Floral Hourglasses, made with mostly 1990s floral fabrics in December 2024.  It is 53" x 64.5".  They were all quilted by Robin Diaz.

I worked on several quilt tops but only two made it to the finish line by the end of the month.  The top on the left is all Marcia Derse fabrics, 70 different prints.  It is the "other 16 patch" made with rectangles rather than squares.  It is 63.5" x 80".  On the right is a flannel quilt top.  Most of the 16 patch blocks were made over a year ago and the rectangles were all cut and in a project box.  It was a fast and easy top to make.  It is 47" x 71.5".

I made the top of this table runner many years ago and it hung on a hanger all those years waiting for me to finish it.  As usual it only took a couple hours for the finish.  It is 12" x 35.5".

Finished last night, table runner with Marcia Derse fabric.  I hand finished the binding, finishing at 10 p.m.  It is 13" x 42".

The back is one of Marcia Derse's large prints that accompany her lines most years.