Log cabin Red Aggies, a design by Kathy Hamada, top completed

Red Aggies
90 1/2 by 75 1/2 inches
top competed 2025

I call it Red Aggies as it reminds me of some of my favorite marbles in my childnood.
A friend gave me a stack of magazines and this great design by Kathy Hamada stood out on the cover of the Spring/Summer 2014 Better Homes and Gardens Quilt Sampler. Her design is called Log Cabin Beads.
It has a great self-border with the half circles on the sides. And the staggard bees is striking.
Kathy's quilt is multi-colored. I made it in red scraps and Kona Snow for the white
  

It has been a while since I've made a log cabin, and there is a wonderful mindless sewing aspect that can be just what I want when the news is troubling.
I usually have another active project going into the machine while I piece log cabin blocks to take breaks from the logs.

Some log cabin hints:
-I have twisted seams where necessary to nest seams. I am fine with this.
-Match up top and bottom of strip to the block. I usually piece with the block on top of the strip.
If the strip is a bit longer for a block, it eases in if you put into machine with the strip below--remember the classic "baggy bottom" machine sewing advice in easing fabrics while piecing.
-Inspect the back of each seam when you cut blocks apart at each stage. The mindless sewing sometimes lends itself to wandering a bit and I find the occasional need for re-sewing as the seam allowance drifts off too much on the back.
-Rarely will the rounds be perfect. I can live with things being off a bit and the blocks still sew together fine
-Sewing into 12 rows and onto a mother-ship can cause stress on the seams. Also, long seams irritate me.
Instead I sew into sub-units, then rows. This leaves just two long seams for the top.

I love this quilt.

red and white umbrellas--made with block pattern by Lindsey from Pen + Paper Patterns, top completed

Those ducks!!

Umbrellas
about 71 by 62 inches
top completed 2025
36 blocks set 6 by 6
Block finishes 7 1/2 by 6 inches

Made using the well written block pattern by Lindsey from Pen + Paper Patterns Chance of Rain available HERE. I used Kona Snow for the constant and a different red print for each umbrella. I used the Doug Leko mini folded corners ruler for all the flip triangles.

I eliminating the frames from the block pattern and instead used L sashing, a technique I describe HERE and have the specifics for this quilt below.

L-sashing details:
Put first sashing on the edge with the most going on, so for this block, that is the bottom of the umbrella handle. Sew with block on top so you have control over all those tiny pressed open seams. Press towards the sashing of these blocks
All sashing is cut from 2 inch strips.

Bottoms of most blocks:
Cut 6 1/2 inches
Sew onto bottom of all blocks except for those in the bottom row.
Press to the sashing of these blocks

Sides of many block:
Cut 9 1/2 inches
Side sashes on the right sides of all but the last blocks of the top 5 rows rows and the entire final row.
Do not press yet

Sides of bottom row:
Cut 8 inches
Bottom row side sashes between all blocks, none on the left of the first or right of the last blocks
Do not press yet.

Lay out quilt and sew into rows. Press odd rows left and even rows right.
Press rows away from the tops of the umbrellas.
Everything will nest.

I then added 9 1/2 inch cut wide borders to the sides and finally to the top and bottom. My wonderful long arm quilter Sue DiVarco will do her magic in those wide borders.

I have been so drawn to make object blocks. I started with the sewing machines all in solids several years ago. Since November I've made red and white object quilts--teacups, scottie dogs, chickens, sunflowers, and tulips, and now, umbrellas.
When the news is so troubling, I find I can think while doing fiddly work, but I am not overwhelmed. 

In memory of our childhood dalmation, Ginger

red and white Zip: directions, top completed

Red and White Zip
80 by 66 inches
top completed 2025
white is Kona Snow

Back in 2016 I designed the Zip Block that I love.
Block details HERE, quilt is shown HERE.
This current variation has a similar effect but a very different construction.
NOTE: numbers may be off but measurements are correct.

Cutting
Red: 560 rectangles 2 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches, 40 squares cut 2 1/2 inches
White: 160 squares cut 2 1/2 inches

Make segments
Make 160 A: three rectangles and one white square
and
Make 40 B: two rectangles and one red square
It will make later pressing easier if you press each segment towards the end with the square now.

Make 40 rows: (pictured below)
Each row is made from 
four segments of three rectangles and one white square
AND
one segment of 2 rectangles and one red square
Press each row towards the end with the red square

Make 20 pairs: (pictured below)
Take two rows, rotate one, and sew into pairs, keeping the row starting with the red square at the top of each pair.
Press the seam down

Make 10 panels: (pictured below)
Take two pairs and sew together into a panel of four rows, keeping the pressing in same direction.
Again, press seam down

Lay out panels and sew together.

Press all horizontal seams down
All seams will nest along the zip white squares

My design, use at your pleasure.
It can be easily adapted to making it wider or longer, or with a horizontal orientation.

backing is Contempo's Gathering by Benartex

20 years of blogging

My first post included this photograph and explaination:
Klein meisje is Dutch for little girl--what my beloved grandfather called his 12 granddaughters because, I fear, it was easier than trying to remember our names.
I continue to take pleasure in sharing my quilting life.
Thank you for being with me!
Lynn

chickens, "Henny and her friends" top completed

Henny and her friends
Chickens
62 by 58 inches
Top completed 2025

My sisters and I are naming the chickens for my mom's childhood friends.

I finished this top in June and just realized I hadn't posted about it.
Read HERE about how I constructed the block.
I used Kona Rich Red for the constant and will also bind with it.

I adapted and revised the chickens from a block shown in the Special Spring 2013 edition of Quiltmania Hen Party designed by Kim Gaddy of Buttons and Bees. I cannot find an active link to the designer. Quiltmania is defunct, old copies of the issue are available online.

My block finishes 12 by 14 inches. I added a sprocket sashing of 1 1/2 inch cut squares.

This quilt will go to my sister Beth.

The back is made from chicken feed sacks of my mother. The photo shows the back in progress--there is another print added. I will photograph the back when it returns from the quilter.

Block revisions and set are mine--use at your pleasure.

tulips! Using pattern by Bess Casey Wilke of Side Lake Stitch: top completed

Tulips
top completed 2025
83 by 65 inches

After the sunflowers, I had to make tulips.
Bess Casey Wilke of Side Lake Stitch has a great tulip pattern Flower Block HERE. 
I modified piecing a bit by using a goose for the center tip of the tulip and by using the Doug Leko tool for the leaves. And I widened the frame a bit to 2 inches cut.
LOVE THIS!!
Get her delightful pattern and read about her natural dye work!

I used Kona Snow for the constant and made each block with a different red print.

Backing is Farm Family Red by Marshall Dry Goods Co.

LOVE this beaters fabric of Robert Kaufman

scottie dogs, binding! quilt completed

Scottie Dogs

top completed 2024
Quilt completed 2025
68 by 62 inches

Quilted by Sue Divarco

48 blocks set 6 across and 8 down
Block finishes 5 by 6 inches
I used Kona Snow for the white
Go HERE to read about the quilt and links to directions.

My design, use at your pleasure.

Petal Patch in Red and White, pattern by Meghan Buchanan , top completed

Flowers
89 by 65 inches
top completed 2025

I had been sketching out flower designs for my Red & White series when I came upon Then Came June's Meghan Buchanan's delightful Petal Patch pattern available to purchase as a pdf HERE. 
It moved to the top of my list and my sketches can wait.
Check out all her variations of the pattern on her blog.

Her pattern has great directions and graphics.
I adapted to my construction preferences and eliminated a few seams, mainly by using Doug Leko's mini simple folded corners ruler available HERE. I love this ruler and the larger size too.
I also prefer to press seams to the side rather than open and in making my sample block found this worked.
For the centers instead of piecing, I used 6 different red on white prints. 
I used a different single red print fabric for each flower and its leaves giving it more a silhouette feel. 
Kona Snow for the background. I buy it by the bolt and tear off lengths as I use it.

With CAREFUL cutting, I could get a block out of a fat quarter by cutting along the 18" side:
-Two strips the width of the leaf block in her directions (the longer number) then cutting the two squares for the outside triangles of the center of the flower from the remaining of those strips
-Two strips the length in her directions (the longer number) of the petals
-One strip the width of the stem in her directions
Cut the small squares for the four little squares used in the petals from the leftovers after cutting all the other pieces.

(The block uses nearly the entire fat-quarter. One fat-quarter was a bit short and I had to cut into the selvage for the stem. Fortunately the selvedge words ended up in the seam allowance or I would have had to find a replacement.)

A few other changes:
-I over-cut the length the the stem pieces and backgrounds, sewed them, then trimmed to her stated size.
-I eliminated the outer framing pieces of the block and instead used sashing cut 2 1/2 inches.
-I added a narrow border to the top to give some space to the flowers.

Use my adaptations at your pleasure--buy her pattern!!

I am thinking of making another with a variety of colors using just the flower part of the pattern.

Love Meghan's designs. Check out her Then Came June website and blog.

Backing is Winter at the Farm by Dianna Swartz for Benartex #13456

red and white jack and jill variation, top completed

Jack and Jill 
Top completed 2025
94 by 80 inches

I think I've made four Jack and Jills now.
I've used different combinations of rectangles and/or squares. Each has been quilted by Sue DiVarco with a pantograph of tumbling children, which I will use again for this one.
The 2 1/2 inch cut red squares bin was pretty full when I started and is not so any longer. Good thing more red and white quilts are in progress so the scraps will accumulate!

The directions are for making as shown but are easily adapted for changing the size of the quilt. I wanted to go big, but may make another with my multi-color scraps a bit smaller down the road.

Cutting (note, my numbers might be off a bit)
White: 230 rectangles cut 4 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches; 10 squares cut 2 1/2 inches
Red: 1410 squares cut 2 1/2 inches

Unit Piecing (note again, my numbers might be off a bit)
The basic unit is made from one white rectangle 4 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches and six red 2 1/2 inch squares. Do not press yet.
MAKE 200 Basic Units with six red squares  and one white rectangle each.

The top is constructed in six panels of eight rows*
*NOTE that I left off Row 8 of the bottom panel as I did not want a lone white square floating on the left bottom corner. My numbers reflect this change.

Use 188 units to make 47 rows of 4 units.
Each row has 4 of the basic units, with the white rectangle on the left. Then adapted as described below to have the stair-step effect.
(Remaining 12 units will be used in next step.)

Panel construction
Row 1: Add one more basic unit with the row starting with a rectangle
Row 2: Add one square at the beginning and a rectangle and five squares on the end
Row 3: Add two squares at the beginning and a rectangle and four squarres on the end
Row 4: Add three square at the beginning and a rectangle and three squares on the end
Row 5: Add four squares at the beginning and a rectangle and two squares on the end
Row 6: Add five squares at the beginning and a rectangle and one square on the end
Row 7: Add one more basic unit with the row ending with a rectangle
Row 8: Add a WHITE square and six red squares at the beginning of the row and a WHITE square at the end

Left side of a panel, Rows 1-8

Right side of the panel, Rows 1-8

Row pressing
Press odd rows to the west and even rows to the east

Make 6 panels.

Panel pressing
Press panels south

Sew panels together and press joining seams south.
Everything nests!

Backing is this great 

Riley Blake 
Nautical pattern C8550 for Caskata
The ships are about 4 inches tall and 7 inches long

My design, use at your pleasure.

no kings

No Kings
top pieced June 14, 2025
About 23 1/2 by 24 1/2 inches

lentil soup

 
Lentil Soup
My version is vegetarian/vegan friendly
Enjoy!


Olive oil
1-2 yellow onions, chopped
1/2 to 1 Tbsp herbs/spices--I use mainly Adobo from Uruguay and some cumin 
Sautee in pot until onion is soft and herbs/spices are fragrant 

Stir in
Two 14.5 ounce cans of petite diced tomatoes
Two cans of water
One pound of lentils
2 diced potatoes
3 diced carrots
Bring to simmer and cover, simmering until vegetables and lentils are done, about 30 minutes
Most of the water will be taken up, so watch carefully towards the end to make sure it doesn't scorch

Stir in
One 14 ounce can of unsweetened coconut milk and 1/2 can of water, more if needed
Stir in one drained can of corn or a handful of frozen corn
Gently heat 
I add salt and pepper and a splash of flavored vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil before serving

Our friend Hugo introduced us to the Uruguayan version of Adobo--available from Amazon. It is a great mix and I use it in most of my soups. I store it in a mason jar.
I've been getting flavored vinegars from American Vinegar Works. Love their selections and they make great gifts. Apple Cider Vinegar would work too.

Shopping list:
Fresh foods:
onions
carrots
potatoes

Canned goods:
Petite diced tomatoes
Unsweetened coconut milk
Corn

Pantry:
Uruguay Adobo, I use the brand Monte Cudine
Cumin
Olive Oil
Flavored vinegar
Salt and pepper

bookends

It is a bittersweet time as I enter my retirement. 
My nursing career began upon graduation from Morningside college and I was able this spring to attend their Maud Adams Research Day, named in honor our our first nursing professor who has remained a voice in my head at every patient and student encounter for 45 years.
I've worked at the bedside at The University of Iowa, Rush University, and several hospices, for a nursing association, and have taught as adjunct at Oakton College for nearly 20 years and adjunct and full time at Northern Illinois University for nearly 15. I am grateful for my colleagues.
A phrase I have often used in lecture is, "Your identity as a nurse is not tied to a paycheck. You are a nurse in your family, in your community, and in the voting booth."
Now it is my time to focus on those places.

Oakton's 104 team

Oakton's 103 team

I was honored at half court at NIU this winter

Morningside faculty and guests attending the Maud Adams Research Day
Their new chair of undergraduate studies, Amanda Haverhals (on my left), is a cousin of mine! 

I never wore my cap in practice, but we did wear them as students. I donated mine to my high school theater's props/costume department upon graduation

My final end-of-life lecture

Morningside Class of 1980