Bonus Years

by Dawn Posted on July 22, 2026

Two months is a long time to go between blog posts. Five days after my last post of May 22, my husband Charlie, known to many of you as the Dear Husband, died. He had been diagnosed in 2022 with congestive heart failure, a condition that was managed very well with medication until his heart simply started to wear out.

Even though I am profoundly sad at losing my husband, I celebrate the fact that we had so many bonus years together. You see, Charlie lived to be 101. When we got married in 1981, he was 56 years old and I was 30. It was the second marriage for both of us, and we are proof that love is indeed lovelier the second time around. The age difference was never an issue; he was active and vigorous in his 50s and remained so well into his 90s. He was also young at heart, which made living with him a joy.

Because of Charlie’s age at the time of our marriage, I had the reasonable expectation that we would have at least 30 years together. That would have taken him to age 86. Every year after that was a bonus year. I never dreamed he would live long enough for us to celebrate our 45th wedding anniversary! (I wrote a post in April which includes a photo of Dream Weaver, the quilt I made for him as an anniversary gift; you can read that post here.)

My twin sister Diane arrived in early May for a month-long visit and postponed her departure when it became clear Charlie’s life was coming to an end. She’s back home now but her presence before he died and for the six weeks following his passing was a great source of comfort, and I’m so grateful she was here.

Now you know why my posts have been few and far between. It wasn’t just the extra gardening chores I took on for Charlie. It was because caring for him was my number one priority. I will miss him every day for the rest of my life but I have many happy memories of our time together to sustain me.

He would be happy to know I’ll be returning to my sewing room — but I won’t neglect the garden! My promise to him was to keep our urban vegetable garden going. As a matter of fact, I picked our second tomato today, the bush beans are coming along nicely, and the herb garden is doing splendidly. The Dear Husband would be delighted.

 

 

 

Posted in bed runners, family, home dec, Ribbon Box quilt, update | 15 Comments

The Post is Slow

by Dawn Posted on May 22, 2026

No, I don’t mean the U.S. mail. I’ve been slow to post on my blog. The final four blocks of my current Work-in-Progress have been done for a couple of weeks yet here I am just posting about them now. All I can say in my defense is that the garden is looking good! The weeds haven’t been totally vanquished yet but the herbs and plants that have gone into the ground all seem to be doing well.

But let’s get back to quilting! Here are blocks 21 and 22 . . .

. . . and blocks 23 and 24:

And here is the final 4 x 5 layout, just as I planned it with no last-minute changes in placement:

Next up are the sashing strips between the blocks and rows, and then the border. I found the perfect border fabric (from 2008!) in my stash. I’m looking forward to finishing up this quilt top but the forecast is for three more days of warm sunny weather before the rain returns and I really must take advantage of that.

Never fear, I shall return!

 

 

 

Posted in faux-kaleido quilts, Ribbon Box quilt, update | 6 Comments

One More Row to Hoe — er, Row to Sew

by Dawn Posted on May 2, 2026

The month of April — my favorite month of the year — flew by so quickly I can hardly believe we’re into May already. So what did I accomplish in my sewing room in April? You know from my last post that I completed Dream Weaver, a bed runner for the Dear Husband as a 45th wedding anniversary gift. Here’s another look at Charlie’s quilt, with me in the photo (and I swear it’s a total coincidence that I’m wearing a matching outfit):

Because I spent most of the unusually warm and dry April pulling weeds in the front and back yards and preparing the three raised beds in the backyard for planting, I managed to get just four more blocks sewn on my current Work-in-Progress based on the pattern Dandelions at Dusk by Blue Bear Quilts. Here are the first two blocks . . .

. . . and the second two:

These four blocks make up the fourth row, bringing the total to 20:

One more row to go to get to 24. Then I’ll be ready to add sashing strips and cornerstones. As a reminder, this is the original pattern design by Blue Bear Quilts:

This is a fun project. The only thing keeping me from getting to the finish line faster is warm weather! According to the weather app on my phone, the temperature in Portland, Oregon for the next 10 days will be in the 70s. I can see where I’ll be spending most of my free time . . .

 

 

 

 

Posted in 4-Patch Wonder, bed runners, family, faux-kaleido quilts, Ribbon Box quilt, update | 4 Comments

Happy Anniversary, Dear Husband!

by Dawn Posted on April 11, 2026

On this day in 1981 — 45 years ago — the Dear Husband and I were married. During those 45 years I’ve made him numerous aprons and several bathrobes. I even made him a couple of short-sleeved shirts in our early years together. And I’ve made dozens of shirt pockets for this man. As it became harder and harder to find short-sleeved shirts with two pockets (his favored style) I would buy long-sleeved shirts, cut the sleeves off at the elbow, and make pockets out of the lower halves, which then got sewn onto the shirts. I wrote a post about it back in 2012 which you can read here.

In all our years together, though, I never made a quilt just for the DH. I guess it’s because I felt that all of the quilts that decorate our home are his as much as mine. But this year I decided to make one just for him and give it to him as an anniversary gift.

Can you guess which one it is? It’s the bed runner I’ve been posting about the last few months! You know, the one based on the free Ribbon Box pattern from Cloud 9 Fabrics. In my last post you saw pictures of it after it had been quilted, and I even teased you by telling you to come back to find out what I’ve named it.

Are you ready? The quilt is called Dream Weaver — most appropriate for a bed runner, don’t you think? Back in 1975 Dream Weaver was a hit song written and performed by Gary Wright. It’s been described as a “cosmic lullaby.” If you’re interested in hearing the song, this link will take you to the You Tube video.

Are you ready to see the bed runner now? Take a look:

My twin Diane took the photo above shortly after I finished attaching the label on the back. Here’s an earlier shot of the label being stitched on:

The bed runner measures 29″ x 64″ after its maiden voyage through the washer and dryer. I do love the soft puckery look that laundering gives a quilt:


I didn’t wait till today to give Charlie his anniversary gift. He got it on Monday of this week because Diane, who returned home on Tuesday, wanted to be there when he opened it. It was a special moment. He had seen the bed runner in progress but had no idea it was meant for him. It was quite the surprise.

And I got quite the surprise myself today! Look what was delivered late this afternoon:

Friends, you’re looking at 45 enormous pale yellow roses — one for every year the DH and I have been married. Thank you, Dear Husband!

 

 

 

Posted in aprons, bathrobe, bed runners, family, Ribbon Box quilt, update | 7 Comments

Ribbon Box #4 Back from the Quilter

by Dawn Posted on March 26, 2026

My fourth version of the free pattern Ribbon Box by Cloud 9 Designs is back from the quilter, and I am so pleased. If you saw my previous post, you know that I converted the pattern from a lap size to a bed runner by tweaking the number of vertical ribbons. Not only is #4 quilted now, it’s also bound, and I am almost finished hand-stitching the binding to the back of the quilt. Here’s a peek at the bottom half of the quilt:

The quilt motif by Quilts Complete is “Embellish,” one of my favorites. It’s especially appropriate for Ribbon Box because the swirls in the quilting look like ribbons.

I decided on single-fold binding that finishes at ⅜”. If you look at the left side of the photo above, you can see the binding strip attached to the edge of the quilt has not been folded in half. The binding strips were cut 1¾” wide according to the measurements in my tutorial on single-fold binding. The mitered corners turn out so nice and crisp! Here’s a look at one of the corners from the front . . .

. . . and from the back:

Here’s my fourth and final corner pinned and ready to tack down:

The only thing left to do after the binding is finished is make the label, and I’ve gotten a head start on that. The perfect name for this quilt popped into my head the other day but I’m going to wait until I’m ready to show off the finished quilt to reveal the name. I hope you’ll come back for that.

 

 

 

Posted in bed runners, home dec, Ribbon Box quilt, update | 6 Comments

“Make Your Bed”

by Dawn Posted on March 11, 2026

Fifteen years ago I bought a quilt book called Make Your Bed, written by Leslee Evans and published by That Patchwork Place, an imprint of Martingale & Company. The book contains nine designs for quilted bed runners and also includes instructions for decorative pillows and shams. I never made a single thing from the book but the idea of making a bed runner has been percolating in my mind all these years.

In my post of January 25 titled “The Joy of Petting Fabric,” I mentioned I was planning to make a bed runner by transforming the free Ribbon Box pattern from Cloud 9 Fabrics from a quilt into a bed runner. I tested my idea by simply folding the cover page of the pattern to create a quilt with two vertical ribbons and four horizontal ones. As a reminder, here’s a photo showing the quilt as designed and what a bed runner would look like:

Here’s what my bed runner looks like:

I love how this turned out! I added 3″ to the top and bottom. It now measures 29½ x 65½” — the perfect size to drape across the foot of a twin or double bed. The quilt is intended as a surprise gift for a family member. Next up is a simple pieced back and then it’s off to my longarm quilter for her special touch.

Waiting to be made are the second 10 of 20 blocks needed for the other quilt I’ve been working on based on the pattern Dandelions at Dusk.

 

 

 

Posted in bed runners, family, home dec, update | 6 Comments

12 Out of 20

by Dawn Posted on February 25, 2026

No, that’s not a test score. If it were, I would have failed the exam. The title of the post refers to the fact I have completed 12 of the 20 blocks needed for my current WIP (work-in-progress) based on the pattern Dandelions at Dusk by Blue Bear Quilts.

I’m having fun with this one! Take a look at my first 12 blocks:

Aren’t they pretty?

There are several elements that add to the interest of the blocks. First and foremost are the four-patch kaleido units themselves since each one is unique. The pattern is designed in such a way that these units appear in different corners of the blocks, essentially rotating around each other. In my view it allows each floral unit to stand out and really shine.

The two sashing fabrics are also an important part of the design. (Sorry to say this photo, taken in late afternoon in a room with north-facing windows, doesn’t show the medium and medium-dark cornflower blue prints in a consistent light.)

I’d be making faster progress if I were more organized in my approach to cutting and sewing. Some quilters cut all of their fabrics first so that every block is ready to be sewn together from the get-go. Alas, I am not one of those quilters. I usually cut just enough of the fabrics to make a few blocks at a time. It’s all about instant gratification. A bit silly, really, but I’ve always been that way. Even back in the days (make that decades) when I made most of my own clothing, it would take me longer to make something because I would literally be trying the garment on every step of the way.

There’s something else going on with this quilt. The background fabric is directional:

Can you see the very subtle herringbone design? It has to be cut and sewn in two different ways for the design to be in the correct position in each block. One really has to pay attention! I confess there has been some “unsewing” and “corrective sewing” going on.

My twin Diane arrived last week for a four-week visit. I had texted her a couple of weeks ago to see if she could come out in March for a week. She replied, “I can come next week and stay for a month.” Oh joy! Today she vacuumed the main floor of the house and mopped the kitchen floor so I could hie to my sewing room and finish the 12th block. I may not let her go home.

 

 

 

Posted in 4-Patch Wonder, family, faux-kaleido quilts, garment sewing, kaleidoscope quilts, update | 5 Comments

Dandelions at Dusk WIP Update

by Dawn Posted on February 5, 2026

I’m happy to report that I wound up with 21 4-patch kaleidoscope blocks, of which 20 are  needed for my current Work-in-Progress based on the pattern Dandelions at Dusk by Blue Bear Quilts. You will remember I started with these two test blocks:

Because I didn’t have extra focus fabric to play with, many of my blocks share the same floral element so I arranged them accordingly to get a better look:

(I have a piece of flannel draped over the door to my sewing room for a narrow but easily accessible design wall.  My big design wall is across the hall in the room I call the Annex.)

Satisfied that there’s enough variety in the blocks, I laid them out in the 4 x 5 grid called for in the pattern. After moving individual blocks around over the course of a few days, I settled on this layout:

When it comes time to sew the finished blocks together, each four-patch kaleido unit will be positioned in one of four corners of the finished block — upper left, upper right, lower left, lower right. (Take another look at the first photo in this post and you’ll see what I mean.)

But what about that 21st block, the one that didn’t make the cut? Here it is:

Most likely it will end up on the back of the quilt.

Now it’s time to move on to the other block components — the half-square triangles and the units with sashing strips. I’m off to my sewing room to do some rotary cutting. Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

 

Posted in 4-Patch Wonder, faux-kaleido quilts, kaleidoscope quilts, update | 4 Comments

Boxed In?

by Dawn Posted on January 29, 2026

Here are the two test blocks for my newest project, using the pattern Dandelions at Dusk by Blue Bear Quilts as my jumping off point:

Take a look at the pattern cover of Dandelions at Dusk to get a sense of how my test blocks would fit into the over-all design:

I love the look of my test blocks and think they would work beautifully in the quilt design but alas, I fear I may have boxed myself into a corner. You see, there are a couple of things I failed to take into consideration when I started cutting and sewing my test blocks.

Both have to do with my focus fabric, identified in my last post as “Jolie Jardin” by the now defunct Lakehouse Fabrics. I had used a chunk of this fabric years ago in a quilt but hadn’t bothered to check how much actual yardage I had left to make the 20 blocks needed for this quilt. Turns out I had quite a bit less than I thought.

Each four-patch kaleidoscope block is made up of four 4″ squares. The finished blocks measure 7½” square unfinished, 7″ square finished. I need 20 of them. After carefully measuring my fabric today, I was able to determine that I should be able to eke out 21 blocks (meaning I have only one to spare) if — and only if — I don’t make a single cutting error. No pressure, right?

The method of making four-patch kaleidoscope blocks is to stack four repeats of fabric on top of each other, pin the repeats very carefully to keep the design elements perfectly aligned, and then very carefully cut the fabric into squares. Here comes the second issue: the repeat of this fabric is not 12″ as I was expecting. The repeat is actually 11⅞” — meaning I have to cut my squares a smidge short of 4″ in order to eke out the number of squares needed.

The only thing to do is dive into the deep end. I’ll go ahead and stack my repeats and cut my squares and see what the resulting blocks look like. Assuming I have enough blocks with enough variety, I’ll soldier on with the quilt. The worst that can happen is I’ll wind up with four-patch kaleido blocks that won’t work for this quilt but will work for another one.

 

 

 

Posted in 4-Patch Wonder, faux-kaleido quilts, kaleidoscope quilts, update | 6 Comments

The Joy of Petting Fabric

by Dawn Posted on January 25, 2026

Petting fabric? If you’re not a quiltmaker, “petting fabric” may be a foreign concept but I can assure you it’s a real thing — for me, at least. Earliest this month while thinking ahead to the projects I want to undertake in 2026, I decided to pull some of my most beloved fabrics from my stash to see what I wanted to use and what I needed to add to the pull to get the right mix for the designs I have in mind.

And by “the right mix” I mean that magical combination of color and value and texture that printed designs on fabric bring to a finished quilt. The combination that makes this quilter’s heart sing. There’s nothing quite so satisfying as running your hands over crisp quilter’s cotton (otherwise known as petting fabric) and imagining what beautiful things you can create from it.

I may be waxing philosophically but this past November was a milestone for me. I turned 75 – three quarters of a century! — and I got to wondering how many quilts I have left in me. I have accumulated a virtual (I won’t say literal even though it’s true, ha ha) mountain of fabric, and there’s no way I can use all of it in my lifetime.

So I asked myself: what are some of the fabrics I love so much I want to make something with them before I die? I’m not being morbid here; I simply want to acknowledge the desire to prioritize my quilt projects according to the fabrics I adore the most while taking into account the fact that I am not immortal.

So here’s a short list of projects I want to embark on in 2026. (You just have to promise not to hold me to this list because who’s to say a fabric line won’t debut in the next few months that totally takes my fancy, turns my head, and causes some of the quilts I have in mind to drop down on the list? This is the eternal dilemma for quilters, no?)

At the very top of my list is a quilt showcasing a gorgeous floral print from the “Jolie Jardin” line by Lakehouse Dry Goods:

I’ve paired it with fabrics that I think will go well with the pattern shown, Dandelions at Dusk by Blue Bear Fabrics. That Lakehouse focus fabric has been in my stash for at least 16 years. I know this because I used some of it in a quilt I made in 2010 called Dianthus, which you can see right here:

The pattern is 4-Patch Stacked Posies by HD Designs. Back then I had recently discovered the four-patch kaleidoscope block and was having great fun investigating the possibilities with other fabrics and other settings. At this point I haven’t decided whether I will make four-patch kaleido blocks for this next quilt or cut squares directly from the fabric. My plan is to make a test block or two tomorrow.

I have two quilts in mind for this next group of fabrics:

The first is a true winter version (as opposed to a holiday version) of my pattern Season to Taste. Here you see my spring, summer, fall, and winter versions:

The winter version (far right) was given to my twin Diane as a Christmas gift a couple of years ago so I made a second holiday version for myself this past year:

I’ve been rotating my Season to Taste quilts on a wall in the master bath but I don’t necessarily want to keep the winter version you see above on display during January and February. That’s why I need a true winter version, and I am totally in love with the fabrics in the grouping I have put together that speak “winter” to me. I have already cut out more than enough 45˚ triangles for the three blocks needed for a wall hanging:

The background fabric is a light gray “Grunge” from BasicGray for Moda. Very appropriate for a typical rainy winter in Portland, Oregon but the prints are lively enough to dispel the winter blahs (or is that winter blues?).

And what about the second version with these fabrics? Well . . . regular readers will recall my obsession with the free Ribbon Box pattern from Cloud 9 Fabrics. I made three versions in 2024. (You can see them here in my Quilt Gallery.)

In the photo below you can see the front page of the Cloud 9 pattern. My plan is to transform it into a bed runner. I tested my idea by simply folding the paper to create a quilt with two vertical ribbons and four horizontal ones. By reducing the width of the ribbons from 5″ to 4″, I’ll wind up with a bed runner that measures 28½” wide.

I have a length of very pale aqua fabric with just a hint of texture and sparkle for the background of this quilt. I think it will be lovely!

I hardly know where to start but as Scarlett O’Hara famously said, “Tomorrow is another day.” There is nothing on the agenda tomorrow so I hope to have a test block to show you very soon.

Thank you for stopping by. And by the way, Happy New Year!

 

 

 

Posted in 4-Patch Wonder, bed runners, faux-kaleido quilts, home dec, kaleidoscope quilts, picnic quilt, Ribbon Box quilt, table runner, update, wall hanging | 6 Comments