Project Updates
Posted on April 8, 2025 by prairiemoonquilts in Studio NewsMy mojo is still rebelling. It’s in the building, but it’s very sluggish and stubborn right now!
I’m still mainly running the longarm with what time I do have in the studio. All I can say is: I’m glad the weather is somewhat warmer because there’s been something making me leave the house nearly every day. I’m tired.
I keep telling myself that I haven’t been getting any sewing done, but that’s not completely true. On breaks from the longarm, I can sometimes manage to sneak in a few minutes of machine piecing, just to move some projects a little further along. And that’s working somewhat, although I have a loooooong way to go on a lot of projects.
And even tho I’ve been trying really hard not to start anything new, I thought it might help bring my mojo back if I did, so . . .
I joined in on a new quilt-along. It’s a work-at-your-own-pace 10-month quilt-along, hosted by Taryn on Instagram @reproquiltlover. (Her website HERE is pretty cool, too. Go check her out.) This quilt-along is called the “Scrappy Meets Thrift Challenge”, and the sweet little block is offered in three different sizes, and the size of quilt you make is also up to you. Whatever you have the time and the scraps for.
I, personally, have a LOT of scraps, so I opted for the 2″ finished blocks, and I’m going to make as many of them as I have setting fabric available for. So I don’t yet know what size it’s gonna end up being, but I have 18 blocks made so far, and I’m sewing them into sections as I go, so I won’t have to do all that at the end. And I’m also not going to worry if I get behind, which I usually do on quilt-alongs!
I also finished this quilt top, pieced a backing for it, and made the binding! (Getting it quilted is another mountain to climb.)
It’s from this book right here, and as I was looking through it, I realized that I’ve made (or have in the works) at least 5 quilts from this book, so it’s a good one!
Speaking of books, here’s an appliqué book I am totally completely in love with. I have one quilt started from this book, but I want to make every quilt in it. And if she has any more books out, I probably need to buy those, too. While I have done a smidgen of hand piecing lately while working THIS quilt over, hand appliqué has not really been on the docket, but I’d love to get back to it. I may have to come up with a challenge for myself to make that happen, but we’ll see. Appliqué requires sitting down to work on, and I haven’t gotten much uninterrupted time for that lately, unless I’m so worn out I can’t even hold my eyes open.
And since I seem to be tired and unmotivated a lot lately, sometimes super simple sewing is all I can manage. My friends, Krista and Carol, came to visit a while back, and Krista laid out this comfort quilt from random 5″ squares on my design wall. Carol started sewing it together, and I’m working on finishing it up.
I also pulled out my gigantic bag of orphan blocks and random pieced units, and I want to get started doing something with them. This bag is so full, I could probably make three (or even five — ok, maybe seven) quilts from these blocks. I’m hoping to throw some of these up on the design wall soon to see what I can come up with. I always think of orphan block quilts as quilts already half done! You just need to decide on an arrangement and set them together!
So that’s what’s been going on in the studio lately.
Other than that, I will admit to spending some time in the kitchen, which is unusual for me, but I love my new kitchen so much, it’s not the undesirable chore that it used to be! I am still lazy about cooking in some ways, which is why I found a “no-knead” homemade bread recipe and tried it out. It came out great, and I’ll also say “parchment paper for the win” for easy cleanup as well. And I can’t link the recipe because I didn’t keep track of where it came from, but if you’re interested, I’ll try to find it. UPDATE! So many of you asked for it, I went searching and found it. Here it is: No-Knead Sandwich Bread
And my sister gave me a sourdough starter, which I’ve been faithfully feeding, but haven’t done much with just yet. The only thing I’ve made so far is a batch of blueberry muffins, and they were really good! Here’s the recipe for those, if you’re on the sourdough bandwagon: Sourdough Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping. And for once, they came out exactly like the picture showed (which never happens for me)!
So I’m still trying to get my mojo up and running again, so I can show you a lot more of what I’m working on. Meanwhile, I hope you’re getting some sewing done, and enjoying your weather wherever you are.
Oh! But before I go, I almost forgot to mention . . .
Today is Ranger’s 8th birthday! My little baby boy. He’s gone from this (at 7 weeks old):
To this:
Check out those impressive horns! And that rotund physique. He’s still wooly because shedding season is only just about to start.
And yes, he got his annual (ok, almost daily) special treat today. Today’s birthday treat was a flour tortilla and a handful of grapes. He’s sometimes picky, but not too picky. He just does NOT like to share! My darling baby boy!
Please look for the recipe for that no knead bread. It looks wonderful! Thanks
Maybe it’s time to burn some sage?!?
Wish it would work on bulging discs…!
Last time I made bread , 17 new mom, thought I would be that mom cooking from scratch! Hah! Too much kneading . Kilpatrick’s for the win!
You’re keeping busy no matter what that mojo is doing.Keep going. I can just smell the goodness of that bread!
I am another who would like your bread recipe!
The bread looks wonderful!!! I can almost smell it.
I have had to resort to hand sewing a new EPP quilt because we have NOT been enjoying our weather here in Northern Michigan. We had a 4 day ice storm and the top 3rd of the Lower Peninsula looks like we went through WWIII. Lots of people are now on their 12th day without power and the temps have topped at @30 degrees.
Your bag of orphan blocks looks like a fun puzzle. I love making a quilt out of leftovers. I did an entire Gypsy (Wanderer’s) Wife quilt from orphan blocks recently.
Hope your sewing mojo returns soon and enjoy your warm, sunny weather.
So nice to read a real-life blog. I can certainly relate to the no-sew-mojo scenario. I do like the idea of starting something new, though, so maybe I will do just that. While I was reading this I remembered a quilt top that only needs borders and then quilting. Why do I put off these simple tasks? It’s so quick and satisfying to finish them. Thank you for the nudge. I love seeing your projects, too.
Have been working on a graduation quilt, so my BOMs will be my new UFOs. Hope to get back to them soon. Thanks for the Blogging.
I have been a bread baker but Rhodes frozen bread dough is my new go to. Would love the recipe for no knead bread.
Ranger has certainly grown. Is he special or do you feel the same about all of them?
Sure liked getting up to date with you. Miss the monthly block report to have contact. My quilting mojo is no working either. Am doing some sewing but mostly knitting or readign(way to much). Emjoy the warmer weather. We are very dry but getting too warm already
Ranger is a handsome dude – and was a cute little kid!
I found a nice recipe for corn bread – not something eaten much over here – I love it! Not eating much yeasty bread – it doesn’t like me! Although I do love a nice crusty warm slice now and again.
We have had a few weeks of dry so we have been pulling out the stops for outside work. We are all worried that this is our summer! But I had a super successful block assembly session on Wednesday with the quilting group – made 11 big ones! 13 to go before I finish and put them all together!