Painstaking Progress

One of my favorite times of the year is when I get to look back on the past twelve months—reviewing which projects I was able to check off my to-do list and deciding what’s in store for the year ahead. Of the ten projects on last year’s list, I fully completed four and made progress on six others. That’s not too bad, although I’d certainly prefer to see more projects in the “finished” column than the “in progress” one.

The four quilts I completed were all made from Connecting Threads kits. I’m not sure if that’s significant, but it might be. The instructions are easy to follow, the fabric is high quality and enjoyable to sew with, and the finished quilts are always satisfying. The first quilt I completed was Written By the Stars, which I gifted to my mom for her birthday in January.

The second was a Christmas tree skirt that came together quickly and easily.

The final two quilts—Charming Wonder, made with 5" charm squares,

and Every Which Way, featuring a variety of brightly colored batik fabrics

—were both donated to the charity supported by the Panama Quilt Guild.

The six quilts that remained on last year’s “in progress” list have now been carried over to this year’s to-do list. Here’s hoping they all make it to the “finished” category by the end of 2026! Three of these projects involve stamped cross-stitch blocks I’ve been working on since receiving them from my neighbor’s daughter. The first, featuring yellow flowers, is ready to be quilted.

The second showcases flowers in multiple shades arranged in a circular design; the fabric for both the top and backing has been purchased, and the top is ready to be constructed.

The third features purple flowers, with twelve of the thirty blocks completed so far.

Realistically, I think I can finish two of these three projects this year—but we’ll see how it goes.

Another carryover project is the dinosaur quilt I’m making for my grandson, Hank. All of the blocks are finished, and it’s now time to start assembling the quilt top. I can’t wait to see this one completed—Hank is a big dinosaur fan, and I know he’ll love sleeping under it.

The fifth project from last year’s list is the Cupcake Mix #1 paper-pieced project made using Moda Christmas Past charm squares. All of the charm squares have been stitched to the paper patterns. The next steps are to cut the half-square triangles, press them, and remove the paper. After that, I can design the table toppers and/or runners I plan to make with them.

The final carryover project is the jelly roll rug that has been on my to-do list for a couple of years now. While I still need to decide on a color scheme, I have started cutting the batting. I now have a stack of 2¼" batting strips that will be stitched together end-to-end to form a roll. I also need to determine the final size of the rug, but I’m fairly certain I’ll need to cut more batting strips as I

continue working through my batting scraps.

In addition to these six carryover projects, I’ve added five new ones to my 2026 to-do list. Stay tuned—I'll be sharing details about those projects in next month’s blog.