Forbidden Words Quilt Project

A few weeks ago, Lorraine Woodruff-Long @quiltinginthefog and Patricia Hickey @trisha_quilts shared about a community group quilting bee they were forming in response to the scrubbing of particular words from government websites and documents in an attempt to remove references not only to diversity, equity and inclusion, but also to climate change, vaccines, and a host of other topics. The list of 370+ banned words are identified by PEN America @penamerica. "PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide."

So I decided to join the project, and the first step was to choose three words or phrases from the list: Federal Government's Growing Banned Words List Is Chilling Act of Censorship - PEN America.

SO many people were signing up so quickly, that it was suggested we could return a word/phrase, to allow more folks to join in the project. So I returned low-emission vehicle and was left with one phrase and one word to create into blocks.

Complete instructions were given on how to construct our blocks - using a particular template, cutting out letters in black fabric....

adhering them onto white fabric, and cutting out with pinking shears. I obviously got busy working and forgot to take more process pictures, but once the black on white letters were cut out, they were arranged on fabric from a repurposed button-down shirt, in particular one from my husband's closet. (Thanks babe!)

THEN, I learned how to free-motion quilt on my new Janome, as I needed to FMQ in black to assure durability of the letters. That was actually pretty fun! So my finished blocks are 6" x 12" and 6" x 22", and I'm anxious to get them in the mail this week so they can be included in the project. Hopefully, I'll be back early in 2026 to share a picture of the finished quilt! Meanwhile, we can follow the progress on Insta under the hashtag, #forbiddenwordsquilt.

Beginning Bright Side

Cutting into the fabric for my #spookyseptembersewalong2025 project meant I'd be in the thick of three quilt projects (and another sardine!) at one time, oops! I was hoping to have all of these done by the end of the month, but I'm already doubting that can happen.

I already shared a photo of my fabric pull, but I wanted - for the record - to identify all the fabrics I'm using in my Bright Side quilt. As for the Boo-tiful Mischief Bundle itself, it consisted of these fabrics:

1. Ruby Star Society Sarah Watts Glow Garden Tangled Web Black

2. Ruby Star Society Alexia Marcelle Abegg Warp & Weft Hue Crossweaves Vibrant Pink

3. Stacy Iest Hsu Home Sweet Haunt Little Black Cat Bone from Moda Fabrics

4. Ruby Star Rising Basic Rashida Coleman-Hale Speckled Metallic Witchy

5. Ruby Star Rising Basic Alexia Marcelle Abegg Starry 2023 Sunshine

6. Moda Fabrics Warp and Weft Ooh Lucky Lucky Star in Soft Black

7. Ruby Star Society Rashida Coleman-Hale Speckled 2021 Sorbet

8. Ruby Star Society Alexia Marcelle Abegg Warp & Weft Ooh Lucky Lucky Flicker Natural and Black

9. Ruby Star Rising Basic Alexia Marcelle Abegg Starry 2025 Witchy

10. Anna Maria Textiles Garden Variety Seeds Zinnia

11. Ruby Star Society Rashida Coleman-Hale Speckled 2021 Burnt Orange

12. Ruby Star Society Sarah Watts Glow Garden Tangled Web Natural

13. Diamond Textiles Manchester Pluses Black Orange




And then I selected a few more fabrics, a couple of which were from my stash:

14. Ruby Star Rising Basic Alexia Marcelle Abegg Starry 2023 Nutmeg

15. Kona Carrot

16. Robert Kaufman Fabrics Carolina Gingham 1/8 Inch in Black

17. Katarina Rocella’s Grid in Negative for Art Gallery Fabrics

18. Lori Holt’s Cross Stitch in Autumn for Riley Blake Designs

19. Kona White

And here's what they looked like just before I started cutting into them.

As mentioned earlier, I'm using the Bright Side pattern by Meghan of Then Came June @thencamejune. It mentions grouping fabrics by color family and considering value, but since I'm using a bundle to start, my colors will come off with less attention to value. I'm more focused on including my chosen colors and fun prints for this quilt, and though maybe not the original intent of the pattern, I think it'll be ok for this particular quilt.

So Friday night, I finished the quilt top, 60.5" x 72.5". Now I'm working on a back for it, using a cute Halloween print from stash, along with some of the leftover fabrics from the original pull. Hopefully I'll be basting the thing in a day or two.

Fantastical Flowers

It's always fun to see the new Bee Sewcial @beesewcial prompt one of my beemates sets forth, and for September, Karen @capitolaquilter gave us the theme of Fantastical Flowers. About the word 'fantastical,' Karen said, “It implies a creation of an unrestrained imagination, often resulting in something marvelous or whimsical” and “something unrealistic, bizarre, or created by a powerful imagination, like something out of a dream or fantasy story” and “out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird.”

Hopefully I reached that goal with my blocks, even though they were both inspired by real-life things. First was a flower reminiscent of an Echinachea, which is a favorite of mine. Per instructions, the background was composed of multiple light blues, the flower of multi-colors (though not green, yellow, or white/off-white), and a green stem found its way to an edge of the block. This block measures 16" x 17".

In her prompt, Karen also allowed for an option: "If anyone is inclined to make one of their blocks a fantastical pollinator (my personal favorites in my backyard are hummingbird and dragonflies) in place of one of their flowers, that would be awesome."

 

Well when I read that, I knew I'd be trying my hand at an improv hummingbird. My husband and I really enjoy watching our hummingbirds from the kitchen window, and love seeing them any time, any place. I actually 'drew' a hummingbird-like shape on my fabric with my hera marker, after piecing some colors together. Obviously it's still all very improvisational and off-scale a bit, but I think at least you can tell what it's supposed to be. The hummingbird block measures 12" x 12".

So that was a very satisfying prompt to respond too. I did realize that my stash is pretty low on light blues, so that needs to be remedied, but it worked out. All the fabrics for the flower itself and the hummingbird came from the scrap basket, and it was fun to find pieces that seemed (to me) to fit the fantastical theme. 

Getting to Know You, Janome

 

On June 3rd of this year, I walked in to pick up my JUKI from its annual check-up, and while I was there, looked around the shop a bit. I'd been mulling over maybe getting a new machine to replace my back-up machine, a brother Innovis QC1000 that I'd had since 2010. I'd actually researched a few machines, and was particularly interested in seeing a Janome Memory Craft 6700P in person. Luckily, my shop had one on site, along with someone to tell me all about it. I was definitely interested, and when I was told it would be included in the generous moving sale, I said, "I'll take it!"

So I've been sewing on it exclusively since then - about three months - and feel ready to share how I feel about my purchase. There are plenty of PROS that I've appreciated:

• You can use the bobbin-winder while sewing
• It has a needle-threader that works pretty well
• It can go fast - 1,200 stitches per minute and has a 10" throat
• It's advertised to have an "exceptionally smooth quilt piecing with the included AcuFeed™ Flex Layered Fabric Feeding System" and I totally agree
• It comes with an AcuFeed Dual Feed Foot, aka built-in walking foot that I really like
• Though it has way more stitches than I need, I DID want a serpentine stitch, and it has that
• It can save your favorite stitches and settings
• It comes with three(!) needle plates; which foot you're using determines which plate
• The needle plates pop out easily with the push of a button and pop back in with a snap 
• The pressure foot lifts like normal, but also much higher than normal, which is great when changing out the needle plate or cleaning your machine
• So far, I find it has more consistent stitch integrity, especially when quilting, which is where I wanted it 
• Quilting is quieter than other walking foots I've used

A couple of CONS I've experienced:

• Every once in a while, the foot wrinkles the fabric under itself, which is hard to press out; not sure why it does this
• It did not come with a thread cutter in the foot, which I missed, but remedied that this week (see next section)

Two things I've purchased extra:

• AcuFeed Flex Professional Grade Foot (HP2) - very similar to the AcuFeed foot it comes with (ie. 'built-in) but with a 1/4" seam allowance; I don't think I've changed from this foot since I got it, and have used it for both piecing and quilting
• Remote Thread Cutter Switch. Still getting used to it, as I need to move my foot over, but it works pretty well, and I think I'll like it fine once I get used to it.

Things I've learned:

• when threading the machine, loop the thread from left to right over the take-up lever; seems to keep the thread where it's supposed to be better
• occasionally, this machine needs oiled; when the wick under the bobbin is white, not gray, add a drop or two of oil
• the machine seems to like Aurifil thread just fine, which is great, because I have a lot of it

Sooo.... three months in, I like the new machine very much. I feel like I'm still getting to know it, but that's ok. I'm enjoying sewing on it, and happy with the quilting process - happier than I was at least. If you have any questions, just let me know. And if you have the machine and have discovered something I haven't yet, pleast let me know that too! Now back to sewing!

The Plus Progression

Even I had kind of forgotten that this scrappy improv plus block project was begun in an Improv for Everyone workshop with Maria Shell @mariashellquilts. One of the first methods of using scraps mentioned in the workshop was that of the repeated unit or block inspired by a traditional block design. I tried out an improv plus, and basically just kept going. And going. Eventually I had 36 blocks in various sizes, and once I finished my Ode to Joy quilt, I decided to see if I had enough blocks for a lap-sized quilt. 

I began by making larger 16" x 20" blocks composed of three or four smaller blocks. 

But then I decided the dimensions that would result wasn't quite enough, so I decided to test out a 24" x 20" block and see what that looked like. Only problem was, I mistakenly made a 24" x 24" block. Oops.

No matter. I made another for the center bottom, and then a 24" x 12" block to place between them. I actually liked what it did for the piece.

So in the end, there are three columns of blocks. The center consists of two 24" x 24" blocks, with a 12" block between them. Then each side consists of three 16" x 20" blocks, resulting in a quilt top the is currently approximately 55" x 59". The big 16" x 20" plus I had at the start will find its way to the back. 

So now to work on a back for this one. Truth is, besides the one large plus block, my teal and low-volume scraps are seriously dwindling. So I'll need to get creative to make a backing large enough, which probably means incorporating some prints from stash. But I don't know. We'll all be surprised.

Ode to Joy Finale

With great relief, Ode to Joy is complete! Begun back in May with a call for blocks from my Bee Sewcial @beesewcial mates, the collecting of said blocks was a joy in itself. There were 59 blocks in total, all symbolizing something that brings each maker joy.

The puzzling of the quilt top was indeed a puzzle. Arranging the blocks by topic first with a paper chart, I laid the actual blocks out on the design wall, a portion at a time.

I filled in around the blocks with Konas White, Black, and the very dark purple, Raisin, creating a bit of an organic yet geometric design with the background colors. Once the quilt top was fully pieced, it measured 59" x 81".

Things got really interesting when I decided I should hand-embroider the words representing each Joy block onto white pieces of fabric that would eventually be incorporated into the quilt back. It took me several weeks to do all the embroidery, but I really liked the effect, and it'll be a good reminder of what the blocks represent going forward. Around those embroidered blocks, I used Konas White, Snow, and Haze, along with two or three very low-volume prints from stash. I wanted the overall effect of the back to be very 'quiet,' with the embroidered words being the key focus. They are small - just 1/4" to 1/2" tall - but I'm pleased with the effect.

So then it was time to get quilting! At a quandary with what color of quilting thread, I finally settled on Aurifil 50wt #2625 [Arctic Ice]. Was it the best choice? I'm not sure. But everything else I tried seemed too dark on the white fabrics, or too light on the dark fabrics etc. etc. Design-wise, I consulted Jacquie Gering's WALK 2.0 book and settled on the Equilateral Triangle Grid, which is created by quilting point-to-point from the 60-degree Diamond Crosshatch. That all was to be the foundation of the Pinwheels design I originally intended to do, but once I got to that point, and after testing on a corner of the quilt, I decided the Equilateral Triangle Grid was enough. 

When decision time came for facing or binding, I decided to go with matched binding, as I didn't really feel that facing would lend anything extra to this particular quilt. So more of Konas White, Black, and Raisin it was, and I'm content with that choice.

Any quilt finish feels good, but honestly, a Bee Sewcial quilt finish (this is my 10th!) always feels a step above. I think it's at least in part due to the sense of responsibility, having set forth a prompt, and then using my bee mates' actual work in my own creation. Personally, at least, I feel a huge commitment to giving it my all, and though Ode to Joy still needs a proper label, I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

I so want to acknowledge my co-makers of Ode to Joy, Leanne Chahley @shecanquilt,
Stephanie Ruyle @spontaneousthreads, Felicity Ronaghan @felicityquilts, Karen Foster 

@capitolaquilter, M-R Charbonneau @quiltmatters, Jen Broemel @jen.broemel, Tia Curtis @tiacurtisquilts, and Emilie Trahan @mili.tra who, in addition to myself, all pieced several blocks. I seriously loved seeing what gave them joy, and their representations of that. Ode to Joy finished at 57.5" x 80".

ABC Bloom Stitchalong Needle Roll

When I saw that Rebecca of Dropcloth Samplers @dropcloth was hosting a summer stitchalong, I of course, was interested. Then when I saw that we'd be stitching over a layer of silk organza, and that the finished sampler would be made into a needle roll, I was definitely in. Silly me, I didn't actually know what a needle roll was - a storage case, typically made of fabric, that keeps various needles organized and protected by rolling it up. Once I learned that, I placed my order for a kit.

The kit included a printed ABC Bloom Sampler, along with:

• One hand printed piece of silk organza
• Bias tape
• 1 vintage button
• Pendleton wool felt

Sorry I didn't get a photo of all the components, but you'll get a peek at most of them in the finished piece.

Once again, I used a double-thickness of Wonderfil #8 perle cotton to stitch the sampler. It was nice to know that it didn't feel much different stitching with the added layer of organza. I had backed my sampler with SF101 as Rebecca suggested and the sampler sandwich was quite comfortable to stitch. My particular piece of organza didn't have much printing in the center, so I lost much of the design one my sampler was trimmed. Oh well.

Rebecca posted instructions to construct the needle roll, if you're interested. Let me tell you, it goes together quite quickly. I had the trimming, backing, and machine stitching of the binding done in under 30 minutes, which included my making of my own double-fold binding. I just wanted something a little different than what was in my kit.

I did take the time to hand stitch the binding onto the front with a blind stitch. Then I just had to sew the button and ribbon/cord that would wrap around the roll. Rebecca used more of the binding fabric for hers, but I wanted something a little different there too. I went looking to see what options I had on hand, and found the thread braid I'd recently purchased. 

I pulled six colors of thread from the braid, then braided them together. I thought it was quite perfect, and it was just the right length to wrap around my needle roll a couple of times and then securing around the button.

This project is one of my favorites that I've made from the many Dropcloth samplers I've stitched. So fun to have a finished project that I can put right to use.

#spookyseptembersewalong2025

Believe it or not, I'm joining in the #spookyseptembersewalong2025 hosted by Laura @silversstitches and Fiona @spunstraw, and sponsored by @artgalleryfabrics.

Yep, I actually have plans for a Halloween-y themed quilt, which is a first for me. AND there are cats involved. I'm really looking forward to working with a fun black, orange, white, purple, yellow, and pink palette. Halloween palettes have really changed over the years, and I'm finally ready to embrace them.

My interest in the sewalong all started with the Boo-tiful Mischief Bundle by Sewtopia @sewtopia. (See the fat quarters stacked above and below.) I was so drawn to it, and went back to look at it so many times. So when I saw the sewalong, hubby encouraged me just to go for it, which obviously I am.

The pattern I'll be using is Bright Side by Meghan of Then Came June @thencamejune. It's considered a simpler version of her Sidewalk Chalk, which I made several years ago and still love. I've admired so many versions of Bright Side, that I wanted to make it too, and this seemed a good time to do it. The bundle consisted of 13 fat quarters, and the pattern called for 18, plus yardage of white and a black and white gingham. So I added a few more orange and black prints that you can see pretty easily above the gingham. 

My only quandary is if the different shades of orange will all 'work,' but I think so, so am going to start as if they do. (Thoughts?) If I don't like it as I get going, I'll make some changes. But meanwhile, I hope to get cutting before long. I need to finish up Ode to Joy before I really get going on sewing, so there's my incentive, and this my reward.

Floral Stitches Year II - Daisies and Sea Holly

When I finished up the previous Floral Stitches sampler, a new one was already waiting for me, so I jumped right to it.

This one seemed unique with those long stems, but I was definitely game, and enjoyed picking out threads for it - once again, Wonderfil perle cotton #8. I wasn't quite sure what those blue flowers were supposed to be, but I imagined them to be Sea Holly, as I really like that flowering plant every time I see one.

Though this one was started at home, I actually took it with me on a recent getaway, and stitched on it twice(!) - just enough to finish it! I used quite a few different stitches in this one... running stitch, wrapped running stitch, French knots, single and regular chain stitch, back stitch, and couching. I love choosing the stitches as I go.

At the Table :: 2025 Rainy Day Bites May to August

Whew! Another third of the year with Rainy Day Bites Cookbook Club @rainydaybites is over, so I'm again documenting my participation by sharing all the new-to-me recipes I've tried since May 1. Throughout this last season, the overall theme has continuously been #budgetbakesandbites, and the two featured cookbooks reflect that. Though we did indeed have featured books, it was also allowed to cook from other books we had, so that gave us a lot of freedom. Unless noted, the recipes shared are from the featured books. Note that I linked to each IG post, in case you wanted to read what I wrote about each recipe. And if this post isn't of interest, thank you for indulging me, and I'll be back with more creative content soon!

May & June

Featured book: You Got This by Diane Morrisey @dianemorrisey

Tuscan Beans with Vegetables

Spicy Carrot Rigatoni from by Heart: Recipes to Hold Near and Dear by @haileecatalano with Ultra-Creamy Fresh Homemade Ricotta recipe coincidentally by @theclevercarrot

Sloppy Joe Hand Pies

Thai-Style Chicken and Vegetable Salad

cilantro lime grilled chicken bowl from Easy Everyday by Jessica Merchan @howsweeteats

smashburger salad also from Easy Everyday by Jessica Merchan @howsweeteats

Hummus Crunch Bowl from Easy Everyday by Jessica Merchant @howsweeteats 

Turkey Taco Salad from What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking by @carochambers

Chicken BLT with Golden Shallots 

Roasted Delicata Squash with Pomegranate Glaze 

Greek Turkey Meatball Bowls 

Sheet Pan Lasagna

Farro, Apple, Pomegranate, and Pistachio Salad

Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Salsa Verde from Cooking in Real Life by @lideylikes 

Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Herby Goat Cheese from Easy Everyday by @howsweeteats

One-Skillet Chicken Burrito Bowls from What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking by @carochambers

Angel Hair with Chunky Roasted Tomato Sauce and Burrata 

Firecracker Salmon Rice Bowls

July & August:

Featured book: Cook What You Have by Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street @177milkstreet

Bulgur and Chicken Salad with Pomegranate Molasses

Fettuccine with Corn, Tomatoes, and Bacon

Cheesy Tex-Mex Migas

Stir-Fried Broccoli and Noodles

Fish Baked with Tomatoes, Capers and White Wine 

Risotto with Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Chicken and Tortilla Soup

Garlic Fried Rice with Chicken

Eight-Ingredient Beef and Bean Chili

Braised Sausages and Lentils with Parsley-Caper Relish

May–August 

Baking Book: 100 Afternoon Treats by Sarah Kieffer @sarah_kieffer

Freezer Friendly Bakes
May: any recipe from the brownies, blondies, and bakes chapter

Chocolate Chip Bars

Blueberry Muffin Cake - from the One-Bowl Bakes chapter, oops!

Pecan Espresso Bars

S'mores Bars

Pantry Recipes

July: any recipe from the One Bowl Bakes

My Perfect Afternoon Snacking Cake

Individual Chocolate Chip Cookies from Sweet Tooth @bromabakery

August: our choice of any recipe from the Pie, For a Crowd, or Weekend Projects chapters

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

End of Month Baking Challenges:

May 5/30: Citrus - Rhubarb Spoon Cake from The Lost Kitchen: Recipes and a Good Life Found in Freedom, Maine by Erin French @thelostkitchen

June 6/30: Herbs or Floral - Lemon, Rosemary & Olive Oil Cake from Cooking in Real Life by Lidey Heuck @lideylikes

July 7/31: Tropical Flavors - Cinnamon Swirl-Banana Bread Mug Cake from Sweet Tooth by Sarah Fennel @bromabakery

August 8/31: Stone Fruits - Almond Cake with Figs from Sweet Enough by Alison Roman @alisoneroman

With the added flexibilities of cooking from more books and posting on more dates, I seemed to cook more recipes for the club then usual, especially for meal times. The theme and featured books really leant themselves to fairly easy meals, and I really enjoyed that. I'd say we ate pretty good!