TOP SECRET

It's not often that I get TOP SECRET emails, but when I got one a couple of weeks ago, and saw who it was from, I knew what it meant. My quilt had won an award at QuiltCon 2026! And considering I only had one quilt accepted, I knew exactly who had won something, Ode to Joy.

It's always a bit rough watching QuiltCon from home. The FOMO is real. And knowing my quilt is there, especially since there is a ribbon hanging alongside it, hasn't been easy. But I'm oh so grateful for friends who send pictures!

Photo courtesy of Naomi te Wildt @quiltingnaomi

I was happy, too, to be able to watch the awards ceremony from my son and daughter-in-law's home in California! That definitely helped me feel a part of the action, and I was glad that my beemates Stephanie @spontaneousthreads and Émilie @mili.tra were able to accept the award on my and Bee Sewcial's behalf.

Photo courtesy of  Stephanie Ruyle @spontaneousthreads

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Ruyle @spontaneousthreads

Meanwhile, I'm watching eagerly from home via Instagram, seeing and experiencing what I can. And I'm glad that someone once shared that if you purchase a ticket for a day at the quilt show - even if you won't be there - you get access to the QuiltCon app. So that isn't totally satisfying, but I at least get a look at more of the quilts than I would otherwise. And there or not, I'm super proud and happy that Ode to Joy gets to spread its message just a little further.

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".

Linking up with Quilting JETgirl's Favorite Finish {September 2025}.

The Embroidered Handwriting Experiment

Thought I'd give you a little update on my embroidered handwriting experiment after taking Laura Hartrich's @laurahartrich on-demand class, Embroidered Handwriting.

My original purpose had been to incorporate words into the backing of my current Bee Sewcial quilt, Ode to Joy. Over the last month, I've grouped my bee mates' block 'names' into rough categories and have been embroidering them with two strands of black embroidery floss on white fabric. Remember.... the blocks, and thus the words, signify things that bring them joy.

I have just finished the embroidering, and have started piecing the sections. Working with the quilt top backwards on the design wall to help with placement, I've pinned my embroidered word collections in the general area of those block groupings.

I'm now in the process of making neutral-colored blocks incorporating those embroidered words, and pinning them back up on the wall.

I'm planning to make all the blocks containing the words in a mix of white and off-white solids, along with just a few very low-volume prints. Once I make all the blocks, I'll tweak things to fit them all together into a backing the necessary size. I'm still mulling over how I'll keep everything lined up once it comes time to baste the quilt, but I've got a few ideas. I'm looking forward to getting to that point!

The Puzzling of Ode to Joy

Years ago, I took The Process Pledge. Rossie @rossiecrafts posted the pledge on her (now inactive) blog on May 14, 2010, and I was #768 to sign it late in 2011. Here's what the pledge said: "The goal of the process pledge is to create a new sensibility in quilting blogs where we don’t just show finishes or occasionally confess about our moments of indecision, but chat openly and often about our works in progress, our inspirations, and our moments of decision."

So a lot of the quilt bloggers I knew during that time and years since, adhered to that pledge, and I have always thought that sharing the process was just what one did. So you may not have realized that it was an intentional commitment on my (and others) part, but it is. Thus I'm sharing a crucial junction in the life of the Ode to Joy quilt - that when I have all the blocks from my bee mates, and I'm starting in on puzzling a quilt top together!

After much debating and mocking up, I decided on a background design and fabric colors, as well as an orientation for my blocks. Not one that's used to doing this with computer software, I taped graph paper together, cut up post-it notes, and went the old-fashioned route. But at least now I have a 'map' to follow.

I can't say that having a map makes things simple, but I'm getting there. I'm finding it especially tricky when the different background colors meet.

And a wider view....

And then a more recent view as I got a little more progress over the weekend....

Besides white, I'm using Konas Black and Raisin for the background. And I've loosely grouped the blocks into categories. I'm liking where it's headed, though it is time-consuming. Hopefully slow but sure will get me there.

All the Joy Blocks

When I shared my Bee Sewcial prompt, Ode to Joy, on May 1, I had a bit of a vision for the kinds of blocks I might get from my beemates, especially since I shared with them some blocks I'd made - Fork : Coffee Cup : Quilt : Trees : Family : Table.

 

 

 

In brief, six to eight minimalist-style 6.5" blocks that signify things that bring them joy. It could be a recognizable thing (like my fork, which represents my love of cooking, trying new recipes, and eating out); or it could be less or non-recognizable (like my 'circle' of family). Primarily black and white/off-white, though the occasional colored element would be ok, as shown in a couple of my sample blocks.

So of course, I've been anxious to see the blocks coming in from my mates, and they have not disappointed. In fact, they've provided me with a lot of joy in themselves. Here they are, with short descriptive words from the makers. In their own posts on Instagram, some explain more about their block inspirations, so watch for that.

Jen @jen.broemel - Pickleball : Music : Home : Quilts : Books : Play

Leanne @shecanquilt - Flowers : Yarn/Knitting : Moon : Mountains : Rain : Sewing : Improv Quilting : Ocean

Émilie @mili.tra - Needle : Ice Cream : Sprout : Recycling : Daughters : Sleeping : Shower

Tia @tiacurtisquilts - Zinnias : Horizon : Pool : Hexagon : Needle : Sprout

Karen @capitolaquilter - Family Tree : Seagulls : Steps : Walk View : Chocolates : Sun Rays

Stephanie @spontaneousthreads - Pollinators : World Travel : Sewing : Books/Reading : Flowers/Gardening : Family/Friends

Felicity @felicityquilts - Reading : Family : Sewing : Eating : Cats : Canada

M-R @quiltmatters - Quilting 'Flow' : Fire Escape : Trees : Family : Book : Ringette

And finally, I made two more blocks to represent my love of Clouds and Traveling.

 

So the blocks are still trickling in, though I have two-thirds of them already up on the design wall. I'm sharing the grouping as it grows over on Instagram. And yes, I've been mulling over ways to unite them into a quilt top. I had an idea right off, and that may or may not have changed. I have some playing on the design wall to do....

Ode to Joy

It's time for a new Bee Sewcial @beesewcial prompt, and it's my turn! The theme is "Ode to Joy," and I want my beemates to think about things that give them joy. What is their bliss? In what do they find a sense of wonder?

Here are my instructions to them....

I'm asking for six to eight 6.5" blocks (untrimmed is ok). Be a minimalist. IE. each 'design' should be constructed in a minimal way. It can be a recognizable thing (like my fork, which represents my love of cooking, trying new recipes, and eating out); or it can be less or non-recognizable (like my 'circle' of family). Either is fine. 

For colors, think black and white - ie. white background and black 'figure'. Various substrates are fine as long as they are washable. A mix of white and off-white (snow) is good, but not much darker, please. For the black, I'd really prefer black-black if you can. Occasionally feel free to use a small/partial colored element instead of black in the figure; but no more that what you see that I've used in a block though. Don't feel like you have to use color beyond the black and white, but you can if you feel inclined to.

I'm planning on making two more blocks, but I've really enjoyed what I've made so far. Of course I can't wait to see what my beemates make!