Charity Quilting

Sharks! Expertly pieced by Mary V. 

Too many fish! Pieced by Mary V. Both are quilted, trimmed, and ready for the next Annapolis Quilts for Kids. 

If you want to contribute but don't have the time or skills, you can support the national Quilts for Kids by going directly to their website and clicking DONATE. I don't earn anything from this link. 

If you want to support me indirectly, I do include Amazon affiliate links to products I use on my other blog posts. If you purchase the items I recommend, or anything else, after using my links to reach Amazon I receive a small payment from Amazon.

My personal goal is to quilt at least one quilt per week throughout the year. To that end, check out the Epoch Converter for 2025 to see how I'm stacking up.

2025 Charity Quilt Count: 164

Charity Quilting

Pieced by another member of Annapolis Quilts for Kids.

Little crabby, pieced by another member of Annapolis Quilts for Kids. Both are quilted, trimmed, and ready for the next Annapolis Quilts for Kids. 

If you want to contribute but don't have the time or skills, you can support the national Quilts for Kids by going directly to their website and clicking DONATE. I don't earn anything from this link. 

If you want to support me indirectly, I do include Amazon affiliate links to products I use on my other blog posts. If you purchase the items I recommend, or anything else, after using my links to reach Amazon I receive a small payment from Amazon.

My personal goal is to quilt at least one quilt per week throughout the year. To that end, check out the Epoch Converter for 2025 to see how I'm stacking up.

2025 Charity Quilt Count: 162

Charity Quilting

I love the novelty print quilts Mary V constructs. So many fabrics!

Pretty flowers, pieced by another member of Annapolis Quilts for Kids. Both are quilted, trimmed, and ready for the next Annapolis Quilts for Kids. 

If you want to contribute but don't have the time or skills, you can support the national Quilts for Kids by going directly to their website and clicking DONATE. I don't earn anything from this link. 

If you want to support me indirectly, I do include Amazon affiliate links to products I use on my other blog posts. If you purchase the items I recommend, or anything else, after using my links to reach Amazon I receive a small payment from Amazon.

My personal goal is to quilt at least one quilt per week throughout the year. To that end, check out the Epoch Converter for 2025 to see how I'm stacking up.

2025 Charity Quilt Count: 160

Tips for Piecing a Quilt Backing

Every once in a while I am forced to piece backing for a quilt. 

First: Always rip your fabric to ensure everything is on-grain. If you don't know what that means, just push the I-Believe button and carry on. 

Second: Always leave the selvage edge along one side and keep those edges together consistently. This helps you keep one long edge straight.

Third: Always sew those torn pieces of fabric together using a 5/8" seam allowance. This ensures you have plenty of fabric in the seam allowance. 

Fourth: Always have your longest seam run the length of the fabric. If you seam so those selvage edges are opposite, you have two nice straight edges.

Fifth: Never take a quilting tip as something you "always" have to do. This is just how I do it to get consistent results. 

Are there other ways? Absolutely. Do it your way. Have fun. Experiment.

My favorite tools and supplies (affiliate links):

Creative Grids 6.5" x 24.5" Rectangle Fiskars Rotary Cutter

Creative Grids 4.5" x 12.5" Rectangle Quilting Ruler

Fiskars Rotary Cutter replacement blades
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Fiskars 8-inch scissors

Juki TL-2010Q

Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion

Dritz Craft Pins, 1-3/4-Inch (250-Count)

Electric Quilt

Project box: IRIS 12" x 12" Portable Plastic Storage Cases with Built-in Handle, Clear (storage)

Letter Openers

Fiskars Rotating Cutting Mat 14 inch x 14 inch

Creative Grids Stripology XL Ruler

Charity Quilting

Some of the magic of working with scraps is pulling several together to make a cohesive quilt. Pieced by me using scraps and leftovers. 

This one I pieced with larger prints. Big blocks for the win! Both are quilted, trimmed, and ready for the next Annapolis Quilts for Kids. 

If you want to contribute but don't have the time or skills, you can support the national Quilts for Kids by going directly to their website and clicking DONATE. I don't earn anything from this link. 

If you want to support me indirectly, I do include Amazon affiliate links to products I use on my other blog posts. If you purchase the items I recommend, or anything else, after using my links to reach Amazon I receive a small payment from Amazon.

My personal goal is to quilt at least one quilt per week throughout the year. To that end, check out the Epoch Converter for 2025 to see how I'm stacking up.

2025 Charity Quilt Count: 158

Quilts for Kids: October

On Saturday I dropped off 14 quilts for binding and one pieced top. (and some batting scraps for making tote bags)

I picked up 14 quilts with backings to quilt. These were pieced by the many fabulous members of Annapolis Quilts for Kids. 

I also picked up a stack of fabric to cut some quilts to piece. 

 

If you want to contribute but don't have the time or skills, you can support the national Quilts for Kids by going directly to their website and clicking DONATE. I don't earn anything from this link. 

If you want to support me indirectly, I do include Amazon affiliate links to products I use on my other blog posts. If you purchase the items I recommend, or anything else, after using my links to reach Amazon I receive a small payment from Amazon. I added my yearly income from these affiliate links to the sidebar if you want to see how that commission adds up. 

My personal goal is to quilt at least one quilt per week throughout the year. To that end, check out the Epoch Converter for 2025 to see how I'm stacking up.

2025 Charity Quilt Count: 156

Charity Quilting

Pinwheels. Pieced by Sharon.

Cardinals, pieced by another member of Annapolis Quilts for Kids.

Puppies! Pieced by another member of Annapolis Quilts for Kids. Quilted, trimmed, and ready for the next Annapolis Quilts for Kids. 

If you want to contribute but don't have the time or skills, you can support the national Quilts for Kids by going directly to their website and clicking DONATE. I don't earn anything from this link. 

If you want to support me indirectly, I do include Amazon affiliate links to products I use on my other blog posts. If you purchase the items I recommend, or anything else, after using my links to reach Amazon I receive a small payment from Amazon.

My personal goal is to quilt at least one quilt per week throughout the year. To that end, check out the Epoch Converter for 2025 to see how I'm stacking up.

2025 Charity Quilt Count: 156

Puzzling

The last time I was at Games & Stuff, I picked up this puzzle. While I share my puzzle finds with links to Amazon, I hope you can shop local. One of the great things about this puzzle is that it doesn't include plastic inside the box. The puzzle piece envelop is paper, and that's great! 

It also includes two mini-posters so two puzzlers can have their own copy while piecing. 

I pieced it over about five days. It was fun and I will definitely share this one with my puzzle friends. There is so much more to this puzzle than you can see here. I didn't want to spoil it for anyone.

You can learn more about The Magic Puzzle Company on their website. 

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):

Ravensburger Puzzle-Storage Puzzle Storage (300-1000 Piece) - this is great if you don't have a bunch of room to leave a puzzle out while you aren't working on it.

Another option for storing your puzzle is the Jigsaw Puzzle Roll Mat Puzzle Storage Saver.

You can buy this puzzle through Amazon: The Mystic Maze • 1000-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle from The Magic Puzzle Company • Series One

Machine Embroidery

My darling asked for a folding dice tray for an in-person role-playing game they are in. I happened to have this delightful machine embroidery design by String Theory Fabric Art. So many fun and nerdy designs!

This is the largest size of the Feature Fabric Appliqué Portable Dice Tray ITH design. I used some gray marine vinyl and some fun dungeon fabric I bought from Spoonflower a couple years ago. The snaps are KAM snaps.

My favorite tools and supplies (affiliate links):

Creative Grids 4.5" x 12.5" Rectangle Quilting Ruler

Fiskars Rotary Cutter replacement blades
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
Fiskars 8-inch scissors

Magna-Glide bobbins (absolutely the best for my embroidery machine)

Pellon Stitch-N-Tear

Snaps: KAMsnaps kit (this is the kit I purchased, it includes a rainbow of snap colors and the tools you need to set the snaps)

Charming: Independence Trail

I've been making blocks, very slowly. Here are the handful I've managed to piece so far. I think this one is going to be a winner.

In case you missed it, here is a link to Bonnie's free pattern for Four Patch Fun so you can make your own blocks. 

My favorite tools and supplies (affiliate links):

Creative Grids 6.5" x 24.5" Rectangle Fiskars Rotary Cutter

Creative Grids 4.5" x 12.5" Rectangle Quilting Ruler

Fiskars Rotary Cutter replacement blades
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Fiskars 8-inch scissors

Juki TL-2010Q

Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion

Dritz Craft Pins, 1-3/4-Inch (250-Count)

Electric Quilt

Project box: IRIS 12" x 12" Portable Plastic Storage Cases with Built-in Handle, Clear (storage)

Letter Openers

Fiskars Rotating Cutting Mat 14 inch x 14 inch

Creative Grids Stripology XL Ruler

Puzzling

Either this puzzle was second-hand, or I completed it several years ago and just don't remember. In any case, I pieced it over last couple weeks. 

I found this one challenging. So many similar colors and structures. 

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):

Ravensburger Puzzle-Storage Puzzle Storage (300-1000 Piece) - this is great if you don't have a bunch of room to leave a puzzle out while you aren't working on it.

Another option for storing your puzzle is the Jigsaw Puzzle Roll Mat Puzzle Storage Saver.

Charming: Independence Trail

I've had these charm squares for a silly amount of time. Time to cut them up and use them!

The charm packs don't have enough light colors to do what I want, so I am going to add this print that I picked up recently to pair with the darker fabrics. What block did I choose? A simple block by Bonnie Hunter that works great with two fabrics and I can make one using just four contrasting charm squares. Here is a link to Bonnie's free pattern for Four Patch Fun. 

My favorite tools and supplies (affiliate links):

Creative Grids 6.5" x 24.5" Rectangle Fiskars Rotary Cutter

Creative Grids 4.5" x 12.5" Rectangle Quilting Ruler

Fiskars Rotary Cutter replacement blades
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Fiskars 8-inch scissors

Juki TL-2010Q

Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion

Dritz Craft Pins, 1-3/4-Inch (250-Count)

Electric Quilt

Project box: IRIS 12" x 12" Portable Plastic Storage Cases with Built-in Handle, Clear (storage)

Letter Openers

Fiskars Rotating Cutting Mat 14 inch x 14 inch

Creative Grids Stripology XL Ruler

Charity Quilting

Maureen pieced this modern quilt with oversized block. Quilted, trimmed, and ready for the next Annapolis Quilts for Kids. 

If you want to contribute but don't have the time or skills, you can support the national Quilts for Kids by going directly to their website and clicking DONATE. I don't earn anything from this link. 

If you want to support me indirectly, I do include Amazon affiliate links to products I use on my other blog posts. If you purchase the items I recommend, or anything else, after using my links to reach Amazon I receive a small payment from Amazon.

My personal goal is to quilt at least one quilt per week throughout the year. To that end, check out the Epoch Converter for 2025 to see how I'm stacking up.

2025 Charity Quilt Count: 153

Fabric Acquisition

Every year I tell myself that I'm not going to buy fabric without a plan. And every year I buy fabric without a plan because the deal was just that good. Or, the fabric was too awesome to leave behind. A local quilt shop owner retired and the shop changed hands. 

New ownership means new fabric lines and aesthetics. That means the old fabric needs to go and the discounts were great! They bundled several 1-yard cuts together and I couldn't leave them behind. I pulled two with Halloween prints and one with mid-winter prints.

I also picked up some neutrals (2-3 yard cuts) and a handful of fat quarters. Close to 20 yards of fabric in total. Now, to pick some patterns and get cutting!

And, if you're in Maryland, check out The Quilting Parlour in Crofton.

My favorite tools and supplies (affiliate links):

Creative Grids 6.5" x 24.5" Rectangle Fiskars Rotary Cutter

Creative Grids 4.5" x 12.5" Rectangle Quilting Ruler

Fiskars Rotary Cutter replacement blades
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Fiskars 8-inch scissors

Juki TL-2010Q

Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion

Dritz Craft Pins, 1-3/4-Inch (250-Count)

Electric Quilt

Project box: IRIS 12" x 12" Portable Plastic Storage Cases with Built-in Handle, Clear (storage)

Letter Openers

Fiskars Rotating Cutting Mat 14 inch x 14 inch

Creative Grids Stripology XL Ruler