Hi Quilting Friends,
Happy September! Autumn has arrived, but you probably wouldn’t notice a drop in temperatures if you stopped by my place for a visit. I’m noticing earlier sunsets and somewhat cooler evenings, but it is still hot, hot, hot out there. Thank goodness for AC!
The highlight of September was an enjoyable weekend in Port Aransas, Texas, with friends. We stayed at a rented beach house where we swam in the pool, took rides along the beach in a golf cart, played cards, and ate a LOT of delicious food. This is the view from the top floor balcony, across the dunes to the Gulf of Mexico.
I’m still imprisoned in my lovely orthopedic boot, but I can tell that my foot is starting to feel better most of the time. I have an appointment to see the orthopedic doctor on Friday, and then I’ll know what I need to do (or not do) to finish healing. I hope that I’ll be back to normal (whatever that is!) soon. I anticipate a gradual return to my previous level of activity, and I’m SO ready to start walking our dogs again.
We’re entering the final quarter of 2026! How are you doing with your PHD list? I hope that you’ve found ways to stay motivated, to power through the challenging parts, and to reach the elusive finish line for many of your projects. Keep on keeping on with it.
When I was a high school teacher, a popular theme for motivational speakers was “Remember your why.” It was supposed to help with motivation, thinking about why we chose to teach kids and finding motivation to continue doing so despite the inherent challenges. I imagine that this process may help a struggling quilter. Let’s apply this idea to our PHD projects that aren’t going so well at the moment.
Think back to the time when you started the project, and then remember your “Why”. Was the quilt intended for a specific purpose? Did it involve a new technique or a “toy” that seemed interesting? Was the fabric too pretty to pass up? Was it an irresistible bargain? Were you under the influence (of a quilting friend or the excitement of a quilt show)? All of these are good reasons to start a project, and they may also be good reasons to finish it when you take the time to ” remember your why.”
Sometimes the easiest solution to being stalled out is to set that stubborn project aside for a while and come back to it later. You can’t hurry love, and you can’t force inspiration! Inspiration is a fleeting thing, and it may disappear if it is pursued too vigorously. If you decide to swap out a PHD on your list for something else due to temporary loss of inspiration, that’s perfectly acceptable. No explanations are needed. Just walk away, and finish it another day.
What can you do when the “why” no longer applies? Quilting is meant to be enjoyable, and if a project no longer “sparks joy” then it may be best to let it go and not feel guilty about doing so! There’s no good reason to slog through a quilting project that you thoroughly dislike.
Sometimes we start projects with the best of intentions, and all we learn is “I’ll never do that again.” That’s how I feel about English paper piecing. I tried it out on a small project, and I learned that it’s simply not my cup o’ tea. No offense intended if you love EPP; different strokes for different folks, and you never know until you try. I tried, and now I know it’s not for me. The purpose of the project (try a new technique) was served, and I’ve de-stashed it with no regrets.
So you’ve decided to let it go. All is not lost. Can you repurpose the materials, tools, or pattern to use for something else? Go for it! Do you have a quilting friend who would enjoy the project? Pass it on! Does your quilt guild host quilters’ swap meets? Share the wealth! Can it be donated to the local charity, where the funds raised from their shop are used to assist those in need? Pay it forward!
Let it go, be done with it, and don’t feel bad about it. Replace that stubborn project on your list with a different PHD that you’ll enjoy making. Life is short, so have some fun!
We’re starting the final quarter of 2026. Let’s make it count! I can’t wait to see what you accomplish.
Here’s my September PHD update. I’ve made some progress on the PHD list, and I have five finishes in the “New Projects” category. Only two of the finishes are really “New”. The rest are small UFO’s that I unearthed while looking for something that I had stored in a “safe place”, LOL.
Project #2: “Each Dawn A New Day”
Here’s the photo from the end of August-
And from the end of September-
I don’t know if you can see the metallic thread in this picture, but its there! Mr. FixIt drove me to Hobby Lobby to purchase gold metallic embroidery floss for the last of the outline stitching. I found it a challenge to work with this thread, but I learned that it works best to use shorter thread lengths with a larger needle, and to be gentle as I pull the thread through the canvas. This helps to minimize the shredding and twisting that seem to be common issues with metallic thread. The good news is that there wasn’t much stitching to be done, and I’ve finished it without too many bad words. (I can get a little spicy when I’m frustrated.)
The only thing that remains to be done is to attach the gold charms to the piece, and then it will be ready for framing. Yay!
Project #6: “New” Coffee Mugs Throw, aka “Caffeine Addict”
Here are the last two FPP heart blocks-
Now that I’ve finished making the blocks for this quilt, I’m ready to piece them into a quilt top. Stay tuned! I should be ready to share a “sneaky peek” by the end of October, assuming that Princess Nina is here to assist me.
Project #7: “New” Christmas Bells Place Mats
My “One Monthly Goal” for September was to piece the large and small bells for a set of four Christmas place mats. Almost Ta-done. Read more HERE.
My “One Monthly Goal” for October is to finish up the Christmas place mats. I’d like to have the pattern ready for purchase by the end of October, and making the place mats to test the pattern instructions is part of my process.
Note to self; Don’t forget to link up!
Of course, completion of this goal depends upon the “Return of Princess Nina”. (That sounds like the sequel for an action movie, doesn’t it?). I called to get an estimate of when she will be ready, and was told that it will be another 2-3 weeks. Ugh! She went to the ” spa” on August 13, and I am ready for her to come home.
New Projects
Project A: I made this pretty purple zipper bag from scraps and stash fabrics. Read more HERE
Project B: I crocheted a cute blue and white hat for my niece Ashley’s sweet French bulldog (Tex), since I had plenty of down-time this month.
I’m sure that Tex will hate it as much as Astrid and Freya hate their hats. 🙄 But Ashley will love the hat, and that’s what matters to me!
What is a girl to do when her primary sewing machine is away at the “spa” for weeks and weeks and weeks? This girl started organizing her closet and found a stash of crochet or knit UFO projects.
Project C: I found one almost finished knitted slipper with two skeins of yarn, the pattern, and the needles, all stuffed into a cute quilt-themed tote bag. I don’t recall when I started this, but I’m sure that I bought the yarn at JoAnn. It was probably ten years ago, at least. I knitted another slipper and moved this project out of the UFO stash.
Before-
After, and ta-done! They fit well, and will feel cozy on my feet when the weather cools down.
Project D: This UFO was stored in a ziplock bag, along with a hook and the pattern. One wash cloth (hot pad, trivet) was finished, except for hiding the yarn tail, and the second one was just getting started. I picked up another skein of red cotton yarn on my trip to Hobby Lobby after I ran out of yarn, and I felt lucky to find a skein that matched the color perfectly. I kept on hooking, and finished up the UFO hot pad (or trivet or washcloth), and then I made two more trivets (or hot pads or wash cloths) for a total of four wash cloths (or trivets or hot pads) and a small amount of leftover red cotton yarn.
Project E: A stack of five nearly-finished crochet hot pads turned up inside another basket on a shelf in the closet. They were waiting for me to hide the ends of the yarn. Good grief! It took all of five minutes to finish them with my tapestry needle.
And yet another crochet UFO was tucked away with the aforementioned pieces: I had almost run out of yarn before I could finish this last Granny square piece, so I added three rounds with red yarn to make it large enough, and then I used the rest of the variegated yarn to make a pretty edging.
Seems I have plenty of time for hand work while I’m required to sit around with my foot elevated and wait for my Princess to come home. Now I’m wondering what other “treasures” will turn up as I continue with my slow decluttering. Stay tuned!
Ongoing Projects
Coffee Mug Blocks
I’ve finished up the last of the coffee mugs for my “Caffeine Addict” quilt, except for the stitching out the heart appliques. Read more HERE.
“Signature” Blocks
So Purple, and SO pretty! Read more HERE.
PHD Progress Update
This is my updated PHD task list, shaded to show the finished tasks. I have two “stubborn” projects that I still haven’t started, but I’m closing in on the “12 finishes” goal so I am not concerned. I’m considering a project swap for #4, since I don’t feel inspired to continue with it at the moment.
This is my updated PHD tracker.
Party Time!
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I hope that you’ll have an outstanding October, filled with fun, friends, family, and (of course) Quilting! See you soon.
Happy quilting,
Sharon
