Wednesday, February 4, 2026

Round Robin #3: Animal Kingdom

Welcome to round three of the Stay at Home Round Robin! It's my turn to set the prompt! This week, we’re taking inspiration from the animal kingdom!  Any animal counts, from the smallest ant to the biggest of sharks. There are lots of ways to interpret Animal Kingdom.  Here are some ideas:

  • A block or unit named after an animal: Bear Paw, Monkey Wrench, Snail's Trail, Birds in the Air, Shoo Fly, Puss in the Corner...there are so many!  Looking for something simple?  There's always that classic quilt unit, Flying Geese.
  • Applique of an animal
  • Pieced block that looks like an animal
  • Fabric that contains animals

 

 

I had a lot of fun looking at classic quilt blocks with animals in the name.  Ultimately, I went with the Bear Paw block.  In addition to being a great classic block, it's easy to make scrappy and still look great.  Since I'm using a 10" stack (layer cake), scrappy helps me use the fabric I have.





I am using the Garden Gate collection by Island Batik for Lumin Fabrics.  I really like the combination of colors in this fabric line.


I made 5 Bear Paw blocks.  These are 10" finished. I added 1" sashing in between, then added spacers on the end to get a row that is 56".  

Here are the rows I have so far: 


I am so excited to see what inspiration you take from the animal kingdom!  Remember, this is your quilt, so you can be be creative in how you interpret the prompt. Link below if you are sewing along.   The linky will be available through midnight next Tuesday February 10th, eastern time. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter 

Remember, each week that you link up gets you an entry into our prize drawing at the end of the round robin.  We have some really great sponsors and amazing prizes!  The full list is at the end of this post. 

 


Be sure to check out all 6 SAHRR hosts:

  • January 14th: Center/Centre blocks Gail @ Quilting Gail
  • January 21st: First Round: hourglass units   Brenda @ Songbird Designs
  • January 28th: Second Round: make it a double  Kathleen @ Kathleen McMusing
  • February 4th:  Third Round: Animal Kingdom That's me!!! Emily @ The Darling Dogwood
  • February 11th:  Fourth Round:   Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life
  • February 18th: Fifth Round: Gail @ Quilting Gail 
  • February 25th: Sixth Round:  Anja @ Anja Quilts
  • March 25th:  Parade of Finishes showing all of your finished SAHRRs!



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    Wednesday, January 28, 2026

    Round Robin #2: Make it a Double!

    Welcome back to the Stay at Home Round Robin!  This week it is Kathleen's turn to tell us what to add, and she says, "Make it a double!"  What does that mean?  Choose any "double" block and use that in your quilt.  If you are an EQ8 user, a search of "double" as a keyword reveals lots and lots of options.  Kathleen will also highlight possibilities on her blog.  I chose the double pinwheel block.

     



    I am now completely in love with this fun and fast block and am considering a quilt of just double pinwheels. I used my Accuquilt to cut all the pieces.  These blocks came together very quickly.  They are 8" blocks, so I made 6 of them.  There is 1" finished sashing between each block, though I hadn't added it yet when I took this photo.   

     

    Here are the three rows I've made so far. 

     


    I am using the Garden Gate collection by Island Batik for Lumin Fabrics.  I have a 10" stack, so I have to be creative in how I use each fabric. 


    If you are sewing along, Kathleen has the linky this week.  Remember that each week that you link up gets you an entry into our prize drawing at the end of the round robin.  We have some really great sponsors and amazing prizes!  The full list is at the end of this post. Be sure to check out all 6 SAHRR hosts to see what each one chose for "Make it a Double!"

  • January 14th: Center/Centre blocks Gail @ Quilting Gail
  • January 21st: First Round: hourglass units   Brenda @ Songbird Designs
  • January 28th: Second Round: make it a double  Kathleen @ Kathleen McMusing
  • February 4th:  Third Round: That's me!!! Emily @ The Darling Dogwood
  • February 11th:  Fourth Round:   Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life
  • February 18th: Fifth Round: Gail @ Quilting Gail 
  • February 25th: Sixth Round:  Anja @ Anja Quilts
  • March 25th:  Parade of Finishes showing all of your finished SAHRRs!

    •  Sponsors & Prizes:

     



     

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    Wednesday, January 21, 2026

    Round Robin #1: Hourglass Units

    It's the first round in the Stay at Home Round Robin!  Brenda of Songbird Designs gets to tell us what to add to our quilts this week and she picked hourglass units.

     



    Hourglass units are also known as quarter-square triangles.   When the fabrics at opposite ends are the same, they look like an hourglass.  There are many methods for making quarter-square triangles; my favorite is to use my Accuquilt, but I've also followed online tutorials when I needed a size I don't have an Accuquilt die for.



    I had a couple different ideas for using hourglass units. One of my favorite blocks are Ohio Star blocks, which use quarter-square triangles, but I wanted something a little different.  I looked around for blocks that use quarter-square triangles, found this one on Kate Colleran's website, then used EQ8 to tweak the block to something similar (that also feels a little like an Ohio Star) but different.  I apparently forgot to take a picture of a single block before I sewed them together. 

    I made 4 blocks and added sashing between them.  I have not finalized how long I'm making my rows, so for now there is not anything on the ends, but there will eventually be background fabric on the ends to get every row the same length.    


    Brenda's got the link up this week, so head over there once you have your hourglass round made.  Remember, every time you link up, you earn an entry into our prize drawing.  I've got the sponsors and prizes at the end of this post.  Here's the complete Stay at Home Round Robin schedule:

  • January 14th: Center/Centre blocks Gail @ Quilting Gail
  • January 21st: First Round: hourglass units   Brenda @ Songbird Designs
  • January 28th: Second Round: Kathleen @ Kathleen McMusing
  • February 4th:  Third Round: That's me!!! Emily @ The Darling Dogwood
  • February 11th:  Fourth Round:   Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life
  • February 18th: Fifth Round: Gail @ Quilting Gail 
  • February 25th: Sixth Round:  Anja @ Anja Quilts
  • March 25th:  Parade of Finishes showing all of your finished SAHRRs!

    •  


     




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    Thursday, January 15, 2026

    Emerge: Starry Seas blog hop

    Welcome to my stop on the Starry Seas blog hop!  Starry Seas is a new signature fabric collection for my friend Jennifer of The Inquiring Quilter, made by Island Batik/Lumin Fabrics.  Jennifer asked if I'd make something to celebrate the collection and I enthusiastically agreed!  

     

    I leaned heavily into the dark blues and turquoises of Starry Seas, with just a touch of the golden orange for accent.  I am calling this pattern Emerge. 



    There are eight of the SKUs from Starry Seas in Emerge, plus Island Batik's foundation neutral Cream.  Emerge is 60" square.

     

    Starry Seas is arriving in quilt shops now.  Want to win some Starry Seas fabric?  Jennifer is giving away a fat quarter bundle of the collection on her blog.  And be sure to visit every stop on the Starry Seas blog hop!

     

    January 12th - Jennifer @ Inquiring Quilter  

    January 13th - Kathleen @ Kathleen McMusing

    January 14th - Preeti @ Sew Preeti Quilts

    January 15th - Emily @ The Darling Dogwood 🠄 You Are Here!

    January 16th - Laura @ Slice of Pi
    January 18th - Gail @ Quilting Gail
    January 21st - Jennifer @ Inquiring Quilter (WINNER ANNOUNCED!)

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    Wednesday, January 14, 2026

    Stay at Home Round Robin 2026: The Start

    Welcome to the Stay at Home Round Robin 2026! Gail of Quilting Gail created the SAHRR during Covid lockdowns to mirror round robin sew alongs frequently done by quilt guilds.  The idea is that you make your own quilt, and each week you add something to it based on that week's prompt.  We have a group of six hosts who will provide prompts as well as show you their interpretations, hopefully giving you lots of inspiration.  Creative interpretation is encouraged and the Quilt Police are definitely not invited!  


    The SAHRR has seven rounds, plus a finishing parade where participants show off their finished top or quilt.  This week, the focus is on your center.   Centers can be anything you want: orphan blocks, a panel, and you don't have to stick to squares.  Many people who prefer rectangular finished quilts will use a rectangular block to start. 



    I start by picking out my fabric. I am using Island Batik's Garden Gate collection.  I have a 10" stack of the whole collection, plus 2 yards each of a lighter fabric and a darker fabric from the collection.  I'm going to try to use that supporting fabric as my background and not add in anything additional, but we'll see how that plays out as I sew week to week.

     

     

    Round Robin quilts are traditionally medallion style, though that's not the only option.  This year, I'm going to do a row by row format for my quilt. For my starter row, I picked a block I've never made before: the labyrinth block.  Mine are 12" blocks. I chose a variety of the fabrics from Garden Gate and made sure I was including most/all of the colors in the collection.

     

    I added 1" sashing between my blocks.  Right now, there is nothing on the outside ends of my row because I have not yet determined how long I want my rows to be.  I'm thinking probably between 52" - 56", but we'll see how it shakes out.  I also didn't add sashing above or below my row yet, giving me more time to decide if I wanted any or not.


    If you want to sew along, choose/make a center, and then head over to Quilting Gail for this week's linky.  Every week you link up will earn you an entry into our prize drawing.  All prizes will be drawn after the SAHRR is over.  In all, you have 8 chances to earn an entry!  Here are our sponsors and prizes!
     

    Sew along with us, we always have a good time!  Here is the full SAHRR schedule: 

  • January 14th: Center/Centre blocks Gail @ Quilting Gail
  • January 21st: First Round:    Brenda @ Songbird Designs
  • January 28th: Second Round: Kathleen @ Kathleen McMusing
  • February 4th:  Third Round: That's me!!! Emily @ The Darling Dogwood
  • February 11th:  Fourth Round:   Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life
  • February 18th: Fifth Round: Gail @ Quilting Gail 
  • February 25th: Sixth Round:  Anja @ Anja Quilts
  • March 25th:  Parade of Finishes showing all of your finished SAHRRs!

    • Happy Stitching!



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    Sunday, January 11, 2026

    Happy New Year!

    Happy New Year!  I am starting 2026 in a new home!  My family moved a mere 3 days before (U.S.) Thanksgiving.  We're still settling in, but it's starting to feel like home.  I have a dedicated sewing space in the new place and while it's not nearly all unpacked, I finally got the sewing machine out and plugged in. I took my first stitches in the new space last Monday, January 5th.  

    I've got a couple of sewing and blogging adventures to kick off the new year.  First, the annual Stay At Home Round Robin (SAHRR) starts THIS Wednesday, January 14th.  (Yes, we are moving to Wednesdays this year.)  The Stay at Home Round Robin is the brilliant idea of Gail from Quilting Gail.  It's like a traditional quilt guild round robin, except you stay at home and do all your own rounds.  Each week, one of 6 hosts will give a prompt, and if you decide to sew along, you make something for your own quilt using that prompt.  It's very fun and laid back and we have a lot of sponsors this year!  Here's the schedule:

  • January 14th: Center/Centre blocks Gail @ Quilting Gail
  • January 21st: First Round:    Brenda @ Songbird Designs
  • January 28th: Second Round: Kathleen @ Kathleen McMusing
  • February 4th:  Third Round: That's me!!! Emily @ The Darling Dogwood
  • February 11th:  Fourth Round:   Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life
  • February 18th: Firfth Round: Gail @ Quilting Gail 
  • February 25th: Sixth Round:  Anja @ Anja Quilts
  • March 25th:  Parade of Finishes showing all of your finished SAHRRs!

    •  


    Also starting this week is A blog hop hosted by Jennifer of The Inquiring Quilter highlighting her most recent signature collection with Island Batik/Lumin fabrics.  Starry Seas is an earthy mix of golds, dark blue-blacks with touches of slatey aqua.  The hop starts Monday January 12th and I'll be sharing what I made with Starry Seas on Thursday January 15th.

     


    My other quilty adventure for the start of the year is QuiltCon in Raleigh! I'm a few hours from Raleigh so will be making the trip in mid/late February.  If anyone is planning to be there, I'd love to meet up!

    I hope your 2026 is off to a great start!  May all your bobbins stay full and your rotary blades be sharp! 

     

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    Wednesday, December 24, 2025

    The Ultimate Purple Island Batik Quilt

    Welcome to the final Island Batik ambassador challenge of the year!  This month, it's up to us!  We each got to make whatever we wanted featuring Island Batik fabric.  I started planning my quilt early in the year.  I wanted to make a scraptastic quilt featuring as many purple Island Batik fabrics as I could find.  I chose two of my favorite classic blocks, the sawtooth star and the log cabin, and combined them into a design I was really excited about.  

    Everything was cut with my Accuquilt (specifically the 8" cube) and all piecing was done with Aurifil thread--scrappy, because a scrappy quilt is a great time to use up partial bobbins.  And as always, I sewed with a Schmetz needle, the only needles I use.   

    Star Blocks

     I did agonize a bit over what color to use as the center of the log cabin blocks.  In my EQ8 mock-ups, I started with yellow.  It was ok, but honestly a little boring.  I really like purple with blue, so I also looked at a light or medium blue, or even aqua.  While I liked the blues and the aqua, I didn't like the attention it took away from the purple. I then saw some Sangria yardage from Island Batik's always-available Basics, and that felt like the right choice.  First, it's kinda close to red, one of the traditional colors for log cabin centers.  It's also close in color to the purples while still being a little different visually.   


    The products featured in this post were given to me by Island Batik, Schmetz, Aurifil, and AccuQuilt. 

     


    I finished the top in late June because I knew I wanted it longarmed and I wanted to be sure to beat the Christmas rush.  Sara at Stitch Lab Quilting is local to me and she did such a great job with it!  I picked an edge to edge quilt design called Elizabeth that I really like, and Sara used a light/medium purple thread.  I got it back right before my move, so I have not been able to bind it yet.  I'm at a loss as to what to bind it with.  Dark purple?  Dark gray?  Sangria?  I hope to get my sewing machine set up in the new house very soon, so I can get to work getting this bound.  It's huge!!!  Easily at least Queen size.


    I mentioned that this is the last Island Batik Ambassador challenge of 2025.  It is also my last challenge as an Island Batik Ambassador.  After seven amazing years, I made the difficult decision not to apply for 2026.  I am so grateful to Island Batik for the chance to work with them and their beautiful fabrics for so long.  I still have quite the stash and I am a true fan of their fabrics, so I will continue to sew with Island Batik fabrics for years to come! 



     

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