July 2025 PHD Report

July was a busy month. I was away from home for over a week helping Grad Girl move.  So there's not a lot of progress to report for the July PHD report over at Ms. P Designs.  

There are no updates to my PHD log.  No finishes, but no new starts either.  I can at least celebrate that!  There has been progress on some other projects this month.  

There's been a bit of progress on the Rose Throw counted cross stitch project.  I just didn't feel like doing much handwork this month.  Does it look like a rose? Not so much yet.   

One more row of blocks for Kate's Choice were quilted this month.  I've made more progress in the days since the end of July. My plan is to focus on this project till it's completed.  

All the red blocks for Wild and Goosey (Bonnie Hunter) are all sashed. That finishes up the last of the warm colored scarp blocks. There are still lots of cool color blocks to make before I can start sashing any of those colors.  

Progress on the Simply Sensational Summer Scrap Quilt (Kevin the Quilter) has been pretty minimal this month, but there has been a bit. 

All the components for Old Town (Bonnie Hunter) have been made. So block assembly has started.  Each block requires 25 pieces, so they take a bit to construct, which is why I've only 2 were completed at the end of July.  This will be my late night sew project for August.  

I was a bit slow on finishing off all the August sawtooth star blocks for the 2025 Guild BOM , but they are all done.  I've made this pattern before, but since it's all scrappy, it doesn't look exactly like my previous version.  

There's been progress, but no movement on project tracking graphic.  

It looks the same as it did in June.  Some months are just going to be that way. I'm hoping to see some projects hit milestones this month.  That's assuming we're not moving Grad Girl to a new location for a job. If I loose another 10 days to apartment hunting and a move, it will be worth it.   

To Do List for 8/5/2025

We've been enjoying a bit of cooler weather the last few days. It was a nice start to August.  I'm still working on getting used to my new schedule.  Grad Girl takes care of herself, but the keeping the cat happy still takes a bit of work.  Though neither affected my time in the sewing room this last week, but for some reason I struggled with my to do list.  

To Do List for 7/29/2025

1. Guild BOM: Cut pieces for September blocks - progress

2. Kate's Choice: Continue quilting blocks ✔

3. Old Town: Continue block assembly at late night sew ✔

4. Wild and Goosey: Work on purple, start teal - progress

5. Summer Scrap Quilt: Continue as leaders and enders - no progress

Not a bad week, only one item with no progress.  Most of the reason for the lack of forward effort on most of the to do list is because I focused on getting the Kate's Choice blocks quilted.  I really need to start moving some quilts to finished. My plan is to mostly focus on moving that project to finished this week.  So a bit of a shorter to do list for this week. 

To Do List for 8/5/2025

1. Guild BOM: Finish cutting pieces and start assembly of September blocks

Only three of the sawtooth stars for the border are left to be cut.  I need to stay on top of these blocks because the guild meeting comes up pretty quickly.  So I'll take a day this week and see if I can get all the blocks done.  

2.  Kate's Choice: Start assembling rows

All the blocks are trimmed. Now to cut the sashing strips for the front and back.  I practiced getting an accurate quarter inch seam with my walking foot. Fingers crossed these blocks go together pretty easily.  

3. Old Town (Bonnie Hunter): Continue block assembly at late night sew.  

This has become my Tuesday evening project. I could take Kate's Choice, but since I'm sewing with others and we talk a lot, probably best I not take something I've never done before.  

4.  Wild and Goosey (Bonnie Hunter): Finish purple, start teal blocks.

I usually work on 2 of Wild and Goosey blocks as I sew on other projects, they are really my leaders these days.  I almost finished one of the in progress purple blocks. I should be starting a teal block tonight.  

I'm going to cut the list off there. My plan is to concentrate on Kate's Choice till it's finished.  

Linking up with the Quilt Schmilt for To Do Tuesday.  

Quilt as You Go Progress

It was a slow, stay around the house kind of weekend.  We went to church and that's about it.  Most of my weekend was spent in my sewing room.  My focus was to make some good progress on my "quilt as you go" project, Kate's Choice.  

Row 6 is all quilted.  The next step is to trim off the extra batting. 

Trimming started with row one and I got as far as row 3 before dinner. 

Here's all the trimmings from the first 3 rows.  I need to trim the last 3 and then cut the sashing strips for both the front and back. I know what I'm using for the front, I need to decide what will work for the back.  Kate's Choice probably won't be done by the end of the month, but I'm hoping to make good progress on it in August.  

Linking up with Design Wall Monday and Patchwork & Quilts.  

Stitching Stuff: Week 31 of 2025

Hard to believe it's August.  July sped by. With all the time spent moving Grad Girl last month, this is my first full week of stitching time since mid June.  

• 15 minute days/week = 7/7 days
• 15 minute days/July = 21/31 days
• 15 minute days/2025 = 194/214 days
• Success rate = 90.65%

Even with all the missed days, I've still stitched over 90% for 2025. Which is my 4th best year out of the13 years I've been tracking stitching time. Even so it looks anemic when compared to the 100% I had last year. But I'm happy with the stitching time. Now I just need to work on getting a few things moved to finished.  

I didn't do any stash management this week.  I'm still on kitty duty for outside time in the mornings, my schedule just hasn't adjusted yet to fitting that in with the other typical morning stuff.  

How are  you doing at finding time to stitch?  

To Do List for 7/29/2025

I'm a day late posting this week's to do list. We are still working with uncertain scheduling since Grad Girl and Queenie moved home.  Grad Girl left yesterday morning for Houston. She has two job interviews this week.  Which means I'm on kitty babysitting duty, that includes at least 30 minutes to an hour of outside time in the morning.  She's used to having access to a third floor balcony to observe life from.  We have a fenced backyard, but Queenie is far from an outside cat and we're not sure she'd stay in the yard if she didn't have company.  So it's put a bit of a wrinkle in my morning routine of coffee and computer time.   

It's hard to say no to that face.  So she gets her outside time and I didn't make it to the computer yesterday.  Which isn't too much of a loss.  I did OK on my to do list for last week, but it wasn't one of my best weeks. 

To Do List for 07/22/2025

1. Guild BOM: Finish August blocks, start September ✔

2. Kate's Choice: Continue Quilting blocks ✔

3. Embroidery or Cross Stitch: Work on either one day - no progress

4. Old Town: Continue assembly at late night sew ✔

5. Wild and Goosey:  Make purple blocks, sash red blocks ✔

6. Summer Scrap Quilt: Continue as leaders and enders - no progress

Four out of six isn't a bad week, especially since I finally made some progress on the quilting for Kate's Choice.  This week's list looks pretty much the same. 

To Do List for 07/29/2025

1. Guild BOM: Cut pieces for September block

All the brown sawtooth stars for August are finally done. I have started cutting the pieces for the September blocks.  That guild meeting will be here before I know it. 

2. Kate's Choice: Continue Quilting blocks

Row 5 is now quilted.  Just one more row and then I have to figure out assembly.  

3. Old Town (Bonnie Hunter): Continue block assembly at late night sew.  

 

 

I've gotten a couple of blocks assembled. They take longer than you think to put together. It would help if I could keep the pressing instructions straight. I've had to repress seams more than once!  

4.  Wild and Goosey (Bonnie Hunter):  Work on purple blocks, start teal blocks. 

The last set of red blocks is sashed into a 7.5" unfinished block.  Blue, green, purple and teal blocks still need to be finished.  But at least I'm starting to see how these are going together. I'm excited to see how all the cool colors come together.  

5. Simply Sensational Summer Scrap Quilt (Kevin the Quilter): Continue as leaders and enders. 

This one is hard to take to late night sew at the moment, so I've not made a lot of progress with it over the last week because I worked mainly on quilting Kate's Choice.  

That's my list for this week.  We'll see how much stitching time I manage to get in. A lot depends on what Grad Girl's schedule looks like this next week.  Linking up with the Quilt Schmilt for To Do Tuesday.