Saturday, May 23, 2026

Another UFO, and More Orange

 Welcome to Treadlestitches!  Thanks for stopping by!


The weather is iffy again, so we're stuck with indoor photos.  This is my version of Pat Sloan's Children's Library Quilt, from 2017.   Click HERE for Pat's quilt. 


As a retired school librarian, I was excited to make this quilt and to use prints of book characters in it.  I changed some of Pat's blocks so I could put a square of one of those prints in the center.


When the blocks were done the quilt languished until I could decide on a setting.  I saw that Let's Read fabric in the store, and snatched up several yards. 
 
This was another one I was planning to machine quilt in sections, but could never figure out quite how I wanted to do it.  At some point I gave up that idea and sewed the sections together.  

I found the finished top as I was sorting my quilt stuff.


It's nearly twin-sized at 68 in. x 80 in.  As usual, it will be donated to the Children's Advocacy Center in Milwaukee, after volunteers do the quilting and binding.  I hope it goes to a child who loves to read.


Here's a fun quilty thing I got to do this week!  I did a short quilt activity with kids at Buddy and Little Guy's school.  A volunteer took this photo of me holding the quilt and the kids happily identifying the book (and TV) characters on it.  


For the activity I gave them papers with a 9 patch grid and asked them to glue (with a glue stick) 2 in. fabric squares in each of the sections in the grid.  The colors and patterns were totally up to them.  I'm guessing I brought at least 800 squares, laid out on a table in paper plates by color.  I still have lots left over, even after using approximately 468 squares.  The design above was made by Judah.


The kids enjoyed doing this.  Most of them asked for a second paper.  It was fun to see their color choices.  A few of them even created detailed patterns with the colors. 
One question they asked was unexpected.  They wanted to know if I had drawn the designs on the fabrics in the quilts!  They seemed surprised to learn that the fabric came that way from the store.


I'm still reorganizing all my fabric, projects, etc., which didn't leave much time for sewing this week.  At least I got my orange crumb blocks done for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  Two of the blocks were leftovers from another crumb quilt, so I only had to make four.  


Only one more week of orange!  I'll be sad to see it go.


Speaking of orange, this display in an antique mall really caught my eye!  Orange was a very "with it" color in the 1960s and 1970s.


In Progress


Right now my only project in progress is the Cabin Steps blocks I've been making as leaders and enders.  I have a total of 15 blocks done, with six more ready to stitch (the ones on the right).  I'm hoping to get a small quilt quilted and bound, but we'll see.


Hubby and I had a picnic and a walk in Rock Cut State Park in Illinois last Saturday.  It was an absolutely beautiful day.  Shortly after I took this photo we saw two bald eagles fishing in the lake.  It was a lovely weekend away for our anniversary.

I hope you have a lovely week this week, doing things you love to do.  Like quilting!

Thanks for reading,

Sylvia@Treadlestitches

Linking up with:


Angela at So Scrappy

Cynthia at Oh Scrap




 
 







3 comments:

  1. Your Children's Library Quilt is a gem, Sylvia! What fun to look through and find favorite book characters in the quilt blocks! It looks like the kids at Buddy and Little Guy's school really had fun with the activities that you brought, too. Happy sewing this week!

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  2. IMHO I would keep that quilt. It is so amazing and your great grandchildren can learn so much from this one. But, again, IMHO. In any case, BRAVO! I love it to pieces. The activity you did with the children is a great one. It sounds like it was their first time playing with fabric and who knows what seeds you have just planted.
    I love the picture from the antique mall. Gosh! I want that dress on the left in orange, yellow, white and brown. What a gem!
    Happy belated anniversary to both of you. xox ;^)

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  3. Love the "Reading" quilt you made--what a fabulous idea...and your orange RSC blocks are so pretty...Hugs, Julierose

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