I’ve been quietly working on my scrappy Ocean Wave quilt for years now, and this year I’m gently setting the intention to finally complete it. Progress has been slow, but meaningful. Hence it deserves another progress post.
I can never get bored of putting these blocks into layout. So much movement and so many little piece of scraps that brings in memories of previous projects! Read more to see the latest progress and enjoy a few photos of these scrappy Ocean Wave blocks.
I’ve made some good progress on the Dresden Bee quilt lately! This week, I managed to cut all the background pieces for the Dresden blocks, and I finally made a firm decision on the layout—always a big milestone. I’ve also figured out how I want to piece the giant Dresden block together with the scrappy patchwork border panels I’ve been working on.
Right now, I have five completed panels, each framed with a scrappy border. But here’s the twist: those patchwork panels ended up feeling so small next to the 24″ Dresden block, which truly lives up to its “giant” title! The scale difference really challenged my layout plan.
In fact, I originally cut the border strips for those panel pieces a little too narrow. Once I laid everything out, it just didn’t feel balanced next to the large Dresden. So I decided to go back and recut the borders, this time making them wider to better anchor the design. It was a little extra effort, but totally worth it!
I’ve been having so much fun working on a giant Dresden bee quilt using a bee collection called Honey & Lavender by Deb Strain for Moda Fabrics. I first tried out the Dresden Plate Template for 10″ Squares from Missouri Star Quilt Company when I made my quilt project organizer bag which I talked about before HERE>, and I completely fell in love with it. I knew right then that I had to make a full-sized quilt using these oversized Dresdens.
Fabric: Honey & Lavender still available HERE> and at Missouri Star Quilt Company at the time of me writing this. However, if they’re no longer available, check out this page HERE for all the bees fabric to make your own bee quilt.
I started the quilt last summer together with a quilt along celebrating the Summer Memories Book by Susan Ache. You can check out #summermemoriesqal to join along or to enjoy all the other versions. The book is an eye-candy filled with great projects and is sure to inspire you to pick up some red and blue fabrics to get started. I knew I did! But what really caught my eye was the basket quilt.
I shared how I made this quilt wall in the previous post here. Having this design wall inspires me to keep going little by little on quilts that I am making. The design wall allows me to see the big picture of how the quilts are coming together and to decide the final layout.
I’m so excited to share the finished Bobbin Blooms quilt with you! This project has been a true journey from start to finish, filled with creative decisions, unexpected challenges, and plenty of joy along the way. I decided to custom quilt this piece, and while custom quilting it certainly took more time, I believe it was worth every extra moment.
The process of piecing this quilt was really enjoyable. The Bobbin Blooms pattern is well-designed, and I found it easy to follow. It’s Sew Emma’s pattern is always on point! I love their detailed, fully illustrated pattern. I posted all about that and the walk-through video of me piecing this quilt in previous post HERE>
You can read more about my review on previous Sew Sampler Box HERE>
Here’s a progress post on my Bobbin Bloom quilt where I’m custom quilting it with some feathers and some grid diamond in the sashing. I had the idea to custom quilt this thinking it would be pretty quick as it is such a small quilt.
However, I’m a little slow on this since I have a little more on my plate with demanding daily kids’ activities too. I have a couple of quilting projects that are calling me too and I guess free motion quilting will take longer days these days. But progress is always progress and it’s a blessing to get some time in the sewing room to simply have fun and quilt.
This quilt is a pattern from one fo the Sew Sampler Box a while back and I recorded the process of makign the quilt before HERE> It is always exciting to sew projects from these boxes and to use them up. I have a stack of them ready for me to just dive in, so it’s always a great feeling when I accomplish to get the projects done. You can read more about my review on the previous Sew Sampler Box HERE>
LINKS:
I am making this Scrappy Quilt from the half-square triangles unit that I cut using the half-square triangle die I got with my Accuquilt starter kit.
There are affiliate links in this post in which I may make commission from. Find my disclosure here.
I’m so excited to share that I just finished my latest quilt top, and it’s super sweet! This one features beautiful tulips made with a lovely, soft color fabric collection. The pattern is called Bobbin Blooms, and it’s an exclusive pattern to the Sew Sampler Box from Fat Quarter Shop. If you’re not subscribed to the box but want a chance to win the pattern, be sure to check out the “sew with me” video. In the video, I walk you through my process of making this quilt and share some of my favorite piecing tips.
You can read more about my review on previous Sew Sampler Box HERE>
I must confess, that I had been stalling on starting this project because I had a strong feeling that I wanted to starch my fabric first. While I don’t always take this step, I firmly believe it makes a world of difference in the accuracy of my piecing. But this time, I decided to take things up a notch and try out something new: the electric sprayer. And oh my, what a game-changer it has been!
No longer do I have to endure the discomfort of pressing my fingers until they ache. This sprayer has made the process so incredibly fast and effortless. I even recorded a video to show you just how amazing it is. You can check it out below. I highly recommend giving it a try! You can find similar one HERE>
Now, I used my own handmade starch which I shared earlier HERE>, but if you’re looking for a convenient option, you can easily get a gallon of Mary Ellen’s Best Spray starching spray HERE>. It’s a time-saver and ensures you have plenty on hand for all your projects.
I was having a hard time with my rotary cutter, after having to do over or even give a little too much pressure, I realised that it was time to change the blade. As soon as I changed it, everything went so smooth that I just want to spend time cutting all the pieces. So if this is a reminder for you to change your blade, do it! It makes a whole lot of difference. I am using Olfa Endurance Blade and my favourite Ergonomic Olfa Cutter.
I love that the pattern also allows me to trim the units! This allows me to fix anything wonky and allows the units to be more accurate in size.
But let’s talk about the real magic here—the making of the quilt blocks. There is something about making quilt blocks that is so satisfying. I love sampler quilts because of this, but here’s the thing, every time I finish a block, I’d say to myself, someday I’ll make a quilt with just this single block! And I almost do that for every single block made this time!
If only I have all the time to just quilt. Anyway, I love using M3Pro for pressing out the seams of each small unit. The steam coming out from this mini iron is surely amazing. For a tiny iron, it is powerful. However, the water tank for the steam is pretty small, therefore, I do have to keep refilling the water tank. Nonetheless, since I make one quilt block in one sitting, it is just enough and gives the perfect crispy look that I love on quilt blocks.
I’ve just pieced the first four blocks, and I am already head over heels in love. The fabrics provided each month by the FQS shop are incredibly generous, just from these 4 blocks I have so much fabric unused yet like in the photo below. I’ve found myself with more than enough leftover fabric, and I’m already dreaming up a second quilt to make with them! 
So satisfied with this BOM as with all the customer service FQS provides, I’m contemplating reserving a spot for the 2024 BOM, but I’m undecided about the colors. I am not a big fan of the pink and red. But I might just go ahead!
Please feel free to leave a comment below—I can’t wait to hear from you all and share in the excitement of our shared passion for quilting.
Happy stitching!