Happy Easter 2026

 Happy Easter 2026

The Easter Basket I made for my daughter this year is even more special. The theme this year is all about "the baby boy!"

Here comes the SON!

2026 Easter Basket

 2026 Easter Basket

This year's Easter Basket is especially SPECIAL!

I'm going to be a GRANDMA!!!

💖💖💖

Our Family is joyously expanding.

Not only is my daughter expecting but my daughter-in-law is also expecting.

Two healthy baby boys are due to arrive in the Fall.

I started making this year's Easter Basket as I knew my daughter was expecting but, long before I knew my daughter-in-law was also expecting. 

I am doubly blessed and so incredibly grateful!

Long COLD Winter = Lots of Creative Crochet

 Long COLD Winter = Lots of Creative Crochet

Balloon Animals

Cave Man

Colorful Bunnies

Baby Bumble Bee

And, Jellyfish too!

Granny Squares Project

 Granny Squares Project

I started a new crochet project ... Granny Squares. It may be a pillow, a tote bag, or a blanket. At the moment I'm just making the squares. I've made granny squares before. I made a pillow with the few granny squares I had made. Granny squares are fun to make and after search YouTube for tutorials I've found there are many granny squares variations. 

 

February - Severe Weather and Hand-quilting

 February - Severe Weather and Hand-quilting

The end of January and the first week of February brought severe weather, lots of well below freezing temperatures, ice, and then snow. At my house we got almost 5 inches of snow.

One of my goals for 2026 is to hand-quilt one quilt top, one of the many finished quilt tops that I have that still need to be quilted and bound. So the first snowy weekend of February I began working on my hand-quilting goals.

It snowed all day on Saturday around 5 inches of snow and single digit freezing cold temperatures.

I trudged through the snow to fill my bird feeder, the birds were very happy and swooped in to dine.

This bird feeder was a birthday gift and I love it!

I have been enjoying this sight of birds in my feeder everyday since I put it up.

I'm ready for Spring ... 

Single digit freezing temperatures is not my idea of fun!

More Crochet - Caveman? Troll?

More Crochet

Caveman? Troll?

I finished this crochet pattern over the weekend. Such a fun project and so darn cute.

I love his little freckles! 💖

The book pattern is for a troll but all I see is a happy little caveman.

 

Gibby Girl Design - Economy Block Quilt - SOLD

 Gibby Girl Design

Economy Block Quilt - SOLD

This quilt caught the eye of a friend who's grandson will be graduating from high school this year. This quilt is headed to a dorm room in 2026!

😎

Sock It To Me!!

 Sock It To Me!!

Sock knitting ... like Red/White quilts, knitting socks has become an addiction. As most of you know, I learned how to knit to specifically learn sock knitting.

In the evenings after all of the outside work, I've been cooling down and relaxing with a bit of sock knitting.

I'm not sure why, but I have difficulty with just sitting and not doing something. Just one of the reasons for learning how to knit socks. I always have a pair of socks in progress and sitting on the side table by my recliner. I would rather pick up my knitting as opposed to doom scrolling on my phone.

I'm still working on perfecting the kitchner stitch required to cast off a cuff down sock. Sometimes it looks good (the yellow toe) and sometimes it doesn't (the blue toe). I promise I did them both exactly the same but somehow ... they definitely do not look the same. Oh well, the imperfection on handmade things.

The yarn is Red Heart brand

Denim and Lace

 Denim and Lace

The first finished quilt of 2025

💙💙💙

I love this quilt.

This quilt is made from a kit that I purchased from Westwood Acres

The beautiful machine quilting was provided by a dear friend here locally.

I love the patch work, the fabrics, and the pattern.

Red/White Checkerboard Quilt Top

 Red/White Checkerboard Quilt Top

My obsession with red and white quilts continues.

This scrappy red/white checkerboard quilt started out as a stack of orphaned 9 patch blocks, a few fussy cut motif blocks, and two other orphan blocks I found along the way.

I love being able to incorporate orphan blocks into my scrappy quilt projects. No orphan block left behind!

😂😂😂

The first quilt top finish of 2025

The Bear

The Bear

I've never made anything like this fabric bear. The entire process was very new for me. This bear took an entire weekend to make. Cutting the pattern pieces and fabric out and then joining all the parts and pieces. It was definitely a process.

All in all I think it turned out really well and my friend was very happy with the resulting bear.

 

A Sweet Gift

 A Sweet Gift

This year I was commissioned to make two very special gifts for the loved ones of two of my friends.

This bear is made from a shirt of my friend's father who passed away.

The Bear is a gift for her mother who is terminally ill.

I was asked to make this memory quilt for a friend's wife. Their son was killed in an accident 10 years ago on the 16th of December. The quilt is made from t-shirts printed with special photos of their son and the t-shirts and clothing that were special to him.

I was and still am very honored to have been trusted to make these special heart felt gifts.

Design Wall 08/08/2024

 Design Wall

For many years I didn't have a design wall and looking back I wonder how I ever got anything accomplished. Back then any flat surface would do, table tops, the floor, or the top of the bed.

These days however I do have a design wall and I love it.

It is a place where I can play around with blocks and decide on just the right placement or design. For a quilting nerd like myself ... having a design wall provides hours and hours of entertainment! hahahaha!

There are many different elaborate and expensive design wall products out there on the market but mine is made of a queen size flannel sheet that I purchased at a yard sale years ago. I have it thumbtacked to the wall in my sewing room and it works beautifully for me.

Some blocks I found going through bags and boxes that I rescued from the storage unit that I cleaned out and the English Paper Piecing project that I am currently working on.

Some red/white half square triangles that I found and wonky star block that was in my Red/White box of curiosities.

Red/White 9 patch blocks that I made from scrap fabrics in my red/white box of curiosities. The lost and found blocks that have become SMS Quilt # 23 Half Square Triangles.

Girl Power the English Paper Piecing project that I am currently working on.

#gibbygirl63

Lost & Found

 Lost & Found

Recently I cleaned out a storage unit and I have come across a couple of quilt projects that I apparently started at some point and totally forgot about ...

I found these blocks in the bottom of a bag of scraps. I decided to put the half square triangles up on my design wall.

Then I decided to play around with the placement of the blocks.

I think I am going to call this one Sewing My Stash Scrap Quilt # 23

Half Square Triangles

I found these 8.5 inch string pieced blocks the first of July and after sewing the blocks together decided to call this one Sewing My Stash Scrap Quilt # 22 

Strings

I'm pretty excited to see if I come across any more of these forgotten quilt projects.

Girl Power - English Paper Piecing

 Girl Power

An English Paper Piecing (EPP) quilt project

2 inch hexagons make up the structure of this EPP quilt project

I am using fabrics with girl motifs and KONA solids charm packs.

I'm really enjoying this hand sewing project and I'm happy with the results so far.

This project will take a while to complete but the process is very enjoyable.

When I am working on something with my hands ... I'm not stuck dwelling on things in my mind.

#gibbygirl63

Memories and T-Shirt Quilts

 Memories and T-Shirt Quilts

I no longer do commission work but on occasion a friend will request a quilt. And, that is exactly how this t-shirt project came to be.

Not a lot to work with but it is finally starting to come together. I have purchased the sashing fabric, and there will be a few more photo blocks to come as well.

Shimmer - The Easter Eggs

Shimmer - The Easter Eggs

Tula Pink fabrics provide so many little hidden in plain sight gems! Whenever I look at anything I have ever made with Tula's fabrics I see elements in the prints that I had never seen before. Just one of the many things I love about her fabric collections.

Sea Turtles, a tire swing, bees

Dragonflies and raccoons ... those eyes 💜

Bumble Bees

A toad 

The eyes, ears, and antlers of a deer. Hearts and daisies, too.

A fawn sipping from a pond

A child swinging

The Queen

This is fabric from the Elizabeth collection

Horses - or prancing ponies as I refer to them

The eyes of a tiger

Octopus and fish - under the sea

Part of an anchor ...

There are so many things to see and find