End of the Year - Best of Sew & Tell

It's the final Sew & Tell of 2025!  Each and every party has been filled with inspiration and creativity.  I've enjoyed seeing the progress of quilts, some from start to finish and I've enjoyed seeing how each quilter approaches a project differently.  I'm so glad that we can all celebrate the finishes (some for years old UFOs) and the completion of a particular step.  We celebrate the big finishes as well as the small ones.  We are a community of supporters!  And I am grateful for the support that you offer me.  THANK YOU!

This week's feature is one of those years-old UFOs... Astrid from Red Needle Quilts proudly (and by all rights) showed off her Over the River and Through the Woods quilt. A UFO that is finally finished after 16 years.  It includes embroidered winter scenes and words, many flying geese and some lovely stars.  Head over to Astrid's blog to celebrate her finish and see more details and photos.

Her pieced backing is a treat as well!

Since this is the final party of the year, I thought I would take a look back at some of the favorites that have been shared throughout the year - 1 for each quarter or season of the year. 

Melisa at Pinker 'n' Punkin Quilting & Stitching always has an assortment of projects that she shares... her little winter scene is just one example. Her seasonal decor is delightful, and she often has small embroidery and cross-stitch patterns that she offers.  If this is something you enjoy, you'll certainly want to stop by her blog.  You'll leave feeling lighter and happier.

Sharon at Dragon's Heart Quilting shared her progress of a lovely quilt that represents my spring choice - Jade Garden. the use of pastel pinks and purples with the green remind me of a garden waking up with the warmth of spring sunshine as the earth thaws and springs to life!  I can almost smell the sweet scent of flowers blooming.

Sharon documented her progress, and you can find all the details by visiting her blog by following the highlighted link above.

My summer feature is brought to you by Gwyned Trefethen - Pond Life which was the product of a Project Quilting challenge.  The challenge given was to use the color of your birthstone.  Gwyned's birthstone is an emerald.

The muted tones and gentle pastels appeal to me and I can almost hear the frogs croaking and the feeling of a warm humid day.

It was just a few years ago that I learned of the Project Quilting challenges.  I've not ever participated but I have followed along to learn of the prompts and allow some loose ideas to roll around in my head.  Mostly, I just admire the many projects that I have seen and enjoy the stories of the making of them and the logic used to produce such projects.  Be sure to visit Gwyned's blog to read about her Pond Life quilt and how she finished it.

The fall feature comes from LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color.  She creates a lot of smaller "art" pieces and this patchwork pumpkin came from a small collection of fall scraps.  

This photo shows an earlier stage of the project, but the finished piece is stunning!  Follow the link above to see the finish!  

LeeAnna struggles with chronic pain but doesn't allow the physical limitations she encounters along the way to stop her creativity.  My visits to her blog always leave a smile on my face!

I've been reviewing 2025 and writing all about it... and planning for 2026.  The full story will be published in a few days, and I'll be sharing in the Planning & Dreaming linky-party at Andrée's Quilting & Learning, opening on December 30th.

I've not had much quilting going on... I finished my Color Wash quilt!  I finished it on Christmas Eve.  I have to figure out a hanging sleeve system that will keep the outermost points hanging out.  I have a couple ideas and will see what works.  For now... here's one of her glamor shots.

I'll take two more days to finish scrapping our 2020 travel photos and then start in with a new project.

What sort of plans or dreams do you have for 2026?

Leave a comment... I'd love to hear from you!

Keep Piecing,

Melva

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