It's a bit of a catch-all post today. There's a holiday manicure, a pretty table, 3D-printed napkin rings, the latest from the garden, how I approach Amazon Prime Days without getting overwhelmed, and a little knitting progress as well. Let's dive right in!

The green rectangle is 15 x 11 squares and here it is set in the dining room for Father's Day dinner.

Now for the how to:

Using a self-healing cutting mat, rotary cutter, and quilting ruler, I cut my fabric into 6" squares. While you can purchase precut 5" charm squares, I find them to be a bit pricey. Just for reference: a fat quarter generally measures about 20"x20", which easily yields nine 6" squares.

In addition to using my own stash, I bought a few extras. My favorite source has always been my local fabric shop, Needles—they carry high-quality cottons in the most beautiful patterns. Over the years, some of my very favorite fabrics have come from there. For more budget-friendly options, Walmart sells fat quarters for around $1 each. The quality and prints are usually more basic, but still usable. I also tried Amazon and was pleasantly surprised: I purchased a 7-piece bundle of fat quarters, and the fabric quality was excellent. They offer dozens of color families to choose from, and I wouldn’t hesitate to order from them again—especially helpful if you don’t have a local shop and want to coordinate colors.

I knew I wanted my tablecloths to be 70" square—just right to cover my outdoor tables while leaving a nice overhang. Accounting for a ¼" seam allowance, each finished square would measure 5.5", so I needed 13 squares by 13 squares, or 169 squares per tablecloth. I cut a mass—probably 250–300 squares—from my stash. I can’t imagine tackling this without a rotary cutter; it’s absolutely essential for this kind of project. (The set I used from Amazon is well-priced and includes everything you need—highly recommended!)

Once all the cutting was done, I stacked my squares in random order and threaded my machine with beige thread. To speed things along, I used the chain piecing method: I fed square after square into the machine, one at a time, without lifting the presser foot or clipping the threads between pieces. This saves time and thread. I did use a quick backstitch at the beginning and end of each square to secure the seams.

After I had a long chain of two-piece sets, I clipped them apart and began sewing them into four-piece sets using the same method. Then I joined three of these sets together, creating a 12-square strip—just one square short! I added one more to complete a full 13-square row. After piecing several of these 13-piece strips, I sewed the strips together, row by row, until I had a full 13-by-13 square cloth.

My layout was completely random—I didn’t mind if similar colors touched, but I did try to avoid placing the same pattern side-by-side. That said, I love the carefree, scrappy charm of true patchwork. It’s that kind of joyful imperfection that gives these cloths their magic. And I didn’t iron until the very end!

Lastly, finish the edges with bias tape. I used a combination of Wrights Wide Single Fold Bias Tape and Wrights Extra Wide Double Fold Bias Tape—both worked equally well, and I used them interchangeably. I happened to have a large stash of both in various shades of white and tan (why do I have so much bias tape? I honestly don't know!), so I leaned into the patchwork spirit and used what I had. Once the tablecloths are in place, the different shades blend in beautifully and are completely undetectable.

If you don’t already have a drawer full of bias tape (and truly, why would you?), and you don’t have a local fabric store, Amazon is a great option. I used to rely on Joann’s for this kind of notion, but sadly, these stores have recently closed. I’ve heard that Michaels has purchased Joann’s exclusive fabric and yarn lines, so I’m hopeful they’ll soon be expanding into more sewing supplies. Thank you, Michaels!

Thank you for hopping on over! I have a spring inspired dinner party to share today and some gardeny stuff at the end. It was our turn for the monthly Second Friday Friends Group. My menu was inspired by what would be good and easy and springish to serve a group of 12. My colors were inspired by the green hellebores and yellow cymbidiums from the garden. I had this table for six in the dining room and another table for six in the kitchen and cannot believe I did not get pictures of that table, but it was just as pretty! I made beef stroganoff and the other partiers brought an appetizer of mini quiches, a first course of beet salad, the noodles for the stroganoff and chocolate lava cake for dessert. We were quite spoiled, especially yours truly, the hostess, as all I had to do was make the stroganoff and set the tables. Party day felt like I had a bit too much free time on my hands! 

The party favors were shortbread cookies from this recipe tied with string and adorned with a little wooden chickie. In case you cannot tell (and not everyone could tell) the wee chick is cracking out of its eggshell that is sitting in the grass. He still has a little bit of cracked egg shell on his head and a felt triangle for a beak. My friends still have small grandchildren so these are passed on to the appropriate littles.

All of the seeds have been started and we've begun to prepare the raised beds. There are a few seeds I'll plant directly in the soil such as the sunflowers and green beans, probably in April. It won't be long now before we begin the garden chores in earnest!