What's On My Sewing Table - February 2026

Time for my monthly accountability post where I share the latest projects that I'm working on - as in what's new on my sewing table. And this year I've added a couple more points of accountability including what I'm purging or repurposing and my fabric purchases of the month. I've also thoroughly enjoyed having lots of new international friends to hang out with while I sew. (They might not know that we're friends, but we totally are. 😉)

One of my favorite projects that I've been working on this month is a baby quilt for a friend using my Mary Catherine fabric collection.

This one is made with 5" x 5" precuts (aka Charm Packs) using a Broken Dishes design. You can see method that I use for making Half-Square Triangle blocks here.

It's been the perfect project to quilt while watching the Olympics. (I'm a proud Olympics junkie. I was a 10-year-old in 1984 and was instantly hooked by the likes of Scott Hamilton and Mary Lou Retton. And they never fail to disappoint! More on that below.)

I'll be sharing more details and a full tutorial for how I made this quilt in the weeks ahead so stay tuned for that.

Catching up on RBD Quilt Block Challenge

I'm also getting caught up on my 2026 Riley Blake Quilt Block Challenge blocks. Again, I'm sewing this project with my Mary Catherine fabric collection.

Here's a look at blocks #3 and #4. As you can see, I'm making a simplified version of some of the blocks. (Because here's the secret - you can do that! You're the boss of your own quilt!) And I figured with a more traditional fabric collection, I'd go with slightly more traditional blocks.

You can find all of the details and links to the free quilt patterns for this year's Quilt Block Challenge blocks in this post.

Trentham progress

I'm also making slow progress on my Trentham blocks. It's a fun "play-time sewing project". I just keep my box of scraps and remnants handy and foundation paper-piece a few blocks a week. They're good therapy too.

Purging and Repurposing

I've made some good progress on purging my stash. Right now I'm at the part where I've got piles to be sold and piles to be donated, so it still looks pretty chaotic but I'm excited to be making time for productive sorting and am excited for those piles to find new homes.

In terms of fabric bought, I did really well this month! I purchased a few final bolts of Mary Catherine from Riley Blake for some kits I'm putting together so I can't say I didn't buy anything - I did invest in new fabric - but nothing else!

Instead, I'm being inspired by my stash as I've been cleaning it out - finding projects that I'm excited to start working on again.

One of those is this project I started 24 years ago! These blocks are from Jan Patek's folk art Bible quilt that she created inspired by the pictorial quilts made by Harriet Powers, an enslaved woman who lived during the 19th century.

After seeing the announcement of the USPS Harriet Powers stamps this month for Black History Month I was motivated to pull out this incredibly old WIP and and start working on it again.

Finally, I've loved having the Olympics on my sewing table this month. 🥰🥰

I don't know what it is about the Olympics, but they get me every time. I love the drama and the joy (including the occasional happy tears 😅) watching people who have worked for years show up for a few unforgettable minutes. It's inspiring in the best way: talent + grit + teamwork + a whole lot of heart.

And it's not just the elite athletes that are inspiring - I love the human interest stories of athletes around the world including the first ever Mexican woman to compete in Cross Country - she finished last by the competitors were waiting at the finish line to cheer for her! And the gold medal mom unphased getting interviewed with a toddler on her hip. The most "Go Moms!" moment ever. 😂

And speaking of Go Moms - so fun to cheer for American bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor, mother of two children with special needs -  who became the oldest woman to win a Winter Olympic gold medal at 41 years old. 

And the way these two figure skating competitors hugged, rejoiced and sorrowed with each other was just so beautiful. Beautiful, inspiring stuff. Just what we need right now.

But my favorite part might be the reminder that we live in this beautifully diverse world. Different languages, traditions, uniforms, music, flags, and stories - all sharing the same stage. It makes me want to be a better learner and a better neighbor: curious, appreciative, and willing to celebrate what makes each culture unique. In a world that can feel pretty divided, it's such a sweet, hopeful picture of what's possible when we cheer for each other.

I'm cheering for all of you too! ❤️