Final ICAD 2026

Okay, here's the last ICAD post for 2026, "ready to go"?

Sometimes I get quite literal when I start with the word first.

Quintessential, a rose overwhelming the horizon

A new hand cream box was too beautiful (and too similar to my "landscape-ish" style) not to use here.

Information pathways

Goodbye, Boring! Those shapes were traced with objects on my worktable, the rounded square was a TJ's mint tin, the long ovals are the bottom of a pencil sharpener.

 

I used the 1SE app to make a video of all 61 of my cards this year. As most of the pictures are "live" they have movement to them instead of being static pictures. So it's a little bouncier than previous compilation videos I suppose.

Lupine Block Ingredients

Yesterday I had the time to cut out the remaining white squares and set of four matching purple squares that I need for the Lupine mystery quilt. And lthen looking at the stack of really varied  purples, I knew that some fabrics in the hourglass units were going to play better with some of the purples, like this very much lighter overall version of the block above. 

I decided to pre-match them all up into sets of one white square, four matching purple squares, and four matching hourglass units. That means I've got  the rest of the block ingredients all ready to sew these together into finished blocks.

A Meg Situation

A little excitement this past week interrupted my plans to get back to going to the gym, etc. A surprise Monday morning injury, a partially torn out claw on Meg's front paw. She did something to herself out in the backyard, no idea what. We had to wait a day for a vet appointment, so this was my temporary attempt at a bandage. She was really unhappy and in a lot of pain if she stepped on her paw. Luckily we had some pet CBD oil to give her, so she could kind of zonk out for most of the day. 

I had to carry her up and down the stairs, etc. Kind of exhausting, like having a sick toddler to worry about all of a sudden. She's been a very cheap/non-injury prone dog for her whole life, so this was pretty unexpected.  The cats were both sticking around her, taking turns at keeping her company and looking quite worried when she would yelp in pain. She's usually the quiet one of the three of them.

Here she is back from her spa-surgery day at the vet. They made such a cute little bandage that successfully stayed on for two days. It was at least five layers of different materials. It was insanely hard to get offf of her, very sticky tape + very long fluffy foot/leg fur is not an ideal combo. I was surprised that she didn't even  try to lick or chew at it at all. So no cone of shame for her, thankfully. She's all bandage free now, but it's still a little icky as it heals up, so I'll spare you a picture. 

She's no longer limping around and is running up and down the stairs as per usual, so I think this crisis is over. Still no idea how she managed to get this injury though?!?! Back to situation normal around here I suppose. Off to the gym with DH I go this weekend, I'm hoping they'll have the A/C on as it's pretty hot today.

 

First Lupine Blocks

 

Time for a new Lupine Mystery quilt clue, and this time it's just cutting out four purple squares for the block corners and white squares for the block centers.The hourglass units made in part one way back at the beginning are incorporated as well. 

It's a nice looking block.

Lots of variety going on.

Well, there's six out of the twenty-four blocks to be made. I'll definitely be cutting some lighter and medium purple corner squares.

Helpful Quilt Basters

 

Time for some quilt basting, this time the Bohemian Wife quilt! This was last worked on when I finished making the backing in September 2025. I'm using a non-fusible Hobbs 80/20 batting. And one of the studio assistants was instantly on the job even though we were downstairs using our dining table.

She was very curious and helpful in initially holding things down.

She was soon replaced by her co-worker who just really wanted to have a nap in the layers of batting I was trying to separate. Honestly, not too helpful.

The derpiest of derp faces made up for the interruption.

Thankfully the somewhat more helpful studio assistant #1 came back on the job.

One last switcheroo occurred where studio assistant #2 checked the spacing on my safety pins.

I could tell he was satisfied with my work when he laid down. It was so nice to have help and company while I basted this kind of big one. I forgot how long this pin basting process takes, I haven't done one in a while. 

Okay, now onto the quilting. I'm not planning any exciting quilting as it will all get lost in the glorious mess of color and pattern. Probably just some walking foot straight lines.

200 HRTs

 

I was blazing through the trimming of the rest of the HRTs I've been making for the Lupine Mystery quilt (for what seems like months and months now) and I stopped at the very very last one for a picture. I don't think I could have made all of these so easily without the great Bloc_Loc rulers.

Here's the 14 sets of HRTs that were done. I was working on trimming the remaining 11 sets.

I got into the groove and then suddenly all 200 were all trimmed and done, woohoo! I'm so relieved to get this clue done for the mystery quilt.

Final ICAD - part 1 of 2

 Here are somewhat more than half of the remaining ICAD pieces I haven't posted yet. Starting with the EXIT if you're not interested.

I'm splitting this up into two posts as there are quite a lot of them to get through.

I really like this one, as ominous as it is, it's even more dire if you turn it 90°.

All the blues TOGETHER

Not sure where this one came from, but if I had to wear a crown, it would involve purple velvet.

A gifted bottle of Baiju, I did some deconstruction and rearranging.The holographic sticker on the upper right hand side didn't photograph well.

A really WILD mess.

Joy explosions.

FAR may be my favorite of this bunch.

The world as seen from a different view, centering Greenland.

I couldn't help it, Goodnight Moon is such a great color inspiration.