Quilt Notes: “Cooling Down, Counting Down, and the Penny Tile Quilt” 028 2026

Good morning, friends — and happy Sunday from the land of “we finally survived the fourth heat dome.” Seriously, I wasn't sure we'd come through this one with our sanity in tack. Is it wrong that I actually started thinking of spending a night in a hotel just to get cooled off. EEK!!!!

It’s been a wild five days here. We’ve had temperatures over 105°F, humidity thick enough to chew, and a house that refused to cool down until finally about 2 a.m. this morning the heat dome broke down and the house started to recover. The dehumidifier has been pulling nearly a gallon of water every few hours, and we’ve been doing our best to keep the studio running while racing toward the finish line for the Great Wisconsin Quilt Show.

Stitchlet Sample Prep

But today? The air finally feels lighter. The house is cooling. And we’re in the home stretch.

I’m finalizing the last handful of show prep items, starting laundry, and getting everything ready for packing day tomorrow. It’s a big week ahead — and I’m excited to bring you along for the journey. Let's consider this our first road trip together. It's gonna be a fun ride!

Star Chart Quilt

To keep you inspired while we’re in show mode, I’ve got a brand‑new quilt pattern for you this week: the Penny Tile Quilt. It’s a modern 25" × 25" design that uses just one BAQ shape — the Snowball Segment Single (our Friendship/Snowball block). If you don’t already have it, it’s available in the shop for $5.95. Here's the general into for creating the quilt (quick reference guide). The segment creation information is in the written pattern, along with the digital files.

The Penny Tile Quilt

Pattern - Shop Now

And a quick note about next Sunday: There will be no

formal blog post while we’re traveling home from Wisconsin. Instead, I’ll be sharing short video clips throughout the week on YouTube. Look for the playlist titled Great Wisconsin Quilt Show Journey 2026 — it’ll have behind‑the‑scenes moments, booth setup, show highlights, and whatever fun surprises happen along the way.

Let the packing begin!

Thanks for being here through the heat, the chaos, and the countdown.

Let’s Quilt Life Beautiful, Diana P.S.   A quick note about SkillBuilder — thank you for your patience. We did not release a SkillBuilder block in August due to the intense prep for the Great Wisconsin Quilt Show (and the five‑day heat wave that tried to melt the studio). SkillBuilders will resume in the mid–end of September once we’re back home and the studio is running at full speed again.