Every year, Heck, every month I sit here and wonder what am I going to say that’s meaningful to all my quilty mystery buddies. I talk about the weather or what might be catastrophically going on in my life. Usually, there is nothing too exciting going on. Probably like many of you it’s just another day.  The weather is dreary although it’s not snowing, not raining, no sunshine. Just another dull day. But a happy day if you choose and I choose to be happy. Today we’re going to start on another one of my crazy scrappy quilt designs. After I do this writing thing and hit publish, of course……I get to sew! Life is good!

When I’m not working on the mystery quilt I have been having fun doing a crazy project. One of my favorite books is “Around the Block with Judy Hopkins” by Judy Hopkins, of course. It has 200 rotary-cut blocks in 6 sizes. I’ve had this book for many years and I don’t think it is in print anymore. In my quilt group ( we’re not a guild) we used to do a block of the month and end up with a sampler at the end of the year. I dated and checked off most of the blocks as I did them but we never finished making all the blocks and I’m sure I missed a few. Well, as you can imagine, I have scraps up the wazoo and if you have followed my scrap organization plan, you know I have a wall of bins with different size scrappy fabric squares all just sitting there waiting for an opportunity. These days most of my quilts are done for charity and my plan is to use as many of these scraps as I can before I leave this world. The fun for me still is how all these scraps come together. So, crazy me! I’m on a quest to make every one of the blocks in Judy’s book! I’ve been making at least 12 of each block and sewing up a lap/couch quilt. I haven’t counted how many blocks were made before or how many I have left to do, I’m just making them as I go along and enjoying every minute.

I machine quilt most of them but I enjoy hand quilting too and some of these quilts just cry to be hand quilted. Here are my latest projects. I love blue and yellow quilts. This one just needs the binding sewn and it’s done. As you can see I’m still quilting the next one. I just can’t sit and just watch TV without having a needle and thread in my hand. I guess it doesn’t take much to make this crazy old lady happy. And I hope that somebody will be happy to love these happy scrappy quilts!

So let’s get scrappin’!

Stars and Strips Forever – 2026 Mystery

Approximately 73″ x 90″ including 3″ border

Fabric requirements:

1 yd. background, 1 yd. inside border #1, 2 1/2 yd. border #2

Assorted colored:

88 – 1 1/2″ squares

22 – LIGHT assorted – 3 1/4″ squares

78 – 4″ squares

44 – 2 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ strips

44 – 2 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ strips

80 – 2 1/2″ x 10 1/2″ strips

Background:

132 – 2 1/2″ squares

22 – 3 1/4″ squares

Inside Border (#1)

54 – 4″ squares

Outside Border (#2)

35 – 2 1/2″ squares

13 – 3″ squares

44 – 3 1/4″ squares

21 – 4 1/4″ squares

2 – 8″ squares

remainder to be used for the outside  3″ border

Stars and Strips Forever – Clue #1

1. .Using the assorted 1 1/2″ squares, make 22 four patch blocks. Press and trim to 2 1/2″
2. Cut 2 – 3 1/4″ outside border #2, 1 – 3 1/4″ background and 1 – 3 1/4″ Light assorted squares on both diagonals. Sew one border section to each of the background and light assorted sections as shown. Press to the dark.

Sew one background to one light assorted section as shown to make 4 hourglass squares. Press and trim to 2 1/2″. Continue with all remaining 3 1/4″ border #2, background and light assorted squares to make 22 sets of hourglass squares. Keep each set separate don’t mix them up.

I think it’s best to stop here so next month we can get into the fun stuff. Yup, get the boring stuff out of the way.

The next clue will be on February 11th. Have fun.

Happy Quilting!

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Please feel free to direct others to this website for the information and clues. 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION!

© 2026 Charlotte Hawkes. All rights reserved.