
Like many of you, I can’t stop thinking about and praying for the brave people of Ukraine as they are under attack. As Lella Boutique said so beautifully in her recent blog:
“Sunflowers are powerful and relentless in their pursuit of light … It seems so fitting that Ukraine’s national flower is a sunflower. Sunflowers have become a powerful symbol of the Ukrainian people; their heart, strength, and determination to fight for the good. It’s impossible not to be inspired by their spirit. We pray for these heroic people to overcome the evil at their door. We pray for the leaders of our nation and the world to know the right way to help.”
So for this week’s Project Quilting Season 13.5 challenge, I knew I had to incorporate sunflowers and the colors of the Ukrane flag into my piece. The PQ challenge is “Rhythm & Repetition”, so the rhythm is the heartbeat of those brave Ukrainians and the repetition will be the sunflower blocks themselves.
I found the most beautiful quilt pattern by Jen Daly Quilts shop on Etsy as an inspiration and adapted it into a small table runner and for cutting with my AccuquiltGo. Not only do I love the pattern and colors, but it’s a great “stash busting” project. And I know my Accuquilt dies will make it fast and the piecing easy.

Here’s a photo of all the fabrics I pulled from my stash of quilting fabrics in the browns, yellows, and blues that I’m looking for.

And here I’m cutting the squares and triangles on my Accuquilt.

It’s helpful to cut more pieces than I need and then “audition” them on my design wall. You can see that not all the fabrics made the final cut.


I love the way the gold and yellow petals seem to sparkle, and the depth created by the variation of the shades of blue.
The Accuquilt makes it easy to piece…because the corner “dog ears” are trimmed by the die, they easily fit together.

There was a lot of piecing to do…making me wonder if I’d get it done it in time. The PQ challenge entry has to be done from start to finish in one week, and I didn’t start this project until day 5! But I found I made a lot of progress by setting my timer and working on it in smaller chunks of a time over a couple of days, rather than in one sitting.

The finished piece (13 x 32”) can be used as a table runner OR a wallhanging.

I’ve sewn “hanging pockets” into two corners to slip a thin wooden dowel into for hanging on the wall.

If you’d like to contribute to the Ukrainian situation, I’d like to pass this information along that I received from good quilting friend (thanks Sally!). It’s smart to do some research on the organizations first. Here are two excellent websites to go to:
• https://www.charitywatch.org/…/top-rated-charities…
• https://www.charitynavigator.org
Like so many of my quilting friends, I’ve decided to sell this table runner in my Mulberry Patch Quilts Etsy Shop and donate the proceeds to help Ukraine refugees.
UPDATE: The runner has been sold (thanks to a generous friend in FL)…and every penny donated to a reputable charity (rated A-) that is airlifting much needed supplies to their partners in Ukraine & working with displaced children and families. Thank you so much !!
Until next time, HAPPY QUILTING!
Jane, Mulberry Patch Quilts