A new project?

While wondering the web, I found myself on Bonnie Hunter's site again. And this time I found a project I might want to tackle. Her UFO quilt Hanging by a Shirt Tail, may just be my next project insperation. http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2007/05/hanging-by-shirt-tail.html

Jacobs Ladder, sawtooth square and rose bud blocks... But with my dislike of 8 points merging on the center, I might just have to find something else.

Mystery Quilt - Clue 5

~ Carolina Christmas ~

A Quiltville Mystery

by Bonnie Hunter

I had help setting up this pic - my ever present helper and her BALL!

Bonnie Hunter's Dec 2009 Mystery is great A Carolina Christmas can be found on her Quiltville site at: http://quiltville.com/carolinachristmas.shtml .

I have most of clue 5 done. Here is the pic I took with just a few of each set of blocks done. I love this!

Mystery Quilt - Clue 3 and 4

Carolina Christmas!
~ A Quiltville Mystery ~
~ from Bonnie Hunter ~

I'm never sure how to start these posts -so, lets jut dive in..

As I have said in past posts, I am working on Bonnie Hunters, latest Mystery Quilt. You can see the clues on her blog at http://www.quiltville.blogspot.com/

Clue 3 is all but finished and I am almost done cutting clue 4. As one of the chatters says: just keep cutting, just keep cutting, just keep cutting....

So during this cutting (over 700 pieces of background - squares and triangles for both steps) I realized I would need more background scraps. A friend of my had just given me scraps from her late mothers sewing room, so I started there.

I really need to attack these boxes, but I want to create a small quilt for Carol; I know she would appreciate it. I just have to decide what pattern to work with. And do I need to add something to them to tie things together??? so many decision....

Did I mention I would never have done this without the mystery thing... 700+ pieces of background for 2 steps!!! (what am I nuts!!!)

Found Some!! These scraps are now in the quilt - now back to cutting those clue 4 hst (half square tringles). Half in blue the other half background fabric. See the pretty blue below maybe I will sew this afternoon. But now just keep cutting....

And before I post this - I had to show you my help! Sunday morning I sat down to cut off the bonus squares from my step 3 chain. Morgan had other ideas. When I ignored her, she made her point. (look IN the basket) Now throw this ball!!!

How do you like the pj pants? Oh, and the black socks are special too. I think if I may have to retire those if I continue to take pics for sharing with other... lol

Bonnie Hunter's New Mystery

Carolina Christmas!

~ A Quiltville Mystery ~

~ from Bonnie Hunter ~

Check out Bonnie's site! I found Bonnie's site when a friend of mine at work told me she was pregnat and I was looking on line for something new to make the baby. You see I have worked on computers for over 25 years and up until about 6 months ago did not really think about quilts on the web. Duh.... and what does she do on computer you ask - program websites..... I did not say I was the sharpest needle in the house!

I have always liked scrap quilts but never thought I had the "right" scraps for a quilt. Silly me!! I started by printing out a couple of possible patterns. Then I found the link to her "Scrap User System". It seams I do have scraps - I just need to cut them up!!!!

This adventure ended up with me in a Christmas Block Swap (my 1st ever swap). ~see my earlier posts~ And to make matters worse, I decided to design a block - ok another first. I will get back to that after the holiday! Thank Goodness I had the forsite to realize I could not Commit to a swap that ended before New Years!

Now before I get started, let me set the record stright. I have never really Quilted by machine. I took a few classes in the mid '80s and have hand pieced and hand quilted a few quilts. From the small sampler we made in my first class to my last quilt a bedspread for our king size bed. I do NOT worry if a quilt gets stain, ripped or just plan worn out. I think quilts are to be used. If I wanted to spend that much time on something to hang - I would take up painting.

My Mystery is not going to be green/red/gold I decided on brown/blue/gold. I just wanted something other than chrismas so that it will be used all year round.

And I would like to add, doing this mystery may just get me a quilt space. My husband may get tired of the kitchen/dining room a mess - I pick up most evenings. I can't work in constant clutter. But for days (most weekends) when I'm cutting and now machine pieces I have the dining table with my machine, our breakfast bar is my cutting station and a section of the counter is my pressing station.

So here goes my attempt at Bonnie's Carolina Christmas....

Cule 1: I started the quilt and on the first "clue" Bonnie had us creating hst (thats half square tringles for you non-web-quilter, like me up till about a month ago) So I had to make 104 of these little guys, and there were many WONKY squares created. So I watched the chat and they made many suggestions. Most of the problems were solved with a wire note holder to feed the little guy. (now I know starch and a new foot for my machine will help - going to quilt shop for one at lunch tomorrow!)

The results of clue 1 -> 104 hst and 192 "two-sies", don't ask me I did not name them....

Clue 2: This involved using those nasty hst by adding more little hst and a big 4.5inch hst to form a 4.5 inch block.

Bonnie also showed us how to "chain iron" after "chain piecing". Especially with these bias hst, you set up the chain on your pressing station, then with one hand flip the piece and press with the tip of the iron. This helps to not pull these nasty hst. ( have I told you I'm not found of these little guys....) See the results below. Snip apart and stack AFTER pressing.

Next I cut larger hst and on the first scrap look! This NEVER happens to me! no real waste or added scraps.... wow!!! not to worry, the next strip had over 3 inch of scraps.

So this is the results of Clue 2, ready to snip and stack!

And because I can never leave thing alone. Something unexpected. PINK! wonder what I am going to do with this. I have an idea, but more later....

End of the Weekend

Looking over Saturday Morning Post - boy I had high hopes!!

I did get some things done. As you can see the tree is up with help from daughter & son-in-law. And while my son is not into decorating - he did do chores and start supper (OK, he got the menu and made a list for me to call take out. But.... I got to sew instead of cook and that is ALWAYS good thing.)

I think we will have Browns' Turkey Pot Pie for supper tomorrow. That should use up the leftovers, then we will get back to real meals on Tuesday.

And the first 3 sets of window quilts are done and in MN. (Only 2 panels to go! yahhh!!!)

Now hopefully Bonnie Hunter will slow done on the mystery quilt clues - don't tell the other quilters that are playing along. I would love the next clue too but the the complusive nature in me will NOT let this sit, and nothing else gets done ....

Oh, and Bonnie has troduced me to the idea of quilting with shirts - recycled shirts I now know where all the thrift stores are in Woodstock and Crystal Lake. And this mystery I am working on needed a few more neutrals - so I bought 3 and some pink - and under Morgan is a pretty blue too.

Getting Ready for Christmas!

It is now 5:30 and I will be caught up by 6:30 - at least with this blogging thing.... this is were I am sitting - think I need to clean up around the fire - will add wood when this post is done!

Yesterday I just wanted to sew and have fun. But this was Tim's first Black Friday that he did not have to work so he really wanted to shop, and I think my husband and daughter did to. So the plan was Jacki and I would shop together and the guys would go there way.

And with John goofy sleep schedule, its nothing for him to set the alarm for 3:30 AM! and get going. Which is what they did, they got up, took showers, had a snack and left by a little after 4. Just enough ruckus to wake up all but my son. Weather he sleeps thru this or just refuses to get up and join in is anyones guess.

I can't throw these away until we have shopped online, but they have to move - my Tree goes on this old trunk.

Shopping was pretty successful - Jacki and I will organize and determine what is left later this evening. Her and I were back by 8, we only went to Wal-Mart. Joanns andMcDonalds for breakfast. (yah! I had something to do with the agenda, but we both had other things to do - and this year the guys shopped - it was GREAT!)

Back home, Jacki took a nap while I did some cleaning, laundry (bought FQ's that needed washing don't you know) and got down to picking fabric for a mystery! Can some one tell me why I want to start this now! It's less than 30 day before christmas and I like things organized. My counter is a mess and will be for as long as I'm piecing this quilt. Then the mess moves to the family room when I start quilting......

Things did work out - the guys got ALOT of the gifts purchased and Jacki got down to that research presentation that is due MONDAY! I picked colors and started cutting by the time she was up from her nap. Then she worked on the presentation while I sewed. I would have loved christmas music - any music, but without it she was able to get the thing done in 6 hours.

Today we will be putting up the tree, wraping and inventoring the gifts, then shopping online. WITH Christmas music on! Bet my huband and son-in-law are in the basement as soon as the totes are in the family room! I want most of this done before I go to be tonight. (Thats my goal anyway - will let you know if it works out!)

Oh and in some spare time - I want to remake some of my half triangles that are wonky. And put on the hanging sleeve to panel #6 so that 3 of the 4 windows can be dressed Monday. I will post a pic when I get it.

I need to get to picking up - and the dogs are hungry too. Look at the mess!

Quilting Pen & Choosing Fabric

On to something fun! I went to Joann's the weekend before Tday with my mom to get some ideas for a Christmas and supplies. I will be starting this mystery, who was I kidding. So first shopping. I had to practice some restraint at Joanns! I really wanted to buy out the quilting notions section! I did get a pen thou! $7 and I know it will be 1/2 off next week. But I need to get these quilts out of my house! And Jacki says she need them for her back porch.

Here is the pen. It is a white marking pen by Clover and it works really good - NO MORE Chalk pencils that break for me! I am going to stock up on these when they go on sale. I use 1/2 of it to mark the quilting on 2 panels - but oh so easy and I can see them!! Happy dance, in my head - I'm not getting up are you crazy, I'm finally getting these post done.


Then I did a little more dreaming - still dont know what I'm going to do about Mystery Quilt colors - how do you pick when you dont know the outcome?? I know, thats the MYSTERY. Here is my small collection of cut shirts that I will be starting with. The greens and blues were calling. And look at the reds, I have never been a red person? How did this happen?