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....