Delft Blue BOW

I decided to participate in the Delft Blue Block of the Week  program with Piecing the Past Quilts.  I've followed several of their BOW patterns, but this is the first time I decided to actually make the quilt.  (https://www.piecingthepastquilts.com/delft-blue-bow)  My sister is celebrating her 70th birthday and I thought this would be a great present.  She loves quilts!

I started off OK, got behind, almost got caught up AND then a friend showed me some of the quilts on social media.  Why didn't I think to change colors?  I do it with Bonnie Hunter's mystery every year.  I kept working, but my spirit wasn't in the blue quilt anymore.

Why torture myself just to say I finished?!  I stopped the blue version at 4 blocks and started another.  I thought I would do red (!) but didn't have the right values in my stash, but I do have pink.  So I'm making  pink tulips.  

The blue blocks are machine appliqued with the edges turned back and glued.  I really didn't want to do that again, so this time I'm fusing the pieces.  I scanned all the pattern pieces into my Silhouette Cameo cutter, reformatted the shapes and cut them out.  (Again a learning process)  I have all six blocks cut and ready. (We get block 7 tomorrow morning)  I'm blanket stitching around all the edges.

There are some difficulties.  Some of the pieces are so small, there is not much fabric left after I cut them out.  I should have used a fabric with a tighter weave so there was less fraying.  Another learning experience.  I may redesign some of the smaller pieces just to make it easier.  I'll decide as I get further into the process.  

Thank you to all the people who shared their blocks on Facebook.  You gave me the inspiration and  motivation to change what I was doing.

Oh yes, I took three of the blue blocks and made a table runner for my sister.

Table Runner.  18 x 49 inches

Extra block.  It didn't seem to go with the other three.  
Maybe a pillow? I actually have 5 circles that need
to be sewn down.  They are glued and ready.

If you know the pattern you'll see this block moves the
wrong direction.  It was the first re-do and I forgot to reverse
the pieces.  Direction doesn't matter here though.

I need to stitch down the leaves and sew on 12 circles.
This quilt is going to be very Springy.

Long story, but I'm happy.

Thanks for checking in.

Twirly Balls Finished!

My first finish for 2019.  Twirly Balls is complete.  (To be honest, I still have to attach a sleeve.)

I started this quilt in June 2015 during a guild workshop with Sue Garman.  Sue was teaching hand applique, but I contacted her and she graciously allowed a machine appliquer into her class.  Since the prep work is mainly the same, I learned a lot.  Watching her hand applique tiny circles was amazing - just not for me.

Sadly, Sue passed in January 2016.  Friends and I did the 2017 BOM for The Quilt Show as a tribute to Sue since it was her pattern.  Mine is not completed, but it's on my list for this year.

Twirly Balls
Pattern by Sue Garman
50 x 50 inches

The background fill came from "Fill Harmonics" by Sue Heinz
I used a ruler for the piano keys border.  I'm not giving up on ruler work!

 Thanks for checking in.

TQS Sizzle 2019 BOM

FACT:  I really don't like paper piecing.   (add some extra really's to this statement)

FACT:  I really like The Quilt Show 2019 Block of the Month - Sizzle by Becky Goldsmith
https://thequiltshow.com/

FACT:  It's paper pieced!  I decided I'd bite the bullet and participate anyway.  It's only 9 blocks (large - 20 inches) that I need to complete then the border is applique.

Here are my first two blocks.

The colors are really off in this photo.  My efforts to correct them were 

unsuccessful. The inner section is light green, the diamonds are really

 Teal. The outside points are green and yellow-gold. The yellow looking

 fabric is pretty close. This fabric appears in all of the blocks except one.

There are three shades of purple around the circles.  All of the background

for the circles is black.

I'm excited that the directions for block 2 were just released today and I already have the block done.

I recently quilted with a friend for several days.  I got a lot done; I just need to take photos to include.

Bonnie Hunter's 2017 Mystery "On Ringo Lake" is ready to bind.  The 2018 Mystery "Good Fortune" needs the borders quilted.

I'm also doing a Block of the Week, Delft Blue, with Piecing the Past Quilts.  It's appliqued, but I'm choosing to do the applique by machine.  The prep work takes just as long as hand applique, but working on the machine means I actually get it done.  I have 1 3/4 of four released blocks complete.

https://www.piecingthepastquilts.com/

Thanks for checking in.

Good Fortune! Bonnie Hunter Mystery 2018 Top Finished

Top finished!!  and I love the result.
I almost left off the last border because I wasn't sure it added to my quilt, but a friend suggested I keep it to bring out the violet fabrics.

This is the 2018 Mystery from Bonnie Hunter.  Quiltville.com
Started:  Friday, November 23.
Top finished:  Sunday, January 6.

Go here to see what others have done for their mystery.
https://quiltville.blogspot.com/2019/01/mystery-monday-link-up-reveal.html

I changed the direction of the half-square triangle border.

The red blends too much with the brown background, but 

that's what happens with a mystery.  You don't know the

pattern in advance so the final quilt is a surprise!

This shows the original color palette Bonnie
suggested and the fabrics I chose to use.
She used light neutrals for her background.

Thanks for checking in.

Good Fortune! Bonnie Hunter Mystery 2018 Clue 6

Bonnie was good to us today.  She took pity on those of us with family around interfering with our sewing time!  Not the case for me, but I did have to take my car in and have a seat belt repaired.

BUT . . . ta da!!  I'm finished!  AND I'm all caught up.  I did some marathon sessions Wednesday and Thursday and was able to finish all of the pieces.  I don't think I've ever gone in to New Year's with all the pieces ready to put together.  Hmmm, maybe I should start quilting last year's mystery.  It's all pinned and ready to go under the machine.  (It has been for several months!  It just keeps getting pushed back in favor of a more pressing deadline.)

Check out what others have done for clue 6:  https://quiltville.blogspot.com/2018/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-6.html

Here is clue 6.  String piecing.  

My neutral is brown.  I can hardly wait to see it all together.

Here are all of my pieces:

The fabric in the lower right is what I used to pull colors.
It usually does not appear in the front of the quilt,
but I'll use a piece of it on the back.

Thanks for checking in.

Happy 2019!!

Good Fortune! Bonnie Hunter Mystery 2018 Clue 5 FINISHED

I'm thrilled!!  I originally posted that I had started Clue 5 and hoped to be back on track by New Year's Eve.  I FINISHED CLUE 5!!

Late Christmas night I decided if I had the pieces cut, I could get up this morning and just start sewing them together.  It worked.  In fact, I even have a few extra pieces.

If you're new to Bonnie Hunter's yearly mystery, check it out here:
http://quiltville.blogspot.com/p/good-fortune-mystery.html

You can see posts of where people are in the process here:
https://quiltville.blogspot.com/2018/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-5.html

Here are my pieces.  This is the only clue I have actually completed this year.  Now to work on the others.

I was worried about having to make mirror image units,
but it turned out to be quite easily done.
My orange is more gold, my neutral is brown, and violet instead of blue.

My Christmas was a fun time with family.  Season's Greetings.

Thanks for checking in.

Good Fortune! Bonnie Hunter Mystery 2018 Clue 5

I wanted to make a few of this week's clue.  Today's baking took longer than expected.  It's really the cleaning up that takes so much time!!  But I'm ready for the family event Christmas Eve.

Not much, but I tried!  My neutral is brown.

My goal is to be caught up by New Year's Eve.  I'm going to be the little engine that could!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!
Thanks for checking in.