Merry Christmas! (ornaments)

I had a wonderful Christmas with my family.  I got way behind on my sewing due to illness.  I wasn't able to finish my ornaments until Christmas Day, but I was able to deliver them to everyone before I left to come home.  This should teach me not to wait until the last minute, but I know I'll do it again next year.  I can't break tradition.

The red Santa in the upper left was my first prototype.  I found these on
Pinterest, but the directions were not in English so I had to build mine
by looking at the pictures.  Everyone like them.

I am way behind on my Bonnie Hunter mystery, but I will get caught up.  I have a quilt top I need to get done before January 7 for our guild so I want to work on it first.  I have friends coming over for 5 days of sewing!!  Our own New Year's retreat.

I hope your Christmas was equally fun with your family and friends.
Thanks for checking in.

Bonnie Hunter Mystery Grand Illusion Part 3

I'm behind with total pieces, but I've managed to do some of each clue.  After my disappointment with clue 2 I changed my neutral and I'm much happier.  I decided to use my focus fabric.  (The one I used to pull colors and fabrics for the entire quilt.)  It means my neutral is not really neutral - it's rather busy, but I'm excited to see how it will turn out now.  This also means I'm more excited about actually constructing the clues.

http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2014/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-3.html

Clue 3 and my new units for Clue 2.

Compare these units with the one around the perimeter above.
Don't the new ones look more interesting?!  These looked boring!
I'll get those red dots in somewhere.

I have a lot of Christmas sewing to complete in the next 6 days.  I can't see to get into my Christmas sewing in July . . . or even October!  I'm a last minute kind of gal.

Thanks for checking in.

Bonnie Hunter Mystery GRAND ILLUSION Part 2

I'm having a hard time with part 2 of the mystery.  I can't seem to get my blocks to come out the right size.  I've made several, unsewn several, and at this point have 6 acceptable ones to keep.  I've even redrawn the block to make my own template.  Nothing seems to make it easier.  I'll keep at it and get them done . . . . eventually!  Right now I'm not excited about my fabric choices.  That may have something to do with my mental attitude.  Not sure whether to cut my losses and start over or carry on and see what happens????

http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2014/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-2.html

Thanks for checking in.

Vintage Moments (almost) complete

I accepted a guild challenge to finish one project this calendar year.  I selected my Vintage Moments which only needed to be quilted.  The challenge started in January, due in November.  Of course I started quilting late October!  I finished all the ditch quilting and even got the binding done.  I admitted to the coordinator that I would be adding more quilting, but she kindly let me stand up in front with my "finished" project. 

I don't know how I'm  going to lay this out for blocking.  It's too big to fit anywhere.  Suggestions?

A lot of the quilting does not show well in a photo, but here you
can see one of the triangles filled with a feather.

Outside border quilting. 
I had some lines in the center area so I continued that design in the border. 

The binding was attached by machine.  The piping is attached to the binding strip
which is then sewn to the back.  Bring the binding to the front and stitch between
the piping and binding.  I knew I did not have time to sew the binding my hand!

I'm excited to get this far.
Thanks for checking in.