Two new tops

Last month my sister-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer.  I decided to make her a quilt to use during chemo treatments.  I went through my stash and put together a top.  The backing is a zebra print flannel.  I didn't do heavy quilting because I wanted it to remain soft and cuddly.

Here's a close up so you can see how it's pieced.  I could have done
a 9-patch with two other blocks, but I wanted to keep that one fabric
a single piece.  There is a block to construct and it goes together
very quickly.

If you followed my Bonnie Hunter mystery, you'll remember I changed out one fabric and ended up making the quilt smaller.  I came across the extra pieces and decided to put them together - somehow.  The final result is pretty busy, but it's bright and cheery for a child's quilt.

Thanks for checking in.

Guild BOM

I was in charge of BOM for my guild during 2014.  Members were given directions for a star block each month.  You keep your blocks.  For our January meeting participants are to bring in their top that uses all 10 blocks.  They can add additional blocks, but the 10 given through the guild must be present.  My directions were for 9 inch blocks, but the size could be changed.  Here is my result.

51 x 51 inches
The center block uses a stripe to make it seem
that the fabric curls around the star.

The 10 star blocks.
The blocks were constructed during the year as samples.
All I had to do was set them in a design for the January meeting.

Another guild had a similar program last year.  It was supposed to be a row by row quilt.  When first presented to the guild a sample was shown, but in order for everyone to see, the quilt was held up side ways. That caused confusion among many present, "Is it rows or columns?".  The discussion became so comical I decided I would do the blocks but with the rows all mixed up.  I collected the patterns all year but didn't start construction until after Christmas.  The blocks are 3, 4 1/2, 6, and 9 inches square.  There are a couple of coping pieces, but surprisingly not many.  My quilt got 2nd place in the popular vote at the meeting.

55 x 66 inches

The outside border is a border print.  The upper left inside

border is a section of the border print.  I have no idea 

how I'll quilt this!!

I have all the required "rows" but the blocks are set on point

and the rows go in many directions.  It was somewhat 

complicated to sew it all together, but amazingly it did work.  

I had the ribbon have a start and end.   I'm not quite

satisfied with the corner but I think you get the effect.

Thanks for checking in.

Bonnie Hunter Grand Illusion Mystery - Top complete

I had a hard time with the Grand Illusion Mystery this year.  I wasn't happy with my choices then I got sick and fell behind with Christmas sewing so I had to put the mystery on hold.  The past 4 days two friends visited and we've been sewing like crazy.  One of them was also participating in the mystery.  When Bonnie gave the big reveal we checked it out before retiring New Year's Eve.  By the time we got up the next morning there were already completed tops on Facebook!!  My friend is finishing her's as directed, but I made some changes.  The big change was not completing all the blocks and leaving off the border.  I do like my finished product.  This is my first quilt top of 2015!!

The outside border is a border print I used to select fabrics.
I was surprised at how much it "calmed" the inner piecing.

If you participated in the mystery, you should notice I reversed the
orientation of the hour glass block and omitted the four patch center.

http://quiltville.blogspot.com/p/grand-illusion-mystery.html

I've finished another top (actually I need two sides of the outside border) but I can't show it yet.  I have to reveal it at our guild meeting Wednesday.  Check back later.

My friends and I have had a wonderful time and got 2015 off to a great start.

Thanks for checking in.
Happy 2015.

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.