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.

Finished baby quilt

I finally quilted the quilt for my great nephew and gave it to him Friday.  He turned one in August so I'm not too far behind.  Of course another nephew announced they're expecting their second child . . . . now it all starts again.

The original pattern had another block in each corner.
I decided it really needed the Bear Paw block.

Thanks for checking in.

Bonnie Hunter Mystery Grand Illusion PART 1

I'm excited to finally start my second Bonnie Hunter mystery.  Like last year I used one fabric to pull colors, but this year I'm not using scraps.  I'm not sure if I'll like this as well, but it's what I decided to do.  There's no going back at this point.  I have clue one finished!

http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2014/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-1.html

The royal blue is replacing black.  My neutral will be white with red dots.

Thanks for checking in.

Central CA Quilt & Sew Retreat - new machine!

Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend a 3-day seminar sponsored by Thimble Towne.  During one workshop we were able to use Babylock's newest machine - Destiny.  I purchased one and brought it home.  It is amazing!!  One feature I'm looking forward to using is that I can scan somthing directly into the machine, digitize, and embroidery.  I figured out the scanning, but haven't done the actual digitizing.  I guess I'll have to go on line and watch some of the instructional videos.  Ha!

Right now it's sitting on a 4-foot table.  Next purchase needs to be a
table of some sort that puts the machine at the proper height.  I also
need a flat surface for quilting.  I'm looking into that.

I was so excited when I got home I immediately unpacked the machine.
Now I have to do something with the boxes!

 Tonight I made an in-the-hoop project, small bag.  Even the zipper is inserted while the project is in the hoop.  I only made one error that I had to take out.  Pretty good for the first time on my own.

Pattern is Monogram Zipper Bag by Missy Billingsley.  missybstitchin.com
The pattern called for ribbon.  I didn't have any that matched so I made
a "ribbon" from coordinating fabric.

Sorry the photo is not focused well.  I wanted to show
the inside of the bag.  Everything is finished off. The
front and back are also quilted.

 I stayed with family during the event so I brought along my sewing machine.  I finished almost all of my ditch/foundation, monofiliment quilting on Vintage Moments.  I really need to have it done in about 2 weeks.  I have a retreat coming up so I'm hoping to get the fun quilting done then.

Thanks for checking in.