First finish of 2021

 I just finished my first quilt of 2021.  It's Grand Illusion, the 2014 Bonnie Hunter mystery. 

Grand Illusion.  2014 Quiltville Mystery
66 x 79 inches

The outside borders are a border print.

I used that fabric to select fabrics for the quilt.

After this one, I decided my mystery quilts would not be

made with "controlled" fabrics.  I'll stick with scraps.

OK.  It was an easy one.  The top was finished in 2015 and I sent it out to be quilted.  So all I had to do was binding and label.  But it is done!

This is the second quilt I've sent out to be quilted.  (Donn McKnight, Los Osos Quilting Co.)  I realized I was never going to quilt it myself.  It feels good to have another quilt finished and soon to be out of the house.  I have two more at Donn's waiting for their turn. 

I hope your new year if off to a great start.

Thanks for checking in.

Ornaments and Bonnie Hunter Grassy Creek Mystery

I'll go back and fill in what happened during the past two months, but this post is about my annual Christmas ornaments and the Bonnie Hunter mystery:  Grassy Creek.

In late October I decided to mail a package to Australia and decided I might as well get EVERYTHING together.  Sooooo . . . I started my ornaments in early November.  What a concept.  I do them every year, but somehow usually put them off until mid-December, finishing December 23 or 24.

Since I decided to not travel around Christmas, I finished the ornaments and mailed them Friday, December 18.  They all arrived before Christmas.  Yea!

They are little bags.
I originally meant to include candy canes, but
when I decided to mail the ornaments I left them
out thinking they would be crushed.

Bonnie Hunter ( https://quiltville.blogspot.com/p/grassy-creek-mystery.html ) once again is hosting her annual mystery that starts the Friday after Thanksgiving. Last year we were unable to "link" our progress on her blog and I really missed doing so.  I offered to host a Zoom get together with anyone in my quilt guild wanting to work on the weekly clues. It helps that I have someone to share progress and see what they are doing.  I finished clue one immediately, but put aside the others in order to finish the ornaments as well as a Christmas quilt for my SIL.  I'm happy to say, that as of today "I am all caught up!".

Clue 1

Clue 2

Clues 3 & 4

Clue 5

Right now I'm not happy with my fabric choices, but I'm hoping as we add more grey it will all come together.  

Thanks for checking in.

Hope your holidays were/are safe.

October projects & finishes

It's time for the October update for the Material Girls WIP Challenge.  This has been a great challenge for this year. It has kept me working on older projects and yet allowed for new ones to come in.

Earlier I posted about Midnight Hibiscus and Allietare! Rejoice! being completed.  Since then I worked on Halloween projects.

I purchased the Kimberbelle Twilight Boo-levard machine embroidery bench pillow kit.  The pillow is not complete, but I did finish all the machine embroidery.  That in itself was a big deal!

Purely Gates came out with a new Mylar Halloween design package.  I couldn't resist.  I wanted to purchase and download it the first day, but I held off for one day!  I combined two designs to make a Halloween couple.  Since my niece got married Oct. 9, I decided they were the new Halloween couple, so they get a pillow.  She's not big into Halloween right now, but I really think that will change when they have children.  They have their first Halloween decoration!  I actually stitched up two pieces - one for me!

Purely Gates Mylar Halloween
Covid #20

I try and send my great nieces and nephews something on holidays.  This year I modified a ghost shape, digitized it, and created hangers.  Ooops!  I mailed them without taking a photo of the finished projects.  Had to make 17 this year.  (Covid #21)

I purchased a Dowdle puzzle of Sequoia National Park at Costco, then stayed up late MANY nights to get it finished.  I decided this would be a great gift to send to my AFS family in Australia.  They were supposed to visit in September, but no surprise, the trip didn't happen.  I looked on line to see about purchasing and shipping it directly to them.  $25 for the puzzle and $18 to ship it to Australia.  Second idea.  I owe Lucy a quilt (she'll be 6 next week).  Sooo . . . .  I'll get her quilt made and include a puzzle when I mail it to her.  Shipping will still be expensive, but I'll ship everything at once and it will be less than shipping several smaller packages.  I went searching through my tub of ready-to-quilt tops and found one that will be perfect for her.  It's now under the needle.  I should be able to finish it soon and they might get a package before Christmas!  That also means I need to make their ornaments NOW instead of waiting for Dec.

Almost forgot - I finished the top for Enchanted Garden.  It's ready to baste and quilt.

Enchanted Garden

Top complete.  60 x 75 inches.

It's been a strange year for everyone.  But I think I've made lemonade out of the situation and have managed to get a lot of projects completed.

Thanks for checking in.

Be thankful.

two more finishes

 I'm excited that I finished two Bonnie Hunter quilts recently.  Covid quilts 18 & 19.

Midnight Hibiscus.  90 x 90.  

Bonnie Hunter, Emerald City.  The nine blocks are the same, but I changed the sashings and border.  I'm very happy with the final result.

Allietare!  Rejoice!  90 x 90.

Bonnie Hunter Mystery 2015.  Finally done - BUT this is the first quilt I have sent out for quilting!  I accepted that I was never going to quilt it AND whatever quilting I did would not show on the busy top anyway AND I really wanted it on my bed this holiday season.  (I used Christmas fabrics in the top.)  Quilting was done by Donn McKnight, Los Osos Quilting Co.  I'm very pleased that it is done!!

Thanks for checking in.

Stay Safe.

September: Table Runners are finished!

 I finished all eight table runners!  I am in the process of delivering them to the appropriate people.

These are Thank You gifts to the Board that served with me last year during my first year of presidency with Soroptimist International.  

17 x 42 inches

12 x 36 inches

14 x 36 inches

13 x 36 inches

13 x 36 inches

13 x 39 inches

13 x 36 inches

10.5 x 47 inches

These are Covid Quilts # 10 - 17.

Thanks for checking in.

August

My biggest accomplishment for August was getting the binding attached to Sizzle.  I will go back and add some more quilting, mainly on the applique pieces, but it feels done!  This one was on my WIP list.  Progress - check.

One corner of Sizzle.

I needed thank you gifts for my Soroptimist Board and after a lot of thought I decided to make each of them a table runner.  Since I wanted to make sure they would actually use a table runner I asked for input from them.  I have 6 of 7 tops pieced.  The final one will be applique similar to my Thimble Towne Challenge, but I'm ready to start the quilting.  The challenge was to make each of them from my stash - and I was successful so far.  Yea!  Of course, the fabric stash doesn't look any smaller???

I made the black and white version first.
Liked it so much I made another.
Very different looks.
approximately 13 x 36 inches

VERY easy pattern.  17 x 42 inches
I might try this one again and change the color placement.
It could be mountains and sky.

Two asked for a fall theme, but one needed it long and skinny.
13 x 36  and  10.5 x 47 inches

Ocean colors.  Friendship block.
12 x 36 inches

Thanks for checking in.

July

I did make progress on my WIP list this month, but mainly I started new stuff!

A friend will be a first time grandma in August.  She is decorating her nursery in pink and gray, with elephants.  I found an elephant stuffie on line and made it up then used the pattern pieces and appliqued elephants on a quilt top.  I think it turned out great.  The original pattern is by Christina McKinney for birch organic fabric.  The quilt pattern is from Fat Quarter Style by It's Sew Emma Patterns.

Grandma Dana.  45 x 45 inches.

The stuffie is separate.  I only pinned it to the wall for the photo.

AND I'm excited that my Midnight Hibiscus (Emerald City by Bonnie Hunter) is complete!  I've ordered a wide back hoping it will be delivered this week.  I'm anxious to start quilting this one.  I like how the border turned out.

Midnight Hibiscus (93 x 93 inches)

Then one day, trying to overcome boredom, I got out the 35 blocks I originally made for last month's graduation quilt and put them together in 3 tops.  I did need to make 3 additional blocks, but the resulting quilts will be good for charity donations.

52 x 64 inches and 40 x 40 inches.

Thanks for checking in.

Grandma Dana is Covid quilt #9.