No-Sew Block Swap

Here is a picture of the block I chose for an online no-sew block swap: 

This is called "Annie's choice" from www.quilterscache.com and I can see why it was her choice!  It was SO easy and cut and sewn in 1/2 hour.  I prepared 8 baggies of triangles which I will now put in the mail to the swap host.  On February 1st she will be mailing me 8 different packages of fabric for 8 different blocks.  The result?  A nice red, white and blue sampler.  Isn't that a whole lotta fun??

2010 brings a new mystery

Well, it really started on the US Thanksgiving weekend when my friend Celia from Seattle arrived at our B&B for the weekend with her husband Howie and her Brother Embroidery/Sewing machine.  Celia always takes her machine on vacation with her.  I would too if I could get away with it. 

Celia had packed up enough quilting projects for two trips and she was raring to sew as soon as they settled in.  I knew we were in for a fun weekend.

About the same time, Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville.com was announcing a new mystery quilt on her website.  She called the new quilt "Carolina Christmas".  In my most mischievous voice I asked Celia, "would you be interested in starting a mystery quilt with me this weekend?  It would mean, of course, that we have to go shopping...".  I didn't need to twist her arm much.  We set out to Cloth Castle just before they closed on either Thursday night or Friday night.

After we had acquired some fabric for her (OK and maybe a few fillers for me), we printed out the first clue in Bonnie's mystery and set to cutting.  Here are some photos of our time:

 Celia cutting her gold fabric for the mystery quilt.

Celia's greens, reds and neutrals

My non-scrappy #2 Carolina Christmas colours.

My half-scrappy, half controlled #1 Carolina Christmas colours.  Did I not mention I'm doing 2 of these?  The plan is to do 2 queens or maybe 1 queen and 1 king for the Queen and Princess or Queen and King suites of our B&B.

It doesn't look like much but these are my #1 gold and neutral step 1 units.  They aren't going to be four-patches.  They will be part of poinsettia units (not there yet but I peeked ahead!).

This is the same step 1 of my #2 CC fabrics.  I couldn't resist these fabrics when I saw them on sale at Fabricland at half off (which is why I'm now doing two).

And these are Celia's step 1 units (hers is scrappy).  Lovely tones...

I've moved beyond step one but haven't taken any more photos yet.  I've cut some green and I've cut some red and I've cut some more neutral.  I'm working on my poinsettia star units.

Bonnie's quilt is gorgeous and can be seen at Quiltville.  I'll upload some more pictures soon. 

And Celia and I are in contact from time to time to check on each other's progress.  It's not a race at all but it's nice to have a quilting partner to share this with!

Another Christmas Quilt done and living with a wonderful family

Ever since I started sewing this quilt I knew its destiny.  Has that ever happened to you?  I loved it very much and for a nanosecond thought about keeping it for myself (it was a selfish nanosecond).  It was also at least two years as a UFO in my sewing room.  Before its existence as a UFO it was in my stash (for 10 years) because I couldn't bring myself to cut it up.  You may not be able to see it but there lovely pearly beads amidst the poinsettia blooms and leaves.  This pattern was perfect in my opinion because I could fussy cut out the poinsettias.  Pulled out my rotary cutter and voila!

As I was sewing the binding on  I knew it wasn't mine.  It belongs now to Jason & Christine, on our pastoral team and their family.  I delivered it as an early Christmas present in November so that they could enjoy it through the Christmas season.  What a great feeling to give quilts away.  I love my hobby!  Imagine, fulfilling my creative needs and spreading love around in the same package.

Here it is.  I haven't named it, which is rare for me. 

Friends' Celtic Knot quilts

We had a wine and cheese reveal party at my friend Mary's house.  Here are some of their quilts.  I'm sure you will agree their colours are gorgeous!  Here's Terry's in yellow, blue and green...a miniature.  Her squares were 1 1/2".

My celtic knot was quilted by the lovely and talented Arlene MacKenzie (On Point Quilting Studio) and resides on my king bed.   Below is Muriel's (gold purple and green) and then Mary's (teal, peach and purple).  All gorgeous colours, don't you think?

Celtic Knot...the reveal

I am extremely happy with my celtic knot king-sized (and I'm talkin' massive!) quilt. Before borders it measures 107". There will be no other borders. I spoke with my long-armer and there is a limit to the width (best not over 110-115" inches). So, the big decision, to border or not to border?? I decided against a border.

I don't want anything to distract from the beauty of the knot. Also with a quilt this size the border would have to be sizeable to look balanced. Besides, 107" covers my bed well with a great overhang past the top mattress. So...decision made. No additional border.

Funny story...I couldn't wait to get the quilt to Arlene for quilting so my DH drove me out after church last Sunday. We were all ooing and awing at the quilt and then Arlene peeps up..."oops". It seems there was a white square where a blue one should be (I'm not going to point it out on the picture...sort of like a "where's Waldo?" puzzle. You can see if you spot it yourself!). Oh dear...back home the quilt top goes where I hang it over the railing and admire it until I can muster the gumption to attack it.

I am now of the opinion that it's a good thing to let your quilts percolate for awhile after the top is done before they are quilted. Here's my reason. One night while I was passing by this quilt as it lay (still) draped over the railing, you know what popped out when I wasn't even looking for it?? Another misplaced colour. I've looked at this quilt hundreds of times and didn't spot the error until I wasn't looking for it. The brain is a fascinating thing isn't it?

Anyway, one of my goals this weekend is to fix these two squares and then on Tuesday evening I will present it at my guild meeting and then give it to Arlene after the meeting. I am going to have it quilted with Fairfield Tuscany Collection batting. I've never used it before and am venturing into new territory. I've always been partial to Warm & Natural but decided that because of the price of this one (something like $30 for a king-sized batting), that I would give it a try.

So, enough talk already...here's the quilt with the booboos still on it. I just love it! Hope you do too.
here it is hanging on the railing:

Celtic Knot...the finale...

So close...only 1 1/2 chunks left to construct and then I'll try and take a picture of my huge(!) quilt (107.5 inches square is what it should measure) and then I'll upload it.

From what I've seen of the other ones on Lynne's blog (www.lynnesfreshhope.blogspot.com) I'm going to love my quilt. Then off to the long-arm quilter so I can get it on our bed in time for the cooler weather.

Celtic Knot Mystery continues

I have to confess that the monotony of this quilt is getting to me a bit. The big reveal is coming soon as the final chunks will be uploaded from www.lynnesfreshhope.blogspot.com this Wednesday and probably the following Wednesday.

Me? I'm still on chunk 10!! But my friend Shirley, who is joining me on this quilting adventure, taught me a construction technique designed to speed up the sewing of the chunks. I decided if it's the first time I've seen this used, that there are probably countless others who need the same revelation. It's called a "web". I've snapped some photos along the way so this will be a photo essay on how to construct a 'web' which will then become a 'chunk' (in Lynne's language).

Step 1: Layout the squares on a table according to the grid for that chunk. DOUBLE-CHECK the layout. You will be sorry if you don't!

Step 2. Stack each vertical row from top to bottom so you have nice little piles.

Step 3: Pick up the first two piles and sew them together.

Step 4: Add the third vertical row. You will end up with a 'web' once you continue down the piles. Photo here:

See how when you chain piece them together you get little threads connecting the rows? Tada! No way of getting them in the wrong order if you've double checked your layout and carefully stacked your vertical rows.To the ironing board. Iron one row left and the next one right and they should interlock nicely for the horizontal sewing.

Here's a shot with them all done and laid out on the table to do another check before sewing the horizontal lines:



After the ironing, now comes the horizontal sewing. Carefully pin at every intersection so that you have nicely lined up strips. Sew, sew, sew until all the horizontal webs have been joined together.

Here are my finished blocks (not in the finished order) on my design wall (disregard the other quilt blocks (yellow & purple) behind...that's another project which will eventually have a blog entry of its very own.

This quilt is going to be gorgeous! Some of my fellow mystery-ites are doing two in tandem. I can hardly keep up with one! Part of my excuse is that during our heat wave, it was just too darn hot upstairs to sew, even with my friendly fan going. Much more temperate climate now and production is back on.

I have ordered the batting for this quilt ~ it's called "Fairfield - Polyfil Traditional batting". I have a friend going to Oregon who will pick it up for me at Fabric Depot. She happens to also be the one who will quilt it for me on her longarm. Here's a plug: www.onpointquiltingstudio.com. Of course it will have to be king-sized for this huge quilt which will eventually adorn our own bed.



OK...that's all for now. Back to the studio...fire up my Janome 6500 and I'm off to chunk 11...or is it 12?? I got 2 done yesterday. Let's see what today holds.