Quilts and quilt shows

It's time for our guild show again and I have handed over a quilt for judging.  I know all the little, and big, details about this quilt.  I fretted and stewed over it and I might even have withdrawn it but I perservered and now I'll wait for judges comments.  It's a learning experience after all.

Note:  the background is cream not this ghastly yellow gold.

Keeping busy....

still working on Easy Street - I have about 10 blocks complete, yay!

This is my attempt to put together 3 blocks from Quiltmaker 100 Blocks issue 10.  The setting was shown in the back of this issue.  I will add credits for the designer and the block numbers but I'm traveling without my isse so I don't have the names or the page numbers, etc.  (not:  there was a setting but no pattern.  I made up my version.  There's quite a lot of bias on large setting triangles so I'm hoping and praying the long armer can turn it into an acceptable finish.  The blcks are all 12.5" with gazillions of points.  It was a challenge for my skill level but I'm proud I didn't throw in the towel.

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone!!!

Linked up to Quiltville

On a completely different adventure

I started this adventure because I saw a quilt published in the back of Quiltmaker Magazine.  It was just the quilters use of three of the plates to Quiltmaker 100 Blocks.  I thought it was a challenging design since no pattern was given...just the individual block details by three different creators.  An additional incentive was that I had overflowing bins of batik scraps and some batik yardage I wanted to use.  So, off I went.  Block 1 was no problem.  I like it.  Block 2 was a challenge and block 3 was awful since it was way beyond my skills.  Here it is as a WIP.  It's put together as a top now and being sent off to a long armer.  All I can say is, what was I thinking?

I ran out of the original Batik background and had to improvise.  Block 2 and block 3 had MANY pieces and points in each 12.5" block.  We'll see how the long arm quilter deals with all the bias in the on point block settings.  It was a challenge for me that I didn't fully appreciate when I began the project. Hopeful for a happy ending....

Wish I had some of these greens now...

This is a quilt I made as a "brown Bag" Challenge.  You know, put a hunk of fabric in a bag, pass it around in a group of fellow quilters (small Bee or Guild) and they put in FQ's .  You get it back at the end with stuff you never would have chosen and make something.  Lol, it was loads of fun.

I made this lap quilt.

It is a pattern by Sewkindofwonderful

I've been thinking green while working on clue 3 of the Quiltville Grand Illusion Mystery.

Happy Mystery!!!

Quiltville Easy Street Mystery - still moving along

Here's an update on my attempt to complete my Easy Street Mystery UFO.  I've sewn the clues and now I am putting blocks together as time permits.  I didn't meet my projected completion of finishing by Thanksgiving. I'm ok with that.  I have 9 blocks finished.  I couldn't help doing some A and some B blocks just to see how it was looking.   I like it!!!

Quiltville Mystery, Grand Illusion - Clue 3

Another great clue and great instructions at http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2014/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-3.html. I'm sewing along with an online group that is meeting in Central Florida. It has been great fun and I've gotten tons of quilty info....shops I didn't know about...hints in tools...a travel iron someone brought that is terrific and much more. We've had chocolate too. So here's what I've done so far. The photo is a little blurred due to compression but you get the idea. I have my copy of Bonnie Hunter's mystery instructions handy at all times.  She gives us fantastic tips and ways to get the units done accurately.

Can't wait for Bonnie's clue 4. In the meantime I'll be working on finishing 1, 2 and 3.

 Happy Quilting!

Yay, Grand Illusion is begun...

I'm determined this time to keep up.  clue 1:  cut strips, use EZ Angle to cut 280 pairs of teal/pink, sew pairs to yellow and black...yep, check!  Well, I've completed the cutting and sewn 20 block units.  I'll be finished before Clue 2.  The Facebook frenzy is a bit much to keep up with though.  Soooo many newbies doing Bonnie's annual mystery.

My neighbor and I decided to join a meetup in Central Florida where about ten of us are doing the mystery.  It was a fun sewing day.  Happy sewing all....whatever you are working on.

meanwhile...2 years later...

After I dug around in my 3 boxes of pieces and parts from Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville Easy Street mystery which became a UFO in 2012 I assessed the situation.  I thought I was in fair shape.  I remembered doing the four patches and cutting a lot of triangles.  I had photos of clues complete.  Ok, I can do this...  I went clue by clue to check my progress and to find out where to begin.  So here's where I restarted.  

Everything organized and labeled

And this is clue #3.

And, I am almost finished with recreating the list four patches.  Yay!

Colors on photos for Easy Street Clues

It is getting ready to rain here in sunny Florida and my photos are looking a little weird.  I tried to adjust the color in my photo software but the blues look green.  In "real" life they look more like the paint chip samples Bonnie suggested for Easy Street Mystery.  I'm pretty sure the actual quilt will look just fine...I hope.

Slip....slipping away...time that is.

I have too many projects in the works.  I'm getting behind and I need to focus on Christmas sewing.  I did cut all the parts for Easy Street, Clue 3.  I put the pieces together to see what I thought about the colors...well, my turquoise seems a bit "jade" to my eye so I'm  going to put a few together soon.  I might need a different turquoise options.  These two are from my stash and I have another two that are slightly different but probably not enough to complete this mystery.

Here's a pic of my Clue 3 cut fabric.

I have high hopes for getting caught up before the next clue but we head north to PA for Christmas and I won't have a moment to sew until the end of the month.  Ahhh, I'll be itching to sew when we return.

Here is a link to Easy Street Mystery by Bonnie Hunter (Quiltville Blog), Clue 3.  There's still time to begin.  Quiltville Blog, Bonnie Hunter, Easy Street Mystery, Clue 3

Four and more...Easy Street Clue 2

I  have completed about 30 of the flying geese.  I'm using the Companion and Easy rulers.  I can see why some say it is a little tricky to get a goose that doesn't need a little trim.  Practice will help me with that but I could also try one of Bonnie's other methods (shown on her blog today)  I hope to upload a photo of more geese showing the colors as they really are.  This small group is a bit distorted.  Ok, now I can finish up this step and be ready for Clue 3.  What a fun mystery!   

Quiltville Easy Street Mystery Monday Link up

Easy Street mystery Monday Link Up

Next step!

Bonnie posted Clue 2 on Friday and I started right in on more black on white and purple strips.  No matter that I was supposed to be cleaning my sewing area and other household stuff.  I have now cut the sub pieces and have sewn a few flying geese.  I doubt I'll have all done by monday linky..I must get to that aforementioned cleaning.  Picture coming.

So while I wait for the Bonnie Hunter Easy Street Mystery Quilt, Clue 2...

I am trying to come up with a "tree" design for a challenge.  It can be any tree but after I completed a cute pattern from Quiltmaker, Winter Critters, I discovered it was completely the wrong size.  Yikes, I seem to forget to read the details until I've already done the project.  I have found some designs that I would like to "use for inspiration" but do my own interpretation.  I'm thinking simple now that I only have a week or so to get it done for our Quilt Guild Christmas lunch.  I think I should be able to get the idea I have completed by then since it's only to be 80" total linear inches.  We'll see.

Quiltingly,

Susan in FL

I am kind of dim witted sometimes. I didn't even think about the connection between Bonnie Hunter's new mystery quilt, Easy Street and the word "road" in my blog title.  I started setting up this blog in the summer when we were in our RV in Montana for three months.  I got frustrated with it and left it unattended for all these months.  Along comes Bonnie and her mystery and I thought it would be the way to link up for the mystery on Mondays.  So, no pun or anything else was intended but it sort of connects...wordwise...I guess.

My sewing for the first clue of Easy Street was a breeze thanks to Bonnies tips for getting them to match nicely.   I did decide to use a close match to the original design colors.  What the heck.  It's way outside my usual comfort zone but a pleasing combo I think. As usual, I bought way too many fill ins to go with the meager stash I had in these colors.  The neutrals will get used quickly as usual but the brights may be around a while.  Sigh, maybe I'll get motivated to do some kid charity quilts...or a Hospice donation.  So many choices, so little time.

Quiltingly,

Susan in FL

P.S. This is one of my Boston Terriers, Clancy.  He's a Boston Red Sox fan like my dh, lol.

It's time to try that linky business...I really want to join the fun at Quiltville with everyone doing Bonnie Hunter's Easy Street Mystery.

Clue One C'est Finis

Ok, I got the photo of my Easy Street Clue 1 uploaded.  I have now completed all of the 192 four patches. They are so darn cute.  I hope I can get it hooked up to Bonnie's linky thingy tomorrow.  Oh and sorry about the blurry photo.  It was ok when I uploaded but it got muddled a bit when I said to make it large.  Maybe I can fix it..then again..maybe not.  Blogger has befuddled me.

Happy sewing everyone.

Quiltville Easy Street Mystery

It's all a mystery to me...

Today is the day..the day I figure this blog site out.  I've had a travel blog for years that worked well and was quite easy. It's on a different platform.   This one is a mystery to me but I shall overcome..

I wouldn't bother with this site except I need a place to post my photos of progress made on a new quilt project.  Do I need a new project? NO!!! But, I've jumped in and started Bonnie Hunter's new mystery Easy Street. I just couldn't resist a project with this name given the handle I use online..and, the name I chose for this blog.   (I'll add a link when I can get to my computer.  It seems I need to download an app to do that on my iPad, sheesh.) Anyway, the mystery has some great colors and grey as a neutral.  You'll see when I get that link up, lol!

I'm so proud of myself because I took the time to find a tool I've had for a very long time but didn't use much.  I think I acquired it when I first started quilting.  It's the shape cutter.  Kind of a weird name but I think it's called that because you can cut different shapes by crosscuts, etc.  I just used it to cut my subset 2"" pieces. As usual I'm jumping ahead.  Let me start in order of steps.  I first cut 20 2" strips of my grey choice and then 20 strips of black prints on white usung my 2" Accuquilt GO die.  I then sewed the strips (one grey to a black on white) and then I cut the strips using the shape cutter into 2" sections.  Lastly, sewing two subsets together fir a fourpatch.  The process took about an hour and a half or so...with a break or two to check on dinner.  I finished about a third of the 192 four patches needed for Clue one.  I'll have them all done by tonight.  I promised dh I'd go to see Skyfall today otherwise I'd be sewing all day.

Maybe I'll even get some sewing room organization done today...hmmm.

Quiltingly,

Susan in FL

Ugh, it's another learning experience!

Still learning Blogspot.  I seem to be limited to using Google for photo sharing.  I'm looking for better alternatives.  I am working on several quilt projects to be completed in December.  My hope is to finish them on time and continue on with new quilts on my to do list.  I also have two Quilts of Valor underway, using scraps and hoarded yardage. I determined that if I don't start working my way through the ten years of fabric in my cupboards I will be leaving a huge mess for my hubby.  He's happy to see me sew but he would not be happy deciding what to do with stuff I leave behind.

Hopefully I'll b back with a photo or two.

Susan in FL

Struggling with setup on this new forum

I hope I'll get things straightened out so I can post some quilt stuff here.