Both sides of my winter seeing double table topper for the coffee table. I think I need to add quilting in the middle, but for now I am leaving it.

Clue 6 Good Fortune

I think I may have to change these dark green chevrons and not use the black and white.  It is too dominant with the rest of the neutrals.  I know in other mysteries, I look and wish I had changed some the dominant pieces with others before I put it all together.

Clue 5

On  my fabric buying spree, I also bought this panel.  It is not as big as Maggi's, but it should be fun.

I bought this kit from Nancy's Notions.  It's on the back burner for now.

I do enjoy quilting more than machine embroidery, but these are some free designs from Kreative Kiwi.  There is a pocket in the back for money or gift cards.

Link back to Bonnie's page 

How did this happen??  A pucker!  Oh well just cut the seam off and stitch again.  Paper was free and both of these strips could be a bit narrower. Stitch length was 15 on my singer 404.  Not once did Jack the ripper make an appearance in clue #4!  Wahoo!  Can you say FUN!

All four clues done!  I did notice that some of my red and white four patches are a bit big.  How did that happen? My strips must have been a bit generous because my test block was right on.

I finished 7 quilts this year without buying fabric, so I decided I could go on a little shopping spree.

These were purchased at JoAnn's with most of them being half off. (Not the birch or Aspen trees) The blue poka dot was purchased at 4 winds new location.  I was looking for snowflakes, but settled for this instead.

 These were purchased at Bernina using a spend $50 and get $25 off coupon from the Hometown Value flyer. I am trying to increase my teal/turquoise color stash in preparation for making Straits of Mackinac

 

This is from Bonnie Hunter's book, String Frenzy

Bonie's blog post today was about blog's losing their popularity.  I didn't label my 2018 quilts and I really want to use the blog for my own thoughts musings and accomplishments I plan to do better in 2019.


Link back to Bonnie's Page

Clue 3

Return to Bonnie's link up

Chevrons usually cause  me problems.  It started out badly.  I used my brother with the laser light and my Singer 404 with a drawn pencil line.  Neither one worked.  Well I realized my square was not square.  I think I cut the initial strip off yardage and forgot to turn it around to square up the initial edge.  Well the problem was fixed. and I was off and running. I loved not wasting those cut off corners by using the bonus half square triangle like I did on Star Struck.  I used the business card corner because I have misplaced my bonus buddy ruler from Bonnie.  I now have replaced it, but all units were done.  I am glad I didn't wait.

I know some people complain about having too many rulers, but I have to say that I love having the right ruler for the job. 

These are part of Christmas present from Lynda.  Aren't they darling??  I love them.

Back to Bonnie's link up page

Having them laid out in a more pleasing fashion would be more desirable, but I have some other sewing I want done. Clue 2 went quicker than clue 1.  I like using strips and Bonnie Hunter's essential ruler.  I only cut two strips off of stash yardage because I liked the color; all others were cut from existing strips.

Good Fortune

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 to Bonnie's link up

I can't seem to make the labels on my page work to get the new posts to go to the Good Fortune page, so I just decided to add the finished quilt top to the original page.  I really like the way this turned out.  I did a lot of unsewing on this quilt, but I knew I would like the end result better if I did.

Clue 2 done.  It didn't take as long as the 4 patches.  I love the essential triangle ruler and using my strips. I made a few extra.  I have lots of blues, but some may be too bright.  I am not sure.

Well this year's Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt is starting.  Clue 1 done.  I LOVE making 4 patches.  I wonder if I ever realized before that seams don't spin if that seam in the middle is overlapping.  :)

It looks like my neutral container needs replenishing.  I think that is one reason I don't get my clues done as fast as others.  I am rather a random thinker and doer.  I will stop and do something that I see needs doing if I feel like it.

 I am making some ornaments for my tall lean tree.  I don't think I will do many this year.  I plan on putting pictures on it too.  I have a family picture I want to use, but I have misplaced it after Mom gave it to me.

Back to Bonnie's link up

Marge and Betty started this Moonglow Quilt by Jenny Beyer a few years ago.  Marge was going to cut up the fabric, and I said that I would like to finish it. All three of us used a little different seam allowance, so putting it together was not easy.  I was glad I finished it though and Marge did not want it back.

I bought a new Ott light at Costco for $30 after taking my previous one to Clydehurst Quilt Camp and finding out it didn't work. It has a usb port in the back and you can make it brighter bypushing on the base.

 Lukas was sick on Halloween, but he still makes a very cute Batman!

These are two kits from Nancy's Notions.  I plan to use them on my round antique table or maybe the coffee table.  I do love trees.

A couple of doll clothes that I made for Madison.

Glow

Maggi got the kit of Kaffe Fassett fabrics from Bernie before she passed. It was about twice this size at about 100 inches.  It was a kit called Glow by Free Spirit.  I realized I doubted that I would ever use it as a bed quilt, so decided to make it smaller and use the left over fabric for the other side.  I don't have anything in my stash that would work for a back and wasn't interested in buying anything.

This is the reverse side.  I used the same Moda WOW to break up the color a bit.  I added that luscious lime green and some orange batik leaves that I used for a blouse a few years ago. This is a free Moda pattern called "Simply Woven."  I had to redo s few blocks because I had trouble with rotating the blocks consistently  Once I got it...it was easy.

Pane by Pane Tree Quilt

 

This quilt has been waiting in the wings for about 4 years.  I found the pattern in Love of Quilting magazine March/ April 2014.  I tried it first in tans and neutrals I had in my stash.  I had purchased fabric for this and then had to change it, so purchased several yards of new fabric. One lady said she used this pattern using many different fabrics.  I will have to think about that.  It wasn't my favorite pattern and I usually don't like to make a quilt more than once.  I have already done it twice!  I do like how it splits up a pretty focus fabric though.  I didn't quilt this one as much as the tan one and I may regret it.  It didn't lay really flat and maybe more quilting would have helped that, but it was a pain to quilt.  Straight line quilting is hard and I would much rather do  a design where I don't have to worry about marking or sewing straight, etc.

I saw a quilt by Aleta Top Gustavson on Quiltville Open Studio in December of last year, and I loved it.  I finished one (not as big as Aleta's) in less than a year.

These blocks are 1 inch finished.  Marge called hers the idiot quilt.  :)

Displaying quilts in the living room.

Smith Mountain Morning is done!  Bonnie Hunter's pattern.  I need a different name since it really doesn't go with my color change.

This is what I am putting on the other side of the Kaffe Fassett Glow downsized quilt. It is a free pattern for Moda's jelly roll strips.  It is found here.  I have added some of my own 2.5 strips.  I have not planned how much additional fabric I will need, so I am just using an about one strip per block of my own or Marge's fabric.

This is made from a kit by Kaffe Fassett called Glow.  Maggi generously gave me the kit.  The finished quilt was to be 90 x90.  I pieced it to 72 x 90 and after laying it on the floor decided even that was probably too big for a couch quilt. I am making it 60 x 72. It will be a while before it gets quilted because I like to do two at a time to justify the mess I make in the living room with the tables.

Simplify wallhanging.  Embroidered in 8 different hoopings.  Marge and I saw a sample at Bernina and each made one.  Mine doesn't have a point at the bottom because of an initial misplacement.

Frozen Elsa apron made for Madison. Saw the many aprons that Marge made for Terra's preschoolers.

On my birthday, I worked at putting Smith Mountain Morning quilt together. It's in Bonnie Hunter's book Scraps and Shirttails II. The rows aren't sewn together yet.  I have the borders left to piece also.  Oh look a mistake in the middle third red star down.  Well the mistake is in the log cabin block,  I am a black row short.

Mom, Cindy, Tim, Sheila, and I had a nice dinner at Enzo's.  I had the most delicious halibut that I have ever eaten.

I made sleeping bags for Madison and Alyssa.  One is for an American Girl doll and the other is for a Barbie.  I did have to buy Shopkins and Troll fabric, but I used thread, zippers, and batting from my stash.  I mention the thread because I used 30 weight sulky cotton to quilt the layers together.

Finally!  Or better late than never!  These 2 pictures took 25 years to complete.  Well one was done about 25 years ago and then it took 25 years and a replaced hip to finish the second.  I will probably never do counted cross stitch again.  This was a real challenge on linen with eyes that aren't as young as when I started.

In the hoop bunny sacks.  A free embroidery design from Embroidery Garden.  Names don't really show on the bags that are so full.

Finished the top!  Yikes, putting this together challenged my brain.  Because of my hip surgery I couldn't lay it on the floor.  I don't have a wall big enough for a design wall, so I have more of the same fabrics side by side then what I would like.3336 pieces.

Now back to machine quilting peaceful valley.

17 days post left hip surgery, I am trying to get back in a routine.  I have been working on a few things.  I did get the binding on my star struck.  This is a class I took with Bonnie Hunter in Bozeman in July 2016. :)

I am slowly working on Peaceful Valley by Judy Martin.

Spending hours and hours sitting in my chair cross stitching.  I had to get stronger reading glasses and of course having good day light helps.

Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt.  All the pieces and parts were done before January 9th, but I am slowly assembling it.  Trying to sew at least a few seams everyday.