Progress

I finished Clue 5. Even with the wonderful celebrations and houseguests, I managed. The reason though is tough. We lost one of our family members this last week. The only thing I could do last Friday without crying was sew. And I did.

 

The fabric at the top is my inspiration fabric, It might end up as a border or backing. I am making mine larger, between a queen and king, however the math works out.

Our dog, Chloe, is again running free of pain. She was sick in November and had surgery. The diagnosis was an aggressive cancer. The prognosis was 4 - 5 months. We had 5 weeks. There must have been more in her body that they could not see. She enjoyed having a houseful of people to see the Vikings play and was her usual social self. Right after everyone left, things went downhill fast and by Thursday we had made the decision to stop her pain.  She is gone from the earth but forever in our hearts.

 

 Our other dog Lucy, is missing her too!

Linking up with the Mystery Link Up at Quiltville.

As Always,

Deb

 

 





 

Mystery Monday Link Up

Another busy week has passed and progress has been made.

MIL's 80th Birthday
Vikings Win clinching the Division
neighborhood coffee party
shopping
mailing
and some sewing.

This is my 7th Bonnie Mystery and for the first time, I am not sweating getting all the parts done before Monday. They will get done and I am not that far behind.

Clue #1 - Complete
Clue  #2 - Complete
Clue #3 - 75% Complete
Clue #4 - 75% Complete

The forecast here is for some significant snow on Thursday. I'll take it, it will force me to finish up and not run around doing things that probably don't need to be done anyway!

Here is today's table:

Clue #3 needs pressed and trimmed.

Clue #4 has about 40 that need their second wing and then pressed. I really have not had to trim on these, maybe a sliver once in a while. I loathed this unit in Orca Bay. I cried and almost gave up entirely. Finally got them so they were not too bad and could at least use them. I had not mastered Bonnie's method's or rulers. I took me a bit because I am left-handed and I do think it makes a difference. This time around they were a breeze! 

I managed to whip up a table runner for the neighbor hosting coffee. She loves cats. She has a female named "Mr. Kitty", they thought it was male when it was little and the name stuck. It comes when called, more dog like than cat! lol She loved it.

Don't forget to check out all the other Link Ups at Quiltville. 

As Always,

Deb

Mystery Monday

Clue 3 of Bonnie Hunter's Annual Mystery is in progress. Doing a bit each day.

Kitchen renovation is almost complete, there are replacing the upper cabinet that had flaws on Tuesday and then the countertop on that side will be installed on Wednesday. Yipppeee!

It took longer to cut them than it has to sew them but I am liking my method. I cut the parallelogram first for both directions using the Simple Folded Corners ruler and the stickers. Side note: I met the creator of the ruler, Doug, when he was 12. He was teaching a short demo about cutting a layer cake apart and sewing it back together. I have followed his career closely.

Then I cut the neutrals using the Essential Triangle Tool. It worked for me! Very little trimming other than some points.

 

I am almost to the halfway point, just have to finish this chain.

 

I am planning that Thursday afternoon sees these complete, my kitchen put back together and clean. Lofty goals but totally attainable! I am motivated.

 

I am linking up to Bonnie's post. You can find all the info you need there. On Ringo Lake, click here!

Check out the journey of other participants.

 

As Always,

 

Deb



A Quick Check In

This past week has been plagued with Strep Throat, double ear infections and Tonsillitis. And all three belonged to me. Started coming out of on Tuesday and now the clock seems to be moving at a very fast rate.

I feel like the "White Rabbit" in Alice in Wonderland..........
The clock is a 'tickin and here is my progress.

160 complete and 40 before Friday. My extras may get squeezed in also.

Be sure to check out all the fun going on at the LINK UP at Quiltville.

As Always,

Deb

REALLY?????

I can't even believe that it has been since February that I last posted. I will play catch-up later but for now we will let you see the finished pieces for Clue 1 of Bonnie Hunter's Annual Mystery Quilt.

 This year it is "On Ringo Lake" and right up my alley as it was conceived in Minnesota. Just click on the name and it will take you to everything you want to know about it. 

This is my 6th mystery and last year's is at the quilter so pictures soon! Each year I say "This is my favorite" and have for 5 years now. I am pretty sure I will say it this year also.

I have made extra to make it bigger, hope I am guessing right on the counts. I am going controlled scrappy this year because my commitment to this mystery is "always from stash". The clipped ones on the right are the clue. So without further ramblings....

Linking up to Mystery Monday on Quiltville here.

As Always,

Deb

UFO Finish #3

Checking in with my UFO finish. The goal was to bind 3 quilts, put a border on my Swoon quilt, make a backing and get it to the quilter. It is too big for me to handle here. 

Well....the first month was almost done, one side left to do and I fell asleep with it on my lap last night. I'll finish it tonight. The Swoon quilt is at the quilter, took it to her yesterday at 4 pm! It may be a while before we see that one.

The quilts that I bound,

This is a quilt that I made with a friend from Texas, I me her online, did a group swap with her. Then we did Supernova as a swap just between us. This was our second swap. She did the Up houses and I did the downs. The rule was that it all had to come from stash. Even my borders are pieced. This is a Bonnie Hunter Free Pattern from her site and it is big, 82 x 92. She is young enough to be my daughter but we clicked. She has gone through some hard times of late and I hope that she knows as I look at this each day, I am giving her a hug from my heart to hers!

Next up, a sweet thing from 30's scraps leftover from Laurie Hird's FW Pony Club book. I'll show you that another day.

This will go to a little girl named Avery Ann born in January.

and this,

Can't remember where the pattern is from but the fabric is from old stash, Thimbleberries, Snips and Snails. It will lay in wait for the next little boy to be born.

The only pic I can find is when Swoon was almost done. You will just have to take my word for it!

But........

I have finished:

• Getting my "Super Bowl" Mystery for Homestead Hearth cut out.
• One more row for En Provence.
• Pat Sloan's Row by Row from McCall's Quilt magazine finished and to the quilter.
• A toddlers quilt.
• My work for Quiltmaker magazine, shhh, it is a secret.
• Made a quilt with my Granddaughter, she did the top, I did the backing and to the quilter.
• The first block for Pat Sloan's "Children's Library.
• Helping get the wall down between the kitchen and dining rooms and still getting meals on the table.

Sew, I would say, a successful month! Other people have posted their UFO progress at Patchwork Times.

BTW, I hand stitch my bindings. I know you can machine them but for me, it is my favorite part.

As Always,

Deb

Monday Mystery/Design Wall

The finish line can be seen.....

Progress has been made and will get the rest together this week. 

The first 2 rows-

And all the parts finished-

I was a little worried that it was looking a bit like a Halloween quilt but it does not. In person, there is much more "texture" to it as the black and the neutrals are all tone on tone. Does not photograph well and let's just say, photography is not my long suit!

I also knew from past experience, the four patches would be a challenge. Easy Street proved that to me. It is far too common for me to turn them will sewing so I laid it out block by block and checked and rechecked so any ripping I did was done at an easily done stage. And let me tell you there were quite a few. Can you be dyslexic with orientation and not number or letters? Or is there another name for it? It has made assembly much slower. Had this issue all my life.

I love this quilt and the only change I would have made it is to make the 3 1/2 middle piece in the border a solid red so that the red reads both ways. 

I want this king-sized so will add a small yellow border and then the floral border with a black and green print for the binding. I happen to love the yellow in there, I know some did not.  

Bonnie will do another Link-Up in a month so it should be finished then.

Now I gotta go look at other people's progress at:

Patchwork Times

Quiltville Quips and Snips

As Always,

Deb