Clue 5

OMG!
       Just when I thought I had a handle on 60 string blocks.... (actually I have 47 totally done, pressed, de-papered (is that a word?), pressed again, and squared.)  The last 13 blocks need fewer than 3 or 4 strips each, some are down to just a corner or single strip..... but my bobbins were empty when I stopped about 15 minutes ago.... the iron needed water again too, so it just seemed like a good stopping point for the night....
       I decided to check out Bonnie's blog for a peak at step 5.  (now, keep in mind, I haven't started step 4 yet.... but I couldn't resist.....
       Now I know why Bonnie says... NO WHINING!!!!   600  yes, I said 600  HST!!!!  these will finish at 1 1/2".... so I hope I have enough 2" strips.... I may end up having to cut some off of actual yardage in my stash.... I know I have that....
      This is also where I have to decide on my constant fabric choice.   Now Bonnie used a cute red that has a touch of green, pink, in it..   I don't have anything in my reds that looks like it will work....   I've thought about cheddar yellow... but I don't have a piece of that either....   She said that scrappy is ok if we stick with a single color,  like all reds....  I have several pieces of blue reproduction indigos..... but I'm not too keen on the blue with the rest of the colors.... I may just have to go hunting for the perfect piece tomorrow.... I promise to look deeper into the stash before going out to buy something..... I only need about 2 yards. 
   I need to take pics of some of my string blocks.....

more mysteries....

Well,  I started out my last post with the thought that I would share pics of some of the previous mysteries I've quilted up.... Many of them are Debbie Caffrey mysteries, so I will not call them by her name... only to protect the innocent....

     We did this Deb Caffrey mystery on a guild retreat.... I did purchase most of the fabric for this one, because I fell in love with the border fabric, but didn't have the right blues in my stash to pull it off.  This is one of the few mysteries that I have done that I haven't made changes to along the way.....
     I quilted it on my domestic Juki.... using a circular wedge design to help break up the squareness of the blocks.... I used a template that I quilted around,  in an attempt to not have to mark. the whole quilt.  If I recall correctly, I started this quilt spring of 2007.... and completed it in 2009.  (I'm always slow at getting the tops quilted.       I called it "Plenty of stars"....    It is a large lap, nearly twin size quilt.
      This quilt now resides with my little sister.....

     This one is called "Friends and Fellows".  It was a mystery at http://www.thequiltandneedle.com/  in 2008.   I have added borders to this one since this picture..... I made some changes,  by making 8 more of those corner triangles and tipping them out into the large outer border, and then appliqued some simple motifs as well. 
      This pattern is now for sale on Jess' website, so it is no longer a mystery.  It is queen size.
      This  is not yet quilted, nor do I have a plan for who it will belong to.... another UFO to complete... some day....

      Jess at the Quilt and needle  has 3 mysteries a year,   This one is called "Phire's Radiance" named for her baby girl.   We did this one Jan 2010.   This pattern is also for sale on  the sebsite above.
     This is still needing an outside border.  It is 60x60.  I'm trying to decide if I want the red for the outside border, or something more neutral..... decisions... decisions... decisions...   then it will get quilted to hang in my stairway.    This is a very interesting twist to a lone star type of look.

The fall mystery we did from the Quilt and Needle was this one  called "Annie's Fortune"   It is not available for sale yet, but I'm sure it will be soon.    I totally used stash for this one.... and all I have left of two of the fabrics is crumbs.....  I really do need to take a better picture..... this one is before I actually pieced all the elements together... and from the floor, just doens't do queen size quilts any justice. 
I especially liked the way that the star blocks seem to roll in the hexagons..... And floating on point, the center medallion is striking.  This one still needs to be quilted and bound as well.....  again, I don't have anyone specific in mind to receive this one....   I have a nephew who is engaged, it may become a gift for the young couple. 

     This next quilt is also a Debbie Caffrey mystery.... Done as a "Quilt till you Wilt" evening at a now gone 

local quilt shop.  We miss you Tina!   Tina at ScarboroughFlair would host about 2 of these each year.... lots of fun was had trying to guess what we were making as the night went along, and best of all, Tina did all our pressing for us!   This one is also a large lap / twin size.... being the perverbial pattern switcher,  I decided to do the quilt in scrappy mode rather than 4 fabrics as suggested.  This was a bold move, not knowing where anything was going to fall.   I call this one "Lilac Lattice".   I quilted it with a winding rose and  leaf type design that I free motioned rather than marking.    I gave this to my step daughter, so it now lives in Helena, Montana.  Lilacs are one of her favorite spring flowers.    We started this mystery in probably 2006 or 2007.  I got it quilted and bound in 2009.

I need to go dig into the  hard drive storage for pics of  the other mysteries... so will post them another time....  Hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane with me...

Diamonds in the sky....a lesson on color value....

     I love doing mystery quilts....if I count up how many I have done over the years, it is at least a dozen! 
      Last weekend, I participated in the Dec. Mystery celebrating the 3rd Anniversay of the Quilt and Needle.com   Jess Smith has once again found an interesting way to keep us in suspense while building components for a quilt in 3 size options.  The pattern will soon be available on Jess' website store. Way to go Jess!   I have been a pattern tester for Jess on some of her mysteries... she asks a few people to pre-stitch the week prior to the actual weekend, to help troubleshoot any difficulties.
      During the actual mystery weekend,  participants pay for the pattern, and she sends it to us via email in installments during the mystery.  Pictures get posted, and we all share ideas and thoughts on color choices,  stitching techniques etc.  on a forum thread just for that purpose. 
     I try to use as much of my stash as possible on mystery quilts....

     I had a 5+ yard piece of 57" wide autumn leaves in my stash that has been raising it's hand to ge used in a quilt.... I thought I could make it work...... it was going to be close. ... here are my fabric choices before I started cutting.... (The cutting chart called for 7 yards of 40"... I did the calculations.... should work....

        I had a tiny pile of the leaf fabric left after cutting.... (I'm making the 100 x 100 size).  I'll have to add an additional border for our king size bed with deep 14" mattress).  Yeah!  I cut all the pieces!  

        Instructions for the first trial step arrive, and before I even started stitching, we found a cutting error.... I needed 4 more of a component.... and guess what... it was my focal fabric!   EEK!!!  Now this doesn't normally throw me too far, (I mean afterall, my name is scraphappydenise)  But being a mystery, how do I go about it?  Jess told me I could substitute by adding a 5th color... she even went into her EQ and did a color change in the area we were talking about....ooh, it opened up a new design option, and she is excited to see what a 5th color will add, so I chose a cream that was similar to the background in the focal fabric, and off I go... happily sewing along.... 

       When we got to the part of laying the pieces out for the center medallion.... this is what I got..... I love the overall look, and the way the two golds overlap and play together... I love the little stars that appear around the green squares.... The general color scheme is beautiful.... BUT...I really do not like the cream!  It seems to be sreaming at me.  NOT the feeling I wanted.   Another color would be great!

       I work best sometimes at 11:00 pm,  so with DH snoozing in his chair a few feet away... I went to my scrap bin looking for strips I could lay over the cream to do some testing.... after a dozen or so options, I think I like this one the best.   I found a rust that I have enough of in my stash to fix this...

      The little stars still show at the green squares... The rust highlights the flow around the design.... I think I am going to be happy with the results.  When I chose my replacement fabric I SHOULD have stood back and looked at the overall value of my leaves, not simply chosen the background color..... Lesson learned.....  This beauty is now on the back burner.... until I'm off work for the holidays.... I have enough of my two gold fabrics and the green to recut those 16 squares.... It will be easier than unstitching and replacing... there is bias in those blocks... and they laid nice and flat the first time, but I don't want to give them a reason to fight me later.... I'll simply use the original blocks in a charity quilt in the future. 
     I had originally intended to show you some of the previous mysteries I have done, but this post is long enough, so another time....

oh, no.... not again.....

I said it wasn't going to happen,  but I just can't stop myself..... I've started 3 new quilts this month.....  I'm participating in a quilt along challenge at thequiltandneedle.com  called "A touch of  Vegas"..... scrappy black and white prints, with a focal color....

These are my 3" finished stars.... there are 3", 6", 9" and 12" stars in this project.  It's all cut out, so I'm working on it in small segments..... as filler between other things.....                                                       

I am also testing for Jess' 3rd Anniversary Mystery at the quilt and needle.   My fabrics are all cut, and I'm waiting on sewing instructions.   I'll have to wait until after this weekend to post pics of that project....

I am also working on Bonnie Hunter's new mystery over at Quiltville.com  It's called... "Roll, roll, cotton boll".   lots of scrapiness in this quilt!   pinks, greens, browns, and a constant I haven't picked out yet.... thinking seriously about a cheddar yellow, but Bonnie is using red, so I don't know.   I am all caught up on this and awaiting step 3 this coming weekend.

My Favorite Block.... Dec 2010

I have completed my blocks for the Dec. draw at Block Central.   We do these every other month... and I have been lucky enough to win two times this year!  The green blocks in Feb.,   the Red blocks in August,   and this months are Red/ and Green!   I wonder if my luck will continue?  

These are Yankee Puzzle blocks.....  Carol, one of the winners last month chose this theme of cream background, with red and green.  A very fitting color combination for Dec., don't you think?

There will be two lucky winners of these blocks.... these are ready for the mail on Dec. 7.   (I can't believe I'm actually ahead of schedule on something!!!! )

latest project...

This is my latest finished top.... it was so easy... from cutting it out, to stitching on the outside border, this took me 3 1/2 hours.... while watching a college football game on tv last weekend.

I did cheat, however.... this was two panels that were meant to be table napkins..... they made excellent quilt blocks though, ifI might say so myself.....

The two fabrics I used have a touch of metallic in them, little leaf outlines that look like leaf skeletons. I'm not usually a metallic type person, but I had to use them for this!  I actually purchased the gold piece this summer on a sale table, before I even found the panels..... then, after I had the panels,  I went looking for something to use with them....  found the rust piece.... When I got home, I realized that the gold and rust were the same print!   then, as I was cutting out,  the panel was by the same fabric company.....(Timeless Treasures).  I don't usually buy fabric that way,  I usually try to mix it all up, (that's the scrappy side of me),  but I do have to say that the results were great. 

Been too long since my last post...

Ok, so I haven't posted in a long while.... truth be told,  I've been busy, and the few times I thought about keeping you all informed of my latest ventures, I couldn't.... because I had forgotten my password.   I had it autosaved in my computer, and had my computer worked on, and lost it somehow....  Just ran across it in the bottom of my wallet the other day....

I have been getting some quilting done... actually more piecing than quilting, but I'll share some photos with you.....

These were the blocks I won from a block lottery/exchange at BlockCentral.com last February.  The theme for the month was green and white.  Each participating member made their favorite block in shades of green and white.  We each make two blocks and there are two winners.   We have a new theme and draw every other month..... 

I chose the brown with green dots and swirls to help tie the different greens together, and my thin brown coping sashings around each block helped to make the blocks all the same size.  I still need to quilt this, but it felt good to get them assembled into a top. 

I worked on this while at the beach with girlfriends for a week of scrapbooking. (I quilted instead).

This is another quilt i worked on during that craft week at the beach...

I call it "Churn Dash Bears"

I've been collecting outdoor fabrics for awhile now.... and DH needs a new quilt for watching TV.  

I fussy cut the bears for the center of the churn dash blocks. 

This also needs to be quilted still. 

My pile of tops to be finished is getting deeper and deeper....

 
I participated in the Round Robin over at
Thequiltandneedle.com forum.   My top came back to me in August. 

I love the way it turned out!  My only directions to my team were:  Use homespun plaids.... think log cabin.... and follow my paint chips for color pallette. 

 I think they all did a fabulous job! 

My friend NorthernDeb did the applique bears, and they are the perfect touch!   Thank  you Deb.

I still need to add my final border to this and get it quilted.

We are getting ready to start a Row Robin for 2011. 

 
Jess at the Quilt and Needle, has once again designed a fantastic mystery quilt....

This is the fall mystery. 

I took this pic before I had the last 3 corners ready to put in place. 

This is a double size.... 80" square.  I used up stash fabric for this!  in fact, i have two pieces about 3x6 of the blue piece left..... it was supposed to be in an outside border, so I will have to use something else there.    I'm thinking I'll probably use what ever I use to back and bind it with......
Oh, goody!  I get to go shopping.....

I'll close this post, before I lose it, but i promise to be back with some more eye candy soon!  I still have more to show you! 

Round Robin Ready to Mail

I am part of a Round Robin project over at the Quilt and Needle. Seems like it took forever to get this one ready to send on. Deb, the medallion owner, is doing this for her husband, and wanted fabrics that felt western, or like leather..... I had two pieces in my stash that seemed perfect! I had seen this blended ninepatch idea and decided to use it to turn the medallion on point. these small nine patch blocks are finished at 2 1/4", and there are over 100 of them! It will feel so good to get it in the mail tomorrow to the next participant.

Blue Iris !!!!

What a wonderful surprise!  I have a clump of these delicious blue variegated bearded iris in my yard!!!!


It is so much fun to work my way through a first blooming cycle in our new home..... 


I only wish there was enough of them to divide and share with my friend Dean, who has shared many wonderful plants with me already this season.  



Now that i removed the black plastic out from under them, maybe I can coax them to multiply quicker.....   I'm sure some good fertilizer will help tremendously. 

I am also the lucky owner of several bunches of this very pristine, pure white bearded iris!  


I  finally  figured out how to upload pics from my new  phone to my photobucket site..... 

There are lots more pictures there.... you can check out the link.... 
Scraphappydenise's photobucket site  
hope you enjoy the show..... 

Garden progress

I feel like I'm actually making some progress in my garden!   I'm still harvesting black plastic out from under the barkdust.... but I feel like that will be long term project.  One section at a time......  I have to keep telling myself that it's a "work in progress" and probably will be for many years.....

I'm not making as much progress in the sewing area... seems like it's one or the other.  If I can just keep up with my exchange projects until school lets out,  I'll be happy!

This is a before view.... now if I can figure out howto get pics out of my new android camera.....

What a Rainbow!

for the second week in a row,  on Wednesday evening, we have had the most awesome rainbows!  this is the one from last week.  It ends, in my neighbor's pasture!    last night, it was in almost the same exact spot!

There is nothing like looking out your kitchen window to something this spectacular!  Last night, my camera was getting it's battery recharged.

I am so blessed.

I've been MIA again...

Well,  spring is trying to spring around here, and I'm desperately trying to stay ahead of the yard work.
(Not easy on a little over an acre, I'm discovering)  It doesn't help that what was once beautiful beds have been neglected for at least 4 years......

The wisteria is beginning to bloom,  the lilacs are about finished,  our rhododendrons  are starting to bloom.

I've been trying to keep ahead of the swap blocks and quilt auntie blocks I've committed myself to, as well as the Round Robin activities I'm signed up for.

Not a lot of personal sewing happening at my house right now....  but I am trying to sit at the machine each evening , if only for an hour or so.....

Heading to the ORegon Coast with some girlfriends for the weekend,  an am taking some hand work with me.

where have I been?

WOW!  I can't believe it's been nearly 6 weeks since I blogged.  I have been trying to catch up on some projects, stay afloat at work, and finish getting the old house ready to put on the market. 

Good news.... the house is now officially for sale, and we actually had someone go through it the second day it was on RMLS. 

been working on getting a few items ready for our quilt show next month. 

We are having a wonderful winter weatherwise.  It's like spring out there.  This was our sunrise one day last week.  Isn't it beautiful? 

Happy New Year! The year of the diminishing UFOs.

Well,  the holidays have come and gone.... it's back to work.... and I still need to de-decorate my house.  With the move and wanting to entertain several small groups of friends and family, we had guests for dinner this last Sunday,  I decided to keep my trees and decorations out until this next weekend.   Only a couple more nights of enjoying the lights on the trees.  I'm off to buy some more plastic totes tomorrow to put it all away.   (My old cardboard boxes won't do out in the shop, as they are not mouse proof).  my plan for anything that can make nesting material, is to put in a tote, and seal shut with tape.  In all the years we've been married, I've always had inside storage for these things..... so if anyone has any better ideas for me,  please let me know.....

I have done a little sewing while on my break..... I'll have to get pics uploaded and posted of you all.  Now, if I can just get these projects finished!

I'm on  a mission to finish up UFO's.... and to work on using up some of this stash of fabric I just relocated.  Charity quilt projects are on my horizon.....   While it can be convenient to have a lot of fabric on hand, especially since I love scrappy quilts,  it can also be overwhelming.... I just made a checkerboard sashing for a quilt top.... cut, and cut, and cut...... still have a stack of those same fabrics...... I think it multiplied like bunnies.....