Good Fortune Clue # 5 and other Quilty Progress this Week

    It is time to link up to Bonnie Hunter's Monday Linky Party.   check it out here!

     This last week,  I finished all of clue # 5.  Finished trimming and pressing the remainder of clue #3,  cut the rest of what I needed for clue # 2,  and cut more little squares for clue # 1.  I was then able to get all the rest of clues #1 and # 2 sewn, pressed and counted.  I am officially caught up on the mystery clues!  Yeah!  Probably won't happen again next week, because we will be gone for 5 days this next week.  

    I made a couple more pillow cases for the boys next door who love baseball.   

    I also worked on Jamestown Landing this last week.  It's all assembled and is now a complete top.   I'm hoping to get this one quilted early this winter,  so I can enter it in our quilt show in March.  

      Merry Christmas!   We keep things pretty simple here at our house.  We do a tree and a few outdoor lights,  but gifts are kept to a very few.  (We do gifts for our grandkids and a little something for our neighbor boys.)   I even cut way back on cards this year.   Mike and I haven't really exchanged gifts for over 10 years.  We are so blessed!  If there is something either one of us really and truly wants,  we discuss, then decide.  We don't buy on credit,  and try to find good buys on what we do get.  We are not afraid to buy good used items either.    This all means that we can concentrate on the true meaning of the season which is  the birth of Jesus and quality time with family and friends.   

Good Fortune Mystery Clue # 4

     I am linking this post to the Linky party for Bonnie Hunter's mystery. 

      Click here to check out everyone's progress

     Clue # 4 of Bonnie Hunter's Good Fortune Mystery is string piecing!   I love string piecing for many reasons.  

     First, it is like Zen to just pick a string and stitch it to the one already stitched in place.  

    Second,  it's done with thin pieces that would otherwise be unused by most of us.   For me, my strings are generally the narrow strips that I cut to even off a piece of fabric before measuring concise strips.  They may be wonky and  have some frayed edges.  Sometimes, strings are the last amount left on a cut of fabric that is too narrow to be used in block components.  

     Third, the variety and texture found in string blocks can span decades of time and  many genres of fabrics such as novelty prints, tone on tone textures, geometric, floral, solids, reproduction and modern.  

     I sorted my pinkish strings to find the ones that were in the shades of pinks that I had already picked for my color palette.    The basket is full of my choices.   I didn't have as many strings in my string stash that were in this color range,  so  I added by cutting the first cut off of my  pressed pinks that may be used later.    

 I only wish I had needed to make more!    Here are some of my blocks: 

     There is a lot of history in these prints.  Some have been lurking in my stash for 10 years or more.  Others are newer additions,  and some are even one-off strings that have been gifted to me by other quilters.  

     I can't wait to see what clue # 5 has in store for us this week. 

      In other quilty pursuits this last week,  I am nearly finished with clue 3.  I have 30 units left to trim and press and then I'll be done!   Yeah!  I also finished stitching the clue 1 and clue 2 pieces that I had cut to use as leaders and enders.    I need to cut and prep more of each clue, but I am over the 1/2 way on clue 1  and about 75% done with clue 2.  Progress at any pace is progress, right?  

     I've been working on Jamestown Landing as my main project, and have webbed 3 of 5 columns for the center of the top.    Had to stitch more Half-Square triangles into the Broken Dishes blocks before webbing the rest.  Those are now stitched and ready to press.  

    I also took the time to stitch some Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers pillow cases for a gift exchange this week.  They stitch up quickly and I had the fabric prepped and left over from  when I helped my students make pillow cases 2 years ago at school.  That was a really fun project that involved more of my male students than females.  They really enjoyed using the machines. 

    One of my biggest accomplishments this week was hemming a pair of jeans for my hubby!  Somehow, mending is not at the top of my list of things to do for fun,  but occasionally it's necessity. 

I also made 4 little cosmetic size bags from a mini charm square pack that was given to me as a challenge last year at Christmas by a quilting sister.  The snag was that we were each to use the charm pack before this Christmas.   Well,  dinner was last night, so I waited until 3 days before the deadline to get started.    It was serendipity that the charm pack was a shabby chic Paris type of print,  and that I had participated in a rose fabric swap several years ago, and just happened to have batting scraps,  some fabric that would coordinate and  even zippers here at home.  SCORE!  

Good Fortune Mystery Clue #3

     It is week three of Bonnie Hunter's  "Good Fortune Mystery".   I'm linking up to Bonnie's Linky Party here:   Linky party week 3

Warm Winter Wishes Quilt  

     I did get "Warm Winter Wishes" quilted this last week.  I love the way it turned out.  This was quilt #10 that I've moved from the  "to be Quilted" pile to the "done".  I still have at least 10 in that pile, but I had promised myself that  I would not work on piecing anything else until I had finished 10 of those  "tops waiting for some quilty love".    It feels so good to reach this milestone.  

    So having reached the completion of #10,  I am able to bring out the next chapters....  I've been working on "Jamestown Landing" in greens rather than blues,  a Bonnie Hunter quilt for nearly 2 years now, a leaders and enders to get the mountain of 840 half square triangles done.    My plan of attack is to work on Jamestown landing, while doing the current mystery, "Good Fortune" as leaders and enders.   

This is the final batch! 

My project box....  string pieces done.... 

Getting started on the Triangles  

This is Jamestown Landing in Blues... 

This one isn't mine,  but it's the same color... greens and neutrals 

     Mystery Progress?   I am about 60% done with Clue #1   10% done with clue #2  and 40% done with clue #3.   All pieces are cut for both clues 2 and 3.  I'm working clue #1 from the little squares in my Scrap Users System rather than from strip sets.  

Clue #3   First Test blocks 

   I posted my color choices here.... Click here for blog post

   

Good Fortune Mystery Step 2

     I'm still working on that list of UFO;s.   Got my guild obligations done for the month.  Now I'm working on quilting, the 10th of the 10 tops i promised myself I was going to finish before delving into Good Fortune  with earnst. 

     I did spend some time last week checking my strip bins and  ironing and stacking my fabrics that I plan to use when I get to that point.  (Hey, I had the iron on. LOL.)   

     I got another 5% of step one done as Leaders and Enders... over the last week,  and I couldn't help myself from cutting some triangles when I discovered some strips that were already cut in the colors I'm using.   I still had the iron out, along with the spray starch, and cut what I could for step 2.  I stitched up a handful, (about 5%) and pressed them to check my accuracy.   They will also be used as Leaders and Enders as I work on Jamestown Landing when I'm done with the quilting foot. 

My steps 1 and step 2 playing together for a brief moment.

This is "Warm Winter Wishes".    It is quilt number 10 that I'm finishing.   This was a Row Robin on the internet with my Quilting Sisters.    I chose the theme,  and did the applique row with the houses,  the checkerboard rows, and the piano key borders.    The other rows were done by members of the group.  

     I also pieced and attached the borders to the following QOV I was working on on our Sew Day.   Some other sewists completed the center portion,  but I was assigned the borders.   I struggled with the crowded space I was using, and decided to bring it home and finish it in a day, rather than over the next 5 months.      The pattern is called "Hurrah"  by Minnick and Simspon.  

I am linking up to Bonnie Hunter's Linky party for step 2.   Bonnie's Linky Party Week 2

Good Fortune Mystery Part 1 Linky Party

     

  I have so many unfinished projects and tops that are waiting for quilting...  I love to follow Bonnie's Mysteries,  but I told myself that I wasn't going to dive in, until I got 10 of the 20+ finished tops  waiting for quilting  done.    I wasn't even going to determine my colors... Nope... Not even going to go there...   Roll Roll Cotton Boll is waiting to be quilted,   Jamestown Landing is  in pieces to be assembled.   On Ringo Lake is waiting for a day that I can go learn to use a longarm.  

     I finished # 9 on Saturday!    # 10 is chosen, and ready to be sandwiched.     

     I took some time to clean off the flat surfaces,  I've quilted 9 quilts since July 1st.  And the pieces of leftover binding,  parts trimmed off after quilting,  leftover backing that needed to be taken care of...  you all know... the evidence that something has happened in your creative space.  And there were three little things I needed to do this weekend, that I decided to take care of.   My guild name tag needed to be made,  the block kit I brought home to make for our 2020 opportunity quilt,  and the Block of the Month for our Dec. Meeting.  Since I had taken the FMQ foot off the machine to do the binding on  quilt # 9,  it seemed like a good time to get those done before delving into quilt # 10.  

     But!  If I'm piecing blocks,  I need leaders and enders.  Hmmmm how about a dozen or so little four patches....  😇😇😇  

      Now,  I need to pick a color,  at least for Bonnie's  red.   I had played around with colors that were, pink,  raspberry,  lt. brown and dk brown,   but up until yesterday morning, I hadn't committed.   I knew I had lots of lt. pink,  and tons of browns in the scrap system,  but raspberry?    I had to go looking.    

      In all that fabric,  I had just a few little scraps of raspberry...  on believe it or not,  they were in the box of pre-cut squares that were the right size!    I would  Ineed to buy more of this color  to finish the clue and to do later units,  but it got me through the blocks I needed to finish.  So.. I am officially 5% done with clue #1.    

      I stopped at three stores today after my Quilt of Valor sew day,  and found enough prints between the 3 stores to give me a nice variety.    

    I am linking to Bonnie Hunter's Linky Party    Linky party for Clue 1 Good Fortune

  and  more information on the free mystery quilt "Good Fortune" can be found on her website & Blog until January 2019.    Bonnie's Blog link to Good Fortune 

November Finishes

     November has been another productive month....  Yeah!  

     My first finish for the month was this "Boxy Stars"  by Bonnie Hunter.  It's a free pattern on her blog.     I started this a few years ago as a stash buster for donation of the many 80's calicos I have in my stash that are blues and pinks.   I  didn't purchase all of these,  but folks seem to think I like these colors,  because the collection just keeps growing.   

     This is a going to the Corbett Windy Quilters Donations.    I decided to quilt this one simply,  using echo stitching in the center stars,  and switchbacks to help hold down the outer designs.    I used a wishbones motif in the sashings. 

      I used a new to me batting, which is Fairfield Cotton.  It is thinner than warm and natural,   quilts up similar to an 80/20 blend.  The price was right!  I bought the 20 yard roll for less than $ 70 on sale with a bonus coupon.  It washed up great!   And it is soft and supple after washing.  One of my new battings for donation quilts.  

   It measures approx 58 x 70.  No borders were used on this quilt, because it reached the size I wanted without one.  

    I wish I could say that I'm done with this color combo and these vintage prints,  but it's safe to say that there will be more quilts using these colors in my future.   

     "Autumn Leaves"  was my second finish for the month.  This is another quilt that has been lurking in my "Needs Quilting Pile" for too long.   These fun little "Happy Blocks" were some I won from an online quilting forum that  I used to visit often, called Block Central.   I made a whole bunch of quilty friends there before it went dark.   We still keep in touch on a facebook group,  but I think we all have so many blocks and projects from those previous exchanges and swaps that we don't really do that much any more.   

     Each month, the previous month's winner chose a theme.  It might have been color combos such as "turquoise and browns"  or a season, "fall leaves".   We made as many of these little 8" blocks as we wanted to, and for each set of 2,  our name went into the hat once.   I won several of these wonderful, luscious leaf blocks back in 2008, 2009....   I pieced to top after we moved to this house in 2009.  I had to make about a dozen more blocks to get it to the size I wanted.   It is a great lap size at 58 x 68. 

       I found a bunch of different leaves  using a google search for FREE clipart.   Then I enlarged or cropped each of them to get to the size I wanted.   I then traced these onto  Golden Threads Paper.  I stitched over the paper in the center of each leaf.  Then,  I filled in all around those leaves with a small swirl pattern.  No straight stitching or ditch work.   It feels like butter!  So soft and snuggly!   This one stays with me!  

      I used Hobbs 80/20 for the batting in this one. The beautiful backing was in a box of fabrics I purchased at an estate sale,  so it was a bargain.  It was a great piece  from Hancocks' that has a very soft, satiny feel.   

     "Friends and Fellows"  is my third finish or November.   You may have noticed a theme here,  but this top was pieced in 2009.  I've tested patterns in the past, and this is one of the patterns I tested.  Jessica J. E. Smith from the "Quilt and Needle"  designed this quilt as a mystery weekend.   I believe it is one of the few patterns that she has designed that is not available for sale on her website.  

     The original mystery quilt had plain, simple borders on it,  but I decided that I wanted to extend the corner blocks out into the borders,  and then I added the applique.   The appliques are fused and machine satin stitched.   

     84 x 84 before quilting and washing, it was one of the larger quilts I've finished.  My Janome 9400 QCP handled it well.  I love the 11" harp space.  I used Hobbs 80/20 for the batting.   I spent a couple hours each day over about 2 weeks to get the quilting done.  I chose  1" Cross hatching in the black printed areas.  Stitch in the ditch around the block components.  Medium sized swirls in green areas, and a mix of motifs in the block portions in the center.   I decided to keep the borders simple, using a 1/2" bead design  along with 1" piano key quilting.  

     

The quilt below is one made by my quilting friend, Jami Carr Schroeder in Iowa.  This is the way the original pattern was designed with simple borders. 
     

September and October Finishes

     I've been busy!  Both finishing projects,  and practicing my free motion quilting.  So busy,  that I neglected to show my Sept. and Oct. finishes to you.  

I had 3 October  finishes... 

This quilt using a deer panel, was one I started back in 2012.  It was actually 1 of 3 quilts that were started when we purchased our big travel trailer.   The trailer is gone, (Not the quilts though)...   but this quilt has been waiting for it's finishing touches.   I learned a new Free Motion Quilting motif which was really fun to do in the border.  I practiced ruler work in the stars,  and checkerboard switchbacks around them.  

  Approx 60 x 72,  it now resides on Mike's recliner.  He really needed a fresh quilt... His previous one had been well loved, and had kept him company through  cancer surgery recovery,  heart issues,  and radiation.   All back in 2011 - 2012.   I'm happy to say that he is doing great!  but he had literally worn through the back, which is the part he sits on to  be more comfortable in the leather chair.  

   This is the repair work I had done to his previous quilt...  No fading happened in the last 9 years....  LOL   This quilt is still hanging around,  and is one that we will use to cuddle with if we are sitting around the fire pit on a chilly evening.  

     The next  finish was the first of at least 2 quilts for the 70,273 project.   This quilt commemorates 60 lives.  I had a great time practicing my free motion motifs on each block to make each one different.   

     I have enough blocks to piece a second quilt, which will be done soon.  My goal is to have it pieced and quilted by the beginning of 2019.  

    Another finish was one that I started in 2010.  Blocks were given to me as a challenge from my sister in law,  who is also a quilter.   Someone had donated a family member's quilting things to the small group we quilt with.   This quilter was a heavy smoker,  and was way more ambitious than her skills in both cutting and piecing.  There were probably 50 blocks total,  which were so smoky I couldn't bring them in the house at first.  I spent several sunny, summer days,  laying them out in the lawn in the morning, and picking them up again at night.  Eventually,  I was able to bring them inside and put the plan in place that I had thought of as I handled them each day.   I divided them into three different  groups, by color combination.  While they originally were designed to be 12 1/2" unfinished,  there were less than a dozen in the group that did.  Some were larger,  many were smaller... There were a some that I simply tossed, because the seams were poorly sewn.   Ultimately I got 3 tops done,  and this one is the final of three to be quilted.  They are all donated now.   I trimmed each group to a "uniform size"  even if it meant losing some points,  and then sashed them with fabric I had that was the same as the orig. background used.  then I "twisted and turned" the new blocks and trimmed them on an angle  to help disguise that they were not all the same.

I had fun practicing Free Motion Quilting in each block,  and I used my ruler foot as well.   This was my first attempt at doing feathers without a template to trace,  or follow.  

The first picture is a good view of all blocks,  but its before i quilted the feathers and the border.  

 Just for fun,  here are pictures of the other two quilts from this group. 

Add caption

 In September, I also had 3 finishes....  

 I finished this youth quilt.  It was started with leftover blocks from an appliqued baby quilt that were left hanging around.  I pieced the top during a snow week sewing  frenzy a couple of years ago, when I was attempting to round up some leftover projects.   I practiced my new FMQ skills using a different motif in each different fabric section.  These were blocks from Yellow Brick Road, but I added sashing to make it 45 x 60.  This will be a donation quilt.  

Not a complete finish,  but I also managed to complete the top for Bonnie Hunter's  mystery from last winter,  "On Ringo Lake".  I did mine in Red, White and Blues....  and it will be a QOV when it returns from the Long Armer who quilts QOV for our group.  It felt so good to get this to the "completed top" stage.    I'm super happy with how it turned out.  Lots of small pieces in this one.  Well worth the time and effort.  

I also finished the second "Haystack Rock" Quilt.  This is an almost twin to one I finished and entered in our quilt show last spring,  but my step daughter loves Haystack Rock on the Oregon Coast, and since she lives in Montana and doesn't get to see it often enough... I made one for her too!