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!  

Cracker II - An August Finish

     I finished this quilt in August,  and it was gifted in September.

      "Jacob's Ladder"   "Jewell Box"   It has several other historical names... but my husband named it "Cracker II"...  

     I used a variety of browns from my fabric stash and only had to purchase some backing fabric.  

It now lives at it's forever home, with a good friend of ours.  


I free motion quilted around the center area using continuous curves.... and did ruler work to do the borders.    

Meet Sophie! My Janome 9400

     After 8 weeks I decided earlier this month to trade "Ruby" in at my local dealer,  and upgraded to the Janome 9400.   



     My dealer had graciously given me a loaner to use, that was one upgrade newer than Ruby,  and I loved the changes they had made to some of my everyday complaints.     When I went to test drive the newer 9400,  they had actually solved even more issues.     

    I had purchased the 7700 when it was very brand new.... first 7 mm  machine on the domestic market, and the largest throat of 11" at the time.   

     Lesson learned.... this many new features is often not the time to buy....  my biggest complaints included:  

1.    A very clumsy zipper foot!  the heel of it was 7 mm wide to accommodate the wide feed dogs... but that made it nearly impossible to stitch near the zipper teeth, or to make a nice piping. 
2.  Finding an accurate 1/4" seam without pieces twisting at the end of the sewing sentence.   ( I had to use the far right needle position for the 1/4 inch... but then it would veer off at the end of triangle pieces.) 
3. The mechanism to  use the single hole feature was a little piece of metal that would cover the wider needle hole,  but it was prone to catching lint and acting up.... plus  stitching in the far right needle position meant I couldn't use it where it was really useful, to keep triangle points from being eaten up at the beginning of stitching. 
4. It had a very hard time climbing up over seam bulk.  I had to use a seam bridge more times than I felt I should ever have to.   (my old Viking, and my Juki never had this issue... in fact my Featherweights  can climb up more seam bulk)
5. I never knew where the tension was set  with the Auto Tension... so when I needed to adjust for FMQ,  it was a huge guessing game.
6. The pieces that slipped down under the walking foot would catch on my safety   pins when free motion quilting. 
7. The presser foot lever was wide and long... which would also catch up on quilt sandwiches as they moved through the machine.... this would sometimes raise the presser foot just enough to mess with the tension.  I had learned to listen for the change of sound... but it was a pain. 

     I've had Sophie here at home now for about a month.   And she and I are getting along famously!  I named her after my great great grandmother on my mom's side.  Sophia arrived in the USA from Rohrbach, Russia on a ship in 1884.  She was only 8 years old!   

     So far,  she and I have mended some knits,  free motion quilted,  done some ruler work for quilting,  pieced 250 half square triangles (without any twisting),  pieced bulky seams on my "On Ringo Lake", and we took a fun class on embellishing fabric with zig zag stitches and metalic and specialty threads. 

     Last Sunday,  she had a small temper tantrum while I was trying to set her up for FMQ....  but we eventually came to an understanding and I finally gave her a different spool of thread which seemed to make the difference. 

     One of the features that I really love is the "HP Plate and 1/4 foot combation".  This throat plate automatically moves the needle over to the left side, using just the left half of the feed dog, for a narrow seam that does not grab or twist.  ( Like a featherweight or Juki straight stitch).  The foot is more of an industrial style,  and this foot climbs over seams like a dream.    

      Of Course, she comes with ton of decorative stitches I will most likely never use to full capacity...   She also has an auto foot up feature that is great if you are feeding lots of small block parts through in a chain.... and even with the 9 mm feed dogs,  her zipper foot is now slim and trim.  Zippers and piping are no problem at all. 

A Delicate Flower

     My husband, Mike, named this quilt. " A Delicate Flower" .    It has been bound, labeled and delivered.    This quilt is for a friend of ours....   You can read about the one I made her husband in the next blog post. 

  

     I've been following some blogs and watching videos on free motion quilting this summer.  I jumped in on the paisley design in the center.   Here is a closer picture of the back... which is a solid color, showing the quilting a little better. 

     This is my first attempt to quilt this design on a quilt, without using a stencil or tracing it onto golden threads paper and then stitching and tearing.   Doing it freehand took a while.  It's definitely not perfect, especially my stitch length consistency (or lack of).   

     The pattern is so dense, that it really left me with some decisions about how to do the border.  I've never quilted a quilt this heavily.  In fact... I wound a total of 20 bobbins for this quilt and have less than 1 left.  I would say that I average 7 - 10 bobbins per most quilts.  

    Oh, yeah.. the borders.  I needed something that would be equally as dense to keep everything flat.  I purchased some Westalee quilting rulers at our quilt show in May, but had not yet tried them out.  Perfect opportunity.... two new skills at  once.  

     The templates are very versatile.  They are the concentric circles.  A set of 4 that allow for quilting as close together as a quarter of an inch, to any increment you want, really... but at 1/4" , 1/2", 3/4" or 1" apart.   There are many more options rather than just concentric circles... overlapping circular motifs... Baptist Fans... which is the reason they caught my attention in the first place.   I love the way they look on quilts. 

      The templates ride on a tack, and they rotate as needed as you stitch.  There are some tutorial videos on youtube.  tutorial video     And so many choices of templates and rulers on their website.    Now.... not cheap... but they are high quality and versatile.  My thinking is to get a few more sets that I can mix and match.