Design Wall Monday and...

...Quiltville's Monday Mystery Link Up Party

It finally arrived! Clue 1 for Quiltville's Grand Illusion.  On my design wall are 20 blocks.

I had grand plans to sew all day Friday and Saturday.  You all know what happens when you make plans!  I did get all the parts cut. I finally have all my half square triangles sewn and 30 blocks are sewn together. I have 40 more yellows to sew to HSTs and 68 of the blacks.  I know I'll have a good sewing week because the work week begins again tomorrow, my house is clean and laundry is almost caught up. :)

I did some unsewing and resewing of squares to get all units of Cascadia to match.  With this many pieces, correct seam allowances are very important. Now I need to find a backing and binding for this. I'll do some simple quilting and have a cute mini quilt.

Today I'm linking up with Patchwork Times and Quiltville.

Design Wall Monday

I've been working hard to get my 2nd Scrappy Sister's Choice blocks sewn into a top. I did that and now I'm stalling on choosing border fabrics. I'll do that today.

In the mean time..... I'm working on Cascadia. A mystery quilt along with Lori at Humble Quilts.  Scroll through her blog to find Parts 1, 2 and 3.  I have a plastic pencil box that was stuffed full of 1 1 /2" squares. I'd started making 4 patches with them then discovered Bonnie's Tumalo Trail design and switched the 4 patches to 9 patches.  Then Cascadia comes along so I used some of the 4 patches to get started.

It's fun doing Lori's little quilts. I have the perfect spot already picked out for this one. I'm excited for the next step.

I'm excited to see what's going on in Blogland today. Check out great design walls at Patchwork Times today.

Bonnie UFO Challenge Success!

My version of Bonnie's Sister's Choice #1 is a finished top. It's hard to tell but the border is brown with green leafy vines and itty bitty yellow and blue flowers. I'm going to find some blue for the binding. You can see it here if you want.  Another of my life's simple pleasures.....Miss Polly always posing for the camera.  We'll work on the lighting another day.

Sister's Choice #2 has one of the 6 rows sewn together with part of row 2 under the needle.  I didn't stack these blocks the right way to be able to web the top like I normally like to do. I don't know what I was thinking or even if I was. This is giving me lots of leader/ender action which is a good thing.  I am in get it done mode and I'm running out of time before the mystery kick off.

See how others are doing with their Bonnie UFO Challenge at Jo's Country Junction.

Design Wall Monday

Good progress was made this week on my version of Bonnie's Sister's Choice Quilt. (Free pattern found here.) A few days ago, I did some math and decided to make 12 more blocks and make 2 quilts instead of one. Crazy? Nah, I have a plan!!

Quilt #1 is getting the rest of it's borders today. Quilt #2 will be layed out and blocks stacked, ready to sew together.

Funny story........most of the blocks have the same outer neutral per block with lots of neutrals being used. A few are scrappy.  The last 12 blocks....the centers are sewn spinning in the opposite direction from all the others. I didn't even think about it until I was pressing them.  Does that bother me? No, it's a scrappy, fun quilt. One day someone will look at it and wonder what was she thinking.  The answer will be "She wasn't!  She was doing mindless sewing, having a wonderful time with her fabrics."

The border fabrics are nowhere in the quilt. Again, does this bother me.....NO.  I love this quilt and I'm so happy I chose it/them to work on before Grand Illusion starts. I need to hurry, I want both tops finished before the 29th.

See what others have on their design wall at Patchwork Times.

My plans for this week:

• Finish Quilt #1
• Finish Quilt #2
• Rearrange sewing table

Design Wall Monday and...

 ...November Retreat Roundup

 And what a retreat it was.

I got so much done while having so much fun.

I have nothing on my design wall but I have great completed projects.

First thing I did was make the block for Wishes Quilt Along.

Then I did the borders for Tell It To The Stars.

Next up I made my final block (the one I just knew I had already made!

and will probably find someday in a different project box!!) 

and made the connector blocks for Friends and Companions.

Then put them all together, added the setting triangles and borders.

I love a good retreat TahDah!!!

And how fitting that my Friends were with me when I finished this top.

I added a few more Pineapple Crazy blocks.

(Not these particular ones,

I'm too lazy to get the bin out and take a picture.)

And added quite a few new to me scraps from friends.

It was fun to see when they found their fabrics.

We do strip swaps.

Usually 2 1/2"  black/whites, neutrals and batiks

but this retreat we added a new category.

1 1/2" neutrals!

Look at that selection.

35 different fabrics.

I am the swapper so I get the up close and personal look at all the great fabrics.

I am trilled to have added 60 strips to my stash!!

I had to stop Friday morning on my way in to Royal Ridges to take pictures.

The fall colors with the sunshine streaming in was just gorgeous!

I looked out my window to see these beauties up on the hill.

I will miss retreat season but

I am ready to hunker down at home for the winter.

Of course it hasn't officially arrived yet but it sure feels like it has.

Check fabulous design walls at Patchwork Times.

Bonnie Challenge Update

I'm a day late with my Bonnie UFO Challenge Update. 

That's the way things have been going lately.

I only have 8 blocks left to sew back together.

Then I did some counting and some math.

Bad idea???

Maybe not.

If I make 12 more blocks, 

I can make 2 cuddle on the couch quilts.

Will I?

I don't know.

I'm still thinking about it.

I also have these 8 sewn blocks to press.

That's not all I've done this week,

I worked on another project instead.

Can't tell you what it is though.

You know,

tis the season.

How did others do with their Bonnie UFOs?

See here at Jo's Country Junction.

Design Wall Monday

This is not really a design wall but my living room curtain with Circle of Jewels pinned to it. I've been a bit obsessed with it this week. After I finish the half jewels, I'll fill the sides in with half flowers and then add borders. This post shows where I was last Monday. What a difference a week makes.  I'm sooooo close!!!

Right now it measures 54" x 56 1/2".  After I add the borders, this will make a be a nice cuddle on the couch or in the recliner quilt.

Last week's plan:

• Sew back for Pieced Hexies. No.
• Work on Scrappy Sister's Choice   Yes! I have just a few blocks left to sew together.
• Baste Pieced Hexies.  No. Like I said, I was obsessed with CoJ.

Plans for this week:

• Get ready for retreat!
• Go to retreat!
• Have fun at retreat!  
• Circle of Jewels-maybe I can get the black and white part finished and start the half flowers.

See what others are working on at Patchwork Times. 

Slow Stitching Sunday

Today I plan to work on Circle of Jewels. I need to make some half flower rosettes and some half jewels.  This means I am almost finished with the hand stitching part of this quilt. I love my zebra lap desk. It has a nice padded underside so stays almost level on my lap.  That is if a cute little dog or a couple of kittens stay out of the way.

Last Monday I took this photo. I have since finished the bottom row, See there on the right side, 2nd row?  I was unsure what to fill that with so I sent this picture off in an email off to Mickey DePre for her opinion. (After all, it is all her fault that I started this. All she did was post one little picture of her future project and I fell in love and went crazy! Crazy in a good way!!)  She said she planned to fill her sides in with half flowers so I will too.  Then I will machine applique it to a narrow border and add a wider black and white print border like I did with Mae's GFG. I will probably quilt it pretty much the same as her's too.

This isn't a big quilt, it's just the right size to cuddle on the couch with.

What are you stitching today? See great projects at Kathy's Quilt: Slow Sunday Stitching.