Clue #1 of Grand Illusion Winter Mystery Quilt from Bonnie Hunter

Here is my progress so far on the Grand Illusion winter mystery quilt. Bonnie has a way with fabrics and I know that these fabrics will make a beautiful quilt. Can't wait for the next clue! As you can see, I have all of my fabrics purchased for the mystery. My pizza box challenge quilt from the Preble County Stitchers used many of the same colors. In fact, I could have use

d all of them with the blocks. So, I think Bonnie did a super job on choosing fabrics. Of course, I would have loved the quilt even if Bonnie chose just black, brown, and light neutrals. She does have a way with scraps! I've included a photo of my picket fences quilt that I made and donated to a student organization made up of military veterans through Miami University at the Hamilton campus as a fund raiser. It was fun to make and I liked the sage green border especially. I've also included my quilt Resolution Square based on the block used in Jennifer Chiaverini's book THE GIVING QUILT. The quilt is in two green fabrics with unbleached muslin. It is a relaxing quilt and now owned by my mother. The other photo is a set of comfort dolls I knitted for my granddaughter. She is just 18 months old and loves to carry small things. The doll on the left is my granddaughter (who really doesn't have much hair so I made blonde curls for her), my daughter-in-law with her long blonde hair, and my son with his short dark brown curly hair. When my granddaughter saw the long hair on the mother doll, she pulled out a strand and put it on her own head. So cute! Here is a link to the progress of all those who posted on Bonnie Hunter's Quiltville blog.

Finished Quilt Tops

This weekend was very busy with finishing two quilt tops. The first one was our stitching group (The Preble County Stitchers) created and called it "The Pizza Box Challenge". In this challenge, everyone printed out the directions and color requirements for the quilt block of their choice. My choice was Churn Dash or Hole in the Barn Door. I precut 4 1/2" squares of a bright f

loral for everyone to use in the center of the block and then made two blocks as examples; all the stitchers needed to do was add the other pieces in any of the colors in the center section - Now, that would be bright pink, pale pink, orange, turquoise, yellow, and green along with white. After the boxes were exchanged, the ladies then made two blocks using the pattern and color requirements and placed them in the box. The box was returned the next meeting and given to someone else who then made two blocks. When the box was returned, there were my two original blocks and twelve more. So, I just needed some more to make it really sing. After deciding to set the blocks on point, I added sashing of bright yellow with soft green cornerstones. An outside border of the bright floral print brought the blocks together. The next quilt is a Bonnie Hunter quilt pattern called Bow-Dacious. Wow! Was it ever so much fun to make the little bow tie blocks. I got to use my 1 1/2" squares and small scraps of neutrals (mostly white and unbleached muslin). All of those scraps that I thought would be too small for anything just fit this quilt. Four of the bow tie blocks were sashed with blue and then around each of those blocks was sashed with green. A dusty pumpkin inner border and then an outer border of dark green, light green, blue, gold, and pumpkin just brought everything together. I really love making the little blocks that Bonnie designs which use the small scraps. That makes me feel that I have saved some fabric from the trash and ended up with something beautiful. Today I finished the units for clue #1 of Grand Illusion, a Bonnie Hunter winter mystery quilt. If you haven't ever tried a mystery quilt, I encourage you to do so. Bonnie makes everything so easy to understand and so much fun, especially when you get to see what other quilters are doing on their mystery quilts. Tomorrow, I'll post my progress.

What have I been up to?

Well, I haven't posted anything in quite awhile, so I will try to remember all that I have gotten finished since my last post. I have made two table runners; one was a stack and whack square where you place four large rectangles on top of each other. Then you move 1/2 of the top rectangle to the bottom and then seam all of the rectangles back together. Then you cut again going the other way across the rectangle. Move 1/2 of the rectangle down to the bottom block and then seam all of the rectangles back together. Everyone in my quilt group made placemats, but I don't use placemats - so I made a long table runner by sewing the four "placemats" together. Shirting fabrics were my choice of fabrics. I then added a rusty red small border. My husband loves crows (he raised some when he was a child), so a crow on a tree branch was appliqued by hand with embroidery floss and the buttonhole stitch. Of course there was a large space between the crows that needed to be filled with stars (just three to keep the odd number to make it appealing). After quilting in a stipple with my sewing machine, I bound it with a black plaid. I love it. The second table runner is a modern look with grays, whites, and blues - it is in a chevon style. It was quilted on the sewing machine using my walking foot. It really is eye-catching, but not my style. I have also finished some quilt tops. I'll need to post photos sometime. Until then, happy quilting, sewing, knitting, crocheting, embroidery,....

Knitted Felted Purse Photo Found

I hope you can view this photo since I'm not sure why it doesn't upload like I thought it would.  Well, I was looking through some photos to attach to my family tree and found the photo of my felted knitted purse that I had mentioned in an earlier post. It was knitted with Paton's wool yarn and then felted. I crocheted the flower, stem, and leaves with a stone colored Paton's wool yarn. It really was different. Those felted purses just call my name!

One Forgotten Photo

After viewing what I had posted, I realized that I had mentioned a purse of which I had not uploaded a photo. So, here goes. The purse is knitted with Paton's wool yarn in an ombre of stone, brown, pink, and rose. The top of the purse is knitted in just brown for a small band and then the handles were I-cord knitted in brown. It was a put into my washer three times but I never put it into the dryer. I also crocheted the flower in stone; there is no pattern available since I just adlibbed as I went. It was then attached and a lining of pink with brown circles was added. I don't have the purse anymore since it became part of a raffle and now lives with someone else. Hope you enjoy. Well, I see that the photo I wanted to attach is not attaching. Hmph. What am I doing wrong? Anyone know what I need to do?

Celtic Solstice Link-Up

Whoops, I forgot to include the photos I have of my progress on Celtic Solstice. You will see the photos of some of the fabrics I have collected for this quilt. Yes, I used the same colors as Bonnie suggested because "when I grow up I want to be just like Bonnie". As far as progress goes, I have a few of the Tri-Recs blocks made with the orange; non

e even cut out for the neutrals/whites. I will need to get very busy now that my other projects are finished. If you all noticed my needlework bag in pink/red/black/white, the photo was rotated. Sorry. The little center block on it was blanket stitched by hand and embroidered by hand and then had buttons sewn on for the berries. I just love that it has antique buttons all along the top of the bag. The pattern is one of Sue Spargo's named Victoria. The little journal is felt with pennies of felt stitched on the cover. It covers a composition book that I use to keep track of books I have read (written in the front section) and books I have read by favorite authors and those I want to read (written in the back section). I just love to look at it on my coffee table. A pocket was added inside the front cover to hold a calendar, pen, bookmark, library schedule, and assorted items. Hope you enjoy. I know that I am looking forward to being caught up and hoping that I will be ready for the next clue. Quilt on, Bonnie!

Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt Clue #1 from Bonnie Hunter

Well, I am off to a slow start on the Celtic Solstice quilt because I am trying to finish up gifts for Christmas. Yes, I have a Burgoyne Surrounded that is not finished since it is still at the quilter's. However, the Zig-Zag, the Snail's Trail, and the Double Pinwheels are finished even including the label on each. Also I have included photos of ot

her projects that just needed to be finished - a knitted and felted purse, String-X quilt in yellow and red, a journal cover (penny rug style), a pillow from a block made in the 80s (Cathedral Window), a handpieced and handquilted small quilt in autumn colors, and a small table mat using bonus 1/2 square triangles from a Picket Fences quilt. Hope you enjoy the projects that I have finished.