Easy Street Update

So far this mystery is going great. I have step 1 complete:

Step 2 has all the pieces cut and most of them sewn...I am using yellow for Bonnie's purple:

Also cut the extra rectangles mentioned so it will be interesting to see how this all goes together.

Step 3 is all cut; after a miscut with the teal triangles and a recut(hopefully I still have enough fabric). I'm sure I do as I am using quite a variety and who knows? maybe we will need a slightly smaller teal triangle LOL.

Anyway, here is a picture of the step 3's finished so far and the 4 green triangles.

I should be able to finish sewing the rest by Friday. 

I have linked this with Bonnie's Linky Monday-check out other links by clicking on the link below.

quiltville.blogspot.ca/2012/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-3.html

And here we go again-Bonnie Hunter mystery

Another Bonnie Hunter mystery has begun:

I finally got my fabric washed last night - about half of it was washed and I have found recently that I get stuffed up using fabric not washed so now the rest is washed.


I originally picked these fabrics :

But I wasn't crazy about my grey(at the far end), it is a mottled green/grey/pinky. I am using yellow instead of purple. The greens and blues are much brighter than they show here.









I went back to my stash as I was determined to not go shopping and I found this great black with some white so I am using it as my grey and it feels right..................so will see if it works:

On to Clue 1 released yesterday. Four patches which will be made with black and black on white in my case. Here are some strips sewn together; I think this is enough for half of what is required.

Here they are cut into twosies.

And...........the first few 4 patches. I love them and hope to get the rest sewn tomorrow. 

Roll roll cotton boll finished!!!!

Actually finished sewing the binding on this quilt last Saturday but haven't had time to take a picture and get it posted until today. Had 2 full day seminars for work this week with an overnite stay with my sister-in-law and brother-in-law downtown. It was nice to have a 10 minute walk after class rather than an hour drive home and a nicer start to day 2 with the same 10 minute walk back to the conference centre.
Anyway here is my latest quilt finish:

                                         The pieced border turned out fantastic-thanks to Bonnie Hunter that we started it at step 2 of the mystery. If I knew how much work there was in the border I may not have attempted but I will probably not do a plain border without thinking about a pieced one in the future.

 This is a close up of the quilting done by my niece Cathy Tomm - I hope you can see the detail as it is beautiful. There is feathers in all the string blocks and curls and loops in the pieced blocks. I have also taken a picture of the back to showcase the quilting but with the light reflecting not sure if you can really see it.

I have been sorting through projects to see what else I can finish before Bonnie Hunter's next mystery starts is 2 weeks. I pulled out Cathedral Stars (another Bonnie Hunter pattern) and completed half of the blocks. I had all the Jacob's Ladder blocks ready to sew the rows together so they are now done. Now I need to make 30 more star blocks. I have all the pieces ready for 13 of them and all the 4 patches ready for the rest so will keep working at it. 

I just finished trimming a scrappy quilt that is almost ready for the Victoria Hospice so off to put the binding on that and with a bonus day off tomorrow maybe I will get something else finished.

Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt

I have the binding sewn on one side of Roll roll cotton boll, finally. Should be able to finish tomorrow night and then start digging through for fabrics for Bonnie Hunter's new mystery quilt. I have done a few of her mystery's:
                                             Double Delight (which I would like to do again);

 Carolina Christmas - I need to find a picture to share
 Roll roll cotton boll  - I will post a picture as soon as binding is done.
And Orca Bay - I changed the colors dramatically and need to take a better picture.

They all turned out beautiful so I am looking forward to the new mystery.                                                                                                                                                                                             Fabric requirements come out tomorrow but no rush to pick them as the first clue isn't for 3 weeks so hopefully I can get a few more finishes in.

Quilt Finish

Finally got the binding on and a quilt completed.
Here is Kitty Frenzy which was started more years ago than I want to mention but it is now done......and this one's for me.

                                          Close up of the funky cats - I love these cats and the picture does not do them justice. I started with the centre panel and just kept adding things until I knew I was done :). It is probably twin size and not sure what I'm doing with it but should be great to cuddle under as the days get cooler.

This is the back pieced from leftovers from the front.

Here's hoping I can get some more finishes this week. Bonnie Hunter has a new Mystery starting soon and I'm sure I will not be able to resist. I have done the last four(I think) and they are totally addictive and have all turned out great. The next one I'm binding is one of her past mysteries so hope to have a picture in a couple of days.

















 I have 2 more large quilts to put binding on next and then a couple of comfort quilts almost completed for Victoria Hospice (a project taken on by Westshore Quilt Guild). I hope to get them done this week. I got the binding strips cut today before company arrived so hopefully sewn together tomorrow evening and start sewing on to quilt.

Back to Normal.......whatever normal is !!!!!

I seem to have been very busy since my last post with working & camping throughout the summer.
Have been back home for 2 weeks after being gone for just over a month but it has taken that long to unpack, sort and get back into any kind of routine.
We left Sooke Sep 13 and drove to Innisfail for a short visit with Scott. He then kindly took us to the Calgary airport before he went to work Monday morning where we headed for Frankfurt, Germany with a short stop in Toronto. Here is the motorhome we spent the week in.

We first visited the town in Germany where I was born while my family was stationed when my Dad was in the Royal Canadian Armed Forces. It was so cool to see as I was only 6 months old when we left. I had seen lots of pictures but certainly didn't remember anything.

We spent the rest of the week driving through some amazing and beautiful countryside across the south end of Germany arriving in Munich just in time for Oktoberfest(not planned). Who knew Oktoberfest started the 23rd of September?

We had a great tour of the BMW Welt and museum which is an amazing building. It displays all their new cars. This was followed by a City tour (chauffeured in vintage BMW's) and a tour of their collection of classics which is only available on this tour(not open to the public).

                                            The cars we did the tour in.....................

                                                      BMW Museum

                                                    Our driver
We took over 1000 pictures which still need to be severely edited but this is a few.
Then we were off to Dublin and touring in Ireland for almost 2 weeks. I will have to do another post for that.

Happy Canada Day!!!!!

Happy Canada Day Everyone.

 Time is flying and here we are July 1 , 2012.
This weekend I have been doing some organizing and cleaning in my sewing area; badly needed. I have been doing a little sewing but nothing major for a few months. I have rcvd both my roll roll cotton boll and my string quilt( still needs a name) back from my niece who did a wonderful quilting job on them and they are patiently waiting for me to get the binding on. Here they are before the quilting.

 When I eventually get the binding on I will post finished pictures.
 This spring has been very busy with my full-time job plus a part-time sec/treas position which has been very busy since April but will now slow down again until next April allowing me to get back to sewing.
I am looking forward to that but needed to clean-up and find things so I know where to start. One thing I found is a polar fleece sweater all cut out from probably 5 or 6 years ago so my cleaning partner (daughter) who helps me get rid of things I don't need challenged me to sew it today or give it to the salvation army so TA-DA I have a new sweater. And I discovered my serger does still work after having not been used for a very long time.
Better head back to my cutting table as I am trimming some scraps into usable pieces.
Hopefully it will not be another 5 months until I post again.

New....Old project

Now that Orca Bay is done (although no the binding....shhh) I am back to some UFO's. I found this project earlier this winter that I started a few years ago and had to try and remember what I had planned. From my notes I am making these blocks

for corner stones in the border.

Here is another picture with a hint from the rest of the quilt if you can see it at the back of the picture.

Stay Tuned for updates as this quilt progresses, the centre is all done and this is the border if it fits like I think it will.

Orca Bay Quilted

All that's left is the binding.........................

off to work I go

Orca Bay Top COMPLETE!!!

Yeah, I have finished my Orca Bay top, I decided to make it slightly smaller than intended but I'm happy with the result. I left off one row on the side and one row on the bottom and then added a 2 1/2" border. Although I am really happy with my colors I could not picture it queen size on a bed as it is very busy and I have decided to gift it to my Mom who just turned 82 this week. She was visiting at Christmas and helped snipping pieces apart to press etc. She was asking me the other day if I had it finished yet and I told her I would send a picture when I got it done. She wants to show her friends what she helped with. Then I had a lightbulb moment and decided I will send her the quilt instead of a picture.
I'm going to try and keep the momentum going today and pin it on my machine and quilt it, so off to get a back prepared.

Here is my sister(one of them-there are 2 more), my Mom and me at Christmas this year..........

Orca Bay - loving my colors

Here is the first block and then with the light block(mine is darker as I used blacks as my neutral)  laying beside. I don't have my design wall up at the moment for better display. I did some more assorted pieces today and realized I had enough to do one block as someone suggested on the chat group. I like that better than long rows so will give it a try. I have enough for probably half of the blocks but time for sewing today has run out, so far I am loving my colors....very bright.

Here is the linky back to Bonnie Hunters Blog where you can see more progress on a lot of other Orca Bay quilts - http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2012/01/mystery-monday-link-up-part-7-8.html

Orca Bay Update

We now have seen the beautiful finished quilt and it is once again an awesome quilt by Bonnie Hunter; I can't wait to see what mine will look like as my colors are completely different. So far I am really liking how it is turning out.
It will be awhile but I am pleased with the progress:
Step 1 - QST - completed today

Step 2 - 3 1/2 " string blocks - only need 13 more

Step 3 - HST - completed today  WOOHOO!!! 

Step 4 - orange string blocks combined with HST with wings  Step 5 added - only 4 made so far. 

Step 6 - Ohio Stars - I am loving these - 4 made so far. as black is my neutral they are black or purple rather than black or white so my quilt will be quite different but I think I  like it.

Anyway tomorrow is one more day off so hopefully I can get quite a bit of sewing time in.

2012 Here we are........are you ready

Happy New Year
Wishing everyone a fabulous year, be happy.....share your smile and have a great day every day!!!!

The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.  ~Mark Twain                   


If you want to be happy, be.  ~Leo Tolstoy

Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.  ~Nathaniel Hawthorne


We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.  ~Frederick Keonigways