Allietare Part 3 - Done!

Such a sense of accomplishment to get the Bonnie Hunter MQ Allietare clues caught up todate.

That and getting ready for Christmas with bindings to get sewn onto quilted presents for my grandchildren. I have a zillion miles of binding left to go!! All quilts have been quilted by Kim Caskey Custom Quilting in Edmonton (and photo credits as marked).

Grand Illusion, the very generous 2014 Mystery Quilt from Bonnie Hunter, itinerant and prolific quilter, from Quiltville (& from her mountain retreat aka Quiltvilla). The backing on this is a chevron blue white and grey minky and my granddaughter is going to love it.

Tumalo Trail, a brilliant way to use those 2" squares. Another fabulous pattern from Bonnie Hunter's book Scraps & Shirttails II, Continuing the Art of Quilting Green. Bonnie used 1.5" in her's, but I have had a stack of 2" to use up...Quilting Green.

My Little Irish Dream, a Disappearing 9 Patch using up some of the delightful shamrock phat quarters (even the thread colour is named "Limerick") that I have bought over the past 3 visits to Ireland with Celtic Quilt Tours. We always have a fabulous time and you should come with us. They have also added quilt tours to Scotland and France to the list. So much quilting fun around the world and so little time!

Enough blogging for one night, I have binding to sew on!!!
I am connecting to Quiltville, click over here to see the progress and fun going on in the name of Allietare.
my love and hugs to all
Kathy

Catching up...again

I feel like that short legged cousin who when you go for a walk, is always running to catch up. There is lots of fun going on, but how to keep up with it all. I am closing in on completing all of my Christmas presents  and it time to deliver these quilts to my LA and to fill those reserved spots.

I have finished to Tumalo Trails top (76" square), pattern by Bonnie Hunter from her Scraps & Shirting II: Continuing the Art of Quilting Green. It is ready to go to Kim Caskey Custom Quilting. That has used up 'some' of my 2" colour wash squares, unlike Bonnie who used 1.5" in her original pattern

and "Grand Illusions" is also off the LA.

The RSC15 is coming together beautifully! I will have a reserved spot for sometime in the new year. I think it deserves so custom detailing rather than a panto. I love these lime green blocks in here. To check up on other lime green loveliness head over to SoScrappy.

And getting right in the upcoming holiday mode, I got a few Christmas Baubles together with a glue gun on a Sunday afternoon. This is the happy result, a jewel toned wreath (click on the photo to enlarge).

Love and hugs to all
Kathy

UFOs...why I start them

UFO, are not unto themselves such a bad thing. (Says she will a list an arm length long). But think about it, UFO can best be described as a creative idea expressed in fabric (for quilter artists), in glass (for glass artists), in yarn (for knitters), in embroidery thread (for needle crafters), and so on. To make my point about carpenters I only have to point the camera in the direction of my son's wood shop. I digress.

So I saw a great 2" scrap buster over on Quiltville. Two four patches joined end to end and paired with a 3.5" by 6.5" and set staggered style...or Barn Raising...I doodled the design down and made a few rows to capture the essence of the pattern. I have used blue as my dominate colour of the larger rectangles, but the 2" bits are anything goes. This will now become my leader and ender project.

 

I used blue and cut pieces as I hunted through the drawers and bins looking for just the right bright pinks, oranges, turquoise and blues for my next weekend class at Earthly Goods.

We will be using this ruler and pattern.

This yellow gray is my background choice.

I KNOW I am my own worst enemy.

Back to my UFO pile: it will be seriously be worked on between now and Christmas, as a few of these have been identified as presents for my grandchildren.

Today I am getting the Tumalo Trail put together, all the blocks are made, and the backing ironed. 
I love these cows! This is for the oldest grandson, born into a family of ranchers. Enter the brown theme for the SoScrappy aficionados that are keeping up with making all sorts of lovely chocolate, mocha, and espresso flavored blocks.

Much love and hugs to you all
Kathy

2 x 4's Like My Dad Never Used

Week 3 clue is out and I was all weekend making 2 x 4's like my Dad never used. These greens are marvelous and so refreshing to work with.

I did have one small mishap with the iron however on Saturday night. Or rather a tipsy can of spray starch did. The can is empty (and btw how long have I had this) and has for a long time been waiting to be banished from the studio forever. To be replaced with this quilt piecer's best friend - Mary Ellen's Best Press. I recently won at guild a $50 gift certificate from Central Sewing. So off to cash it in this weekend and used that as the down payment on a gallon of the stuff which the sticker price is $70. So thank you very much Central Sewing for a great supply. Wonder how long this is going to last?

Back to the mishap with the iron and SS. While it was still hot I scrapped it off with a putty knife and cleaned both on newsprint. Good as new.

In between birthday party for beautiful 10 year old granddaughter and an Edmonton Police Service volunteer brunch I did get all of my 2 x 4's completed.

I also have been having a great time sewing together mine and Lou's 2" squares into 9 patches for  Ty's Tumalo Trails quilt (leaders and enders).

With a few left over ends from the 2 x 4's trimmed and put into these 9 patches, they will have not spent to long languishing on the cutting table between projects.

 For more fun than you can possibly handle on a Monday night, head on over to Bonnie's Linky Party for more gorgeous and inspirational GI's Mystery Makers.

Hugs
Kathy

Trying to stay caught up

But trying to stay caught up with what...there are so many choices this time of year. Concerts, shopping, baking and of course the online MQ Grand Illusions. I was so busy piecing this past week to get Step # 2 before Step # 3 was published, and even I did not have time to write and post at the Linky Party. 

But I learned a few things along the way. Clean as you go, cut a few to get you started the next time you have a chance to sit in front of the Bernina and a new way to turn parallelograms into rectangles. The 100 blocks are made and marinating in the bin along with the 200 Broken Dishes blocks and 80 hst's. The clips only stay on for the counting part of the process and then then help to clip the next step.

I am very happy to report that in Step #3 that 50 of the required 120 8-patches are pressed, counted and clipped together.

While I am doing all that I have started (leader and ender) a Tumalo Trail with assorted (and lively) nine patches. Pictured here the first two blocks. I LOVE THEM as much as I LOVE the GRANDSON this quilt is intended for. 

 I promise the next posting won't be so long, but I had a lot of catching up to do this time.

So much to sew and so little time.
hugs
Kathy