Update Australian Mystery Quilt

My good friend and Mystery Quilt designer Marj O'Hara sent along this picture of me with my MQ completed quilt top from class on Dec 28. Yes that's me with my Team Canada jersey cheering on our Juniors. They played great games and sorry they didn't get the gold...but at least they got to play hockey.

I have some plans for a more involved finish than just a plain border. Stand by for those updates.

cheers
kas

Easy Street - Part II

Five years ago my daughter Cynthia had this fabulous fabric created using pictures of my babies (oldest now 42) and their babies (my grandchildren). This was created prior to the arrival of my Madie Ann. I have been so conflicted in finding a project to use it on. But when Bonnie Hunter called for a black and white background, I had found my project.  I am having to fussy cut their sweet baby faces, but there will be no saving having to shave some ears or chins, unless the pieces get a little bit larger.  It will be the classic game of peek-a-boo. 

Here are sisters Odessa and Tanea. I will be introducing others as the quilt progresses.

In the meantime I have made my 128 flying geese units and am ready for Part III.

I also want to share my new Christmas toes done by Tatiana...she never disappoints me with her designs, pictured here on one of my selvedge crocheted rugs.

I spent yesterday at my grandson's 9th birthday party at Niton Junction (90 minutes west of Edmonton) and it was a picture perfect display of hoar frost.

Started down Easy Street

Over at Quiltville.com Bonnie K. Hunter has generously started a new mystery quilt: Easy Street.  Handing one clue a week for several weeks she will lead us through heaping piles of four patches, hst's, or maybe even qst's...but she does promise that there will be no strings.

Clue #1 has us making four patches - 192. My colour palette will closely follow Bonnie's;1) because the colours she has recommended sound perfect to me 2) why mess with perfection. I was doing some kas-stash shopping I came across this thunder-struck gray and I know it is from 2001. However there will be nothing but a memory left once I am done this quilt. It was fun to sew together a Debbie Mumm to a Mark Lipinski...hey maybe these two opposites will play along very nicely in my quilt.

Bonnie has also given us instructions for doing the interior four-patch twirl...sounds like a little dance number. This opens that interior intersection and your little four-top will lie as flat as hardtop. So far 100 are made and the 92 remaining are waiting their turn.

I also have my hand block ready to send off to the International Quilt Festival of Ireland.  My very good friend (Kim Caskey) and I are co-hosting a 9-day Enchanted Tour of Ireland, June 5 - 13, 2013 and are sew hoping you will join our tour.  We have special sights and activities planned: I Spy with a Quilter's Eye is just one.  There is still room on our coach, and if need be, we will get a second one.

This block with be added along with 100's more the the 100,000 welcomes Quilt that will greet visitors to the Quilter's Castle in Galway, June 2013.  Anyone can make a block to send, even if you can not make it :-(. I would be more than delighted to send you the instructions.

Orca Bay Top Finished!

Here is my finished top. Sorry about the great human fold, but Betty and I were doing our best. it turned into a very large, heavy and amazing quilt. I am looking forward to getting this quilted.

thanks again to Bonnie K Hunter of quiltville.com for her inspiration and leadership.

Because we received our 'star' clue just before Christmas Eve, my quilt is called "Stars of Wonder Stars of Might".