Friday, December 13, 2013

Quilt #52: TGIFF!

It's finished -- the 52nd quilt of 2013!

Last year, I finished the 52nd quilt the first week of November. I was worried I wouldn't make it this year! But here it is, the last quilt of 2013, "Swirling Stars."

I had to climb the ladder at Ruth's Stitchery to take a photo of the finished quilt. I forgot to take a photo before I delivered the quilt to the shop, and Anne hung it on the wall before I got back to the shop!



Right below this quilt are all the patterns for Jelly Roll Party for the rest of the year. I'm so pleased that Cathy has them all in stock so you can look at the patterns and start cutting strips for Jelly Roll Party all year!

Here's a closer view so you can see the great colors in this fabric collection. I don't know who will get this quilt, but remember, Mama says "someone will think that's the most beautiful quilt they've ever seen!." And that's who will receive this quilt!


The pattern is from Eleanor Burns, "Swirling Stars." It comes with its own little acrylic template, and can be made with strips, fat quarters or yardage.

The fabric is Moda's "Vin du Jour" jelly roll.  OK, two of them. See, it's like this: While the pattern is perfect for 2 1/2" strips, there are no specific directions for using precut strips. I merrily matched up light and dark strips,and cross-cut the entire strip. Then I sewed my little pinwheels and trimmed them using the template included with the pattern.


Then I realized each block needed a background rectangle to match the "light" in the pinwheel rectangles. Ruth's had most, but not all, of the "light" fabrics. Rather than re-make the blocks for which I couldn't get matching fabric, I just bought a second jelly roll. This quilt is worth it, don't you think? And I have enough strips to make another quilt. I saw a clever way to enlarge a jelly roll race quilt by alternating print strips with solids somewhere this week. I wish I had "pinned" it, so I could give credit where credit is due. Anyway, I have several half-yard cuts of the light fabrics from the Vin du Jour collection, so I can use them in place of solids.

Big achievement of the day: Step 3 of Bonnie Hunter's "Celtic Solstice" is finished! Third week into the mystery, and I am still caught up!  Woot woot!




(The sun was starting to go behind the mountain when I took this photo.)

Linking up to:


TGIFF at Quilt Matters.

And


Can I get a Whoop Whoop? at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

And

Amanda Jean's Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts.


Plans are underway for the 2014 UFO Challenge. Have you started collecting and numbering your UFOs?


From the desk of your auntmartisignature

Monday, December 9, 2013

Design Wall Monday: Celtic Solstice Mystery

Part 2, Bonnie Hunter's Celtic Solstice Mystery.

Whew! 100 chevrons that finish at 3"! Glad I had a beautiful view of Pikes Peak covered with snow today, because I stitched, trimmed, pressed and squared-up for five hours!



 I love putting my my finished mystery steps on the design wall to admire:


Tomorrow I must finish this table runner! I'm not happy with the way the border print looks, but I don't have time to experiment with something different. Maybe it will look better when the other two sides are sewn on!?!


Linking up to Bonnie's Celtic Solstice Mystery, Part 2.

Quiltville

The temperature in Colorado Springs is supposed to get above freezing tomorrow -- here's hoping!


From the desk of your auntmartisignature