Mystery WIP Wednesday

I "sort of" had a day off yesterday -- both my "deadline" quilts were in limbo.  My 100 Blocks sample quilt was waiting for some Moda Bella Solids to arrive at Ruth's Stitchery, and my Scrap Squad quilt was at the quilter's.  So I pulled out this mystery quilt from last year.

I've already made this quilt once, in batiks.  But when I saw Betty's quilt in reproduction fabrics, I just had to make it again.  I had the blocks complete, so I thought I would be able to finish it before today's Block Party. Here is where I was when I went to bed last night:

I should be able to sew twenty blocks together before noon, right?

Except I forgot the sashing had starred cornerstones:

This is where I was when I had to leave for my quilt group:

There is one more border, into which the stars extend.  I will wait until the blocks are all sewn together before deciding what fabric to use, or if I should make it scrappy.  Ohmigoodness, I see a piecing mistake in the top row, second block from the left!  And now I see another mistake on the second row!  That's what I get for sewing at night --glad I don't have the block sewn together yet!

Here is the same quilt made from just three (maybe four) fabrics.  Really looks different, doesn't it?

Linking up to the new WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

Is there a WIP on your design wall this week?

From the desk of your

Design Wall Monday

I've finished piecing my February UFO.  It's a Buck-a-Block project using Thangles triangle paper.  This quilt is Series #3 from 2006 -- more proof that fabric doesn't go bad with time!  I don't know if Thangles paper is still available, their website hasn't been updated since July of 2012.

I started the Buck-a-Block project at Omega's Quilt Shop near my home in Colorado Springs.  Sadly, the shop closed before the project was complete.  At the store closing sale, I bought enough of the fabric to complete the blocks, but not the setting kit.  I had a setting pattern from the January/February 2007 Quiltmaker magazine, so I plugged the block into EQ7 and played around with some designs.

The main fabric is a Faye Burgos design for Marcus Brothers Textiles.  If you look closely at the blue fabric, you can see there is a bit of green and a bit of gold in addition to the red and blue:

The red fabric is a classic from Robert Kaufman called "Fusions."  It is still being printed, and it also comes in  a matching green and matching gold.  So I plugged gold and green into the EQ7 block and came up with this:

If the blocks are rotated, a secondary pinwheel pattern emerges:

I had three blocks left to make, but didn't want to use the Thangles.  I like to use the EZ Angle tool to make my half square triangles (HSTs).  I misread the size and made 44 HSTs that are too small for the blocks.

I thought to make the quilt with just nine blocks.  But when I realized I had enough of the blue fabric left to make the last three blocks, I went ahead and made them.  I decided to make the leftover HSTs into Flying Geese and use them in the border:

I finished the top with just enough blue fabric to make Susie's Magic Binding.  The quilt will finish at 46" X 58" -- a good lap sized quilt.

This is my 5th finish for 2013!  Next up is the April Jelly Roll Party sample!

From the desk of your

February UFO in Electric Quilt

The best thing about being on Quiltmakers' Scrap Squad is, it has forced me to use my Electric Quilt (design) program!

I cut this pattern out of the January/February '07 Quiltmaker, called "Right & Left."  Since I didn't buy the setting kit for my Buck-a-Block quilt, I had to come up with a setting design on my own.  Remarkably enough, the red fabric in my Buck-a-Blocks is a standard Robert Kaufman fabric, "Fusion."  Kaufman has issued seven versions of this fabric in various colors over the years!

EQ7 has a built-in block design just like "Right and Left."  All I had to do was adjust the size and change the coloration.  EQ7 even includes cutting directions and yardage requirements!

Here is my design in EQ7:

And here is what the first few setting blocks look like:

Really, there is more difference between the gold and the green -- it's hard to take good photos at night.  I think it is so cool how the secondary pattern develops.

Tomorrow I'm off on another road trip, this time to the Rocky Mountain Sew Expo in Denver.  I'll make it a quick trip to beat tomorrow night's snow!

How is your February UFO project coming along?




From the desk of your

WIP Wednesday and Modern Quilt Guild Retreat

Doncha just hate it when all your current projects are "secret?"  That's what is happening with me this week. I spent most of the day playing with designs for my 100 Blocks magazine sample quilt, trying to use Electric Quilt without having time to learn how!

To reward myself for finally getting something that looks like an acceptable layout, I took out my February UFO project.  It's a Thangles "Buck-a-Block" project from 2008.  The shop that was hosting it went out of business, but we were able to buy enough fabric to finish the blocks.  But I failed to buy the setting kit!

Here are the blocks I have completed -- there are three more:

If you place your blocks "on point," the quilt will be larger, without needing more blocks.  Slick trick, huh?  I don't want this to be a red and navy quilt, so I am going to pick up some of the subtle colors in the blue print for the setting design.  Would you believe green and gold?

I had a lovely weekend with my Front Range Modern Quilt Guild peeps at The Hideaway.  Here are just a few of the incredible projects quilters pieced this weekend.

Abby is working on her Madrona Road Challenge pillow.  She appliqued three Dresden Plates on a patchwork background.  I tried to trick her into saying it's for me, but she is too clever for me.

Chris made this adorable skirt for her daughter, using a charm pack of "Simply Color" by V and Co.:

She also finished piecing this Christmas UFO:

Jodi is hiding behind her BOM quilt:

Mary completed the February Jelly Roll Party quilt that she had just started that afternoon!

And Traci started and finished her Scrappy Trip Along, made of Chicopee by Denyse Schmidt:

Andrea always gets a lot done at our weekend retreats.  I think she finished three tops and quilted two this weekend!

Sisters Abby and Beccy had a great time sewing with their Mom.  Beccy traveled from Omaha, and their Mom came all the way from Ohio to join the retreat!

Peg won the "Grand Prize" for completing the most projects during the weekend.  This is just one:

FRMQG members also pieced blocks for a charity quilt from solids and a white background.  Enough to make two quilts!

Linking up to WIP Wednesday, guest hosted this week by Jenelle of Echinops and Aster.

Speaking of WIPs, I've already crossed off two on my February list!

From the desk of your

BOM-day and Parade Giveaway

Wow, January went fast!  It's the first Monday of the month, which means it's "Block of the Month" Monday.

One of the new Blocks of the Month at Ruth's Stitchery is "Ryokan" by Joe Wood for ThimbleCreek Quilts.

A "Ryokan" is a Japanese Inn.  I thought since My Little Sailor is stationed in Japan, this would make the perfect gift for him when his tour in Japan is ended.

Each block is a "house," with an Amish-style quilt block on it.  Here is my first block:

The house is made from leftover Japanese Taupes, and the star block is of Moda marbles.

I also made three more Farmer's Wife blocks today.  Marti Michell has written a series of conversion charts that use her templates to make the Farmer's Wife blocks.  SOOOOO much easier than using the templates that come with the book!

I was so pleased that there were 15 entries for the first "13 in 2013" completed UFO parade.  I thought and thought "what should be the giveaway for the UFO parade?"  I didn't want to add to the winner's UFO collection!  I finally decided a Schnibbles pattern and charm square collection wouldn't result in too much pressure for the recipient!

And Moda's new "Love Letters" fabric seems appropriate for February.  Chosen by the Random Number Generator, our winner is #9, Debra.  Remember Debra's stunning "Easy Street?"

Debra, I'm sending you an email asking for your postal address.  Congratulations!

I hope you'll come back tomorrow to see the photos from the Front Range Modern Quilt Guild's weekend retreat.  SOME people got a lot done (but not me)!

From the desk of your

First 13 in 2013 UFO Parade

Wheee!  Look how many finished quilts were accomplished in January!  Our "number" for January was Quilt #5.  But before I start the parade, let me draw a number for the February UFO.  For this short month, we will work on UFO

#4

Here is my #4 UFO, an oldie from the 2006 Thangles Buck-a-Block series:

I have nine of the twelve blocks made, so this should be a pretty quick finish.

And now:

In no particular order, here are the finished projects.  Remember, you decided what is finished for your project -- whether it be pieced, quilted, bound, or not even a quilt at all, you are in command!

First up, and I think the first reported finish, Debbi tied this excellent example of curved piecing:

Deb totally wins the "longest held UFO" prize.  She reports she started this variation of "Robbing Peter to Pay Paul" in the 1970s!

Next, Sooli's "Blooming Aussies" blogged here:

#3 is by a Fellow Quilt Camper from Idaho:

Deb started this beauty in 2002 as one of her first quilting projects.  Minnesota Ladyslippers -- see blog post here.

Sandi at KwiltnKats finished her Easy Street Mystery!  She made a few changes, read her blog post here.

Karen finished this gorgeous Bonnie Hunter "Patches and Pinwheels."  It's a free pattern, so if you love it as much as I do, you can make one, too!

I have to post two photos of Elizabeth's masterpiece. She made this for her parents -- wow!  Here is what Elizabeth wrote about this "Labor of Love":

This is the "Christmas Beast" that I made for my parents. I purchased the material and started in August 2011 and finished and delivered it January 27, 2013. This was definitely a labour of love with lots of learning a long the way. This is only my fourth quilt that I have ever made but I feel like I've gained huge skill through this experience. I'm showing the top plus the back so you can get a sense of the detailed quilting I did on it.

Just look at the quilting on this beauty! Additional details at her blog post, here.

Nurse Jessi has been busy this month!  Look at this incredible Hexie project she calls "Hexies out the Wahzoo!"  This isn't her only project this month, go to her blog and see what else she has been up to.

Here is another "Easy Street," this one from Debra:

Debra apologizes for not being able to get the whole quilt in the photo -- it's just too big.  Right on, Deb!

My Best Blogging Buddy, Susan, from Australia, completed this adorable turtle pincushion from fellow Aussie, Anni Downs:

Click on the photo so you can see the detail of the fabrics Susan used.  Or go to her blog post, here.

Every challenge has to have an over-achiever.  Lynette completed not only her #5 UFO, but her "bonus UFO," #13 as well!

First, Marissa's Moment of Caprice:

Here is what Lynette says about this quilt:

The most work-intensive:  Marissa's Moment of Caprice, started summer of 2010. It's twin-size, a personal design, and free-motion quilted on a domestic machine. The heart flowers are yo-yo's sewn on upside down with a little fiberfill in them. The pinwheels have opalescent buttons in their centers, and I quilted secret messages for my daughter on each side. It's blogged here.  

And, "Heather's Synergistic Windmills," begun in 2009 and worked on "in fits and starts" since.  Blogged here.

Irene finished this beauty -- I'm pretty sure that is hand quilting in the border!  The purple rectangles are to hold photos.  Won't this be something when she gets the photos inserted?

Look at this!  Just under the wire, Elizabeth of More than a Mom sent me a photo of her second UFO finish for January.  Be sure to go to her blog post here to see how she uses this very cool messenger bag.

And last, but not least, a colorful Irish Chain from friend Carol in Idaho (via Airzona).  I can't wait to see how this one is quilted!

Thanks for coming by to see all the January UFOs, and thank you especially to everyone who played along.  Next month, I hope to have a better system for keeping track of all your submissions.  I sure hope I didn't miss anyone, but if I did, let me know please and I'll update the post!  I'll be away at Quilt Retreat this weekend, so I'll announce the giveaway winner from among all the finishers on Monday.



From the desk of your