Winding Down 2011 with Quilting

A few more days left to finish some things, make progress on others and, yes, start something new... 

First a look at a finish from earlier that had to remain a secret until opened. 


I love this quilt ... I may have to duplicate it but I probably never will.  The design elements were from primitive bom kits I got many years ago.  I didn't even realize what I'd signed up for until I started getting them.  After about 4 months and never making them I quit.  I just don't really do primitives.  One of the kits I donated to a silent auction at Faithful Circle Quilters in Md.  The gal who won the bid made it into a wonderful quilt for her husband.  Sorry I don't have pictures to share.  The rooster and the flower were from two different months.  I used some of my fabrics and some from the kits.  I used wonder under or the like to attach the elements except the fence.  I hand buttonholed around every thing but the fence.  There is a little bit of embroidery on the rooster... rats, his eye isn't big enough...should have redone it.  The fence was ripped fabric stitched down the center on the machine.  I used pearl cotton and big stitches to hand quilt it.  It was so much fun to do.  And I hope Patti likes it half as much as I do!  I tried the technique of cutting out the inside of the wonder under on the rooster.  It makes the whole piece feel softer.  I may start doing that on a regular basis. 


On to what I've been working on the past two days... 


More blocks for the FCQ Equilter's donation quilt to Komen.  I've decided I need to keep the outside of the blocks light and not use too much of the darker fabrics.  Hopefully I'll get 8 more blocks done over the weekend. 

Have you checked out Temecula Quilt Company's 12 Days of Christmas Mystery? It is a lot of fun and you would only have 4 blocks to catch up.  Oh, did I forget to tell you they are 3" finished blocks?  One a day for the 12 days of Christmas. there were fabric kits available but are all sold out.  So, I'm using reds and creams.  Here's a picture of the 4 blocks revealed so far. Um, notice one piece block, two pieces block, three pieces block, and four pieces block.  Yep, there is definitely a pattern going on.  They've said not to worry about 12 pieces in a 3" finished block.  Are they crazy?  Well, we'll see.  In the meantime I'm having a lot of fun and keeping up with no problem. The blocks are available on their blog which is the site listed above.  Come join me.  

Are any of you planning on doing mystery quilts this weekend? I had the choice between two.  One is Ann Smith's New Year's Eve mystery.  I've done Ann's mysteries for years over at Fabricholics Annonymous on Yahoo Groups.  (It's also available on beginners_and_beyond@yahoogroups.com , misfit_quilters@yahoogroups.com , PickleRoadStudio@yahoogroups.com ,   qtmysteryquilts@yahoogroups.com , quilt-talk@yahoogroups.com , quiltingtofriendship@yahoogroups.com , and thequiltingpost@yahoogroups.com. ) FA closes membership two weeks before the mystery.  I don't know if any of the other groups do or not. But you might want to check it out.  Ann writes a great mystery.  I'll be saving the steps and might do it later.  Of course, I will be looking before I make it... I'm not good at not peeking! 

The other is Planet Patchwork's New Year's Day mystery. But this year the Merry Mayhem Chips and Strips mystery tickled my interest.  It uses 2.5" strips -- either use a jelly roll or use strips from your stash... I'm using my stash strips.  I've picked the go-with fabric but need to go through the strip drawer to gather the rest of the requirements.  This will be presented on New Year's Day.  Normally I would be watching the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game but it's Sunday so all of those festivities will be postponed until Monday.  So, I'm making Chips and Strips.  It will start at 10 am and go until 2 pm.  Six clues posted hourly... except it seems to me that 6 clues hourly would go until 3 pm.  There are prizes and places to post your finished project or top.  So, join me and thousands of others doing Chips and Strips. 

As long time readers may realize, I'm forever taking self portraits of Sophia and me.  Here's the latest -- taken with an older iPhone on Christmas day.  At least I got a "good" part of Sophi!  But, my chin?  Yuck!


Time for me to hit the Y and then on to sewing.  I've got stuff to sew and other stuff to get ready for the mystery.  I'm shopping a bit tomorrow. 


Happy quilting!  beginners_and_beyond@yahoogroups.commisfit_quilters@yahoogroups.com