As I mentioned last time, in all my years of quilting, I've never made a Log Cabin quilt before.

I went very traditional with color and layout, and I am basting it for quilting today. This picture only shows a part of it--it is 96" x 96"!

 

I'll post a better picture when it is completed.

Happy Quilting! 😺

It's Mystery Time Again

Every year, I look forward to Bonnie Hunter's Mystery quilt which begins the day after Thanksgiving here in the US. It is fun to quilt along with so many others from around the world.

I've completed Clues 1 and 2 of this year's mystery--Rhododendron Trail.

Rhododendron Trail (Clues 1 and 2)

 

I'm looking forward to seeing how this mystery comes together. 

If you would like to participate, it is easy! Simply visit Bonnie's blog and click on the Rhododendron Trail tab at the top. All the instructions will be posted there each Friday. There is no need to sign up anywhere, and the mystery is free. Be aware that when the mystery is done, the instructions will be removed, so save them to your computer as you go.

Happy Quilting! 😸

Grassy Creek--Part 3

 So far, I'm keeping up with the clues in Bonnie Hunter's Grassy Creek mystery.

Haven't trimmed the dog ears yet!

It is a lot of fun, and it is not too late to start!

Grassy Creek--Part 2

 The second clue of the Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt, Grassy Creek, came out this week.

Grassy Creek--Clue 2

These are just a few of the units. I'm substituting blue for the green Bonnie used. The blue fabric is a tie-dye type, so I'm getting a bit of color variation in the units. I like that--it adds interest. Below is the photo I'm using for color inspiration:

More to come.  😺

A Couple of Summer Finishes

Summer is here--the heat is ON! 🔥

I have a couple of finishes to show. First is another donation quilt--this time in neutrals.

Neutral Donation Quilt 62" x 74"

Neutral Donation Quilt (backing and binding detail)

I continue to use 3.5" squares as my leaders and enders (I think this is quilt #12!). As I was working, I set aside the neutral squares until I had enough to combine for this quilt. It is quieter than usual, but I think someone will like it.


This second quilt is for a friend (actually, the mother of a friend!). She likes blue, so I cut from a variety of fabrics. The block is the 2020 Stashbuster from Border Creek Station (January version).

2020 Stashbuster (66" x 98")

2020 Stashbuster (backing and binding detail)

There is a second stashbuster block from Border Creek Station that was revealed in June. With everyone staying home, the participants finished the first quickly, so the company added another project. You can check it out at the same link given above.

I've made and distributed a few masks. There are some I did for family (human and feline!).🐱

In other news, my garden is growing, even though I put things out very late. Something (I'm suspecting a rabbit) denuded my beans, but everything else is doing well in the heat. My crops will be late, but I hope to can several things for winter enjoyment. Stay tuned. 🌿



Try to stay cool, wear a mask, and wash your hands often.

Good Fortune Clue 6

Yay! More string piecing! :)

This clue went quickly--I have such fun string piecing that time seems to fly. Narrow strips like this can stretch, so I'll leave them on the paper foundation for now and take them off as I use them.

On another note, I got this great picture of my granddaughter in the nightgown I made for her for Christmas. I love pictures that show things I've made actually being used!


Happy New Year--I hope it is a joyous and prosperous one for you.

I'll be linking with Quiltville's Mystery Monday.

Stars on Strings--An Original Design

This quilt began on graph paper. I have an EQ program, but I was defeated by triangles!

Stars on Strings--66" x 88"

I tried this more than once. My first experiment was to use regular, brightly-colored strings.

As you can see, the red stars are lost amidst the chaos!



I went to neutral strings which worked better to show off the stars.

Please forgive the camera strap in the corner!

 I stayed with this idea, though, for me, it was hard--I always want MORE COLOR!



The making wasn't too hard, though 60 degree triangles can be tricky to assemble. It was simple string piecing for the blocks.

8.5" paper foundation 60-degree triangle

4.25" red triangle (sorry the picture is so fuzzy)

Pieced triangle (ignore the partial to the right)

I didn't get a picture of the step of gluing the triangle to the foundation, but you can see its placement here. After the triangle was secured, I simply string pieced the three areas around it.


When I had finished the pieces, I assembled it in rows.

This is when the stars and hexagons show up--you have to keep the faith through the piecing; they will eventually be there!


The edges of a triangle quilt are uneven. I didn't want to trim off all the piecing work to make them straight, so I pieced some half-triangle for the ends.

Now you can look at the piece on the right!

I did these half-triangles with neutral centers, so as not to distract from the star pattern. I also used a narrow (1.5") coping strip (border) at the top and bottom of the quilt, so I could manage my triangle points better for binding. I didn't want to lose them. 😉

You can see both the half-triangle ends and the coping strip here.

I had intended to use a pieced backing, but with the weight of all the strings on the front, I was afraid it would be too much. Instead, I chose this backing fabric both because of the color and the pattern--the hexagons echo those on the front.

All in all, this was a successful experiment, though I must admit that I am heartily sick of neutral strings for now!

Now, please, bring on the color!

I'm linking with Jo's Country Junction String Challenge,  Fiber Tuesday 167 at The Quilting Room with Mel, and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

Rainbow Scrap Challenge--August--Neutral

Since I've been using neutral strings in my monthly rainbow blocks, I'm using this month for neutral scraps in other projects.

My Leader & Ender project this year is a two rail fence--I want to make an Attic Stairs quilt (or five!).

Attic Stairs--Click Image for Link

I've got LOTS of blocks already, so I'm thinking I'll just keep making them and see how many donation quilts I wind up with. I'm using scrappy color/scrappy neutral pairs.

One of a gazillion!

I've also been working on a "What if I...?" quilt. When I was making Stringing Beads, I thought, "What if I used triangles instead of trapezoids in the middle of the blocks?" "Okay, what if I offset the blocks?" "Hmmm, how about if I control the colors?" I was designing a new quilt before I even finished the first one!

Individual blocks

Here is what I have thus far:

I'm thinking of calling it Boxes of Strings. I'm going to consider borders--not sure yet how I will finish it.

So, neutral strings, neutral L & Es, and the Sapphire Stars Mystery from Kevin the Quilter includes neutrals in this clue (Clue #3)--I'm keeping up with the challenge!

I'm linking with Scrap Happy Saturday at soscrappy who is hosting the Rainbow Scrap Challenge and Fiber Tuesday 125 at The Quilting Room with Mel .