Bonnie Hunter's Grassy Creek 2020 Mystery Quilt - Part 4

 

Bonnie Hunter's Grassy Creek 2020 Mystery Quilt - Part 4

This is my Bonnie Hunter's Grassy Creek 2020 Mystery Quilt - Part 4 effort.  Bonnie gave some great tricks on how to cut and chain piece them to save loads of time, but I chose to ignore all of them and cut each piece out separately, whilst I tried to use up scraps of fabric.  I think this was a great clue.  Adding onto last week's work has given us a substantial block of pieces which will be welcome once we are putting the whole thing together.  Also, with the instructions on pressing, this block went together like a dream as all the points were easy to match.

Bonnie Hunter's Grassy Creek 2020 Mystery Quilt - Part 4

I also had help whilst I did the blocks. Help involves Popcorn sleeping and NOT eating pins, catching the machine needle and knocking blocks off the table.

#quiltvillemsytery #grassycreekquilt

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 38 Four Winds

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 38 Four Winds

Back in the day when I was working on my Nearly Insane quilt, I had worked out that on a 6" block, 100 pieces was just about right to keep it interesting and enough of a challenge. This is the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 38 Four Winds.  This block has at least 50 pieces in it  but is only 4" square. It has kept me quiet for several days.

Suzi the cat on the window sill

Meanwhile, there is no rest for the wicked.  Suzi has had to abandon the comfort of her bed for a permanent station on the window sill. The pigeons just won't let up.

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 51 Hovering Birds

 The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 51 Hovering Birds

It is just about warm enough to do my photoshoot outside.  Everything is starting to flourish and spring is on its way. This is the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 51 Hovering Birds. Certainly the birds are all very busy at the moment and I have caught Suzi napping on the job, whilst she keeps check in the pigeons.

Suzi the cat

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 71 Puss in the Corner

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 71 Puss in the Corner

 This is the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 71 Puss in the Corner.  My Puss in not currently in the corner, but swiping her tail across this keyboard for my fingers to dodge.

Nearly Insane Quilt

Suzi the cat helping with the Nearly Insane Quilt

My Nearly Insane quilt is in the middle of its tour of the USA, having just stopped off at Santa Clara.  Lovely to hear from those of you who have been to see it and a special shout out to Molly from Suzi.  I don't think the notice on the quilt mentions that the whole affair was a joint effort.  I think that this photo is evidence of what a great help Suzi was when I spent 7 days removing the English paper pieces back in March 2015.

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 34 Flock

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 34 Flock

Looks like this photo shoot  has been interrupted.  I have been away and now that I am back Suzi is keen to make sure I don't go away again.  I am currently dodging the keys on the keyboard  - yes, the same tail.

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 34 Flock

So this is The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 34 Flock with a pretty green Moda Bella solid to contrast against the patterned fabric.

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 32 Farmer's Daughter

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 32 Farmer's Daughter

I have had a few days to prep the next batch of Farmer's Wife blocks and am looking forward to seeing a bit of progress on this project over the next few weeks.  This little block is the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's)  Block 32 Farmer's Daughter and I managed to make use of a little charm square of fabric I had for the background - I wish I had a bit more of it.

Suzi the cat

Whilst I was out in the garden taking the photo, I was joined by my assistant, Suzi, who is enjoying being outside in this hot weather

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 31 Evening Star

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) 
Block 31 Evening Star

The Moda Solids I bought a few weeks ago have really helped move this project along.  This is Farmers Wife Sampler Quilt Block 31 Evening Star, where the solids have allowed me to make use of this charm square of pretty Fig Tree fabric.

Suzi the Cat on the Butterfly Quilt

I thought it was time that we had a picture of Suzi.  The weather is on and off at the moment, but Suzi  is managing to follow the sun whilst remaining on the bed.

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) Block 6 Big Dipper

The Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt (20's) 
Block 6 Big Dipper

I had a request for some of the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt blocks to be shown off in the snow that we have had in March this year.  We have had almost a foot of snow, the most since 2010. It has taken until today to actually have a block finished to show you, but here it is , Block 6 Big Dipper, sitting on the snow which is now rapidly melting as the temperature has resumed its normal level and sun is actually shining.

Suzi cat

There was also a request for photos of Suzi in the snow.  I think the expression on her face answers that question.  She has settled on the Allietare quilt for the past few days, just watching the white stuff come down in disgust.

Dear Jane Progress and Rainbow Scrappy Challenge catch up

Dear Jane quilt - English Paper Piecing, removing the papers.

I have had a few days where I have spent time moving a few projects forward.  Firstly, the Dear Jane quilt has been pulled out and I have made a big effort to remove all the papers. This is slow.  Very slow.  I have done over half, but I have now left it out so that I can go and pick at it in odd moments.  Once this is done I need to count all the pieces so that I can embroider the total on the corner block.

Rainbow Scrappy Challenge - cutting May, June, July, August, September

Then I saw that the September colour for the Rainbow Scrappy Challenge had been released.  I know that my progress on this had lapsed, but when I looked back I realised I was 5 months behind.  Again, I pulled out my remaining Kim Diehl fabrics and cut enough to keep me quiet for a while.  I sewed a few, but some serious machine stitching time is required on this one.

Finally, for a second time, I forgot to enter Suzi into the 2017 Pets on Quilts competition.  So please enjoy this photo of her.

Dear Jane Quilt - Block E12 Mary Ruth's Corset

Dear Jane Quilt - Block E12 Mary Ruth's Corset

Here is Dear Jane block E12 Mary Ruth's Corset. 
It is a bit of a 'warts and all' photo as I have had to take it stitched into the quilt.  To me it appears to highlight the English Paper tacking / basting threads.   Below you can see the evidence that the paper is still in.

Dear Jane quilt helper

Suzi and I have reached a compromise regarding my priority of role of main lap provider versus Dear Jane quilt stitcher.

Dear Jane progress ....

Suzi the cat with the Dear Jane quilt

I am not the only one suffering from the inconvenience of not having a portable sewing project ....

Dear Jane Quilt - Christmas 2016 Edition

Dear Jane Quilt - Christmas 2016 Edition 

Christmas is a good time to give you all a little present of a long overdue update on my Dear Jane quilt progress.  I am slowly posting the individual blocks on this blog, but it reached a point where I could start to put it together and sitting in front of the telly over the Christmas break is helping me move the whole project on.

Dear Jane Quilt - Christmas 2016 Edition 

All these blocks are actually together and it is great to start having just one big piece to haul around, rather than wobbly piles of 4.5" blocks.  Have I removed the papers yet?  I did remove one line of papers and that showed me that it was not going to be as onerous as the Nearly Insane paper removal (which took 7 whole days!), so it will get done in its own time.

Dear Jane Quilt - Christmas 2016 Edition  Electric Quilt

This is how it is looking as its virtual self, in my Electric Quilt software.  I still have a load of edge triangles, sashing and cornerstones to baste before I can even sew them together into the quilt, which slows me down at the moment.  No statistics either at the moment.  Do you notice one edge triangle not done yet?  That is Jane's Oak - it has proved troublesome ...  Otherwise I am SO pleased to see this quilt come together and I hope to give it a big push over the next week.

Dear Jane Quilt - Christmas 2016 Edition with Suzi the cat

Suzi the cat has taken a break from sitting on the Easy Street quilt to check out the Dear Jane progress, but not much sewing from her so far this Christmas season.

Wishing you a Happy Christmas!

Part 1 - En Provence, Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2016

Suzi the Cat enjoying the 2015 Allietare Mystery Quilt 

So we are off!  The 2016 Bonnie Hunter Mystery quilt, En Provence, has started.  Suzi the cat loves this time of year.  As you can see, this morning she is making the most of last years 'Allietare' Mystery quilt which is currently on my bed.

I was away over the weekend at the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate which meant that I didn't access the full details until Sunday.  Since then I have cut all my pieces and have sewn about 50% of the four-patches.  As I mentioned in my previous post, I am not going scrappy, which was a bit of problem with Part 1 of the En Provence Mystery quilt.  However, Bonnie must have been sending me vibes as I had decided to pick up an alternative French General neutral whilst I was at the show, so this has worked out perfectly for her 'two neutral' option.

Part 1 - En Provence, Bonnie Hunter 2016 Mystery Quilt

I will admit that all the preparation required to get going on Part 1 reminded me why I do lots of English paper Piecing by hand.  Before I could get going I had to clear some space for cutting.  The area around my sewing machine had become a dumping ground, so that had to be cleared as well.  I had bought some extra bobbins for my machine at the show, so I wound several of them ready for the next few weeks.  I cleaned my machine.  I put on my single needle plate.  I put in a new needle. After having my machine nearly 8 years I decided to use the table which came with it for the first time which required setting up.  Then I decided that I needed to get my 'Leader and Ender' project set up from the start to make the most of my machine sewing.

Part 1 - En Provence, chain piecing

In the 2015 Black Friday sales I picked up an Accuquilt fabric cutter and knew this would be the perfect project to make the most of it.  It made quick work of cutting the strips and in my enthusiasm I decided to cut the strips into squares. This was perhaps a step too far as it meant that the time I had saved with my cutting, I lost stitching squares instead of strips.  But my squares were very accurately cut .... So far the chain stitching has been very efficient and as a result I haven't made much of a dent into my 'leader and ender' project.
Finally, I want to put out a BIG THANK YOU to Bonnie Hunter for her generosity and for taking the time to put this together.  When I started to read her instructions for Part 1, I remembered why I enjoy her Mystery Quilt so much.  Her instructions are excellent and so thorough that it makes it easy for a quilter at any stage to get a quilt together.  Writing a blog every day takes time, so I really appreciate the work she puts into this.

I know a lot of my Followers are Mystery Quilt fans, so I look forward to seeing your progress too.  Linking up to the Monday Link UP!

Dear Jane update - October 2016

Suzi the cat helps with the Dear Jane Quilt

I have been promising an update on the overall progress of my Dear Jane.  I indulged myself in an afternoon of stitching Dear Jane blocks together yesterday.  So far I have 2.5 lines together and Suzi the cat is monitoring progress closely. 

Completed Dear Jane blocks

All the blocks are completed and all but one border block is complete.  Also there are several plain triangles and loads and loads of sashing pieces to be done.  And did I mention the scalloped border?

Electric Quilt - Dear Jane progress, October 2016

Here is a glimpse of how that all looks in the Electric Quilt software.  I am still using Electric Quilt 5. 

Dear Jane Quilt - Block G5 Poof

Dear Jane Quilt - Block G5 Poof

This latest Draw has been an odd little set.  This is Dear Jane block G5 Poof, which I completed by English Paper Piecing the background square and then adding the applique shape on the top. I clearly fussy cut the centre piece, but the message didn't quite get through to the appliquer. Nevertheless, I quite like the jaunty position.

Suzi the Cat

As I thought,  the controversy of the Dear Jane J12 Basket block provided some insightful comments and was an opportunity for you to share your love of Basket blocks.  I don't think a Basket block quilt is one which will ever reach the top of my To-Do list.

Also this week you may have seen over at The Objects of Design there has been a MASSIVE fabric giveaway - not without its own controversy.  Suzi hopes this photo puts things straight.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces:  9 pieces

Dear Jane Quilt - Block J6 Granny Weaver

You will be pleased to know that I have finally had some time to prepare some Dear Jane blocks.  Suzi the cat has been helping as you can see here, as she shows her love for orange Kim Diehl fabric.   It has been warm and sultry here in the UK, so she was more content watching than getting actively involved.

Dear Jane Quilt - Block J6 Granny Weaver


Today's Dear Jane block is J6 Granny Weaver.  Again, a chance to do some fussy cut stars in the centre and another easy to piece block.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 25 pieces

Dear Jane Quilt Update - 2015 New Year's Eve Edition

Dear Jane Quilt Update - 2015 New Year's Eve Edition

Happy New Year to everyone.  I thought I would take this opportunity to do a progress report on my Dear Jane Quilt.  Progress has been a bit slow over the past few weeks, so this is also a little motivational post for myself.

Dear Jane Quilt Update - December 2015, EQS

Here is the layout of the quilt with the completed blocks in their assigned placing using my Electric Quilt Dear Jane software.  The scheduled plan is to get all those white spaces filled up by next December, so I think today I will have a 'Dear Jane' block cutting day.

Dear Jane Quilt Update - December 2015

The Kim Diehl fabrics are really starting to come together now that there are more colours than just orange.  A new Kim Diehl range has just been launched, 'Sunday Best' ,and I am very tempted to get them to add to my collection. They are really hard to get hold of in the UK, but you will see that I have managed quite well so far.

Dear Jane Quilt Update - December 2015

You can see that I have done loads more orange blocks than any other colour and I still have 'purple' to do.  The triangles have not come up in my regular draws, so I expect there will be a glut of them at some stage in the near future.


Dear Jane Quilt Update - December 2015

Suzi has enjoyed me being home over the holidays and has got her sewing mojo back. She is a bit more interested in the Allietare Mystery Quilt than Dear Jane and is currently waiting for the next stage to be posted.

I have started posting some of the blocks up on a Pinterest page where it is much easier to look at them together, but I will keep posting my progress here.


Dear Jane Quilt - Block C-12 Family Reunion

Dear Jane Quilt - Block C-12 Family Reunion

I was back in my comfort zone with this one. Lots of little English Paper Piecing squares, again just half an inch square.  Block C12, Family Reunion is a mini Irish Chain block and whenever I do small squares like this it reminds me of my scrappy Irish Chain quilt and makes me think how great it would be to do one with just half inch squares...


Suzi the cat helps out with rotary cutting

You will see from the photo that Suzi the cat is pleased that I am on another marathon sewing project.  She has been helping out with the rotary cutting and with only a few blocks done so far she is able to get them all onto the floor with just one swipe of her tail.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 49

Miniature Block of the Month July 2015 - The Quilt Room

Miniature Block of the Month July 2015 - The Quilt Room

For the past few months I have been a bit late completing my BOM, but this month The Quilt Room were slightly delayed themselves, only posting the details of the Miniature Block of the Month for July yesterday.  Today I have had a bit of time to get it done and it came together quite easily.

Miniature Block of the Month July 2015 - The Quilt Room

I find flying geese blocks quite easy with the foundation method, but  it doesn't look as if I have been very generous with the seam allowance at the edges of this one.


Nearly Insane Quilt borders, with Suzi the cat

Meanwhile, progress is being made on the Nearly Insane Quilt borders.  They are all together and I am slowly applying them to the main quilt.  This Nearly Insane progress is due to the 2015 Tour de France.  I love to relax and stitch, whilst I watch the cyclists work up a sweat in the French countryside.  I might be 'nearly insane', but those cyclist have to be 'completely insane' to endure 3 weeks of relentless cycling. 

As you can see all that effort on their part has completely exhausted Suzi the cat.