Part 6 - Bonnie Hunter's Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt 2013, the BIG REVEAL

Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt 2013 (Bonnie Hunter)

Firstly, a BIG THANK YOU to Bonnie at Quiltville for the 2013 Celtic Solstice Mystery quilt.  Another lovely quilt pattern, an exciting journey shared with quilters all around the world and an excuse to sew over the holidays. What a beautiful result!


Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt 2013 Quiltville

Here is my version.  I wanted a 'summer' quilt, and I think I have achieved that.  I am also really pleased that Bonnie gave us two sizes to choose from.  I went for the smaller size, which is plenty big enough for my needs.

Celtic Solstice Quilt - Electric Quilt software

As I usually buy fat quarters, I didn't have enough matching fabric to do a wide border, and in the end decided to experiment with a few ideas using my EQ5 software to work out what was feasible. There was a long auditioning process...

Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt - Borders

In the end I have got a 1.5" neutral inner border, the pieced border laid out in a dog tooth border pattern, then another 1.5" neutral border, and finally a green patterned binding.  The binding is a Kaffe Fassett "Lime Paperweight" print which I have included in the quilt.  At the moment I don't have enough for the whole binding, so I need to source some before I can go any further.

Marbleous Jacquard - Robert Kaufman fabrics #6595

The neutral I am using for the borders is a Marbleous Jacquard fabric by Robert Kaufman.  There is a different weave within the fabric which adds a slight texture to the print.  You don't see them very often, so when I do I snap them up.  Because of the different weave, they do tend to fray a bit, so until I am ready to quilt the Celtic Solstice quilt, I am going to pin the fabric to the quilt top and add it when that moment arrives.  No promises when that will be ...


Bad Example - Missing points!

As you know I am usually hand piecing my Nearly Insane quilt.  With the English paper piecing method it is really easy to make sure all your points match, and to man handle pieces to fit it together.   

Good Example - matching points

With the machine, making the points match ALL the time seemed to be impossible.  I think the split square triangles were the cause of most of the problems.  Some of them seemed to have had lost their seam allowance, so it made it impossible to match up. Bonnie says this is OK.  I had to lie down for a bit.  I enjoy joining in the Mystery quilt to use my machine, but it does remind me how much more control I have when I hand stitch.


Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt 2013

For now, this is it on the Celtic Solstice Mystery quilt.  I was going to piece the back, but am going to wait until I decide how I am going to quilt it first.  
 

Day 10 - Twelve Days of Sewing at Fabadashery

Machine piecing the Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt

Day 10 of the Fabadashery sewing extravaganza has been focussed on the Celtic Solstice Mystery quilt again.  Following the directions from Part 6, the top is together, and some of the borders are on.  The good news is that it is now just one piece, and my shoe box is empty.

Suzi was invaluable at making sure I had all the 4-patch's heading in the same direction. With all that under control, my BIG REVEAL should be available soon.

I also had to take a trip to the dentist, so my portable sewing bag came with me, and this Nearly Insane block is now ready to be put together.  It is also time to starting cutting the fabric for the next few blocks, else I will have no hand piecing to sew over the next few weeks.  Only  few days left of the 12 Days of Sewing at Fabadashery!
 

Nearly Insane Quilt - Corner Block 90

Corner block - Nearly Insane Quilt

Whilst I am doing my 12 Days of Sewing at Fabadashery, I don't want my Nearly Insane blocks to get overlooked, so here is a focus on the latest completed block.  It is one of the corner blocks, so only small, and quick to do. 

So far I have used the same striped fabric in all the corner blocks, and so I may as well do the same for the final one when it comes up.

NUMBER OF PIECES:  8
DIFFICULTY: 1/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Square, 3/4"  (18mm) x 3/4" (18mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Triangle, 4 1/4" (107mm) x 3" (76mm) x 3" (76mm)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
Fabrics
Designer Beads (Red) Freespirit for Westminster Fibers
Cream Bias Check Mama Said Sew by Sweetwater for Moda  #5495 11
Red and White Stripe (unidentified)

Day 9 - Twelve Days of Sewing at Fabadashery

Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt 2013 - Block Layout

As I said yesterday, a lot of my sewing time at the moment is being taken up with Bonnie Hunter's 2013 Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt.  Whilst I took a bit of a break from sewing today, I still managed to layout the blocks on the floor, and start to put them together.  It is happening quite quickly, but still a way to go.  At least you get to see a bit of a REVEAL of the final look.


Nearly Insane Quilt - English Paper Piecing

Whilst out and about today, I managed to prepare some of my English paper piecing templates for the next Nearly Insane block. All this was done whilst travelling in the car, and am pleased with the progress on this.  Over Christmas, this project has kept a steady pace, but as always, you wish it was going quicker.

Suzi hasn't much time for sewing today as the weather outside is wild and windy.  There are so many noises and sudden movements going on that she has found a spot to keep an eye on developments. See other busy cats at Feline Friday at Sarah Did It!

Day 8 - Twelve Days of Sewing at Fabadashery

Suzi the cat helps out with Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt

 Well, there was no Nearly Insane work done today - it was part 6 of Celtic Solstice 2013 Mystery Quilt ALL DAY.


Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt - Block 1

This set of blocks went together quite easily


Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt - Block 2

These ones were a bit more tricky, as it was tricky getting the orange square to line up.  They are all done ready to put together, and then to think about the borders.

Day 7 - Twelve Days of Sewing at Fabadashery

Cornerstones and Corner block, Nearly Insane Quilt

Well, I have done four more cornerstones, and a half cornerstone, which I think means I have completed the twelve I intended to do in total.  I have also done one of the four corner blocks for the Nearly Insane quilt.  

Suzi the Cat on her cat mat

Most of it was done waiting for Bonnie Hunter to reveal the next part of the Celtic Solstice 2013 Mystery Quilt, which she did at midnight in the USA.  But we were all sound a sleep ...

Day 6 - Twelve Days of Sewing at Fabadashery

Makower Advent Calendar Quilt #107

Whilst everyone is thinking of the New Year, I am still catching up with 2013.  As part of my Twelve Days of Sewing, I didn't manage to sew an of my cornerstones, but I did manage to complete my Makower Advent Calendar quilt.  This has been hanging around for a while, and I was determined to complete it during the Christmas break.


Makower Advent Calendar Quilt #107

I had completed most of the construction, and the past two days have been about the quilting.  It took longer than I intended, but I have done it well enough to pull it out for next Advent!  I am so pleased to have this done.


As I said, no Nearly Insane progress, partly because I have had visitors, which has included my sister who has been using our floor to baste her quilt with the help of Suzi.

Nearly Insane Quilt - Block 69

Block 69 - Nearly Insane Quilt

Here's another pretty block, mostly done on Christmas Day.  I think I have cracked the formula - include the cream neutral of the sashing, include a solid, and include a midtone, and use as many different fabrics as possible - I bet there are a ton of quilting books that could have told me that! Thanks to Zeynep Maule for identifying the little circle print as 'Homeschool' by Windham fabrics.  I just had a look at the whole range, and it is quite cute.


English paper piecing - tiny bits!

Here are some of the pieces that outline the central squares, they are only 1/8th" wide and 1" long, but I really like the detailed effect they give as part of the block.

Block 69 - Nearly Insane Quilt

The only decision now is which way to place it in the quilt ...

NUMBER OF PIECES:  54
DIFFICULTY: 3/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Rectangle 1/8" (6mm) x 3/4 (19mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Strip, 6 3/4" (170mm) x 7/16" (11mm)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:
Calico
Homeschool Mini Mono Floral Red, LB Krueger for Windham Fabrics SKU# 35182-3
Spraytime (Scarlet) by Makower #2800-R06
Red Garden Pindot by Michael Miller Fabrics 
Red and white stripe - unidentified


 

Day 5 - Twelve Days of Sewing at Fabadashery

Country Christmas Advent Calendar by Makower UK

There is nothing like getting ahead of yourself for Christmas.  I started this Makower Christmas Advent Calendar quilt back in November - November 2012!  Day 5 has focussed on getting this quilted ready for next year.  I have dithered over whether to hand of machine quilt it, but as you can see the machine has won.  You always think it will be quicker on the machine, but there are lots of fiddly bits to stitch, so I am happy to take my time to get it right.  There is still more work to be done on this, which I hope to be able to show you tomorrow.

Canoe  block cornerstone for Nearly Insane Quilt

I also completed my obligatory cornerstone for my Nearly Insane quilt, and pleased to be on track for that too.

Suzi helping with the Advent calendar quilt

Suzi just wasn't in the mood for a photograph yesterday, but is definitely in the mood now.  She is keen for me to get the Advent calendar finished so that maybe next year she can have treats in it.  She doesn't realise she will have me to compete with!
 

Nearly Insane Quilt - Draw 18

Nearly Insane Quilt - Blocks 39, 59, 85

It's time to catch up with myself, as miraculously over the past few weeks, all the Nearly Insane blocks from Draw 17 have been done.  Draw 18 marks the 3/4 stage of the quilt, and with this in mind, I am starting to build myself up for the next project.

Without further a do, I had better get you up to date with the impending blocks, which are

22 - 69 - 74 - 90

 

I have already made a start  finished Block 69. Block 22 is a Flying Geese fest and I am testing out some different combinations of fabrics for different effects in Electric Quilt at the moment.  Block 90 is one of the small edge corner blocks, which usually take no time at all.

I am still looking for edge Block 98.

Day 4 - Twelve Days of Sewing at Fabadashery

Canoe block cornerstones - Nearly Insane Quilt

It seems like I was busy in the sewing room today, but have little to show for it.  Firstly, I managed to get three more canoe blocks done for my Nearly Insane quilt, so I think that makes a total of seven, so far.


Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt 2013 block trimmings

The rest of the time was spent trimming the remaining blocks for my Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt.  It seemed to take me ages.  Since I hand piece most of my quilts, mainly using English paper piecing, trimming for accuracy is not something I ever need to do, as the paper templates inside keep an accurate shape.  The quilt may be quick to sew on the machine, but other bits of the process sure take time!
 

Nearly Insane Quilt - Edge Block 98

Edge Block 98 - Nearly Insane Quilt

Here is a photo of Block 98, one of the half blocks that go around the edge of the Nearly Insane Quilt.  I emphasise that it is a photo, because somewhere between taking the photo and now, I have misplaced it.  It is the only evidence that I have that I completed it.  I am hoping it will turn up between some papers, or in a 'safe' place that I might have put it.

As you will know, I always add the statistics of a completed block to the end of the post.  In it, I have a difficulty scoring.  So far only a very few have been beyond 4/10 (Block 43 sticks in my mind ...). To be honest using English paper piecing I have found these Nearly Insane blocks easy to put together.  As each one is different, it is like making a fresh 6 inch quilt each time. I have found process most enjoyable.  Yes, some pieces have been very small and difficult to handle, but they have only represented a tiny part of this quilt.  I know that if I had been doing those on the machine I would have given up a long time ago!

NUMBER OF PIECES:  15
DIFFICULTY: 1/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Triangle, 1" (25mm) x 11/16" (18mm) x 11/16" (18mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Triangle, 3" (77mm) x 2 1/8" (54mm) x 2 1/8" (54mm)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:
Little Spots Red, Pierres Famous Travelling Circus, Michael Miller
Hearts on Red (567-R5) Makower
Tangled Threads in Apple Red on Cream, Mama Said Sew, by Sweetwater for Moda

Part 5 - Bonnie Hunter's Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt 2013

Bonnie Hunter's 2013 Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt?

I was please to see some green and neutral for Part 5, as it has helped to calm down my pinks and oranges.   Last year's Easy Street was in lovely colours for the winter, but in the summer it looked a bit odd.  I hope my Australian / New Zealand readers are appreciating the sunny colours I have used!


Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt 3" units

I have spent a lot of time trimming all the square units, so that I will be ready to go.  Having seen all the different ways that Celtic Solstice participants were storing their blocks, I thought I had better get my house in order. Once trimmed, I have stacked them up in a shoe box, ready for OFF!

Part 5 Celtic Solstice Quilt - Split Square Triangles

 

Day 3 - Twelve Days of Sewing at Fabadashery

Celtic Solstice Quilt - Star Points

Day 3 was mainly focussed on getting up to speed with Bonnie Hunter's Celtic Solstice Quilt.  From previous experience she usually does the BIG REVEAL on New Year's Day, so I want to make sure everything is trimmed and ready to go for when that happens.  I also made the final touches to some presents, which I will show you in due course.


Part 5 Celtic Solstice Quilt - Spilt Square Triangles

At midday, Part 5 was released, so I spent the rest of the day making up the one hundred split triangle units required for this stage, and started to trim those as well.

No Nearly Insane cornerstones were done, but then I did get ahead of myself the day before, so everything is still on track.  It is amazing how much sewing can be done when work doesn't get in the way!

Suzi the cat under the Christmas tree

Suzi has taken to sitting under the Christmas tree whilst it has been up, and that is where I found her for todays photo.

Day 2 - Twelve Days of Sewing at Fabadashery

Day 2 - Twelve Days of Sewing, Fabadashery

Despite the late start, I did manage to get a good bit of hand stitching done on Day 2.  I managed to do not just one, but three cornerstones, which gets me ahead for a few days.  What a great feeling! I also made up some of the chevrons for the border, inspired from the chevrons we have been making in the Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt. 

Nearly Insane Block 69 is also now done, which means I have moved onto the blocks in Draw 18, which I will let you know about in due course.


Day 2 - Suzi on quilted cat mat

Here is Suzi's pose for Day 2 of the stitching marathon.  I can't promise that the following days are going to be much different, as this is her spot of choice at the moment.  All the same - nothing nicer than seeing a cat snoozing on a quilt.

Today at midday in the UK, Bonnie releases Part 5 of Celtic Solstice quilt, so I expect I will be back to the rotary cutter and the cutting mat.

Other Quilting news ...

With the Celtic Mystery Quilt, the Nearly Insane blocks, the preparation for the holidays I didn't had much time for blogging before Christmas, and there are a few things I wanted to catch up on.


'Quilting Wide Open Spaces' by Judi Madsen

Firstly, I finally received my copy of 'Quilting Wide Open Spaces' by Judi Madsen, of Green Fairy Quilts.  I ordered it back in the summer, but there were delays on the printing, so I have been waiting quite a long time for it - but not as much as Judi had to wait for her first published book!  The book is about quilting with a long arm quilting machine.  I don't have a long arm machine, and tend to hand quilt most of my quilts, but I have always been amazed by the beautiful custom machine quilting that Judi does, as it is so neat and well thought out. I could be converted ...

Finally, some very sad news.  A few days ago I found out that my favourite local quilt shop, Busy Bees in Newport, Wales, had had a serious fire during the night, and it looks like EVERYTHING has been destroyed.  I can't imagine how heart-broken the owners must feel.  I had just started attending a Worker Bees group there once a month, and some of the fabrics in my Celtic Solstice quilt were purchased from there, so I had only visited there quite recently.  It makes you realise what an important role LQS's have in building your local sewing community.
 

Day 1 - Twelve Days of Sewing at Fabadashery

Nearly Insane Quilt, Block 69 - In Progress

As promised, I have started my Twelve Days of Sewing.  The main aim is to get some of those cornerstone canoe blocks done, and as you can see I am on course for that. 
I have also put some time into the next Nearly Insane block.  The majority of this was done during the two hour Downton Abbey Christmas Special, whilst we waited for a plot line to emerge...
Since I have a bit of time off work, I will also keep you up to date with what sewing I am up to.  As you know I have my Nearly Insane project, and the Celtic Solstice on the go.  I still have a few gifts that need a final touch, and some other UFOs that need to be done before  the end of 2013.
I will keep it short, as it is 2 o'clock and NO sewing has happened today, so I had better get a move on.

Suzi the Cat, enjoying the sun

If Suzi is in the mood, she reckons she might pose for the twelve days as well.  Today, she is enjoying the winter sun shining through the window, without the inconvenience of getting her pink paws chilled from being outside - beauty and brains!

Happy Christmas

Patchwork Christmas Tree

Happy Christmas!

Nearly Insane Quilt - Block 85

English Paper Piecing - Nearly Insane Quilt, Block 85

Here is a detailed photograph of Block 85 of the Nearly Insane Quilt.  I hope it shows how the block is constructed, compared to the final effect.  You will see that I have used scraps of different fabrics to make up the square inside a square effect, using English paper piecing.

Block 85, Nearly Insane Quilt

Again, this block is my latest favourite.  The more scraps I can use, the more I love it, and I like the way the triangles make up the red square.I like the bright red square in the centre, I like the midtone half square triangles around the edge, and the white space.


Construction - Block 85 Nearly Insane Quilt

I am very aware that the Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt eats up a lot of my sewing time at this time of year, so I make sure that any time watching Christmas TV is productive, and Nearly Insane gets moved on.

Canoe Block Cornerstones for Nearly Insane Quilt

After Christmas I have hatched a plan to get a few more of my canoe block cornerstones completed.  I hope to do a "Twelve Days of Christmas Project" where I aim to get just one cornerstone done a day.  That will be twelve more done for the start of the New Year.  They are only small.  It should be easy enough.

NUMBER OF PIECES:  49
DIFFICULTY: 2/10
SMALLEST PIECE: Triangle, 1/2" (13mm) x 3/8" (9mm) x 3/8" (9mm)
LARGEST PIECE: Triangle, 2 1/2" (63mm) x 1 3/4" (44mm) x 1 3/4" (44mm)
TECHNIQUE: English Paper Piecing (EPP)
FABRICS:
Scraps

Part 4 - Bonnie Hunter's Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt 2013

Part 4 - Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt 2013

After sewing all those 4-patches for Part 4 of Bonnie Hunter's Celtic Solstice 2013 Mystery Quilt, it is always fun to play with the blocks and guess the layout.  I must admit I am ready to pull out the green and neutral again, to calm down the overdose of orange, pink and yellow.  It took several sessions to get the 4-patches required for the small quilt, and after the third go, I still have the final count to do.  I hope I have enough - I have presents to wrap! I have presents still to make!


4-Patches for Part 4 Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt 2013

My 4-patches are made up from pink and orange fabrics from my stash, which don't have a lot of contrast, unlike the colour combination of Bonnie's colour scheme.  I hope it works out.  Last year, Bonnie threw a rapid fire finish at us, and it caught me unawares, so I am determined to make sure all my blocks are trimmed and in order as we approach the end of December.


Part 4 - Celtic Solstice Quilt, Twosies

Bonnie shared a quick method to pair up the twosies for this stage, but I must admit I like to pretend I can mix the pairs up manually to avoid any repeats, so I did it the old fashioned way.  Obviously, there will be repeats....