Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 5

Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 5

We really are building up a wide range of blocks for the Allietare Mystery quilt now.   Here I have laid them all out, some in their sets, others just piled high waiting for further instructions.  Everything is up to date as of five minutes ago whilst I finished my sewing in my pyjamas - I love the motivation of the Linky Party!

Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 5

No cutting this week, so I started it off easy by stitching the corners on those large pieces.  I made the most of the bonus triangle again and really have a substantial pile of them now.  The next step took a bit longer in order to get those points matching, but I am pleased with my results.


Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 5

Here are some arrangements made with this weeks blocks. All just for fun!


Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 5

To be honest I have NO IDEA where all this is going.  I know traditionally that Bonnie does the big reveal on New Years day - that is only 4 days away.  I know that we are no where near having completed the number of blocks required for a 82" x 96" quilt. What lies in store over the next few days - WHO KNOWS? Only Bonnie - she is such a tease.

Linking up with all those who have made it to Part 5 on the 2015 Allietare Mystery Quilt.

I have also started a Fabadashery 2015 Allietare Pinterest Page if you prefer to see my progress in that format. 

Dear Jane Quilt - Block C6 Ashley's Aura

Dear Jane Quilt - Block C6 Ashley's Aura

I have been away in London for Christmas.  I stayed with my sister and we went to Midnight Mass at St Paul's Cathedral, saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens and saw the Christmas illuminations at Kew Gardens - all great stuff! 

The trip up and down the motorway provided a good few hours hand sewing, and the post Christmas dinner phase is always a good time to do some quiet hand piecing on Dear Jane.  This little block, C6 Ashley's Aura, has been hanging around for a while, whilst I gathered strength to put all my focus to it.  Once I started it wasn't as bad as I had first envisioned.


Dear Jane Quilt - Block C6 Ashley's Aura

Here is an 'in progress' photograph so that you can see how I approached this block.  Just four pieces appliqued onto the background all sounds simple, but as you know, not so simple for me.

A few days at home lie ahead, so I hope to get back on track with the Dear Jane quilt, along with keeping up with Bonnie Hunter's Allietare Mystery Quilt.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 5
 

Happy Christmas!

Happy Christmas - à la Dear Jane

Christmas Tree Skirt - Low Volume / Neutrals

Christmas Tree Skirt - Neutrals / Low Volume

Over the past few years I have been meaning to make a Christmas Tree skirt for the large tree that stands in our hall during the Christmas period. 


Christmas Tree Skirt Design

Back in December 2012, I had the forethought to take measurements of a suitable size before we packed it away in the attic and the 'design' stayed pinned to my notice board for a while.

Christmas Tree Skirt - Neutrals / Low Volume

In November 2013 I decided to make a start on it with the hope that it would be done in time for Christmas (2013).  Here you can see me chain piecing some quarter square triangles in neutral / Christmas fabrics.

Christmas Tree Skirt - Neutrals / Low Volume

I managed to get enough squares together to make the top, but it didn't quite make it for Christmas 2013.

Christmas Tree Skirt - Neutrals / Low Volume


Not to be beaten, between Christmas and New Year 2014 I took some time out to piece up a backing for the Christmas tree skirt.

Christmas Tree Skirt - Neutrals / Low Volume

Finally, I have got the Christmas Tree Skirt on the longarm quilting machine.  I used a pantograph called 'Let It Snow' by Patricia Ritter.  The quilting pattern features snowflakes so I decided to add some white fabric and applique those areas of the quilting.


Christmas Tree Skirt - Neutrals / Low Volume

The Christmas Tree skirt is off the frame, the skirt trimmed into a circle, the centre cut and a binding attached.  

Christmas Tree Skirt - Neutrals / Low Volume

Most importantly, it is under the tree for Christmas 2015!
 

Dear Jane Quilt - Block B9 Tinker Toy

Dear Jane Quilt - Block B9 Tinker Toy

Here's a pre-Christmas quickie, B9 Tinker Toy.  Easy English Paper piecing for me with just a touch a colour in this blue Dear Jane block.

If I have a bit of time I like to do a bit of research on these block names and here is what I found for Tinker Toy

Tinker Toy Construction Game

I am sure over the years a 'Tinker Toy' has been a staple for Father Christmas when filling stockings and a quick check on Amazon shows that they are still selling them in a more 'whizz  / bang' style for the 21st Century.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 13

Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 4

Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 4, Suzi the cat

This is Suzi the cat, my Mystery Quilt assistant.  She can't believe how much time I spent just cutting out this week!  IMHO Part 4 is a bit tricky and I needed to spread it out over three days and take great care in stitching each set as a batch.  It was made all the more tricky for me because I have switched my colours around.  I read the instructions many, many times to make sure I had the right combination of fabrics.

Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 4

Many, many 2" strips later I had cut about 720 pieces in total.  Again, if Bonnie told us this up front, the rotary cutter would probably not come out of its box.

Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 4


With more trapezoids, I decided to take advantage of the bonus triangles you can get from the stitch and flip method.  This meant an extra 480 lines of stitching for me, but also 480 bonus triangles to play with at a later date. 

Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 4



With the others from Part 2, I think I could make quite a substantial quilt from these half square triangles which will finish up 1" square.


Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 4

So here are all 30 sets done and they make a good dent into the total quilt and we are way past the half way mark.  The whole 'set' thing has completely thrown me this year.  With no more clips to keep these together I will just keep them laid out for the next two weeks  until they are made into a quilt.  They should be safe ...



Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 4, Suzi the cat

Bonnie is giving us Christmas Day off and plans to release Part 5 on Boxing Day.  Joining up with all the other Mystery quilters for Week 4 at the Quiltville blog!
 

Dear Jane Quilt - Draw 14, B9, C6, K4, L6

Dear Jane Quilt - Draw 13, D12, E5, F11 H11

Here is the first set of blue blocks for my Dear Jane quilt.  It is a refreshing change to have a different colour, but due to other quilting activities it has taken me a while to get these done.


Dear Jane Quilt - Japanese metallic fabrics

I mentioned my sister has completed the top of her Dear Jane quilt, well here is sneak preview.  The top is complete and now she is preparing to quilt it.  As she reminded me, I still have a lot of blocks to do
With that thought in mind, time for the next draw ....

B9 - Tinker Toy
C6 - Ashley's Aura
K4 - Thea's Turn
L6 - Maze of Madness

Just like buses, you don't see a colour for ages and then they all come at once.  This Draw will be BLUE again. 

Miniature Block of the Month December 2015 - The Quilt Room

Miniature Block of the Month December 2015 - The Quilt Room

I am pleased to say that I have managed to complete the December Miniature Block of the Month offered FREE by The Quilt Room, called 12 Pointed Star.  Even after twelve months of trying to get my foundation piecing up to scratch, I still made mistakes and had to unpick.  I love the sharp look of this technique, but my brain hasn't yet worked out how to get a successful 'flip' first time.

Miniature Block of the Month - The Quilt Room

But my perseverance has paid off and here you can see all twelve completed blocks together.  They still have all their papers in them and I think deciding the layout for the them within a quilt will be a job for 2016.

Dear Jane Quilt - Block F11 On Target

Dear Jane Quilt - Block F11 On Target

Here is the last of the blocks for the Draw I made on 26th November,  F11 On Target  (clearly I am NOT on target ...).  This is another block that has taken a few shots.  I stitched on the applique pieces and then decided I wanted to change the colour. 

It is worth comparing this to the last one I made, D12 Crossed Swords, as it shows two different techniques to achieve the arrow shape, one piecing, this one applique.  I know which one I prefer ...

Techniques: English Paper Piecing, Applique
Pieces: 16

Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 3

Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 3

Isn't this Allietare Mystery quilt fun!  Here is this weeks guess.  We have used all the colours now and look at all that neutral Bonnie has mixed in this time, it really adds a breathing space.  I don't think I have ever made a quilt with a piece as large as the neutral pieces we had to cut this week ( I usually work VERY small), but already I am thinking of the quilting potential that it offers. 

Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 3

I get quietly obsessed with getting all those 4-patches thoroughly mixed up so that none are the same.  It adds time to the process, but as they say - simple things please simple minds.  All this neutral cutting has wiped out some of my scraps already, but with so many bits I know they will get distributed throughout the final Allietare quilt.

Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 3

So, everything is cut out and sewn for Part 3 and my little storage box is already full.  We are only half way through, but I can't wait to start getting the quilt together.  Thanks Bonnie, you are doing a great job!


Easy Street Quilt - complete and in use!

BTW - as it is Mystery Quilt season, I thought I would put my Easy Street quilt on the bed over the  Christmas period.

Still half way to go. Joining up with the regular Monday Mystery Link Up at the Quiltville blog!

Dear Jane Quilt - Block D12 Crossed Swords

Dear Jane Quilt - Block D12 Crossed Swords

Poor Dear Jane, she is being neglected at the moment.  This is block D12 Crossed Swords and it has taken several attempts to get this block completed, not because it was difficult, but the busyness that comes with time of year. 

I am slicing the arrows off these shapes and sewing them back on again, mainly to minimise the amount of applique I have to do.  With a busy fabric I think I can get away with it.

Just one more block, F11 On Target, to complete before I move onto the next draw.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 22

Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 2

Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 2

Yes, it is Monday. Yes, I am up-to-date with the Allietare Mystery Quilt 2015.  This is a busy time of year for me at work and if I can keep up at this stage I know I will be able to complete the later stages, so really pleased to be able to get this post up today.


Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 2

There was a lot of cutting for Part 2 of the Allietare Mystery Quilt, 454 pieces in all.  Bonnie is wise not to tell us this up front else we might never pick up the rotary cutter. In fact this is why I love her mystery quilts - she dishes it out in achievable parts.

Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 2


I happened to buy 20 quilt clips at the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate a few weeks ago, not really knowing what I would be doing with them, but already Bonnie's instructions for us to keep these blocks in set of four has put them to good use.  The 'sets' are making me curious - why do they need to be 'sets'?


Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 2

And now for the fun part - pulling out all the puzzle pieces from Part 1 and Part 2 to see what you can make of it.  Here is my effort and I quite like it.  In this photo my neutrals and greys (black) look very similar, but then I am going for a softer look with this quilt.


Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 2

I chose the 'stitch and flip' method outlined on Bonnie's instructions as I decided that there would be as much waste cutting trapezoids as if I did it this way.  I took the time to add another line of stitching and as a result I have a pile of bonus half square triangles.  They are about 1" square finished.

Here are the stats for Part 2
Part 1 - 8.4% of 7872 sq" (8.4% total)
Part 2 - 14.7% of 7872 sq" (23.1% total)

Joining up with the regular Monday Mystery Link Up at the Quiltville blog!
 

Dear Jane Quilt - Block E5 Rising Sun

Dear Jane Quilt - Block E5 Rising Sun

As you will see from my other posts I have a few other projects on the go at the moment which means Dear Jane is taking a back seat for the time being.  Even with the excitement of new colours, I am finding it difficult to find time to do the blocks.

This was a nice simple block.  In the original Dear Jane quilt, this block is done in red and white, which ties in with its original Japanese origin. Mine is blue.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing, Applique
Pieces: 17

Dear Jane Quilt - Block H11 Piercing Rays

Dear Jane Quilt - Block H11 Piercing Rays

Do you see all the fussy cutting I have done with Block H11 Piercing Rays?  The Kim Diehl fabric makes it look like an optical illusion.  Another easy English Paper Pieced Dear Jane block which could be classed as an octagon if necessary.

Techniques: English Paper Piecing
Pieces: 16

Miniature Block of the Month November 2015 - The Quilt Room

Miniature Block of the Month November 2015 - The Quilt Room

I am not sure whether anyone had noticed, but I had got a bit behind with my Quilt Room Miniature BOM.  With the imminent announcement of the Part 1 of the Allietare Mystery Quilt, I felt I needed to get my house in order before 2016 was upon us.  So here is the November block, 'Evening Star'.


Miniature Block of the Month 2015 - Foundation Piecing

With each block being a month apart, I still haven't managed to get into the swing of foundation piecing, so it was a relief that this one was just simple strips.


Miniature Block of the Month  2015 - The Quilt Room

I now have eleven blocks complete and this next week should see the release of the December block and possibly the options for the final layout.  I still have to remove all the papers, but it has been nice to see this quilt quietly move along throughout the year.  Does anyone know of any BOM's starting at the beginning of 2016?

Miniature Block of the Month October 2015 - The Quilt Room

Miniature Block of the Month October 2015 - The Quilt Room

Yes, I know. It is nearly December and I have only just completed the Quilt Room's October Miniature Block of the Month.  This was due to a bit of a muddle there end and a bit of a muddle my end, so I am willing to share responsibility.  I wanted to get them done before I started this years Quiltville Mystery quilt and get ahead of myself.

This one is called 'Pinwheel Star' and could have had loads of different colour combinations.  The layer cake of 'Snowman Gatherings' which I have been using is coming to the end of its useful life and this is BOM becoming a scrap project.

I don't actually live near to the Quilt Room shop and haven't found many others doing this BOM online which makes me think that I need to update my social media habits - where do you spend most of your time these days to get you quilty fix?

Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 1

Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 1

I am pleased to say that I have started the Allietare Mystery Quilt for 2015!  I wait all year for the details of the annual mystery and it hasn't been until today that I have been able to get hold of my rotary cutter and get going on it!  Here are just some of the half square triangles that I machine pieced today, but I am pleased to say that all the units for Part 1 of Allietare are complete.

Allietare Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 1

Last week I shared my alternative Allietare Mystery Quilt fabric selection with you.  Since then there has been a slight change in plan with the original pink being swapped for tan.  As I mentioned, this quilt is going to have a home in the bedroom, matching the checked curtain fabric which you can see behind the bundles.  The pink was nice, but on closer inspection the fleck of colour in the curtain fabric was tan, not pink - no worries, there is plenty of tan in my stash!  Working with just the neutrals and the constant today meant I didn't have to make any final decisions about the combination of the other colours - maybe that will be next week ...

Allietare Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 1, Neutrals


One of the reasons I enjoy the Bonnie's Mystery Quilt each year is because it is a chance to reacquaint myself with my fabric scraps and my fabric stash.  In this selection of neutrals there is the remainder of the Jo Morton fabric which I used for the Humble Quilts Miniature Doll Quilt Swap back in May, the button fabric which first showed its face in the Celtic Solstice Mystery quilt in 2013, and a fat quarter of feather fabric which I knew I would use 'some day' - it certainly justifies those random purchases.

Allietare Mystery Quilt 2015 - Part 1, Constant

My constant is this two tone green fabric 'Sherwood Fern' (1501) by Henley Studio. I have enjoyed watching the different combinations appear as I pressed them open with the iron and am pleased with my colour combination so far.


Creative Grids 45 / 90 Triangle Ruler

As on previous times, I am using the Creative Grids 45 / 90 Triangle Ruler.  The shape and the lines on this ruler are different to the Easy Angle Ruler which Bonnie recommends, so I had a few trial runs to make sure I came up with the right size half square triangle unit.



Sewing machine maintenance

I also spent some time before I started to do a bit of maintenance I gave my machine a thorough clean with a brush, a blow of my aerosol duster, a new needle, lots of bobbins wound and making sure my single needle plate was in place - this accessory really does make sewing triangles FUN!


Suzi the cat - Allietare Mystery Quilt 2015

Suzi the cat did show her face today.  She learnt to sew whilst making the Easy Street Mystery Quilt in 2012, but has not been as enthusiastic this time around.  To be fair, the weather here is horrendous - wet, windy and not the sort of day you should leave the house.  She has chosen to snooze all day, oblivious to the weather and the launch of the major sewing event of the year. 

I will be linking up on Monday to the Quiltville blog and can't wait to see other fabric combinations.  Thank you Bonnie!

BTW; Bonnie's  quilt works out 7872 sq" - part 1 is just 8.4% of the total!