Design Wall Monday - Old Town mystery

I'm thankful for the space to hang a design wall.

Some brainstorming on Bonnie's Old Town mystery needed to happen; and it's NOTHING against Bonnie's pattern, it's merely because of my color choices with hers.  The sashing in Bonnie's reveal calls for pinks in mine....eh.... as stated on an earlier post, I'm not interested in having a quilt that reads so much 💞pink💞.

There are also a bunch of scraps set aside from the making of this quilt.  The green-pink HSTs pictured lower right actually had me confused for awhile.  I had forgotten they were BONUS triangles made from double-sewing units from step 5, remembering only after searching earlier posts, wondering why they weren't present in Bonnie's reveal anywhere.  

A few scrap units were grabbed, trimmed, pieced... and played around with in the layout...

Hm... pink-in-green square in a square with some neutral-green-brown HST/QST star-like scrap blocks surrounding.

Or perhaps green-in-pink square in a square.  This seems to keep the diagonal trend better, but those pieced 'HST/QST star blocks' seemed wrong.

A little twisting later - duh!  Of course, the extension of the neutral sashing into the star block will fit better with this chosen layout.  

Again, THANKFUL for the design wall space to play around with units until they decided to play nicely together.

ALSO thankful for having so many acrylic rulers to aid in design.  
The Companion Angle* (by Darlene Zimmerman) joined my ranks in early 2000s for one mystery quilt or another.  Some excess neutral/green 1.5" strips were cut and pieced.

I don't recall which step of Bonnie's mystery it was when we needed some brown QST units, but I do remember grabbing the Easy Angle ruler* to trim off some brown ends before using the Companion angle ruler.  The spare brown HSTs would find a use someday, I figured, rather than waste them.

The Easy Square* (by Sharon Hultgren) has been in my collection pretty much since the beginning of my quilting hobby.  The already-trimmed down BONUS HSTs were trimmed up again to 1.5" for piecing into a square-in-a-square center block.

Mostly, this complete run-down is as a reminder of my design decisions. 
Seeing it come together brings another level of excitement!  Busy... but still very clearly showing a pattern; I'm a sucker for those diagonals!

I'm stepping away for now to de-paper the remaining blue string units for the Dawn's Early Light border.

Linking up with Small Quilts and Doll Quilts - Design Wall Monday.

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Design wall Monday - Dawn's Early Light sees some formation

My view from the pillow this AM didn't keep me slumbering much and was up to make some coffee by 5:30, awaiting the waking of DH before he needed to head to work.  Another beautiful morning which slowly evolved into a day of patchy rain clouds, and despite thinking that today was going to be reserved for cherry picking, I (guiltily) headed to the quilting loft after DH and child #3 left for work.

I dare say that Bella and Bailee both enjoy the summer schedule when I'm home to let them in/out as they please.  Bella was absolutely content by the door as I clambered the stairs to the loft.

My morning goal was to piece together the sub units in order to have at least one Dawn's Early Light block on the design wall before needing to close up shop for an evening of volleyball coaching.

Awaiting me on the ironing board were my organizers of DMC floss I had loaned to daughter #1 a year or so ago.  After mentioning my wish to organize my cross-stitch area and knowing that all of her belongings are stored downstairs for the time-being as she's between places, she found the box of her crafts yesterday afternoon when Paul and I were off together for his uncle's funeral.
Hmm... next up: to see what's in my cross-stitch area; perhaps a goal for Sunday's Slow-stitching day.

As for yesterday's Sunday slow-stitch, another 10 rows were added to the ongoing at-my-leisure ripple afghan using up some spare yarn from previous projects.  Generally, my stash is filled with Red Heart yarns, but hmmmmm, I was reminded yesterday how much I love working with Hobby Lobby's I Love This Yarn yarn.  It's truly rightfully named.

I don't foresee much else getting completed as the afternoon turns to evening since I'll be departing shortly for some summer league VB coaching; my last hurrah before the reins are completely handed over.

Happy Monday

Linking up with:
Small Quilts & Doll Quilts - Design Wall Monday

Design Wall Monday and a day of putterings

The design wall was hung in its new location Sunday afternoon, along the full wall of the newly tidied guest bedroom.  A pile of blocks had been waiting for this moment and were organized straight away this morning.  No pattern is being followed for these, but they are a pairing that seem to play nicely together.
HOWEVER, I'm not sold on those large 3.5" plain white units.  I feel like I've cheated! 
So.... perhaps change them out....????? 

 --->>???

I suppose some fancy quilting could spice up all that white space down the line...?  It'll percolate for a bit yet before I completely decide since the neutral string blocks for Dawn's Early Light are flowing nicely through the machine, for now anyway.

Was already piecing away shortly after 7:00 this morning before I thought to document the time.  Just how long do fifteen 3.5" strings blocks take to piece?...

... 'bout 45 minutes.

At that point, the day of un-scheduled puttering took off.

I needed to shower.  #1.  
Then I needed to run to town to pick up some chick food for our newest hatchlings. #2.

And instead of using shredded paper, I contemplated using straw, but knew I needed some down in the garden yet, so.... off to the garden I went to putter.  #3.

Which evolved into a full-blown tilling endeavor after walking the paths for any final tomato and bean 'volunteers.'  #4.

Grow Baby, Grow!

It's not much to look at right now, BUT... having checked the garden's unplanned items off my list today, I'll be freed up completely for piecing and sewing and more piecing tomorrow!

After a quick late-lunch sandwich, I headed back to the sewing loft for another hour (or so) of piecing (#5) with one of my favorite background-noise shows: Grey's Anatomy, until Paul arrived home at 4:00.  The Log Cabin blocks (UFO #2) have been turned into the current leader-ender project.

We strolled the garden together and both 'grrr'd' at the potato bugs we spied.  So, he started picking the bugs off while I began weeding some of the corn rows (#6).

By 5:00, we broke for a quick bite before heading to town to catch some youth softball games (#7).  

Daughter's of the BB coach, 6th and 4th grade.

And rolled back home in time to catch the 400M Men's final race.  

I love these days that 'just happen,' and are productively full.  And while waiting for these photos to upload, I had a hankering for something SWEET!  Being one who has never tried a cookie-in-a-cup recipe before, I gave it a whirl.  I don't even know what (or how) I thought of it.

Cookie in a cup recipe

Not amazing, but hit the spot all the same.

Tomorrow -- quilting!  Yup.  That's the ticket, I think.
Happy Monday :)

Head over to Small Quilts and Doll Quilts to link up to Design Wall Mondays.

Celtic Solstice update [Design Wall]

My design wall hasn't seen much change since last Thursday when I awoke and "whipped out" 40 blocks for Bonnie's SECRET REVEAL final layout on Celtic Solstice.    

At this stage, 40 of 121 blocks are completed.  I'm still happy I elected to upgrade to the King size quilt after purchasing our new bed mattress at the end of the December, but  Whhoooo-weeee!  A king size Bonnie quilt is QUITE the undertaking!  I can't wait for it to see a finish.

Since Thursday, I haven't had much opportunity to spend time in my sewing room, therefore, there isn't anything new to show.  

Clue 1:  100% updated to the King size

Clue 2:  100% updated to the King size

Clue 3:  100% updated to the King size

Clue 4:  100% updated to the King size

Clue 5:  ALMOST updated to the King size;  I think I have about 40 more units sitting next to the machine, acting as L/E while I start piecing finished blocks together.

:0)

Check out other posts on Bonnie's CS linkup

Check out other posts on Judy's Design Wall linkup

Happy MONDAY everyone!

Design Wall Monday 7/23/12

My Christmas Goose is on my design wall right now (Bonnie Hunter's Goose in a Puddle).   20 total blocks needed;  I have many block units cut and ready for piecing.

However... LOADED day today.

Drop Cassie off to Vball camp (8 AM)

Come home to pick beans and raspberries

Pick up Cassie for mid-morning snack (10 AM)

Take Cassie and Caitlyn to Swim lessons at 11AM (lasts 45 minutes)

Come home for lunch

Depending on how successful this AM picking is, preserve beans and make jam from berries.

OR do some sewing

Take Candace to Swim lesson at 3:30PM

The next few days will have this same schedule ('cept the beans and raspberries only need to happen every couple of days)

I have another Midget block I'd like to make before tomorrow

I have Step #3 to finish up for QOV Mystery #28

I need to load Julie's Diamond Fields to the quilting frame now that the backing has arrived and has been washed.

Jamestown Landing still awaits in layout stage on the floor

And Christmas Goose units are taking up my sewing table space.
The Framed Rectangles in blue have taken over the Leader/Ender table since Jamestown Landing graduated.

.....

so much to choose from :)

Design wall; Blue Ridge Beauty action

My design wall hasn't seen much of a change over the past week (yeah....NO change at all!) Since I spent the weekend catching up on some quilting for my MIL, I decided tonight would actually see some more "blue" work.

I spent a couple of hours trimming up some more blue and light scraps. Naturally, I wasn't JUST working on cutting 2" scraps for the Blue Ridge Beauty but also some 2.5" scraps for my Blue Star Struck. Twenty more blocks are needed (MINIMUM) for the BRB before I'll start piecing the blocks together into a (most likely) lap-sized quilt.

I finally broke down and dished out a few dollars to purchase a small portable heater for my sewing room. It's COLD down there!!!!! In fact, yesterday morning I gave up on the 60 degree basement after finishing up a MIL quilt and spent the rest of the day upstairs in the wood-heated area!

Cailtyn enjoyed some Yoga time on the Wii yesterday. She was also enjoying the 80 degree temperature in the house from the wood heat. Even *I* ended up with shorts on by the afternoon!

More downfalls about the winter months........STATIC! I've given so many kissy-shocks over the past few evenings when tucking the girls into bed! Tonight I remember to touch their arm to discharge us before giving the goodnight kisses. Otherwise, those are some powerful 'zappy' kisses!


Anyway---it felt good to get some weekday sewing in. This is one of my more enjoyable times of the school year; Prep in the morning, Math 7 advanced section 2nd block, Math 7 regular section 3rd block, then Study hall supervision during 4th block where I assist students with math and science work or anything else they may have to do. Makes for a stress free schedule and a stress free Amy :0)

Happy Monday!

The Design Wall fight...

I headed downstairs at 7:00 tonight after dinner, kids homework, etc..... you know the routine.

And, I didn't feel like quilting Green Beauty....so I didn't.

Instead, I pulled out some of the blocks I had created months ago for Bonnie Hunter's Blue Ridge Beauty just to see how they were looking.....

And it wasn't long before I heard In Flight arguing with the newly placed blocks for design wall space.....

So, rather than insisting that they place nice together, I figured I might as well just bite the bullet and piece the rest of the In Flight rows together to be able to set the top aside.

And rather than just stopping at the quilt-center, I decided to continue biting that bullet and get the borders on right away before this turned into a UFO.

In Flight (67.5" x 79.5")

Yeah...pretty happy with an unexpected flimsey finish tonight!

And now my BRB blocks were happy.......

SEE! They started growing! It's not Saturday, BUT my Scrappy Rainbow Challenge finally saw some action, AND a UFO at the same time :0)

Hey....I even decided to quilt another pass of Green Beauty before heading up for the night too. Maybe that quilting will get finished tomorrow night.

Design Wall and Jen's quilt quilted

Wanna see my design wall?

;0) Kinda bare, huh? That's because the rows have been sitting idle behind my machine for a good week now.

Maybe tomorrow they'll see some action once canning is done. More beans and cucumbers are calling my name....

Last night, I received a call from my lil' friend Jen {{remember her a couple of weeks ago?}} She was finished with her top, so we worked out a schedule for her to get her lil' tushy to my place this AM to get it loaded and quilted up. After an hour of pressin' and loadin', we were rockin' and rollin'; I had her jump on the frame (not literally) to quilt the 2nd pass---however, I think she was happy when I asked her if she minded if I finished it up when she needed to head out at 9:45 to get to work.

I can't remember the measurements, but roughtly 79"x85". She will be gifting it away this weekend to a friend for a wedding.

The pantograph used was Curly Q by Lisa Calle. I think this panto has risen to the top of "Amy's Favorite" list!

I ended the evening with a softball game at 7:00, and a 2 mile run at 8:30. All in all, a good day #1 of my final 2 weeks of summer vaca :0)

Happy Monday!

Stash Report (6/28 - 7/4) & Design Wall Monday

Killing two reports with one post :0)
Although---if I were following suit to Jill, I would keep these two items separate as to get nearer to my 500th post!

Okay, chronological order.....

Stash report: June 28 - July 4
Used/week: 6.542 yards
Purchased/week: 5 yards {{I DIDN'T want to, but needed some "matchy fabric" for the backing on Moondance}}

Used/year 165.692 yards
Purchased/year: 173 yards

Net used: -7.308 yards
I'm slowing working my way back into the black. If I would just stay OUT of quilt shops, I may just make it this week!!!!!


I need to leave for an eye-appointment soon. But upon returning, I DO plan on getting into my sewing area!!!
First up for tackling: Step #5 of Judy's June Mystery. I can't really do much else since they are under the needle and taking up all my table space.

After that, I want to finish up the top for Dizzy, QOV Mystery #22. Step #6 was posted while I was gone over the wekeend. The layout looks SO COOL in pictures, so I can't wait to see it together!!!

THEN, we'll see what time is left for me to actually tackle what is up on my design wall....
....yeah...there hasn't been much change since last week since I finished up Moda Paintbox and Lilac Grove tops that had been calling to me for some time.

So, Happy Monday going out to all of you.