Mystery quilt finish

This quiltville mystery quilt has had it's share of mystery. I lost the blocks for Rhododendron mystery quilt after they were all made. Luckily, with a little sleuthing, they were found, and I decided to add this quilt to my 5 quilts goals. In November, the top was ready for borders, but, the corner pieces were missing. It was ready for quilting by Thanksgiving. I made this my December one monthly goal. If I wanted to make the new mystery - Chilhowie, I needed to finish this one.

90 x106

25 yards

I pieced a pink and floral backing and used the sashing fabric for the binding. I quilted free motion swirls on my longarm. I still have grassy creek to finish to be current with the mystery quilts. All my quiltville mystery quilts are here.

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TGIFF

TGIFF different     here  and here

creations

peacock party

from bolt to beauty

oh scrap sunday

one monthly goal

blocks found

My Granddaughter was here for a visit and decided to reorganize my extra room. I had no idea what she was doing, until it was too late. I use that room for a holding cell of blocks ready to make into tops and tops ready to be quilted, and unfortunately, as storage for whatever I don't know where to home them. I knew that this little set back, for me, was probably the reason I had lost my rhododendron mystery blocks. This week, when it was raining, I asked my hubby to accompany me to that room and make a serious search for those missing blocks since it was a "mystery" haHA. He was dear enough to do that. And there was no way to work in the garden.  His job was to work from one end of the room putting like stuff together, and hunt for any blocks that might show up. I started sorting at the other end. I finally needed a rest and sat in the middle of the floor.

We were about to give up, then, I saw a corner of my blocks peeking out of a basket. It was buried in a container with scraps on the bottom, my blocks, and scraps on the top, and two pillow forms on top of that. It was back behind my ironing board, which I can never reach. But, they were hoping I would save them. Happy dance all around.

Did I mention a freak rain with crazy wind and rain? well, I noticed everything in the basket was wet. yes, wet. We looked up and there was a new leak in the ceiling and staining my blocks and the reds were running. sigh. On the plus side, we wouldn't have known about the leak, if, we hadn't been looking for the blocks.

So, if I wash them, they will shrink and not match the unstained blocks. If I just make the top and wash it, the stains may not come out, and I will have wasted the whole process. I will have to think about this for a bit for sure. Here are the pictures of the weird cloud/ front coming over our barn from the north to the south. It was fascinating until it leaked on my blocks.

strange

There are about 20 blocks affected. Most of them are the setting triangle blocks with red.

Only one of the pieced blocks is stained.

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midweek makers  

wednesday wait loss

My quilt infatuation

stitch and sew

put your foot down

oh scrap sunday

to do: grassy creek 5

I need to keep going on grassy creek mystery quilt at quiltville. I made the first part of clue #5 at retreat. I just need to make flying geese and the clue will be done.

my grassy creek mystery quilt at quiltville

clue 1 clue 2 clue 3 Clue 4 A Clue 4 B

clue 5 A

clue 6

clue 7

I am linking to:

to do tuesday

chameleon color linky _

oh scrap

boms away 

grassy creek 4 and my project box

It took some time, but, grassy creek mystery quilt at quiltville part #4 is done. I was pleased with how the pieces fit together, but, after ironing, I am wondering if they are a little wonky. Time will tell.

As part of the rainbow scrap challenge at so scrappy, I am working on pink ufos, I have finished  two love pillowcases and a flannel donation quilt. I am nearly done with flannel quilt #2, so I indulged with choosing another pink ufo - zuckerwaite from Bonnie Hunter book string fling. All I have finished are the string blocks. I made them in 2017. This quilt uses a massive amount of  HSTS - ( half square triangles ). So I need to get cutting. Even if that is all I get done this month, it is progress.

While I had the project box out of storage, I took some pictures to remind me of what was in there. I have Bonnie hunter's dawn's early light string blocks made.

And a Christmas sparkle quilt all cut out, including backing fabric. I found this as a quilt along here. I cut it out in 2018 while I had my Christmas fabrics out for something else. It looks like I have a few happy sewing days ahead of me. I love my project boxes.

my grassy creek mystery quilt at quiltville

clue 1

clue 2

clue 3

Clue 4 A

Clue 4 B

clue 5

clue 6

clue 7

I am linking:

Monday Making

design wall monday 

oh scrap

boms away 

needle and thread Thursdays

more grassy creek mystery

Last week, I had the parts cut and 3 sewn for clue #3 of the quiltville grassy creek mystery quilt. I finished sewing all of clue 3.

I had a chance to cut for part #4. I cut and cut, and cut........ and repeat.

almost there

I only had time to sew a few quarter squares, and, then, added them to clue #3 on just one set. I find it takes a lot more time to cut matching and then sew in matching sets. I already find I was not mindful enough of matching the neutrals. And they fit and are the right size - hooray

clue 1

clue 2

clue 3

Clue 4

clue 5

clue 6

clue 7

I am linking:

Monday Making

design wall monday 

oh scrap

boms away 

grassy creek mystery

I have been completely engrossed in organizing my quilting goals for this year, that, I completely forgot about quiltville's mystery grassy creek. I didn't even remember to go get the clues during the holidays. If I hadn't stumbled upon the bag of fabric, I might have forgotten completely. So, I quickly, cut the parts for clue 3. I use the word quickly sarcastically. I really dislike the matchy matchy in sets parts. 

I used an accuquilt die that I have had for awhile, but, never opened. That seemed fortuitous. And, it had 4 pieces to cut at a time, which helped making matching sets.

I was going to wait to sew the parts together. But, I started sewing them at the treadle. sewing the red and neutral was easy enough. They are one or two threads over and under the goal for size. I don't think I will trim them.

I tried one set of complete triangle to check for size. I don't really understand how to check. They are the right size tall, and, I have 1/4 inch seams all around, so, I think they will work. I won't know until I do clue 4.

I am linking:

Monday Making

design wall monday 

oh scrap

boms away 

grassy creek 2

Saturday was an all day sew day. And, I used the time to work on my grassy creek mystery quilt from quiltville. It seemed harmless enough... 25 sets of matching  blah blah blah. I didn't cut the pieces until the morning of, so, I didn't have a lot of time to think through the math. I just cut a bunch. I spent 3 hours sewing the pieces, and, I still wasn't done. 25 sets was actually 400 pieces. hmmm. I chained pieces in their sets, which was a little fiddley. I cut them after each set. 

After lunch, I sewed the chained sets into little blocks. I had 24 sets by the time I went home. I still need to trim and cut and sew the last set. For not doing the math, I was pretty lucky to be just one set short on pieces.

We had some great projects to see.

We did take a few minutes in the afternoon to play ring toss on the reindeer. It was a hoot, or should I say a snort.

We started the year, in January, with a retreat together, with no idea what the year had in store for us. By summer, we still had not known anybody that had covid. Now, all of us have heard of someone. The building we met in is in front of our walmart. I was shocked when I left for home, that all the walmart parking lot was full to the brim. Crazy people. 

I am linking:

Monday Making

design wall monday 

oh scrap

boms away 

frolic is a top?

The top for quiltville frolic mystery quilt is finished as per the pattern. And, I was ready to quilt it. I realized, if I add borders, it would be bigger for a bed.
I didn't plan on going bigger, but, it seems an off - size this way.
It stalls until I make a decision.

When I took to quilting in earnest, borders were my least favorite part of the process. I left many almost finished quilts in the ufo pile to avoid borders. I had to decide how to fix that problem. It wasn't easy, but, I can move right through the problem now, 90% of the time. Mostly, it was a practice problem. The more I did them, the better it was.  Lately, I have added borders to some really large quilts, and I am a little tired of that part of the process again. I need a little recreation sewing, so, I made a few blossoms blocks. How do you do borders?

 I did a little recreational cutting for clue 4 of the unity mystery quilt from quiltville.

I am linking:

midweek makers

boms away 
Oh scrap

unity 2 finish

Once I had all the pieces cut and sewn, It was finally time to make the rows for the unity mystery quilt. I have not done a medallion quilt before, and, I am sure it requires that the pieces fit for each round. It is a different approach for a mystery than Bonnie Hunter has done before now. So, at this point, I am a little worried about my piecing.

On the plus side, this was not the 800 pieces I am used to in a Bonnie quilt. It went quickly. And, tada, it fit nicely. It feels like a I have just finished a quilt - that is the plus of a medallion quilt. Each round, I can stand back and feel a sense of completion.

Unity mystery quilt is a quiltville mystery / quilt along by Bonnie Hunter. I am only on clue 2 of 6 or 7, but, I will catch up eventually.

clue 1
clue 2 A
My other quiltville mysteries

I am linking:

Monday Making

design wall monday 

oh scrap

progress

Last week's to do:
1. cut unity mystery clue 2 - done

2. cut old world mystery 4 - done

3. mow - done I am getting better at this
4. cut shirt scraps - done
I had this bag of scraps and I wanted to cut them into triangles.

I didn't count how many triangles I made. If it didn't make a triangle, it went into a string and crumb bag. I had 3 1/2 in, and 2 1/2 in, and a few 2 in. There is no particular plan, just cutting the scraps from cut offs when I was cutting large blocks from the sleeves.

Next week's to do:
1. mow again
2. cut unity 3
3. cut old world 5
4. dig out the unicorn quilt and decide what I need to do to finish it.
5. Put a quilt ufo on the frame

I am linking to:

to do tuesday

chameleon color linky
oh scrap

unity 2

Using my scrap user's system 2 x 3 1/2 inch rectangles,

and, my 2 inch squares, I was able to start work on clue 2 of the quiltville unity mystery.

I have all the pieces and parts ready to build the next row. The pieces are little, but, since we are still in the center of the quilt, it needs to be smaller. I am behind, but I am not in a hurry. It has been a cold Spring, but still beautiful and welcome. I am spending more time outside as the mowing falls to me as my husband recovers from back surgery.

clue 1

I am linking:

Monday Making

design wall monday 

oh scrap

unity mystery start

I'm not so sure why it took me so long to start unity mystery quilt. I knew I would have everything I needed, and I liked what I was seeing online.
I have a box of 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch scrap rectangles and a box of the smaller size - 2 x 3 1/2.

I was able to pull all I need in the right colors from those boxes. I have a drawer of 2 inch squares and 2 1/2 inch squares. I did need to cut the aqua, because, I just don't have a lot of that color in scraps. I was very careful and trimmed and checked through each step, but I was not real happy with the way pieces fit together. But, thankfully, it looks better in person than it did under the needle. So, clue 1 is finished and at the right size.

Unity mystery quilt is a quiltville mystery / quilt along by Bonnie Hunter.

I am linking:

Monday Making

design wall monday 

oh scrap

this and that

I am working on a customer quilt to pass the time. I really like her colors.

I have the border pieces done for frolic mystery quilt. I just have to get brave enough to cut/trim the edges to add the borders

And I have made more shoofly blocks. Working with tiny scraps has been therapeutic, but I also realize, I don't need any "real" fabric. I could make a million quilts with just tiny little scraps and never see the end of them.

I am linking:

midweek makers 

boms away 

frolic top

I spent an afternoon at Church as the second person for teaching a young boy having trouble with school. My job was easy. Just be there as a back up. I decided I would bring my sewing machine, and, take advantage of a floor to layout the rest of my frolic mystery quilt.
By mid afternoon, all the parts were sewn and I had 2 halves left to put together.

Before I went home, I had the top together this far. All that is left are the borders.

I'm linking to:

TGIFF

TGIFF different

Whoop Whoop

peacock party
oh scrap
from bolt to beauty

UFO busting

one monthly goal and frolic

It was so nice yesterday, we took a walk in the park. There was just a little bit of snow left under the fallen tree. Spring is close I can feel it.

Friday group I had a chance to layout  frolic and make the center row and the smaller one before it. It is all downhill from here. There is a lot of pinning and matching. It was more fun to sit and pin when in the company of other quilter friends. With every row, I like it better.

This is part of my one monthly goal for March. I want to complete the top. I also want to quilt my sweet land of liberty quilt and  Lucy's baskets quilt.

I am linking:

Monday Making

design wall monday 

oh scrap

One monthly goal