Weekend Updates

All of the Blogger's BOM are done, filler blocks are done and I am ready to start sewing the rows together.  Not sure how big this will end up, I still have a little yardage for a small border.  Jackie over at Canton Village Quilt Works hosted the BOM this past year and I could not be happier with the result.  Thanks Jackie!

Not much sewing happened in the last 2 weeks -- I think my sewing machine actually collected a little dust.  I came back from the Houston Quilt Show sick as a dog (I wonder where that saying came from).  So sick that I missed several days at work, no Zumba for 2 weeks and no sewing.  Today I woke up ready to sew and shop and talk and blog!  That is a good sign!  Hopefully Zumba is next - I sure miss it.

When you are under the weather, hand work helps -- but even that was hard for me.  What I was able to do, crochet.  This crocheted Christmas Tree pattern was first published by Woman's Day in December 1979.  I still have the magazine and have made more of these than I can remember.  I used a variegated green yarn for the one above, decorated it with little Texas Stars and could not be happier.  I bring out a red one every year for a small 1/2 bath -- it has little lights and brightens up the room.  My favorite are the solid white ones -- which I have given away many over the years.  Guess it is time to make another one.

Now to tackle the kitchen (my stove collected dust too) -- I am ready to bake a Pumpkin Cake and cook a big pot of Gumbo.  I am also linking up with Sarah at Confessions for a Fabric Addict for her weekly get together.

Orca Bay Finished

 I love this shot -- a combination of excitement and exhaustion!  From the left, Jamie (me), sisters Rayna and Phyllis and Miss Alice Anne, our late mother's life long friend (who also quilts).  As usual, the Festival did not disappoint.

 Bonnie Hunter's 2011 Mystery Quilt, Orca Bay is all done!  I only had the hand work, but I wanted it completely finished  before the 2012 Mystery Clues came out.

I am also heading over to Sarah's, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, to link up to her Whoop Party and join others who have projects on going and finished.

Get your sunglasses!

I am off to the Quilt Shop to look for the perfect border.  You would think that any color would do, but NOTHING in my stash seems to "hit the spot".  The down side to buying more fabric for the border, I will have more batik scraps -- or is this an "up-side"!

This bright batik version of Acappella (Black Cat Creations) will be my next long-arm project.  I can't wait!

Speaking of Black Cat Creations -- Coming Soon -- A Gallery to display customer quilts made from their patterns!  More details to come in a few weeks.





 

Orca Bay - Quilted

Thought I would share a picture of Orca Bay (from Bonnie's 2011 Mystery) before the black binding was added -- it will take me a while to finish the hand work and could not wait to show her off.  The backing was perfect -- WILD!   I used variegated turquoise / aqua blue quilting thread and quilted border to border swirls (something I have never done).    Because the quilt has a lot of piecing, no one will notice my swirls were a little shaky here and there.

Now that Orca Bay is done, I am ready for the 2012 Quiltville Mystery!

Monday Design Wall

Although this is not the final setting, I have been playing with my blocks from Jackie's BOMs (Canton Village Quilt Works).  I tend to like BIG quilts, so Jackie's 13 Blocks became 26 --- I tend to like lots of piecing, so I made simple filler blocks from the left over fabric (I used a layer cake from Moda Collection, Basic Grey).  I promise, there is nothing left from the layer cake except tiny TINY pieces.  Thank goodness I bought matching fabric for an inner border (or sashing) and an outside border/binding.

Speaking of BIG quilts, I have always liked to make mine big.  Even my baby quilts are larger than normal -- they have to be practical -- babies grow! Right?  I giggled when Bonnie Hunter mentioned she liked them big in her live Quilt Cam the other night.  I am tall, so I like them to cover my feet and sometimes my head when it is really cold.  I also want to know that my family will pull out the practical quilts over and over to use them.

I am so excited that I have something to share on the Monday Design Wall -- so I am heading over to Judy's at Patchwork Times to share.  Then I am heading for the recliner to start the binding handwork on my Orca Bay (yep, it is done, done, done).

Orca Bay - Ready for Quilting

My version of Orca Bay, Bonnie Hunter's 2011 Mystery Quilt is ready to be loaded on the quilting machine.  The teal blues and oranges/reds are brightly nestling the Ohio Stars  -- I love the black and white pieced border the best, which ties it all together.  With all of the talk about the upcoming 2012 Mystery hosted by Bonnie , I just had to get my rear in gear and "get-r done".
 

I am putting the back together, which is beautiful fabric of teals and reds.  I will need a close quilting design to hold the pieces together .... so ..... with the busy front, I just might practice a few new quilting designs (especially since they really won't show that much).  I have a notebook full of doodles that I can't wait to test.

Monday Design Wall and Projects

 The brightly colored quilt above is my 'Acappella" made with a scrappy collection of batiks.  Some of the fabrics were only used once because it was all that I had.  I am also determined to use up as much as possible -- batiks are beautiful and expensive -- so I don't want to waste a single one.  After the top is done, I will need to go shopping for a border. As you can see, there is no clear theme (except black), so I am anxious to see what color will finish her off.

Like many other quilters, I am hooked on Bonnie Hunter's Quilt Cam -- most of the time I pull out my hand work, which is my least favorite and time just flies by.  Bonnie has also announced her new mystery is coming soon, so I pulled out Orca Bay to finish before the next one starts.

On the quilt machine is a special project I have been working on -- I love the combination of Black and Gold, so this one has been fun.  As soon as it is done, I will be quilting Orca Bay.

It has been a while since I had something to share on Judy's Design Wall over at Patchwork Times....so I am hurrying over there to link up.