Tutorials, pattern releases and.... Finished ( or not) Friday

 Last week, On Finished ( or not) Friday... there were some great pattern releases and tutorials - and I want to make them all, and I think you should too!

No excuses that you have too many projects, projects make us all live longer, and get up earlier in the morning... Right?  (if its not true, do NOT tell me, cuz I have a lot of new starts!)

the first one - released by Cynthia - of Quilting is more fun than Housework... is called 

Scrap:Mixology - Well Suited  and I LOVE IT!!!  I mean seriously - that girl has a knack for amazing scrap quilts, and well.... you want this!  there are no less that 4 ideas I am ready to try - this is a VALUE!!!!

NEXT - a perfect tutorial for a perfectly timed tabletopper!

Sunshine in the Attic  showed this awesome table topper... AND shared a tutorial on how to make it!

and then.... Quilting Jet Girl - released this cool pattern...Pistils and Pollen.

I tell you she is a master at taking a technique and creating something really really really cool with it!~!

the large printed links will take you to their blog posts all about these patterns... go you!! find a new project!

Alright!! Now for your time to shine!! What did you Finish  ( or not)  BRAG away....

add a backlink so others can gawk too!!

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You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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Mystery A11 - My Fabric choices

 

Last Thursday the Fabric Requirements for Mystery A11 was ( were) posted.

Here are my choices:

many of you are emailing asking me to sign you up - 

there is no sign up.... I posted the fabric requirements here on the blog

and on this same blog ( grin) on October 15th the First clue will go up

each Thursday after another clue will be posted 

On this same blog ;-)

if you want to join in with our chat group - we would LOVE to have you:

join us here:

MysteryQuilts4Military

Happy Half Square Block SIXTEEN

Welcome to Week 16 

of the

HAPPY HALF SQUARE Project!!

this is my Week SIXTEEN block

when I drew it, I drew it three colored ( see below for the drawing)

but when I saw this crazy blue fabric.

I kinda decided I would prefer to use all the same

as it gave it a diamond effect...

 Crazy thinking?

maybe I have diamonds on the brain?

here is the drawing:

Kat ( Scrap Box Quilts) did her magic work and because it is my blog ( my rules right? haha)

I put my favorite layout first...

I think this would be so cool with alternation blue and red blocks -

Very Quilt of Valor.. ly

this one kinda looks familiar!

Sharon R has been making these too - check out her awesome blocks!!

and then Kat did a little more magic!!

Check out what these blocks could look like in a sampler.

( Mine are very scrappy, so may need some calming sashings between them)

Fun Right?   

If you are new to my blog or just deciding to join in making these blocks - they are all in a tab at the top of the blog so you can see every block. There is no set size - you can make them what ever you want.

they each need 16 half squares - so your method of choice works.

I am using 5 inch squares, and sewing 1/4 inch on each side of the diagonal line that I draw

( works for me)

To Do Tuesday

 Last weeks List:

• I have a wedding to photograph - so that is 2 days out of my week. ( but it should be a blast)
• More shoo Fly blocks - enough to start a top
• and quilt Double Wedding ring:

The Wedding was a blast!! The family of the groom had built a huge barn - just for this wedding... and now my husband says we should get married again so he can have a barn built.... 

Do you think I could just register for fabrics? haha

The Father of the Groom is a man to get things done. At rehearsal they were wondering how the bride was going to get to the barn from the dressing rooms. Someone said - oh we will just drive her over.

On the wedding day... and Horse Drawn Carriage showed up!! how is that for pretty cool!!

I also got enough Shoo Fly block finished to lay out a top - and then a really cool package arrived from Athens Texas... WHO IS IN ATHENS!!!  there was a huge stack of blocks - like a million!! and I am so excited to start getting these into tops!!

Look at this stack!! They are all so beautiful... I cried!

Here are my shoo Flys...I am thinking a white small border and then maybe another border of Eagle Fabric... I like eagles!~

I don't know if you remember when I got so crazy about Churn Dashs blocks ( okay I still am, but...) I think I might be crazy for these shoo fly blocks this month - they are the BEST leader ender for me!

So for This Weeks List:

• start another Shoo Fly quilt
• and start another Greek Key quilt
• A little secret stitching ( Christmas is on its way!)

Look!! I even have it cut out!

That along with Quilting for some AMAZING Clients, a little bit of photo editing, and cooking for the crew....... should keep me completely out of trouble..... Right??

Linking up with:

To Do Tuesday  at Home Sewn By Us

Double Wedding Ring... progress

 I got my quilt all prepped and started to load it on the Long Arm

I think I got the top line pretty straight for the wiggles that are in it, 

however - as I did my measurements -I found that it is 3 inches longer on the left side

versus the right side.... hmmmmm

I have a lot of these(below)...

so I decided to use

Quilters Dream

Dream Puff Batting

That is just one of my most favorite battings, 

and I thought maybe a little loft would help fill these puffs.

A couple of the rings - I just couldn't flatten at all.

so I taped them to see what it would do to the rest of the quilt, 

and then decided that yep

I needed to baste this one down.

the ring below is a different one, 

but.... this is the pattern I am using in the rings.

I was just going to do it in the peach part, but then I realized that I would be here for 6 months quilting this one, so I decided to try it in the whole ring......

see you next week for the next update - haha!!..

( oh! and... no wine was involved in the quilting of this quilt!)

PS - join us!! to be a part of the mystery - just follow the blog - all clues will be posted here:

Linking to

Design Wall Monday

Monday Making
what i made monday

Long Arm Link Up

Greek Key Quilt...... and its Finished Friday!!

 Happy Friday!!

I just made this one under the wire... hence.... the photo of this quilt top... in the KITCHEN!!!

its the only place in the house with a lot of light so late in the evening!!! 

Ta-Da!!!

So - borders.... I had such a hard time thinking what I wanted to do,

and I finally just decided to use this beautiful Eagle fabric... and call it good.

Full Disclosure, I do have another one cut out, so maybe I can start thinking of great ideas for borders for it, and really follow through - but I do like how this one turned out!

Now it is time for you to shine!

Share your Finishes ( or not) with us!!

and be sure to visit some of the links and say hi!

and please link back us to this so others can see all the good, yummy, quilty inspiration!

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You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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linking to:

Can I get Whoop Whoop

Mystery A11 Fabric Requirements

Happy Thursday Morning!!

Today is the day!!! the Fabric requirements for Mystery A11 are here!!

The first clue will be October 15th - so you have plenty of time to finish all of those UFO's.... right?

Fabric  Requirements

Based on 40 inch wide fabric

Red   1 3/8 yards

Blue   2 1/8 yards

White 2 ¼ yards

This does NOT include backing or binding.

As you know I do all of these mysteries in Patriotics or Plaids… but

What you are really looking for it TWO contrasting Darks ( red/Blue) (Purple/red) (Black/red)  and one light – this light needs to make your darks pop.

If you decide to go scrappy – I think it will work, but remember I LOVE SCRAPS, therefore anything scrappy to me is pretty!.  You will just need to adjust the directions to give you the same number of pieces. Most pieced will be 3 ½ inches or larger…. Hope that helps a little.

This quilt will finish at approximately 60 x 80 inches

Here is a link to the PDF!!!  

A11 fabric requirements pdf

As many of you know -I am a huge supporter of Quilts of Valor - have been for 16 years. As the organization has grown - so has the number of Quilts requested. And knowing, ( and witnessing ) first hand what a difference an award of a Quilt of Valor can make to a Veteran touched by war, I was surprised to learn that there is actually a back log.   As in there are more requests than there are quilts.

We have been SO blessed and SO supported here in Colorado, that we are not really behind. The little bit of behind we are is due to Covid - not a lack of quilts.... but those that are backlogged - it tears at my heart.... I want each Veteran to know that they are loved.. and sooner , rather than later.

So! Quilts of Valor is starting to roll out what they are naming * Call to Action 2018*  this is where the team is going to start working on all the backlogged requests... so here is where you can help!

1. Make a quilt

2. If you are a QOV member and you would like your completed quilt to be part of the CTA2018 program, please contact Nancy or Ginger and they will provide you with the name of a veteran to receive your quilt and where to send it.

3.  If you are not a QOV member and would like to donate your completed quilt to a requesting veteran, contact Nancy or Ginger and they will provide information for where to send your quilt top or complete quilt.  

 So see - you can help - as we are working through this mystery - maybe you will decide you would like it to go to a Veteran touched by war, that is a part of this back log.....  and we would LOVE that!

CTA2018 is just getting underway - so in the following clues I will be providing the ways to get a hold on Nancy and Ginger.... 

now!! as of today - message me - or leave me a comment with your email and I will get you in touch with Ginger or Nancy... they are setting up a direct email for this CTA2018  at the moment . 

Quiltygirl.com

Quiltygirl Instagram

Quiltygirl Facebook

Happy Half Square Block FIFTEEN

 I have changed sizes of my next blocks - but seeing as you aren't measuring what mine come out as.... you won't be able to tell - haha!

BUT!! I have been making a bunch of the Disappearing Shoo Fly blocks - and with the half squares, you only get one - and then have a left over - so! the leftovers are becoming my HHST blocks.... which is great - Double Trouble - Two Quilts in one!

So !! here is       Happy Half Square Block FIFTEEN

I think that the blocks take on a whole new look with the color of the background fabrics - and I am finding a lot of the beige's left in my buckets - as I start to think they wash the blocks out.... I am going to have to think of ways I want to use them!

See you tomorrow for the Fabric Requirements of:

PS - while I was playing in photoshop creating that banner - check out the new banner I made for my Etsy store.... 

someday when I open Photoshop - I am going to be so happy, and know how everything works, instead of yelling at my computer to just do what I want ;-)

I have to tell you how much I love Kat!! she has volunteered to take these blocks and make mock up quilts of them - and I LOVE it... i think it is really fun!  Here are some cool mock ups of this one!

I truly love the on point 

and if you pretend you are a great seamstress

those blues make another pin wheel!

Enjoy!!!  and get those UFOs done!!

To do Tuesday

 my last week list:

#1 Greek Key blocks into a top ( of sorts) ✔

#2 More Modern Bonus Block✔

here they are all laid out in the monthly order- I kinda ran out of the original scraps I was using - so have added others along the way.... 

#3 More Disappearing Shoo Flys ✔

they are growing!! then I decided to make one in the opposite colorway - like dark where the lights should be... I don't like it:

#4 Prep for the NEXT Mystery Quilt 4 Military mystery!!  ✔

got my graphics done - the clues written and in pdf form and I am ready to rock and roll!

here is the post about it:

A11 mystery

and this weeks list:

• I have a wedding to photograph - so that is 2 days out of my week. ( but it should be a blast)
• More shoo Fly blocks - enough to start a top
• and quilt this:

I think... it will be a fun week!!

Linking up to:

To Do Tuesday at Home Sewn by Us

Double Wedding ring Quilt... Antique ( I think)

 I got a call from a friend in town - she said - my husband has been attending a lot of auctions and he bought a box of quilts. I want you to have them...

I so I headed into town to see the treasures he had found!  and they were awesome - they were tops, not finished quilts - which truly - was all the better.

I pulled this one out and laid it on the floor, and both of our mouths dropped. Arlene said - I am pretty sure I know why this one was NEVER finished....  and a challenge began:

Not only are there hills.... there are Valleys... and some of them are quite tall, and some of them are quite deep.

Most of the fabrics are true 30's prints - but check out that top corner.... don't you wish you knew the story as to how those rings came about.... some of the fabrics look old - but... they do not match the rest of the quilt... AT ALL 

Can you also see the borders? they are not squared, or flat, or even stretchable for that matter. you can feel the tightness in this fabric - and I kinda think there is selvedge in it....

Most of the rings are fairly the same size - but some of them kinda double over on themselves...

BUT!! I am going to quilt this puppy... as is... it is not a family heirloom to me, and it looks like a lot of fun to try to tame this one.... it may never be square - but I am going to try for....

Quilted!! 

Yep - I am not even sure I care if it lays flat - but I will try to see what I can do!!

Wish me luck - and fun... I am sorta looking forward to quilting something that isn't for show, or for a present, or for perfection... i got this!! haha!

Linking to:

Design wall monday     Monday Making    LAL at Rebecca Grace