Mystery Quilt Report by Spooky

My momma makes nice quilts. I'm the quilt tester. This is me.

I like to get in and on all sorts of things. My momma made me a great basket to sleep in. I know she has shown it to you but I like this picture so I'm going to show you again.

My momma is making a mystery quilt with her scrap group. It is very pretty but I'm sworn to secrecy and can't show you the whole front yet. 

I take my quilt testing job very seriously. I had to test this one while she was quilting it. For some reason this upsets my momma but this time she just let me sleep and sewed on something else instead.

Then I had to test it during the binding process. My momma was gone buying people food so it was a good opportunity to do another test. 

Now it is finished. My momma has washed it and put it in her sewing room closet so I can't nap on it any more. She tells me it doesn't need testing any more. Don't tell her, but sometimes I pull open that door and do a few more tests on the things she has put away.

Like I said, this is a mystery quilt my momma's scrap group is doing. I can't show you the front yet but the back looks nice too.

My momma will take the quilt to her scrap group in a couple of weeks and then I can show you the front. 

Now she is working on another quilt. It is just in pieces right now so it doesn't need testing yet. I'm ready though as soon as the top gets put together.

Wool Applique and Embroidery

I am teaching my wool applique and embroidery class again this week, tomorrow in fact. I need a sample project to work on but I don't feel like making another Rose of Sharon Bag. I decided to make pin cushions. Below is the start of two.

The bird is appliqued and ready for the embroidery. I think he needs to be a little fatter, but it's too late to change that for this one. I'll adjust my pattern if I decide to make another bird. 

The orange cotton fabric on the left hand one is one of my recent purchases. I'm patting myself on the back for using brand new fabric instead of hoarding it. I plan to use the same fabric for the bottom of the pin cushion.

Charley Harper Kitchen Towels

My guild retreat is coming up at the end of October. This time we are exchanging "kitchen items." For some reason in my stash have a collection of kitchen towels. I pulled out two of them and added two Charley Harper prints.

My criteria for these exchanges is "Would I like to go home with what I contribute to the game?" These definitely measure up. I'd love to have these in my kitchen. I may need to make a couple more for myself!

Recent Shopping

I laid off buying fabric for a few months. Not because I was on a fabric diet or couldn't afford it. I just didn't see anything I felt I really needed or wanted. All that ended recently.

My LQS got in some Modern Backgrounds. I got some yardage of the Paper line and two charm packs each of the Paper line and the Ink line.

Then I got some fat quarters of the new For You line by Zen Chic for Moda.

I love the colors and the geometric prints!

Finally I picked up a few prints from the Nocturne line. Again another Moda line.

It's nice to be able to purchase some modern style fabrics locally! It pays (or it's very expensive) to let your local shop owner know what you like. 

Basting

Today I basted my version of the mystery quilt I'm leading my scrap group in doing.

I can only show you a sneak peak because I don't want to spoil the mystery for my group. My plan is to have it completed before our next meeting in October.

Just Squares :: A Finish

Last week I finished up my first "Just Squares" quilt.

I wanted to have it finished in time to take it to my guild meeting on Saturday so I could turn it in to the charity quilt chairperson.

I found this cute flannel in my stash for the backing.

The quilt measures 40" by 48". 

As I work on piecing other projects I will begin the next one of these.

Taking it Slow

This weekend I spent most of my sewing time hand stitching.

I'd really like to finish this and enjoy it on the wall instead of on my lap.

Click here to see a full view photo of this project before I began quilting it.

Sneak Peak

I am currently working on two things, neither of which I can show you just yet.

The first is the mystery quilt I am hosting with my scrap group. We met on Wednesday and I gave them the last block/unit clues. Next month I will give them the final clue. I am working on getting my top together so they can see it finished when I give them the last clue. You'll have to wait until the third Wednesday in October to see it.

My second project is pattern testing for a new friend. She said I could show you a sneak peak so here it is

The pattern calls for bias piping, not something I typically stock in my sewing room. The closest store that might carry this is 40 miles away. I was just there on Wednesday and didn't feel like making another trip this week. Had I read the pattern before Wednesday, I could have looked to see if they have some, but I didn't so I didn't.

Not to worry. I just looked up online how to make piping. It really isn't hard. I had everything I needed to make enough for this project.

Now that my piping is made I need to get back to the project. When the pattern is ready to be released I will be able to show you the rest of this adorable project. 

Just Squares

This is the first of three tops I will be making from a pile of pre-cut 4.5" squares I found in a recent sewing room clean-up.

I paired each novelty print square with a solid gray (Kona Ash) square. This top used 60 print squares and 60 solid squares. It went together quickly once I had them sewn in pairs. The pairs were sewn together as a Leader and Ender project. I blogged about this project just last month on August 14th. Click here to read that post. The second half of the post is about this project. It still amazes me how quickly I can get a second project done while working on something else using the Leader and Ender method.

The next order of business is to get it quilted and finished up.

Another Basket

Over the weekend I made another one hour basket. The link will take you to the tutorial.

Spooky insisted on inspecting my work. I believe it passed inspection.

Again, I put the handles on the long sides instead of the short sides. This time I cut them 11" long instead of 9". The additional 2" is just enough to allow the handles to easily meet in the middle when carrying the basket in one hand. 

These baskets are so fun to make! Without quilting, it really does take about an hour, after your first one. I don't know about you, but it always takes me longer to make the first one of anything. More of these baskets are on my to-do list. They are handy and relatively easy to make. In addition, with Christmas coming up I think they would make great gifts.

Scrappy Little Wishes Quilt Challenge

Pat Sloan is hosting a fun challenge right now. Click here to go to Pat's blog, read about the details and get the free pattern.

As you all know, I have a lot of scraps and I love to use them. I've made one block so far and middles for eleven more.

I think I will try to keep my star points in red scraps. I intentionally placed a light fabric in the center of each nine patch. Why? I have no idea. It seemed like the thing to do.

I don't know if I will stick with just twelve blocks or not. I don't know if I will sash these blocks or not. My plan is to make twelve blocks and then see what they want me to do with them after that.

Two New Things

Thing 1: 

I recently got a new portable light.

I love my Stella lamp, but it does not fold down as small as this one. This one will be much easier to take to classes. It uses 4 AA batteries or can plug into a USB outlet. I invested in some rechargeable AA batteries for this to make it more affordable to use. 

Thing 2:

I made another one hour basket. Click here to see my first one and for a link to the free tutorial.

This time I used Soft and Stable batting and quilted it. The original pattern calls for fusible fleece and does not have a quilted exterior.

I put the handles on the long side as opposed to the short side like the pattern suggests. For me, having the handles on the short ends is awkward. I prefer them this way but will make them a bit longer on the next one.

Pin Cushion Parade

My company (a.k.a. my parents) left yesterday. We had a great visit! My mom and I did a few sewing projects.

First we made these adorable and tiny owl pin cushions.

Mine is the pink/white one on the left. Mom's is the green/orange one on the right. We used this tutorial/pattern for them. They finish at about 3" tall and were fairly quick and easy to make. Both of us thought this was something we might make again. They would make great gifts.

Next we made Madame Bobbins.

We used this tutorial from the FabricWorm blog. Mom didn't finish hers. We had a hard time with this one. It was a bit fiddly, but mine turned out so cute.

Lastly, my mom brought me a gift from one of her friends from home.

I now have a pair of cactus pin cushions. See my other one by clicking here. Thank you so much Cindy! I love it!

I seem to have started a pin cushion collection without trying. I have a plan for this collection though. I'm not ready to share it with you yet, but when the time is right I will.

WIP Wednesday

I started a tumbler quilt some time ago as a long term project. There is no plan for this.

I pulled it out last week and sewed a few more rows. Then I put it up on my design wall to see how it is progressing. Currently it would finish at 40" by 45". I still have more tumblers cut. I think I will add four more tumblers to each row and make two more rows. Then I will reassess. I'd like to use all of the tumblers I have already cut, but some may go on the back.

We have visitors arriving tomorrow and they will stay for a week. If I am quiet here for the next week, this is why.