The Final Chapter of an Old Mystery

 A really old mystery quilt. 

50 x 50

Ready for donation and ready to be crossed off the UFO list. 

 This was the first mystery quilt I ever made and I can't even remember when that was. It was before I made my first Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt, Roll Roll Cotton Boll. 

It was before I did much in the way of free motion quilting on my DSM. 

It was before I had a fabric stash. 

I think I pin basted it three years ago.  And I could not figure out how to quilt it.  And I really wasn't sure what to do with the odd sized quilt if I ever did get it quilted. 

Now that I'm working really hard on that big UFO list I decided to just sit down at the sewing machine with it and sew. Diagonal lines at irregular intervals happened. 

This will be donated to Quilts Beyond Borders for their latest initiative to deliver quilts to Navajo teens and elders in the Navajo Nation in the US in time for the cold winter weather. 

And that's the final chapter of this old mystery. 

A Bo(w)dacious Finish

 It's a finish!

54 x 63

Quilts Beyond Borders (QBB) has received a request from the Forgotten People of the Navajo Nation for 500 - 700 quilts for teenagers and elderly.  I normally make QBB quilts 40 x 60 but they mentioned they would take some a little larger for this initiative. This is #1 of 3 quilts in odd sizes I have recently finished for this initiative. 

Note If you are interested in joining an online group of charity quilters that supports Quilts Beyond Borders as well as other charities then Sunshine Online Quilt Guild is the place for you. 

 These are nine inch Double Bow Tie blocks I swapped long long ago - old florals on cream. 

 Back when postage was a lot cheaper I participated in a lot of online swaps. That way I could buy one fabric and make several blocks and get a variety of blocks in other fabrics in return. Plus it was fun to receive an envelope of blocks in the mail.  Well, back then I didn't really have the time or the money for backing and batting to finish quilts so...I have lots of baggies of swapped blocks I've been trying to get made into quilts since I retired a couple of years ago. 

I only had to make four more blocks for this quilt. 

 And speaking of backings...a quilty friend sent me this Double Wedding Ring cheater fabric and I thought it would be a perfect backing for those Double Bow Ties - double the fun, huh? 

I pieced the batting for this one. I use wide zig zag to piece battings. 

I quilted some leaves on the diagonal in the cream spaces and I quilted a daisy chain on the diagonal some three petaled flowers in the bow ties. And that binding is a piece of leftover fabric from some kitchen curtains I made back in the early 80s.  I had almost enough to go around but had to add in some cream fabric. 

And that's a bo(w)dacious finish! 

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more Fun than Housework

This was my goal #16

for

Q4 Finish-Along

And finally...I've had several comments lately from "no-reply" bloggers. I'd like to send you a thank you for your kind comments; however, I have no way to do so since I don't have your email.  So if you don't receive an email reply from me then please know I am thankful for the time you took to leave a comment.  If you would like a reply then please leave your email addy in the comment or search for how to change your settings so you are no longer a "no-reply" blogger.  

And Even More Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) Projects

Wishing Rings 

These finish at 3.5 inches so it will take a lot of blocks for the big quilt I have in mind. I haven't counted how many I have now but from the looks of the ziplock bag I know there's not enough so these blocks will continue as a RSC project into next year.  I cut the sides from 1.5 inch scraps and the center and corners from 3.5 inch scraps (and have a set of postage stamps left over) but that may change next year and I'll use scrap chunks. 

And speaking of scrap chunks...I've been making these Cats all year and now have 48 of them for an 8 x 6 layout. If I don't add any sashing that leaves me with a nice little quilt about 40 x 54 inches. 

 Sixteen Patch Stars

12 inch finished

from the 3.5 inch scrap bin

 I now have 16 blocks. I have been concentrating on making mostly twin sized quilts this year so figured I need 30 blocks for a 5 x 6 layout (60 x72 inch finished). I scraped the bottom of  the scrap bin barrel and cut enough squares for the rest of the blocks minus the center star pieces. I'll make these up in between other projects so this will not continue into next year as a RSC project.  And I intend to cut up the rest of the 3.5 inch scraps into squares for who knows what. The goal is an empty bin. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

Now That I Have Several New Starts Out of My System...

 Tested out a 12 inch Kansas Troubles block that was inspired by...

...a vintage quilt. 

Yes, I'll make more blocks in red, white and blue. 

 Row 1 of free Tula Pink pattern called Tabby Mountain. 

No Tula Pink fabrics here but I do have a few Kaffe Fassett fabrics I intend to use.  I think it takes longer to cut the pieces than it does to make the quilt. I figured out what solids I am going to use and in what order but will randomly sew the "mountains" in each row as I go.  Cut some, sew some, cut some, sew some...

 I've been wondering what to do with some grape and wine themed fabrics. 

I found a block called Grape Basket in my Ladies' Art Company Block Tool. 

I tried a 15 inch block using grape themed fabric as the background and brown and red as the basket.  Then I made a few more blocks...

 Since they are large blocks I won't need to make that many. I decided all baskets will be brown and either red, purple or green (like grapes) and the backgrounds will be grape themed fabrics. 

Ok. Now that I have several new starts out of my system I'm going to have a quilting marathon. I want to finish a few quilts from yesterday's list. 

Fourth Quarter Finish-Along Goals

1. Pyramids to be quilted on my DSM

2. Spider Webs to be quilted on my DSM

3. Black, White and Read All Over to be quilted on my DSM

4. Text Me to be quilted on my DSM

5. Sunshine Round Robin to be quilted on my DSM

6. Puss in the Corner to be quilted on my DSM

7. Cats in the Cradle to be assembled and quilted on my DSM and sent to a baby.

8. Really, really, really, really (to infinity) old mystery quilt to be quilted on my DSM and donated.

 9. Gallimaufry to be quilted on my DSM

10. Sunflowers to be hand quilted

 11. Bit Coins to be hand quilted.

 12. and 13. Two ABC I Spy Quilts. Attach Iron on letters and quilt on my DSM.

 14. Make Quilts Beyond Borders fat quarter challenge quilt. 

 15. Really, really, really, really (to infinity) old top using 2.5 inch squares needs to be quilted on my DSM and donated. 

16. This is a really, really, really (to infinity) old set of swapped Double Bow Tie blocks. Make four more and then assemble and quilt on my DSM and get it donated. 

2019 Q4 Finish-Along

More Rainbow Scrap Challenge Projects

 This week I worked with 2 inch scraps in dark neutrals.  I've been making these Sixteen Patch blocks that will finish at six inches all year long and so far I don't have that many blocks. I think that is mainly because I don't have a lot of longer scraps in 2 inch width. 

 I counted 48 blocks and if my target is a 10 x 13 layout (60 x 78 inches) then I need 130 blocks total and since I don't have half that amount of blocks after a year I can either continue into another year and wait for scraps to happen, I can make the blocks a lot scrappier, or maybe I can combine them with another block. Hey, I've been making Broken Dishes blocks for awhile. I wonder how they will look as an alternate block. 

Looks good to me.  So, I now just have to make 17 more Sixteen Patches and I'll have blocks enough to start assembling a top.  I'll make those Sixteen Patches from scrap chunks.  And this RSC project will not have to continue into next year. 

Another block I've been making from 2 inch scraps is called Wedding Ring and finishes at 7.5 inches. 

 In case you are wondering how I piece blocks...I stack the pieces on top of each other and then...

 ...do lots of chain piecing. I often have piles of blocks behind my sewing machine with the rows pieced waiting for the rows to be sewn together at another sewing session. 

I took a count of these blocks and found I have 43 of them. A 12 x 12 layout (90 x 90 inches) will require 144 blocks so this project will continue into the next year and if I don't have scraps in the 2 inch scrap bin in the color of the month I will cut pieces  from scrap chunks. 

 These houses also come out of the 2 inch scrap bin. Next year I may cut the 2  x 2.5 house pieces from 2.5 inch scraps and still use 2 inch scraps for the roof and low volume backgrounds. These finish at 3 inches and I need about 200 more. 

 Another project that I have neglected this year that uses 2 inch scraps and waste triangles is Wonky Stars. I'll probably work on those next year. When I started making them I didn't even have a 2 inch scrap bin so I kind of forgot about them. 

And speaking of 2 inch scrap bin...it is a 16 quart container and it looks like this now. In the new year after  I finish making Wedding Ring blocks and Wonky Stars I will cut any remaining scraps of that color into 2 inch squares and eventually will make a 100 Patch Quilt. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

Three Tops and Then Some

 I decided to finish up a few UFOs that use patriotic themed  fabrics. It was a blustery day when I ventured out to take some pictures so some are rather blurry, darn it. (sigh)

Foothills

72 x 72

This was inspired by a vintage quilt and was a quilt along last year with Mary Elizabeth Kinch. I see she has removed the block instructions now but... 

 ...I think the traditional block name is Chain and Bar and a free version of it can be found at Quilter's Cache.   

 I made all of the blocks last year but then stalled when it came to the sashing. I really, really, really, really don't like to add sashings or borders to quilts for some reason. I think I would rather make a thousand more blocks than add sashings or borders. It's just not my thing to do although I do admit that some quilts just need one or the other or both to look complete. Anyway, so the blocks have been laying at the end of my ironing board all this time with a piece of red yardage to use for the sashing. 

Now that I've completed this quilt top I have to admit that the end of the ironing board still has a pile of stuff on it but that's a different story for a different day.  

 Next up I was sorting through the very fat and overflowing orphan box (aka orphanage) and pulled out some red/white/blue and patriotic themed orphans. 

Quilt Top #2

From orphan blocks

60 x 78

 Hey, perfect...nine stars. Four of the stars were left over from a Quilt of Valor I made in 2013. And those blocks were actually from a swap earlier than that so those stars are almost vintage.  The other stars called The Dandy Quilt  I made for a red and white swap but then realized I used sateen for the white and wasn't sure that would be acceptable so made different blocks for the swap.  Ok so add the dreaded sashing and I had a forty inch center.  Next I found I had ten inch Happy Blocks almost enough to go all the way around the center.  These were also orphans left over from a different Quilt of Valor I made in 2013.  I had to make about five more blocks and used a couple of six inch HSTs from the orphanage as the centers for a couple.  By then I had obtained my desired sixty inch width but needed to add some length. 

 I didn't get a good picture of the bottom  "border" of the quilt but it was constructed similar to the top border.  First  I added a pieced 3.5 inch strip of pieces and parts and then a 6.5 inch row of pieces and parts. 

 I even deconstructed a couple of 12 inch Disappearing Nine Patch blocks to use in the six inch bottom border (not shown here). 

So with this top I only had to make a few blocks and I had a whole quilt top and the orphanage was a little lighter. 

 Happy Patriots

58.5 x 78

This one came out of a Happy Place (aka box of partial sets of Happy Blocks) - a partial set of really old swapped blocks with a patriotic theme and in a weird size.  Way back when postage was a whole lot cheaper I participated in a lot of online swaps. One of the groups swapped Happy Blocks in a different theme three times a year. The centers are four inch and the sides are two inches which makes for a 6.5 inch finished block. 

 I had forty-three blocks...

 ....so I made sixty-five more and then made them into a top. 

And now the Happy Place is just a little bit lighter too. (I found a partial set of nice Autumn themed blocks in there too so those may end up in a top soon...MAYBE). 

And now for the "and then some"...

The Foothills quilt left me with a lot of five inch scraps I've kept in a bin along with other patriotic themed scraps. I'd been wondering what to do with them for quite awhile and then I came across...

 ... the Plaid-ish quilt (free tutorial at Kitchen Table Quilting) that calls for a lot of five inch pieces. So I have cut and chain pieced all of the block rows and now just have to sew the block rows together and then assemble the top.  The patriotic themed scrap box is almost empty. The few pieces left in there will be sorted into the other scrap bins I have based on scrap size. 

And that leaves me with this UFO that uses patriotic themed fabrics. I was playing around with pieces cut with a kaleidoscope ruler last year or the year before or the year before that.  Now I need to get busy and play some more because I sure like these blocks and I still have some patriotic themed fabric. 

Finished or Not Finished Friday at Alycia's Quilts 

where, as you can see from her blog post back then,  I sent those QOV quilts I made back in 2013. 

Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More