Stars Like Spaghetti Is No Longer A Mystery. It's A Top!

Stars Like Spaghetti

60 x 72

It's a top!

And I love it! 

It is oh so full of scraps.

Stars Like Spaghetti was a patriotic mystery by Quiltygirl Alycia.

Her version has a little border around but I don't have enough of any one fabric to add that and right now I don't feel like sewing together scraps for a border so more than likely my version will just stay as it is. I'm not a "border person" anyway. 

And I have been trying to clean up PILES this month (no not those piles that are a real pain in the booty but those piles of fabric and scraps and stuff all around the sewing machine) so now I can put all the bits and pieces of fabric I got out for this mystery away. 

And sew on...

Finished or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

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CELEBRATE! (My word of the year)

Feb. 22- I got up at around 11pm to get a drink of water. Everything outside was aglow with moonlight. And I could see a full moon high in the sky. And I remembered adults asking me when I was younger if I could see the man in the moon. (Never could).  And the love song " By The Light of The Silvery Moon" went through my head. And then that was enough celebrating of the moonlight so I went back to bed.     This morning I did a little research to see if it really was the full moon but found that doesn't happen until the 24th and it will be the Snow Moon and it will also be a micromoon - the smallest full moon of the year since it is farthest from the earth. 

Feb. 23 - I already did my celebrating early today. I went outside at first light this morning to take pics of Stars Like Spaghetti and was serenaded by the Dawn Chorus - bird song at first light.   I have never been able to identify birds by their songs but I don't need to know the singers in order to enjoy the chorus.  Sunrise here today was at 6:47 and I was out at around 7:15. The Dawn Chorus...what a beautiful way to start the day! 

 

Red Scraps Chapter III

Windmills - 4 inch finished

I continued on from last week with my 1.5 inch width red scraps and made a few Windmill blocks.  Earlier in the week I made a few Lil' Basket blocks with some red 1.5 inch width scraps.   

I only had enough of one red 1.5 inch scrap to make one 3 x 5 inch Switch Plate and I sewed together pieces for a Boo Boo Patch block that I found on the floor under the table. 

Scrapbuster Blocks

9 inch finished

I've been making these from some 4 inch squares that had accumulated. 

Happy Critters

8.5 inch finished

I cut enough small animal print squares for a child's quilt (30 - 5 inch) and decided rather than dig through scraps for border pieces I would just dig through scraps in the color of the month for border pieces  - mostly solids or tone on tones (TOTs).  

Happy Rainbows

8.5 inch finished

Someone gave me some Happy quilt border pieces cut for five inch centers. A lot of them were mulitcolored so I picked those out and cut some of my rainbow looking bits and pieces to add to the gifted pieces so I would have enough for a Happy Block quilt. Then each month I find 5 inch square TOTs  in the color and border them with Rainbows. 

Clue 5 of Stars Like Spaghetti Patriotic Mystery

12 inch finished Wonky Log blocks

I used a lot of red scraps in these! 

And also this week I finished some Crow's Nest blocks and used some red scraps to make those. 

And I still have some red scraps to work with this coming week. So I will be making a few blocks from 2.5 inch width red scraps. And I don't think I have done anything yet with a few 2 inch width red scraps. 

And sew on...

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

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CELEBRATE! (My word of the year)

Feb. 16 - My husband John was discharged from Visiting Nurses Home Health Care. He will still be receiving home visits for physical therapy for a few more weeks.  A nurse was coming once a week to monitor his vitals and weight (he needs to gain it) and to make sure he was tolerating his tube feedings okay and not aspirating. Basically the health system wanted to keep him out of the hospital for at least 60 days since he had previously had two inpatient stays less than 60 days apart.  So anyway...celebrating husband's progress! 

 

Red Scraps Chapter II

Wonky Windmills

Gray backgrounds

8 inch finished

This week I used some 4.5 inch scraps to make some Wonky Windmills and...

...Kaleidoscope Blocks

Yellow backgrounds

8 inches finished

Boo Boo Patch (18 Patch)

3 x 6 finished

Made from 1.5 inch scraps

Named Boo Boo Patch because when I first started makinng the blocks I meant to make them out of 1.5 x 2.5 inch pieces but miscalculated the strip size needed so ended up with 1.5 x 1.5 inch pieces instead and went with that.   It's all good because most of the time when I have 1.5 inch width scraps they aren't long enough to make the 18 Patch as I originally intended. 

I also used some red scraps to make Clue #4 of the Stars Like Spaghetti Patriotic Mystery hosted by Alycia of Alycia Quilts. 

My clue #1

My clues #2 and #3

And sew on...

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

 

Stars Like Spaghetti Patriotic Mystery Clues #2 and #3

Clue #2 of Stars Like Spaghetti Patriotic Mystery 

by Alycia at Alycia Quilts.

Clue #3 of Stars Like Spaghetti Patriotic Mystery

by Alycia at Alycia Quilts 

And sew on...

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CELEBRATE! (my word of the year)

Jan. 31 - My youngest brother has been battling prostate cancer with bone metastases. At his Jan. 31 doctor appointment the doctor said there were no signs of cancer and that his psa level was good. Wonderful news!  Hopefully that is true. I live in Iowa and my brother lives in Florida and he doesn't always tell his siblings or daughter the truth about his health. 

Feb. 1 - Today the sky at sunrise was a beautiful pink and blue. 

 

Stars Like Spaghetti - Clue #1

Alycia who blogs at Alycia Quilts has started another patriotic mystery called Stars Like Spaghetti. 

She released Clue #1 yesterday and I have my blocks finished. 

7 - 12.5 inch Wonky Log Cabin blocks. 

And now I'm ready for Clue #2.

I don't participate in many mysteries anymore but I never miss one of Alycia's!  I am especially loving this one because she said it is perfect for scraps. 

And sew on...

*******

CELEBRATE! (my word of the year)

Jan. 17 - The EXCELLENT customer service provided by the ladies at the infusion pharmacy where I get my husband's enteral feeding supplies. They also set my mind at ease about a couple of things too. 

 

The Answer To The Mystery, My Friends, Is Blowin' In The Wind

Mystery Solved!

I have a top!

Four Corners Mystery Quilt 

Mystery by Quiltygirl Alycia

But the clues can only be found (for a short while) if you are a member of  the Mystery Quilts For Military Group

There was a break in the storm so I went out to snap a few photos and as soon as I got the top hung up on the line the wind started blowing and I could feel another storm brewing so I had to snap photos quickly. 

I've participated in most of Alycia's mysteries over the last few years but I was going to skip this year because my stash of patriotic fabrics consists mostly of smaller scraps.   Well, not one to miss out on a good mystery I rounded up a few red, white and blue fabrics to go with my patriotic smaller scraps and managed to solve the mystery.    There's a lot of chains in this one so hopefully I know have them all going to right direction.  There are four different ways to solve the mystery after you have gotten through all the clues. 

And sew on...

Finished Or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

 

Four Corners - A Mystery Quilt

Four Corners

A Mystery Quilt 4 Military

Clue #1 complete- 10 A blocks and 10 B blocks

I think clue #2 will be released today and I think you have to be a member of the MysteryQuilts4Military Group to get it.  Every time Alycia-Quiltygirl hosts a mystery I think it will be my last one because I've used up most of my patriotic prints and do not want to replenish that stash at this time. BUT I always seem to manage to dig up some patriotic and some other red, white and blue scraps so I can play along. I do love a good mystery! 

My version of the mysteries are usually scrappy but yours doesn't have to be. The instructions are written for one red, one white and one blue fabric but that's not my style. 

Some of my A and B blocks. 

More of my A and B blocks.

And sew on...

 

Long May She Wave

It's a flimsy!

Long May She Wave

A Patriotic Mystery 

from Alycia at Alycia Quilts

I've participated in quite a few of Alycia's mysteries but was going to skip this one because most of my patriotic prints are now just very small scraps.   But then I decided to go scrappy and use some civil war reproduction fabric scraps and muslin. 

This mystery has a very happy ending! 

Thank you, Alycia! 

 

Patriotic Mystery Quilt Clue #5

I've completed clue #5!

Patriotic mystery quilt Long May She Wave by Alycia at Alycia Quilts. 

I'm using red and blue civil war reproduction fabrics and muslin. 

 

It's A Clue!

Clue #1

60 Flying Geese

Long May She Wave 

a patriotic mystery quilt

by Alycia at Alycia Quilts

I wasn't going to participate in the mystery this time because I have used almost all of my patriotic prints except for some small bits and pieces. BUT after some thought I decided I could use some civil war reproduction prints (or similar prints) in blues and reds and muslin. I just happened to have some blue  scraps in the desired width to make my flying geese. 

And sew on...

Definitely NOT FINISHED this week

Finished or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

 

Another Mystery Solved

Edyta Sitar Mystery Quilt 2021

It's now a flimsy!

68 x 68

For a couple of weeks in May I followed along and made different four inch blocks every day and then went out and did my gardening.  I kept up with all the clues and although Edyta did give placement of the blocks every day I don't have a design wall so I just made my blocks and put them in a little box.  On a rainy day I decided I should attempt to get the blocks sewn together. It took me an entire day of arranging and rearranging blocks on my floor according to the layout plan. Ugh, what a backache! I had it for days. 

I used all sorts of odds and ends of different blue scraps. All of the blocks were easy to make. I didn't have to watch any videos to make the blocks, thank goodness, because my old laptop does not do well when it comes to videos. 

I kind of thought my quilt looked like a jumbled mess of blue so I didn't add any fancy border. But now that I see it hanging from afar...Surprise!!!... I kind of like it. That was a good use of some blue scraps! Now it will join the Edyta Sitar Mystery 2020 in the quilting pile. 

PLEASE NOTE:

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Mystery Solved!

I've been sewing along on Alycia's Mystery Quilt called Dakota Inspired.  (Alycia also has a group list called Mystery Quilts for Military where the clues for the mystery are released each week. ) And now I have finished the mystery and know the ending. It has a happy ending as you can see. 

I have really dwindled down my patriotic print fabrics in the past couple of years. For reds I had a little bit left of two different star prints. So I added three different red paisley fabrics and a red tone on tone (TOT) to the mix. 

For the medium blue I had a piece of batik with black and white bits and and a kind of batik looking variegated blue  print  with red stars that went pretty well together. 

Fabric amount requirements were given at the beginning of the mystery but I never know how big the pieces will be cut so I just gather up a pile of fabric odds and ends and hope I have enough. I had almost enough of the white background with stars but had to supplement with a bit of white with red and blue stars. 

 When it came to the dark blue side setting triangles I could not get a big enough cut from any of my original fabric picks but I ended up making do with a few others. 

I love a good mystery!

Finished or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

Mystery A12-Dakota Inspired

Alycia, who makes and quilts so many gorgeous quilts for Quilts of Valor (QOV), is hosting another mystery.  Here's clues 1 and 2. My quilt will be scrappy.  I have almost run out of patriotic prints but I do have a variety of red paisley fabrics to use along with some stars.  

This is clue #3.  I used more stars and paisley prints and a red tone on tone. 

I'm looking forward to a new clue on Wednesday. It's not too late to join in the fun. 

Mystery A12 - Dakota Inspired at Alycia Quilts

 

Mystery Quilt A11 - It's a Flimsy!

It's a flimsy!

Mystery Quilt A11 found at Alycia Quilts

I wasn't going to make any more mystery quilts. BUT I saw that there is an ongoing need for Quilts of Valor PLUS I happened to have some patriotic prints on hand.  So I used up a lot of patriotic print bits and pieces and made a scrappy version of A11. I think I have mostly low volume patriotic prints left. 

It probably will not get quilted and donated until next year. I am short on backings and have a big stack of tops already made that need backings. I'll assess my needs after the first of the year and probably purchase only the fabric I think I will need for backings after that. 

 

It's a Mystery

 Alycia (Alycia Quilts - Quiltygirl) has just posted fabric requirements for a new mystery to start on October 15. I was not going to participate but then I read that there is a backlog of requests for Quilts of Valor so I changed my mind and decided to participate and make a quilt to help with the back log. Well, it just so happens I do have some red and blue patriotic prints and a hunk of white in my stash that I can use for a scrappy version of the mystery. Might as well use it up. It's not doing anyone any good in a box. 

Also to help with the back log I'm going to make it my October OMG (One Monthly Goal) to get Patriot quilted. Patriot was Alycia's 2018 mystery. I was never quite sure how to quilt it so it has remained a UFO even though I do have a wide backing for it. 

OMG (One Monthly Goal) at Elm Street Quilts

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. 

This was my goal #8

for

Q4 Finish-Along