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. 

 

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

It's a Flimsy! The Patriot

 The Patriot

It's a flimsy

62 x 80

 The Patriot was a mystery quilt designed by Alycia of Alycia Quilts. 

It's a mystery no longer! 

Thanks, Alycia! 

I wasn't going to participate when I first read the fabric requirements but found I had several dark blue chunks in my scrap bin as well as a few reds and lots of ends of muslin. I supplemented with fabrics from my patriotic box since my goal this year is to use holiday fabrics.   The only thing I was short of was light blue fabrics - scraps or patriotic. I found a few pieces in my stash and ended up using the yardage of some Kona Candy (light blue) I think I had set aside for one of my UFOs but since I'm not really sure it got cut up.   I'm pretty sure the color is Candy because when I bought it I wondered who would eat blue candy.  So I can buy more later if I come across a UFO that absolutely needs it.  I rarely buy anything over 1/2 yard unless it's a really good deal so that's why I think I bought it with a purpose in mind unlike most of the fabrics I buy. 

I'm not sure what to use for backing or how to quilt it but after that it will be gifted.   

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

Mystery! Intrigue! Suspense!

 Clue 1 - Sixteen Stars in dark blue and white

The Patriot Mystery 

I have challenged myself to use my holiday fabrics this year and patriotic fabrics celebrating the Fourth of July, Veteran's Day and Memorial Day is included in that Holiday Cheer Challenge.    In addition I've been going through boxes, bins and bags of fabric and I am trying to clear some older fabrics and larger scraps out and use them up.   In that process I found a bunch of small muslin pieces and lots of bits and pieces of  dark blue fabrics just right for these stars.   Clue 2 uses red and white strings. How fortunate that I have some white strings left over and unused after I made those two pink and white string quilts last week.  So on to clue 2. 

Clue 2 - Rail Units for Magical Mystery

Clue 1 was fabric requirements and cutting. Remember I said I had a lot of bits and pieces of blue fabrics I wanted to use up? Some of these pieces are pretty old. (I guess that makes them "old lady florals" ? ) A couple of the pieces were left over from backings or borders of quilts gone by so I had to do a little creative cutting. 

I'm making 8 sets but think I'll add one more for a total of 36 blocks. In a 5 x 7 setting that would be a nice size for a donation quilt 40 x 56. 

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

It's That Time Again !!!

54 x 72

This quilt top is made of 9 inch blocks that Alycia is collecting for a Quilts of Valor block drive.  She's not going to collect these. This top, after it has been finished into a quilt, will surprise a relative (my brother-in-law Tom) on Veteran's Day.  I'm going to be surprising three family veterans and Tom's quilt is the only one I have left to finish.  I had started a disappearing four patch top for him but quickly grew tired of sewing together and cutting apart blocks so I was stalled on the darned thing.  Then I saw this block, made a few for the QOV block drive, liked it, found it easy to make and before I knew it a quilt top was born.   I didn't think up this layout myself...Alycia included it with her block tutorial which she says is based on a block created by Jan O of The Colorful Fabriholic. 

I originally made twelve blocks for the block drive in the "2. A lot of color" colorway. 

There's probably a gazillion ways to lay these blocks out (oops...I forgot to clip this photo...now you can see my measly design wall - an old cutting mat with a piece of leftover batting on it.) But with a design wall like this there is no room to layout blocks and dither forever so I just sew my blocks together willy-nilly and hope for the best.   Although for this quilt top I kept a diagram next to me so I knew which way to sew the blocks together. 

Looks like sail boats ready to sail away to Alycia.  But first I need to make a few more with the leftover scraps from making my quilt blocks.  Then I will send off a dozen plus.  It's not too late for you to join the fun...dig out those red, whites and blues and get sewing for a good cause!

These blocks are a half log cabin variation (if you ask me) so I'm going to link up with some other Log Cabin Loonies at JulieKQuilts. 

And even though these blocks aren't made from scraps they are pretty scrappy so I'm linking up with Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework. 

HSTs and UFO for ALYoF for QOV

Since last week I've finished up the remaining 5 - 16 inch Depression Blocks I've been working on for the HSTeria QAL hosted by Vicki Welsh of Field Trips in Fiber.    Now I'm sewing the 20 blocks together and maybe, just maybe, by next week I will have a completed top.  When finished this will be for Quilts of Valor. 

And since I was in Quilts of Valor mode I decided my June goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes will be to finish up this Twinkler UFO.  I'm hoping I have enough of that cream/blue star fabric for backing otherwise I'll have to piece one together. Piecing backings is not one of my most fun things to do. 

In Summary

Alycia of Alycia Quilts held a Big Block Blowout for QOV. 

I made 35 blue and yellow blocks...

...and 5 red,white and blue blocks. 

I also sent along in the box to her 3 quilts...Patriotic Stars...

...Patriotic Happies...

...and a brown and blue Heartstring quilt.  I sent along a pillowcase too but I must not have taken a picture. 

Alycia received it all okay and blogged about my blocks and my quilts. 

Alycia has lined up some fabulous prizes for a drawing. And so has Judy of Patchwork Times. What a couple of awesome ladies! 

Hopefully by the end of November I will have 3 more quilts ready for Alycia.  Judy is also sponsoring a QOV Challenge and for every three quilts sent to Alycia your name goes into a drawing.  Hopefully my name will go in twice! 

Twinklers

I've finished the last of the Twinkler blocks I need for another quilt for Quilts of Valor - 50 red and 50 blue 6 inch blocks.   The inspiration came from a free quilt pattern from Claudia's Quilt Shoppe although mine won't have borders like the pattern. It will have a different border on top and bottom. Just wait and see. Assembly of rows has started.  

That's what's on my Design Wall (cutting board propped against wall with left over batting piece draped over it). What is on other Design Walls in blog land? You will have to visit Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times to find out. 

Starry Eyed

My goal for Lovely Year of Finishes for October was to quilt and bind this quilt. Another goal has been accomplished! 

60x78

I quilted loops and stars on most of it on my plain Jane DSM.  Around the star I did echoed straight lines. 

It will go to Quilts of Valor. 

Quilt was inspired by a free quilt pattern called Star Bright from Swim, Bike, Quilt.

Backing is off center 4 patch in black and white. The white quilting of loops and stars on the black fabric looks like doodling on a chalkboard. 

Can I Get a Whoop, Whoop? at Confessions of a Fabric Addict? 

And I'm linky partying at Finish it Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts. 

And, I'm also linking up to the Finishes Party for Lovely Year of Finishes at Fiber of All Sorts.