A New Mystery Begins

Today Bonnie K. Hunter announced some details of the upcoming mystery quilt on her Quiltville blog. The photo that inspired her colors is gorgeous, I may take cues from it as well and change from the colors she used slightly (depends on what I have on hand!).
The size of the resulting quilt is smaller than her typical size, but she warns "I’ll tell you right up front that I do intense piecing…..lots of pieces, many of them small. This is a labor intensive quilt. One WORTH the piecing!". So, a little tune-up to my sewing machine and space are in order before I sew this mystery.
Happy stitching!
~~Lisa

September is National Sewing Month

How will you celebrate?
Visit the National Sewing Month website
Check out Barbara Brackman's Quilt 1812: War & Piecing blog
Dream about the arrival of Rouenneries Deux
Participate in the Moda Country Fair blog hop
Solve the Mystery - Quilting is Murder

Fabulous Free Finds:
Another idea to celebrate sewing ~ make a scrap quilt based on value. It's remarkably liberating to forego all rules and place fabric only according to whether it's light or dark. C'mon, give it a try! Here are a few patterns centered on that principle:

Cindy Carter's Scrappy Maple Leaf
Log Cabin (and Courthouse Steps, a variation)
Curved Log Cabin
Any of Bonnie K. Hunter's patterns (Scroll down, patterns are listed on the right side of the page)

Aren't they lovely? Most importantly, enjoy the process.
~~Lisa

Quilt in One Day?

Have you ever made a quilt in one day? I have not. Well, I have made potholders in one day, and I guess one could consider those quilts.

I am reminded of my first quilt; I don't dabble in things but rather jump in with both feet. You see, my first quilt was king sized! It was Lover's Knot by Eleanor Burns of Quilt in a Day...so I suppose I have made a quilt in a day but it took a couple of months! My second project was a wall hanging (can you blame me?).

How about making a trip around the world in one day? I am tempted to challenge myself with Bonnie K. Hunter's pattern and see what it takes. It seems that with the strip piecing it will make up quickly, but in one day? Think it's possible? Perhaps we'll find out!

The ingredients for this pattern are being assembled, thanks to the sale table at a local fabric shop. Here is a possible grouping with nine fabrics featured in the quilt:


If you have thoughts on the fabrics please comment!

~~Lisa

To Start or To Finish?

As noted in the previous post Pat Sloan is helping quilters get on track to finish UFOs. So, today I chuckled when I came upon this and this -- such tempting treats.

Joanne at Thread Head is hosting a quilt along. It's a lovely sampler quilt with many possibilities. She has posted several layouts and they're beautiful.

*and*

Jodi at Pleasant Home will feature a series four delicious projects full of scrappy goodness.

If that's not sufficient, just wait a few days (13 to be exact) and you will find a mystery quilt along hosted by Bonnie K. Hunter beginning November 1 (I believe that's the date). See her initial information here.

So, if you need to 'get your quilting house in order'...first visit Pat Sloan's blog and follow her sage advice.

Then when you've done the hard work maybe you deserve a little treat?

I think so. Yes. Definitely.

~~Lisa