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

October is in Full Swing...

I love all things Fall: grapes, apples, leaves, pumpkins, and a little warm beverage. Around these parts our neighbors are harvesting their grapes, this is wine country! This Fall we have had fog, along with cool, clear nights and even unseasonably warm temperatures.

What is worth mentioning: an upcoming quilt mystery by Bonnie K. Hunter. A sample of past Bonnie mysteries are available here. I believe the fabric requirements will be posted on her Quiltville blog on November 1 and the first clue will be posted on November 18. If you're not sure what to do with all of your scraps ~ this is a great way to put them to use! Warning: Bonnie makes large quilts (typically about queen-sized or larger). If desired, make one-half the number of units called for and fill in where needed once the end result is more clear. That way you will have a smaller quilt and still participate in the mystery.

My favorite free patterns are:
*Timeless Treasures features Christmas Memories - this would be great with your favorite redwork or with the convenience panel as shown. Also, there is another pattern for a Kindle cover!
*P&B Textiles has a nice pattern called Gray Matters.
*Quilting Treasures offers the Autumn Harvest pattern by Possibilities, it's lovely.
*McCall's Quilting always has many free patterns, and this time the Lodge Getaway caught my eye. Based on the traditional shoe fly block, this one is a timeless classic.
*Maywood Studio's Wyoming Star - still seeing stars and so many possibilites with this pattern.
*Note: I hope you love them too! I have no affiliation with these entities, merely passing along information to you.

Enjoy the Autumn, before you know it Winter will be upon us!
~~Lisa

merry and bright

First things first. I did include the fly fabric in my string blocks! I have been sewing along and keeping up (for the most part) with the mystery. I've also been anticipating each clue for the Quiltville mystery, next one comes out early tomorrow morning...and I can't wait!




So in between steps I have been...



Working...and doing a little shopping, baking and wrapping of course!



Winning. Thanks to Angie and Allison I won a machine quilting book and some lovely charm squares. The book is an excellent resource and will help me along the free motion quilting journey. The charms are a really fun assortment ~ see how Allison sewed them up into a quilt here. These gifts are so inspiring. Thank you ladies.



Beginning. In honor of the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War I have started the Thread Head Quilt Along in civil war fabrics. The blocks are not necessarily from the CW era. I may do a few substitutions. This is a way I have chosen to commemorate it, there are so many ways! Perhaps make a red, green and white quilt? You could sew CW era blocks from scraps or yardage of CW era fabric, use CW fabrics to sew up something that catches your eye, or sew a quilt that somehow connects 2011 to 1861 for you. Maybe a sashed sampler with one block each from the 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, and so on?

Thread Head's block #2 squared up and ready to sew together

Reading blogs. Incredible ~ see this story ~ a woman sold her crazy quilt for a tidy sum. Congratulations to her and many thanks for educating those who don't sew and don't know what goes into doing what we do.

May your days be merry and bright! My wish is you have some time to relax, slow down and reflect...and put a little needle and thread to fabric if you please.

~~Lisa

Uglies ~ What to do?

Of course I have been sewing along with Bonnie K. Hunter's Roll Roll Cotton Boll mystery on the Quiltville site. Currently we're on step three which uses many neutral strips and strings to make string blocks. Bonnie encourages sewists to be daring, to use not only white on white or tone on tones, but to use fabrics with neutral backgrounds and also have some color, and to use ugly fabrics (they'll be cut up small...it's okay!).

So, a thread in the the Yahoo! group chat has turned to the ugliest fabric. My fellow Quiltvillian Quilting Bibliophagist posted a reproduction conversational fabric with flies on it. Impressive...it made me think of this fabric of mine...yes a different fly fabric. Who would have thought...and if there are two fly fabrics there are probably more.

Anyway, here is my ugly fabric that could be incorporated into this quilt.

Look at the detail on those legs and the gray and black abdomens. Gorgeous, no? And like QB I am wondering why I purchased this ~ but I believed they were bees ~ and somehow that would have been better?!

So the thoughts creep in...

Shall I? Really?
Yes...it's only one fat quarter.

But they're one and a quarter inches across the wings...and *whoa* it's really ugly.
Bonnie would add them in. I do mysteries to stretch myself.

This is challenging and not in the way I expected.

Hmmm...what to do??

~~Lisa

Mystery Progress & Giveaway Winner

Mystery Step 2 units awaiting trimming

Is everyone who is sewing along enjoying the Quiltville mystery? I sure am anticipating each 'clue' as it's revealed and capitalizing on the enthusiasm in between steps to get some other sewing done. Based on the last few lines in clue #2 I am not sure there will be much extra time to anticipate following clue #3...as Bonnie notes, "you never know what whammies might be next" so I am prepared for some serious sewing on Saturday and the days to follow (I'm working Friday)! I just hope I can keep up.

And without further ado, I consulted random.org and #14 Sarah B was selected. Congratulations Sarah B! Please contact me by Saturday, December 4 at midnight PST with your mailing address so I may send you the magazine.

~~Lisa

Charlevoix, Mystery Quilt, Giveaways

I love that "I won" feeling! Earlier this month

Minick & Simpson hosted a giveaway and I won the t-shirt (signed by request). Laurie also sent a sample of Charlevoix in the envelope and I am so happy to see the yellows in this line in person ~~ gorgeous!! Also, 2.5 inch squares are the perfect size for 1 inch hexagons. So, am tempted to sew them into a little something. Thank you Laurie and Polly!



Speaking of giveaways, there is still time to enter to win the current issue of American Patchwork and Quilting here. You must comment on that post by November 26th (or early on the 27th if you want to press your luck!) and answer the question posted to be eligible to win. If you already have the magazine, just note that in your comment and I will send you a different prize if you are selected...and re-draw for the magazine.


Elaine at Faithful Quilter is hosting a Thanksgiving (Quilting) Give-A-Way! Comment on her blog for a chance to win. Winner will be selected November 25th.


I have kept busy since Friday after work trimming, pressing and sewing scraps for the Quiltville mystery 'Roll Roll Cotton Boll!'. When scraps are used it surely takes more time getting them prepared to sew together, but I am resolute on using them up...so I happily process and prepare them for sewing (wash, press, trim, sew, repeat!).

Here are a few of my step one units. They're so scrappy! (using tan instead of pink)

As you can see my quilt will be very scrappy, as prescribed. I am pleased to be able to cut some of my less lovely fabrics into small pieces and get them into a quilt. Some true uglies are here, and some that I thought were just awful are less so when diluted amongst those I like more. As more steps are done, these will be even less noticeable! I think I have enough fabrics gathered to make two of these quilts...and the quilt will be a generous 87"x102" so that's saying something.

Thanks for stopping by!

~~Lisa

Quilt Mysteries - Do you or don't you?

**UPDATE: Winner has been selected.**

Bonnie K. Hunter's 'Roll, Roll, Cotton Boll Mystery!' is scheduled to make its debut one week from today on November 19. I am anticipating the first clue and have selected fabrics: chocolate, moss, tan, white and pumpkin. Kind of an autumn look, I suppose. I happened to have a lot of these available and no plans for them...perfect for this mystery it seems.

Bonnie's fabrics are green, brown, pink, red and neutral and mine are
green, brown, tan, pumpkin and neutral.
Brown = brown; Green = green; Pink = tan; Red = pumpkin; Neutral = neutral

This time I will watch it evolve before I dive in. Primarily because I will be at work on Friday, November 19.

So, have you ever participated in a mystery?

If you have, did you enjoy it? What was it like for you? What mystery was it? Will you do it again?

If you have not, is it too much to 'give in' to the process? Perhaps since you don't know what the fabric placement is, you find it difficult to choose fabrics?

I have to say - before I did a Quiltville mystery I would anguish over fabrics. Giving in to the mystery process has been freeing for me and allowed me to enjoy sewing even more than I did before.

Leave me a comment and let me know how you like mysteries for a chance to win the current issue of American Patchwork & Quilting.

For a second chance to win the magazine follow this blog and leave a second comment. If you're already a follower just leave a second comment and let me know.

I will select one winner on November 27!

Good luck in the giveaway. If you're joining the mystery I hope you love what you sew!

~~Lisa

P.S. ~ If I draw your name and you have commented you already have the magazine I will send you something else (maybe a couple of FQs?) and re-draw for the magazine. Sound good?