It's Monday!

I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays. We are.

Sorry for the fingers.  It was windy.

This is what I made last week.  It was a gift for my husband so I kept it a secret.  But I did sneak it on the 2012 Unfinished Projects list as # 12  Flannel.  Does anyone else give unfinished quilt tops as gifts?  With a promise to complete, of course.  He likes it...  but I had to explain that it will be bigger after a few more borders are added.  It is a pattern by Kari Nichols called Triangle Trips.  I think I bought the flannel  two years ago when I bought the pattern, so I am happy that I got this started!!

I was able to complete a few Ohio Star blocks from Step 6 of the Orca Bay Mystery.   We are using the hourglass blocks made in Step One.  I am finding that I wasn't as accurate as I thought I was.  I did measure the triangles and hourglass pieces when I started Step One but once I started using them in this step I found some were a little too big.  So I had to trim them.  I guess I was having so much fun that I got carried away in the cutting or sewing or both.     Oh, and when I was cutting the blue 2 1/2 inch squares for this step, I cut more than needed.  I guess after cutting 700 last week, 56 seemed to go so fast!

The Ohio Star blocks are really nice after they are pressed and laid out.

And, I am still completing Step 5 by using them as leaders / enders. 

As always, I am linking with Quiltville's Monday Mystery Link and Patchwork Times Design Wall Monday (even though the Triangles Trips quilt isn't on the design wall anymore).  I have enjoyed visiting all the blogs during these link ups and I hope you have enjoyed visiting mine too!

These pictures today are brought to you by my daughter Emily and her new i phone!  

Happy New Year,

Susan

2012 Challenge

I am joining Judy and friends at Patchwork Times for the 2012 UFO Challenge. Since today is busy I won't be able to pull everything out and take pictures but I do have a list.

1.   One Block Wonder
2.   Sampler
3.   Carpenter Star
4.   Marie Antoinette
5.   Machine Appliqué Wall Hanging
6.   Bento Box
7.   Civil War Block of the Week
8.   Sudoku
9.   Luna Notte
10. Orca Bay Mystery
11. New York Beauty
12. Flannel

These are in no particular order. Some need only quilting and binding  but some need a lot of sewing.
I also want to add:

Ongoing projects

English paper piecing hexagon flowers
2 inch and 2 1/2 inch leaders/enders

Unfinished smaller pieces 

Mini Bookshelf wallhanging
Flying Geese table topper

Charity

3 (I think) tops need quilting and binding
Quilts of Valor- 2 planned (one started and one I have fabric for)

Oh, and of course, I have customer quilts waiting to be finished.  But that is business this is personal.

And I have a Four Patch Posies class scheduled for January. And I would like to make that Christmas quilt I bought fabric for last Christmas time.  And I have recycled jeans cut for a rag quilt.

Ok, now I feel a bit overwhelmed.  But also very motivated!

I remember when I first started quilting, I thought I wasn't going to have lots of unfinished projects....what happened?  Well, I started quilting for others and their quilts got done and mine didn't.  This year I plan to be better about scheduling time for my quilts too.

Thanks to Judy and everyone playing along for the plan to get these UFO's made into quilts.  Looking forward to seeing what beautiful quilts are made in 2012 during this challenge.  Be sure to join in the fun.


Happy Holidays,
Susan

Mystery Step 5

Working on Bonnie Hunter's Orca Mystery Step 5.  This week we are adding 700 blue wing triangles onto the 350 squares made in Step 3 to make a bigger triangle piece.   Here  is what my design wall looks like this Monday with some of the finished triangles made this weekend.  700 sounds like so many but they are small and sewing on quickly.  I have about half of this weeks clue finished and will try to sew a little every day to finish by Friday.  

I had some fun laying the newly made triangles on the wall in different patterns but not really even trying to guess what we will ultimately be doing with them.

This is one of the mug rugs that I gave my brother and sister in law when they were visiting this past weekend.  We enjoyed having them stay even though it was only for one night.  We went into Manhattan to see the Rockefeller Christmas tree. The tree was cut down from their hometown of Mifflinville, PA.

 Again today I am linking up with Quiltville's Mystery Monday and Patchwork Times Design Wall Monday.  I enjoy linking and visiting all the blogs.  Thank you for stopping by!

 I don't think I will be posting again until next week so I want to wish you all a Happy Hanukkah and
 Very Merry Christmas!

Susan

Mystery Monday

It's Monday 

and time to link with Orca Bay Mystery at Quiltville and Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times!

Bonnie added Step 4 which are strings again but we are cutting them into triangles.  I only finished about 30 but am glad to work with the fourth color.  I like my colors but when I look at everyones black, white, blues and reds, I wish I had those color scraps.  They look so great together!

Here is what they look like added to the design wall.  Still cannot imagine how this will be going together but I'm sure Bonnie has something great in mind.  I am finished with Step 1, 2 and 3 and will keep working away at 4 throughout this week.  I found I like sewing a little bit everyday rather than finishing in a day or two and then having to wait until Friday for a new clue to work on it again.  I love thinking of all the other quilters all over the world that are participating in this mystery.  It's like one big quilting bee!

These are a few charity quilts that I finished this week.  The tops were made using strip piecing and leaders/enders and were just sitting there waiting...  I quilted quick overall freehand patterns and machine stitched the bindings.   They only need laundering, then they are ready to donate to Project Linus.

Otherwise,  I am getting ready for Christmas and my son, Adam, to come home from college and for family coming for a visit this weekend!  

Thanks for stopping by, 

Susan

Mystery and More

Quiltville's Mystery is so much fun!

Here are a few of the 150 blocks for Part 3 that I finished yesterday.  Only 200 more! 350 sounds like a lot but they are small so they are quick to make.   I tried to use my darker blues so these have a bit more contrast than the step one mini hourglass. 

This is how they look on the my design wall with the other clues.   Hmmm, I can't even imagine what Bonnie has in mind but I like it so far.  I am using greens in place of her reds and cannot wait to add them, hopefully in the next step.

This past week I made 2 more Civil War blocks and am thinking of a layout.  Only a few more weeks left for this.  I have to go back and finish a few I skipped but want to add in.  I recently bought the red fabric with the birds and I plan to use it again if I can.

This is one of the quilts I quilted last week for my family.  I began piecing this a few years ago, just starting with half square triangles and this is what I came up with.  So glad to be quilting some of these tops that have been waiting for me.    The quilting is an freehand scrolling feather.

 I have it hanging on a spring curtain rod in front of the fireplace to help keep out the cold drafts.  My son, Adam,  took the one we used there before and has it hanging in his dorm.  Evidently he really likes it and I never knew.  Oh, I wish I had a picture to show.

close up of the quilting from the back

Also,
On Friday and Saturday I had fun demonstrating the Handiquilter longarm quilting machines at the Quilt Basket during their Holiday open house.
 And last week I finished another customer quilt that I promised to finish before the holidays.

Linking up with  Quiltville's Orca Bay Mystery  and Patchwork Times Design Wall Monday. Thanks for stopping by if that's how you found me and if not be sure to go to these sites to meet some inspiring quilt bloggers.

Always quilting,
Susan