Happy New Year!

I forgot to take any photos of my guests for New Year's lunch, but we had a good time and enjoyed a great feast!  Ham, turnip greens, cooked cabbage, black-eyed peas, corn casserole, green beans, cole slaw, mandarin orange salad, coconut cake, chocolate pie and scotcheroos.  Two of our daughters and their families were here along with my Dad and sister, Eva Marie.

I made a chicken pin cushion from 4 1/2" blocks.  The pattern was from the Missouri Star Quilt Co Idea Book called BLOCK, late summer vol 1 issue 4.

Happy Chicks Pincushion

I gifted it to my sister, Eva Marie, who is a relatively new quilter.  She started out hand quilting a top I had made for her a couple years ago.  Then another top I finished we decided to give to our Dad.  Then in April (the 16th, day after tax deadline...she's a CPA tax accountant...) I took my 2 1/2" strip scrap box to her house and got her started piecing strips together.  And the quilting bug bit and the rest is history.

Eva Marie with her new pin cushion.

She's also working on the Bonnie Hunter Grand Illusion Mystery.  We were watching the "Rockin' New Year's Eve program on TV Wednesday night.  Then at 11:00 decided to check Quiltville's blog to see if possibly Bonnie had posted the "reveal".  And YES...she had.  Here's one block pinned to my design wall.  I haven't had time to actually sew the pieces together yet.  Trying to get all the steps completed first but I just had to put one up on the wall to see what it was going to look like.

Grand Illusion Block

All of steps 4 and 5 are complete.  Still working on 1-3 but I'll get there eventually.  I've been working on my Possum Town Quilter's Ultimate Guild Challenge which is due February 14.  When I make a little more progress (where you can actually tell what I'm trying to do) I'll share a post about it.  Until then, Happy Quilting!

Grand Illusion Progress

As you could see from my previous post, I am hooked on Bonnie Hunter Mysteries.  (Actually I like mystery quilts, period.)  I haven't had a lot of time to work on each step yet, but I have made some units each week so when the reveal comes, I'll be able to lay out what I have to see how it's going to look.  Here's a look at my journey so far...

My fabric choices

Of course, I've added several since this picture was taken.  Plus the gold.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

This last step is the only one complete.  Looking forward to Friday and the next clue.

While still on the subject of Bonnie Hunter quilts, I participated in the leaders/enders project a couple years ago when she was doing the 3 1/2" spool blocks.  I kitted up the units from scraps I had left over from all the quilts I had made since I began quilting in 2005.  I made 480 spool blocks over an 18 month to 2 year period.  Then put the blocks together in my Scrappy Spools quilt.  I had to use the cheddar as my sashing and border in true Bonnie style.

Isn't it great?!?!?  It was quilted by Betty Lewis, Louisville, MS.

Scrappy Spools

(Picture by Terry Turnage)

Bonnie Hunter Groupie!!

Those of you who know me know I'm a huge Bonnie Hunter Fan(atic).  The first Mystery I participated in was Roll Roll Cotton Boll.  The pattern is now available in her book, String Fling.  This was her 2010 Mystery.  I made it to give to my daughter for my 60th birthday.  See blog post here.

Roll Roll, Cotton Boll

Then in March 2011, Bonnie taught classes in Pigeon Forge at Mountain Quiltfest.  I took her class on Cathedral Stars.  That pattern is on her blog, Quiltville, as a free pattern.

I named mine "Bejeweled Stars" because of the jewel tone fabrics.

The 2011 Mystery was Orca Bay.  It is also found in her book, String Fling.

I used different colors from Bonnie's suggested one.  Her's was made with red and blue fabrics.  I used purple for her red and green for her blue.  I'm very please with how it turned out.  I call mine "My Orca Bay".

The 2012 Mystery was Easy Street.  This one is in her More Adventures with Leaders and Enders Book.  

Easy Street

In 2013, Quiltmaker Magazine offered a four part mystery by Bonnie Hunter entitled 'Lazy Sunday".  This began with the March/April issue.  I could not refuse, so...

Lazy Sunday

Bonnie's 2013 Mystery was entitled Celtic Solstice.  The pattern is not available now but will be one of these days.  She keeps the mystery patterns on her blog until June 1 of the following year.  They are then removed to be part of a new book later on.  Right now I don't think she has a release date for this yet.

I call mine, Irish Jubilee!!

2014 brought Bonnie back to Mountain Quiltfest in Pigeon Forge, TN.  I took another class, this one Jamestown Landing.  Also in her String Fling book.  I haven't made much progress on this one yet, but before you know it I'll have it finished too.

I don't quilt my big quilts myself.  So the above quilts were quilted by Colleen Eskridge, currently in Boone, NC (but she lived in Starkville, MS when she quilted Roll Roll Cotton Boll), Watana Cantrell, Vernon, AL (a sister "possum"), Betty Lewis of Louisville, Ms (Easy Street and Lazy Sunday) and Debbie Chanell of Sew Delightful in Tuscaloosa (Celtic Solstice).  

I am currently working on the latest Mystery, Grand Illusion...but that will be covered in my next post.  Good Day!!

Year in Review - Continued

This is "Spinning Pinwheels" by Barbara Cline.

I took this class from Barbara several years ago.

It was on my WIP list to finish in 2014.

I machine quilted it on my domestic machine,

And gifted it to my Sister-in-Law, Sherry.

2014...Year in Review

I've been gone a long time!  So I'm going to "catch-up" by trying to hit the high spots of 2014.

My hubby asked me awhile back (nearly 3 years ago!!) if I would make a quilt from his ties.  Before he retired, he wore a tie to work each day.  Being a salesman, he liked "conversation getter" ties so he had an awesome collection.  I did manage to get the quilt top together...

And now am in the process of hand quilting...

(see hubby holding up a corner)?

From the scraps of the ties, I made Christmas Ornaments for our

Grandchildren in a "crazy quilt" style.

These were given to them last year, 2013.

Then from still more scraps, I made five wall hangings for our

five children.  I only have a picture of one.

Can't believe I let them get away without making pictures!!

They all had different colored borders.  I let them choose which one they wanted.  No fights!!  Yea!

Alpine Bay Resort

A few of my buddies and I went to Alabama for a mini quilt retreat.  While there, I was able to meet an old friend from high school.  Peggy and I have kept in touch through the years (not nearly as often as we should) but it's fun to reconnect when we can.

I have actually gotten my sister, Eva Marie, interested in doing some hand quilting.  She joined us for a couple nights.  The leaves were still very colorful in some areas.

Judy and Eva Marie

Here's Brenda...

Jo Anne...

Ebba...

and C C.

I failed to get pictures of a couple other friends who visited a few days.  Patti and Lauren.

This is the first block of a BOM I decided to purchase.  The pattern is by Sherri Falls.  I enjoy participating in her Mystery Mondays and I fell in love with this pattern being offered thru the Fat Quarter Shop.

 I also finished this quilt top I started in class at Mountain Quiltfest in Pigeon Forge, TN in March.  The original pattern was for 6 blocks but I decided to make 12.

Love Is All Around by Charlotte Angotti

Close-up of one corner.

Bonnie Hunter would be proud of us with our three Featherweights.  And look at my new IKEA lamp.

Medallion Quilt and Half Square Triangles

Here is the beginning of my Medallion Quilt.  

As a new project, we Possum Town Quilters are each making our own quilt.  We started with our choice of a center "medallion" and then we are going to add borders each month or two with demos on how to make the proposed block.

I've added my Half Square Triangle border.

For my Possum Town Quilters, here's a demo of two methods to make Half Square Triangles.    First up is a Half Square Triangle.

First method to make Half Square Triangles (HST)

Start with two squares...one from each fabric.  These are 2 7/8" square.  (Add 7/8" to the finished size of the block)  

My HSTs will finish at 2"

This ruler is from Quilter's Rule.  Place on the diagonal of the square and draw a line in the center and on each side of the ruler.  I have placed my fabric square on a piece of fine sandpaper.
This keeps the fabric from slipping when drawing the lines.

Place squares right sides together and stitch on the lines.  (Let your needle just "kiss" the side of the line closest to the center of the block.

Cut down the center between the stitched lines.

Press toward the dark fabric and cut off the dog ears.  Check the measurement to make sure they are the correct size.  These measure 2 1/2".

Another method is to use an Easy Angle Ruler.

Use the strip size of the size of the HST you are making.  I'm making 2 1/2" (to finish at 2") so I'm using a 2 1/2" strip.
Place both strips right sides together and place the ruler at the end of the strip with the bottom lined up with the bottom edge and the top lined up with the 2 1/2" mark.

 Make your cut.

 Turn the ruler upside down.  Line up the cut edge with the ruler and also make sure the top edge (or bottom depending on how you're looking at it) is flush with the fabric edge.

 Make your next cut.

Now you have two pieces ready to stitch.  Start at the squared off edge and chain piece your HSTs.  Press to the dark and trim your dog ear.  (You'll only have one with this method.)