What's Wrong With This Picture?

15 Geese flying in the wrong direction!

I should know by now to test something before I start chain piecing!  But, NO! I stitched 15 of these suckers heading east west (thanks, Nann) instead of north!

This is more like it!  Unfortunately I didn't get this simple project done today, so if it's not finished tomorrow, it will have to wait till after Christmas because I have other gifts to attend to that don't require mailing.

I know it's been a while since I posted -- and I appreciate those who expressed concern -- but it's been a week of doctor visits and Christmas errands.  My occasional back pain has gotten to the point that I am hoping I can determine the cause and settle on some lifestyle changes that will give me some relief.  It's not so bad that I need surgery or drugs; it's just a pain in the butt -- literally.

I used the doctor's order for a lumbar xray to also schedule my mammogram.  I was also able to get a last-minute appointment with the eye doctor for a routine check.  DH has had a year of medical expenses, so why not pile on for tax purposes?

Such a weird weather day we've had.  Last night at 10:20 p..m. it was 70 degrees here and 38 degrees less than 60 miles west.  We woke this morning to this:

Mostly sleet.  And the roads were still warm enough from the day before that driving was not an issue.  I know many of you have had much colder temps and more snow.

Stay warm

Stay safe

and

Quilt On

The Mystery I'm Not Doing

Friday morning, Bonnie Hunter released the third clue for her annual mystery quilt-along --  purple 4-patches.  As I was in the midst of iron tote production at the time, I couldn't start Clue 3 till Sunday.

I'm not sure which direction I want to go with the purples ....

My first idea was to make them like the neutrals, with similar color and value.  I chose two red-purples to go with the magentas, but in the end they are so close in color and value that they blend into one big blob.

I also thought about staying on the lighter grayish side of purple since I already had quite a few strips cut.

These are kinda bland, but might work as long as a strong dark/light pattern is not required.  So today I tried making pairs with more value contrast.

I think I'm done until I can see where these units will go in the quilt.  I can always use the rejects in something else.

Third Time's the Charm

Kinda like the Three Bears

The Music City Modern Quilters do a Secret Santa swap each year.  My designated recipient said "surprise me"!  The only hints she gave were that she likes batiks and colors.  Rather than do another mini-quilt I decided to attempt a quilty non-quilt project.  I chose the Travel Iron Tote pattern by Sisters' Common Thread.

The pattern was a lot easier than it looks, but it still took quite a bit of concentration at first.  However, it was a bit small for the iron I had purchased to go in it.

First Tote -- Too Small

So I enlarged the pattern by 3/4" in every direction.  You guessed it; the second attempt was too big.

Second Tote -- Too Big

It wasn't too big to be unusable; it just didn't make a nice tight package around the iron.  And my small travel machine wasn't able to handle some of the heavy stitching, but it was good enough to put in the Smores' Dirty Santa swap.

Still needing a Secret Santa gift for the modern guild party, I attempted a third tote once I got home from the retreat where I could use my heavy-duty machine.  Tote #3 was JUST RIGHT!

Tote 3 -- Just Right!

On this one I enlarged the pattern just 1/2" in all dimensions and that turned out to be a perfect fit for the iron I had purchased to go in it.

Tote 3 exterior

Tote 3 interior

My swap partner was thrilled with it and I suspect that everyone else might have been a bit jealous, based on all the questions I got about the pattern.

The pattern got easier with each one I made.  I'll keep the small one for myself and just let the cord hang out.

The Best Intentions ...

... Go by the wayside

I had several projects lined up for retreat that would require large design walls -- at least larger than I have at home. But in the end I left those at home since I decided I should finish a few small projects and work on Christmas gifts. 

First up yesterday I enlarged the tote pattern and quickly assembled another one.  My little travel Janome did not handle the stitching quite as nicely as my Baby Lock at home, though so I have plans to make another one for Secret Santa when I get home Thursday.

Tote #2 - New and Improved

This one went into the S'mores Dirty Santa swap tonight.  It was picked first and stolen once.  Quite a record for me!

My first gift pick turned out to be an oh-so-soft pink and gray wool scarf with matching gloves.  It was stolen by the person who brought it because she couldn't bear to part with it!  The nerve!

I ended up with a Frivols mini quilt kit.

This one is Polka Dots & Paisleys (Minick & Simpson for Moda) in luscious patriotic colors.

The kit will make this sweet 26" x 26" mini.

Guess what I'll be working on tomorrow!  I haven't been able to finish any of the other projects I brought for one reason or another.  And I don't think my small travel machine is the best choice for quilting the Christmas table runners.  So why not start something new!!

Secret Santa

Shh, it's a secret!

My first attempt at a quilty non-quilt item is less than spectacular.

Travel Iron Tote - needs handles and buttons

The little travel iron tote -- pattern by Sisters' Common Thread -- looks a lot more intimidating than it is.  The instructions are well written, considering it's difficult to describe with words where to put stitching lines in an oversized rectangle. 

A template would have been helpful, but I carefully followed each step, double checking measurements along the way. Voila!  The amazing thing is the stitching lines really make the thing fold like it's supposed to!

So why do I think it less than spectacular?  First, the only elastic I have on hand is pure white so I tried both coffee and tea dying it.

Attempting tea dye

Apparently polyester and rubber don't absorb dye, but I did take a little of the whiteness out.

Could I find my button box when I need it?  NO. So a stop for buttons will be on today's agenda. 

The main reason for my disappointment, however, is the iron I purchased to go in the tote is too big!

I don't have to include the iron in the gift, but I thought it would be a nice touch.  I plan to attempt making a bigger one this week at retreat.  Stay tuned.

And now I'm off to three days of sewing with some really great friends.  Have a great week, Y'all!

Oh, Happy Day!

The second clue of Bonnie's mystery -- you know, the one I'm *not* doing -- was revealed on Friday.  Even though triangle-in-a-square blocks are my least favorite, this clue made me happy because:

 



1)  I found the perfect magenta fabric in my stash!

2) I was able to make the units at 4-1/2" to match my erroneous 4-patches without doing any higher math calculations!









And 3)  Even at half the number, the larger unit size will yield a nice size quilt.

So far, so good. Forty-eight TiS units done; waiting to see how they will be used before making more.

Hop over to Quiltville's Quips and Snips to check on others' progress.

In between I squeezed in some small flying geese as leaders/enders.

The beginning of Dutchman's Puzzle

I had cut the geese for another project, then changed my color scheme for that project. I think this chocolate brown with sprinkles background/sky will be unexpected.

This morning I went in a totally different direction, working on a Secret Santa project.

No, it's not a placemat.  It is going to be ...

... an iron tote!!!  Once I worked through the geometry of the stitching/fold lines, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be.  Now on to the binding, handles, and buttons.

Not Doing Bonnie's Mystery

Repeat, Not Doing Bonnie's Mystery

For new readers, Bonnie Hunter at Quiltville's Quips and Snips hosts a mystery quilt-along in the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years Day.  A clue is released each week on Friday and the following Monday there is a link-up to share progress.

I am NOT doing Bonnie's Mystery!

Pretty strong declaration for someone who made 120 neutral HSTs last weekend, huh?

I still have lots of UFOs as well as new projects in progress, so I made the decision not to play along  this year.  Instead, I will look at it as an extension of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, using appropriately colored scraps with each clue until I run out of that color.  I may or may not have enough units to make the quilt even at half scale. But, as Gayle at mangofeet said, Bonnie's units always fit together and I can use them in a design of my own, if necessary.

There's one problem, though ... I was working from memory and pulled 2-1/2" strips instead of 2".  Big DUH!  I could easily trim them down to the correct size, but the thought of wasting that much fabric hurts.  OR, I could just make everything else bigger.  If that plan requires high-level math, then I'll just use the neutral 4Ps as background for applique!

Hop over to Quiltville to see how others are keeping up with the mystery.