Design Wall Monday 11.30.2020

 I pulled out my bin of Christmas fabric and washed it. Not my most brilliant idea but some of it dates back to 2001 when I first started my quilting journey. I then pressed it and cut it, first into 3.5 inch strips and then 2.5 inch strips. This is leftovers from a few Christmas pot holders, Christmas quilts and Christmas tree skirts. A real hodgepodge of fabrics!

Linking top with Judy at Design Wall Monday

Whoop! Whoop! 11.27.2020

 My Whoop! Whoop! for today is my A11 Mystery from Alycia!

pattern credit: A11 Mystery from Alycia and JudyL from Patchwork Times

go to her blog and click on the A11 Mystery tab you will find the clues to make this quilt

panto credit baptist fans

I also finished quilting the last of the current batch of Casual Quilters QOV's.

pattern credit: no pattern given

panto credit: fern gully

Linking up with Sarah at Whoop! Whoop! and Alycia at Finish or NOT Friday 

 Warm Thanksgiving Greeting to those in the US and all who are celebrating. It's only DH and I today but the empty chairs at the table remind me of our loved ones who are staying safe in this season.

WIP Wednesday 11.25.2020

If you been following along with me, my third bad thing happened today. DH went to replace the light bulb in the oven. There were some exposed wires, a FLASH and dead oven! We were lucky DH only shocked himself and nothing worse. Good thing I have crockpots and a spare oven in the basement!

I cut my leftovers from my Walk and Stop Quilt and sewed borders on two sides of the strips. I'm not sure that I'm really liking it, yet. It will have to wait as I have more pressing (aka: on deadline) quilts to be done.

I blogged about my Walk and Stop quilt here.

This is based loosely on the Rainy Day Quilt pattern, found here.

My new guild is collecting blocks for another member. So I jumped in with a secret sewing block.

The center block was supplied, the star legs were requested white and any other color that went with the center square. I originally picked the block for grey/black combination. That was before I read the instructions completely!

Block credit: Friendship Star

My FB QOV Stars shared a Flying Geese Pinwheel Block. I saw it and thought it would look good in my Christmas quilt for my bed.

Here is the online block

Here is the row I made for my bed quilt.

pattern credit: Flying Geese Pinwheel block, found here. I made the adjustments so the block finishes at 12 inches.

Linking up with Susan at MidWeek Makers

Design Wall Monday 11.23.2020

 Do bad things come in three's?

My number 2 bad thing (that just sounds wrong!)...I went to start my car on Saturday and it hesitated. So I thought I'd turn it off, let it re-set and start again. I'd be on my way in a jiffy to the grocery store.

Guess again...

...dead battery. We were on our way in a jiffy, but to Costco to buy a new battery. 

I'm working on Clue 6 from the A11 Mystery from Alycia.

pattern credit: Alycia from Alycia Quilts and JudyL from Patchwork Times

Linking up with Judy at Design Wall Monday

Whoop! Whoop! 11.20.2020

 I finished assembling my next quilt in the queue. I misjudged the amount of border fabric I had available so I needed to insert cornerstones to make it work. 😀

pattern credit: Walk and Stop

I was anxious to make this quilt so I could load it on the long arm and she how she behaves on one of my quilts and not someone else's. DH had adjusted the belt so I needed to adjust the tension a tiny bit. When I first fired her up and was quilting, she was making a new clicking noise but that eventually went away after about 4 quilting passes. The rear digital display is not showing but her stitch regulator appears to be working fine. I do have a call into the service technician in my new area to 'talk'....

pattern credit: Walk and Stop

panto credit: large scribbles

On a side note: I did sacrifice my container of long arm threads cut offs that I have been gathering since I got my machine in 2007. I filled the glass container with water...hoping to increase the humidity, old school. LOL

Linking up with Sarah at Whoop! Whoop! and Alycia at Finish or NOT Friday

WIP Wednesday 11.18.2020

 I started sewing a patriotic version of the Walk and Stop quilt.

This is where I started this morning.

At my lunch break, I had sewn the alternate blocks. I hope my fabric aren't too busy for this one!

pattern credit: Walk and Stop by Connecting Threads

I'm anxious to finish this one and load it onto the long arm! I haven't run it since DH did his first look/cleaning on the long arm. Crossing my fingers that it was the fix it needed! 

Funny thing I noticed: I sew together a top then quilt it then bind it. I don't have any UFO's hanging around ready to be quilted! I do HAVE, lots of PIGS (projects in bags) awaiting assembly!

Linking up with Susan at MidWeek Makers

A Casual Quilter's QOV Update 11.16.2020

After procrastinating, I have been working hard to finish the QOV's before our next sew day on Thursday, November 19th.  Well, Michigan has been placed 'on pause' by the Governor. One of the businesses closed again are the Bingo Halls. Guess what? That's right, the Casual Quilter's Sew Day takes place in a Bingo Hall! I'll need to make other plans to turn the quilted quilts in...

Just a note: I did not piece any of the following quilts and can only guess at what the pattern is. I can investigate and try to find out a pattern name if one strikes your fancy. 😀

Batch 1 Quilt 1 

pattern: string in field and furrows setting

panto: large scribbles

Batch 2 Quilt 1

pattern description: Chinese coins meet Ohio stars (?)

panto: Baptist Fans

Batch 2 Quilt 2

pattern description: jelly roll race with three (3) squares inserted between strips (?)

panto: LEQ Stars and Loops

Batch 2 Quilt 3

quilt description: Teddy Bear Chinese Coins

panto: large scribble

Batch 2 Quilt 4

pattern description: wonky stars meet floating stars with rails (?)

panto: large scribbles

Batch 2 Quilt 5

pattern description: I'm stumped on this one!

                                    sorta reminds me of Lisa Sutherland's ZigZag Stripes (sorta)

panto: large scribbles

*on the second to last quilting pass, my long arm gave me a shock, the rear screen went blank and the motor failed to engage* DH was quick with his tool kit and started to investigate. He cleaned the brushes and put it back together...now I need to find a practice piece to *see* how it operates. DH thinks it might actually need a new motor...and this was a warning. We did let it cool off and I was able to complete Quilt 5 before DH started his investigation. He also loosened the belt.  

It is a 2005 (or maybe 2006) Gammill Premier with a 2007 Stitch Regulator Retro-fit. The only parts that have been replaced are the check spring twice, an encoder O-ring and I upgraded the wheels about 6 or 7 years ago. I actually brought it used and it sits on a 10 foot Home Pro table.

I have been quilting quite a bit. 5 quilts in 5 days and I have one more QOV from Batch 2 to quilt...

Design Wall Monday 11.16.2020

 A11 Mystery Update.

I finished Clue 5. It's all starting to come together! 

Can you find the rogue friendship star?

Find A11 Clue 5 here, if you are following along.

Linking up with Judy at Design Wall Monday

Whoop! Whoop! 11.13.2020

 Happy Friday the 13th!

I have a couple of finishes to share today.

First up is my Star Row Quilt.

pattern credit: 

top row: Ohio stars from Quilters' Cache

second row: my take on wonky meets floating stars

third row: Barn star from b-quilts

fourth row: Lemon stars from MSQC

fifth row: Ribbon Star from Quilters' Cache

panto credit: large scribbles

My second quilt finish is Falling Leaves.

pattern inspiration: Falling Leaves

panto credit: Fern Gully

I also volunteered to quilt a few QOV's for my new guild: Casual Quilter's of Brighton. The quilt tops are all paired with a back and I was given a roll of batting to use.  😀

Linking up with Sarah at Whoop! Whoop! and Alycia at Finish or NOT Friday.

WIP Wednesday 11.11.2020

 

On the quilty front...

This is my 'blank' canvas.

I cut out some leaves. But, I did feel the need to cut more.

I fused the leaves onto my 'canvas'. I attempted to sew down the first leaf then decided to 'press my luck' and just quilt the quilt without securing the leaves other than fusing.

pattern inspiration: Falling Leaves

Linking up with Susan at MidWeek Makers

Design Wall Monday 11.9.2020

 I think Friday the 13th came a little early to Bell Creek Quilts! 

While quilting the star row quilt, I had a few unlucky 'things' happen...

#1: I popped a seam! yikes...so now it has a little bit of Frankenstein stitching on the front!

#2: I ran out of bobbin thread mid-quilting pass. Not ONCE but TWICE!

#3: I failed to wind enough bobbins! yes...I had to de-thread the machine, wind about 1/3 of a bobbin then re-thread. I was, oh! so close!

pattern credit:

tan stars: my take on wonky meets floating stars

barn stars: from b quilts

lemon stars: from Missouri Star Quilt company

ribbon star: from Quilter's Cache

panto credit: large scribbles

My Frankenstein seam...

This wonderful quilt might belong to me now!  lol

I pulled fabric for a new project yesterday. I'm not to sure about it but time will tell...

Linking up with Judy at Design Wall Monday

Whoop! Whoop! 11.6.2020

 I finished the binding on my dining room tablecloth/quilt.

pattern credit: modified Refletions (I just used a little longer center panel to get the length I wanted).

panto credit: large scribbles

A11 Mystery Update:

Alycia released the 4th clue to her current mystery. This was a pretty straight forward sewing clue!

Here are the pieces on the ironing board...

Here they are 'all rolled up' on the ironing board!

Linking up with Sarah at Whoop! Whoop! and Alycia at Finish or NOT Friday

WIP Wednesday 11.4.2020

 Blogged with only a little time left Wednesday...

...I quilted today. This went a lot faster than I thought! That was a happy surprise...gotta love that large scribbles pantograph! I was a little worried about the chestnut thread in the lighter section but it looks okay...

Linking up with Susan at MidWeek Makers