Happy Dancing!!!

I opened my e-mail this morning and what to my wondering eyes should appear but an e-mail from the Fat Quarter Shop notifying me that I was one of the three winners of a $100 Gift Certificate for my Butterfly Bliss Quilt for the Somerset Mini-Charms Contest.  What!?!?!  Holy freeholy!  Knock me over with a feather!  Needless to say, I'm...

Happy Dancing!!!
Suzy

Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt Clue 5 - Fast and Fun Four-Patches

The mystery is moving along quickly now.  We're at Clue 5, with Clue 6 coming on Friday.  I wouldn't be surprised if the upcoming clue was the final clue, along with the BIG REVEAL.  I'm so excited to see how all the puzzle pieces will come together.  Bonnie's mysteries never disappoint, so I'm sure it will be a stunner!

So here was this week's clue.  Fast and fun 4-patches.  Quick and easy.  I'm glad for it as I am itching to get moving on other projects.

 

Speaking of other projects, here's one that I pulled out this morning and arranged into rows before I hopped into the shower.  One of my girlfriends and I are teaching Bonnie's Scrappy Mountains Majesties in a class in March and I need to get this done.  We are both doing different versions to show the quilters a couple different variations that you can achieve by rotating the blocks.  This is mine using Civil War fabrics.  It will possibly get a border.  I'll know more once I sew the rows together and it speaks to me.  Hers is done with reds and whites with all the "logs" going in the same direction.  They are very different, but will be equally beautiful.

Oh -- and I'll have an exciting announcement in a separate post later today.  *Squee!*

Quilt on!
Suzy

Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt Clue 4 - Time To Do More Dishes...

I usually hate doing dishes -- but when it comes to quilting it's a different story.  :o)

 

Clue 4 is more Broken Dishes blocks -- only in a slightly different colorway from Clue 1.  This Clue has two versions with different orientations.  I'm just about done with one version (ironing the seams now), and the other is patiently awaiting final assembly.  Shouldn't be long before I'm all caught up again.  My sewing room is a disaster area, but I couldn't be happier.  *grin*

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!
Suzy

Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt Clue 3 - Hello Green!

Well, hello green!  I'm so happy to see you.  :o)

As happy as I am to see green introduced, I surely hope there's no more in this quilt -- I only have a strip left measuring about 4" x wof.  Yikes!  Talk about cutting it close.  No pun intended.  Lol.

This was/is a nice easy clue.  I've done one strip set so far and have the other strips cut and ready to sew.  Wanted to make sure everything was measuring up and oriented correctly.  I'm sure I'll be able to conquer this clue by the end of today.

Happy sewing!
Suzy

Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt Clue 2 - It's Not A Race; It's a Beauty Contest

I have to keep telling myself the little mantra that I tell all my quilting students:  "It's not a race; it's a beauty contest."  Just take your time and try to do your best.  There are so many people posting to our Quiltville Facebook Group agonizing over these chevron units.  I sure hope they realize there is no such thing as perfection before they totally give up on this quilt and, actually, the whole purpose of quilting...as our creative outlet, our therapy, etc., etc.  I hope they can just enjoy, and not let the pursuit of perfection take away the joy of the process.  After all, there is no deadline for this quilt.  We can just print out the instructions for each clue and tackle them as time and circumstances allow. 

Anyway, getting off my soapbox and back to our regularly scheduled program...

I have 32 completed units so far.  Just about a third of the way there.  Maybe I'll get more done today, maybe not.  I'm not worried about being all caught up before the next clue is out tomorrow.  And, nope, not all my units are spot on where the intersections meet.  But...  I'm going to enjoy the process, darn it!  :o)

Tomorrow I'm travelling with my Dad to go visit with my Uncle Dick (his brother) and my Aunt Mim.  It will be a fun day out.  Probably no sewing, but we'll see what the day brings.

Enjoying the process AND the mystery,
Suzy

Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt Part 1 - Ready, Set, Sew!

Bonnie Hunter posted Clue 1 on Friday -- and the excitement around the world commenced.  LOL!  I hadn't had a chance to really sit and play until yesterday.  Spent the majority of the day cutting and sewing.  I'm happy to say I am halfway there!  50 blocks are completely done with another 50 ready to be assembled.  Using my Accuquilt made cutting all the units quick work.  That way I was able to spend more time sewing.  I should have the rest together hopefully by the end of today.  Wheeee!  :o)

As I mentioned previously, I am foregoing the scrappy route this time and making all the fabric choices constant.  I am really loving how they play together so far.

If you want to join in on the fun (if you're not already), Bonnie's instructions for this year's Mystery can be found here.

Excitedly awaiting Clue 2,
Suzy

Another Contest Entry...

Well...actually two contest entries.  Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree Quilts is having a contest ending November 30 using their new Aurifil threads and the included mini-charm pack of 2-1/2" squares of their new Somerset line.  She is challenging contestants to design a quilt (must be an original design), using only the thread, mini-charms, background and a border fabric.  She will pick the winner/winners and they win various prizes, including the possibility of having their quilt pattern published.

Kimberly, from Fat Quarter Shop, is adding to that challenge by hosting her own contest in which you can use that original quilt to enter, but the stipulation is you have to buy the Aurifil Thread Pack from her shop.  This one is a "most votes" contest and the top three winners receive a $100 gift certificate to her shop.  I'll let you know when they post the top 10 quilts for a vote.  I'd be so excited if one of them is mine!  :o)

I drew/designed my quilt using EQ7 and EQStitch (of course, LOL).

I call it Butterfly Bliss.  It measures approximately 24" x 24".

Fingers crossed,
Suzy

I'm Ready!

 

Bonnie Hunter's new mystery quilt for 2014/2015 is here!  It's called Grand Illusion.  She posted the colorway and yardage the other day so we can get our ducks in a row in preparation for the first steps in the mystery set to be unveiled in late November.  I decided to not do scrappy this time (G-A-S-P!!).  Main reason was I want to use up my stash as much as possible and when I went to pull the grassy greens, found I was lacking.  Had plenty of hunter greens and limey greens, but it wasn't what I was looking for.  Me being a scrappy kinda girl, I was shocked but pleased to find I had plenty of yardage in the suggested colorways, so my quilt colors will all be constant this time around.  I even have a really cool multi-colored fabric for the backing.  :o)

Raring to go,
Suzy

Beach of Dreams

The quilt I made as an upcoming Christmas gift for my elder daughter and her new hubby is now done!  It's called Beach of Dreams and I had my wonderful longarm quilter use a really sweet pantograph with seashells and starfish.  I really like how it turned out.  I did a scrappy binding and I think it gives it a little more zing.  I hope they love it...  :o)

Christmas is closer than you think,
Suzy

Savannah

Here is my latest completed quilt top.

It's called Savannah and is made from some of the small scraps left over from my Farmer's Wife quilt top.  It measures 30"x30".  Yep, some of those pieces are little, but not insanely so.  LOL.  I'm really pleased how it turned out.  A few of the intersections are just a hair off, but there are so many small bulky seams.  This is another one that I designed in EQ7.  I know I always say it, but I would be lost without that program.

More fun to come,
Suzy