Started on a new mystery/BOM - and plans ahead

There are so many BOM's out there in cyberspace; some you have to pay for, and some are free. When an interesting one pops up, I have a problem saying no to it. The result is that so far this year I have joined 2014 Aurifil BOM,  and another one by Pat Sloan: Globetrotting.

This is the first block, called Washington DC. You can read more about the BOM here .

In addition I have also joined a challenge to complete at least 5 quilting UFOs before May 1st. I have finished one (a pillow) already, and UFO number 2 will be on its way to the quilter by the end of the month. UFO #3 is a twin size quilt (from 2012) where I just have to finish the quilting and sew the scrappy binding on. UFO #4 is the 2012 Aurifil BOM where the top is done. UFO #5 is the 2013 Aurifil BOM where I have to assemble the blocks; come up with a nice layout, and just do it! As you can see, I have chosen to work with quite big projects!

Several of the quilters in my group will have a virtual sew along during the weekend to get some progress on these projects.

In addition to this, I will try to make a couple of charity quilts in between. And, also, there will probably pop up several tempting projects along the way. I will just have to learn to say no, because I can't do everything!

 

Celtic Solstice Top 100% Completed

Just a few minutes ago I sewed the last border on my Celtic Solstice quilt top, and it is now officially completed!

As compared to Bonnie's original version measuring 75" square, I added a checkerboard of blue and neutral four patches on top and bottom to lengthen the quilt, after a tip from a fellow blogger.. In addition I made the outer green border wider, and as per now my quilt top measures 89.5"x83.5". This will make it fit my queen size bed.

Here is a closer look of the checkerboard. I am very happy about the colors I decided for this extension. They help balance the busy top against the sort of monochrome (actually two-colored) border.

As always, indoor pictures are never the best. But, with cold winter weather outside, including a freezing wind, this is all I can offer today.

Now I have to start piecing the back of the quilt. I have the fabric ready, and I will add some leftover blocks from the front, also. I think it will be an interesting and colorful backside!

EDIT:

Here is a little peak of the pieced back. I found room for some leftover checkerboard, and I also had to display more of my elephants! There is a lot of this yellow/white elephant fabric on the front, but due to the size of these blocks the elephants didn't get a prominent display. That is all taken care of now!

I have to hurry finishing the back so I can send the quilt off to Merete for quilting. She did such a perfect job with my Easy Street one year ago.

Linked up to Bonnie's Celtic Solstice Mystery link up finale .
 

2014 - First quilting UFO completed

In January 2013 I made this block as a test for my 2013 Aurifil Designer of the Month blocks, with leftover fabrics from Easy Street. Later I changed my color scheme for this BOM/DOM, and the block became an orphan. As a challenge in the Quilt Skandinavia group, I have joined the "Fem før fem"-challenge, i.e. finishing 5 UFOs before May 1st.

The orphan block was perfect for a pillow.

The pillow front was quilted with straight lines using my walking foot.

Here the pillow is in all its glory. It has an envelope closure on the back.

Now I can cross off my first quilting UFO for the year!

 

2014 Aurifil January Block

This month's block is designed by Brigitte Heitman, and is called "Spools".

Here is my version of it.

I made this when the temperature outside was a freezing -15 deg C (5 deg F). I am longing for spring, so I made the block in cheerful colors matching the cute mushrooms.

 

First finish in January

I started this knitting project in the middle of December, and finished it today. The knitted hat is made of 100% wool yarn, which is very appropriate since it is -13 decrees C (8 deg F) outside. It will be good to wear tomorrow morning when I have to wait for the bus.

This knitting was a good travel project, while the rest of December/early January was dedicated to Celtic Solstice.

 

Celtic Solstice - assembled

Here is my Celtic Solstice top completed, just missing the border outside the pieced border. This is how far I managed to get before I have to pack up my top and head for home across the Atlantic.

I have decided to lengthen the quilt by adding a row of four-patches on top and bottom, and add a wider green border all around the quilt. This will make it fit a queen-size bed (almost). I will have to decide on the colors of the four-patches on the plane back home.

 

If you remember a post of mine earlier in the process of this quilt, you may recognize the posh cat lady in the picture above. She has got a central position in the quilt.

 

  

When Bonnie made the final reveal on New Year's Day, I was surprised that the orange and blue blocks were to be the outer pieced border. Most of the orange fabric are my last Halloween remnants! It works out OK, though!

 



 

Corn fabric, witches, and black cats are lining up around the quilt in a never ending queue. They are well behaved, though.

To sum up; all the fabric used in this quilt, except for the inner neutral border and the soon to become green outside border, are from my own stash. It should have reduced the fabric on my shelves, but, fabric sales here were to tempting, and I am bringing home more than I used in this quilt. Good deals are good deals, and you don't walk away from them if you are a quiltoholic! Let's see if I manage to put them all in my suitcase...

 

Bonnie's site  shows links to a great deal of the more or less finished Celtic Solstice quilts, take a look at the gorgeous art work!



 

Celtic Solstice - blocks completed

 

Last night, while my family was watching a movie, I finished the blocks for the center of my quilt. Here they are all laid out on the floor of the study/sewing room. 

 

Today the assembly job will start. It is a bright and sunny day here in the southwestern US, but the temperature is freezing. It was approx. -14 degrees C (or 10 deg F) this morning when I woke up. Luckily there is no wind, otherwise it would be bitterly/brutally cold as they say on the weather forecast on TV. We have no snow, though.

A perfect time to be inside sewing blocks together. A more detailed picture is shown below.

Check out other linkies here .

 

Modern Trees - started quilting

I am doing the Celtic Mystery, and last Sunday I was finished with Part 5 and thought I would have a few days to work with another project before the next clue was posted on the following Friday. That was a perfect day to start quilting the trees of my Modern Trees quilt. I follow  Christa's Quilt Along , and try to do all the steps she has is this one. I am trying to improve my FMQ skills, and she has got fabulous instructions.

I managed to quilt a few trees before we got the big surprise; Bonnie Hunter revealed the layout of the completed Mystery Quilt just after midnight on January 1st. Of course I had to sew together a few of the mystery blocks to get a feel of how the finished quilt would look. Then I pulled my self together and finished the FMQ of all the 15 trees before this project was set aside in favor of finishing Celtic Solstice.

I am really pleased with how it turned out, and I am not afraid of continuing later with quilting all that negative space.

Here is a few sneak peaks on how my trees will look. I use an all white background, and the quilt also has a solid white backing, so the quilting is clearly visible.

This is what you will see until I come a little further in the quilting process. I really enjoy practising my FMQ skills, and I can see a lot of improvement, already. You just have to jump into it with both your feet and believe in your self!

Now I will get a good night's sleep, before it is back to power-sewing on Celtic Solstice tomorrow.

 

Winner Luck!

Happy New Year, fellow quilters!

Like many other quilters I have put my name in for drawings in a lot of giveaways. Lately I have won in 2 giveaways, a gift certificate from Fat Quarter Shop (Richard and Tanya Quilts), and a gift Certificate from Southern Fabrics (A Quilting Life). I did a little shopping on the net lately, and both of my packages have arrived.

The two top Charm Packs are from Fat Quarter Shop, and they are Shuffle by Riley Blake, and Kona Cotton Solids; really yummy solids!

The Fat Quarter Bundle is Simply Color by V & Co., and I also got Cuzco Charm Pack by Kate Spain. Now my future promises lots of creativity and good sewing time!