Clue 3

Well not too far behind. Just finished the 120 four patches. Now to read carefully the directions for Clue 4.
Just got the email about the raffle quilt for capital quilters guild. It seems as if it has been stolen. It is royal blue and yellow with cardinals around in the borders. Hope they find it.
Back to clue 4. I like the no waste method of making these units with rulers. When I do stitch and flip I feel compelled to sew the half square triangles together, no matter how small they are. Arrrrgh.
Let's get to cutting some fabric. Then making fudge and stuffed dates for the reception for our interim priest who will be leaving after Christmas.
Merry quilting.

Clue 2

These were just fun. I used the rulers to cut so I did not have to draw the lines and waste fabric.

I have learned how to send pictures to my blog from my phone but not how to mesh with each other so it does not create a separate blog post.  Help;.

Love the reds.  Now for the mustardy gold and neutral four patches.

Patchy quilting.

Sally

Clue 1

Have not trimmed these yet and have about 20 more to sew.

History

This is a picture of the large ginko tree in the front of our church, St Stephen's Episcopal Church in Goldsboro, NC.  It is one of the largest in the east. When the leaves turn a deep yellow they all fall within a day or two.

Have been adding to the colors for Bonnie Hunter's new mystery.  Did not like this grey.  Will post pictures of what I have done.  Will begin on clue 3 tomorrow.  I am trying to catch up with Christmas presents.

Christmas party with Mah Jong on Monday had a nice time.  Was good to see everyone with all the health issues going on nearly everyone made the effort to be there.

The bee in Zebulor, Undercover Quilters, is having chritsmas party tomorrow so I will go.  Am taking a fresh orange cake, like an orange trifle.  

time to take a nap. Shopping wears me out and then the wrapping....

Scrappy quilting,

Sally

Happy thanksgivibg

Such a great time with family. My brother, sister-in-law, and me.

Breaking down

I think cold weather is the time for things to break down or wear out.  R came over to light my gas logs for the first time this season.  He could not get them going.  I had just had the tank filled so it was not lack of fuel.  The logs are over 20 years old and probably half worn out and half rusted out.
OUch.  Then my printer started eating my paper.  It was only 2.5 years old but that is old in printer years I am told so it has been replaced.  Of course the cartridges I had bought recently don't fit the new printer. :-(
I have finished the dresden plate top for M except for finding some dark blue batik for the border.  It is already 90 by 108!!Yikes.  There will be plenty to tuck under the pillows.  We tried it on her bed and it looks beautiful.  Can't wait to see it finished.  The is a picture of how I had to lay out the blocks to sew it together so this is on my bed.  Hmmmmm kind of like the look.

The next picture is of the mystery quilt we did at the retreat in Virginia in September.  Have finished the top and just have to get it to quilter.  Well it seems as if it will have to stay sideways.  I have put on a red inner border and a different outer border but it blends well.

Finally but not least is a picture Ashlie took of me when I was allowed to hold Dallas and believe my he is a lapful.  Of course he is sweet and precious.

I am going through my stash to get ready for the first clue in BH mystery.  Yes I know but it is a challenge and I love doing it./  I need a fall quilt.!!!haha.

I like the grey but there is not enough.  Think I found a couple I like one on weresewcreative.com

so we will see.

Well I have spent enough time on this for tonight.  Time to watch Scorpion and Castle.

Chilly quilting.

Sally

What happened to October?

I have always been interested in the weather.  Probably the control part of me that says if I know what the weather is going to be, I can adjust with clothing, trips to town etc.  Anyway I am glad to see the sun and cool weather.  If I can stop making appointments at 8am then Cecil and I can stay in bed under the quilts longer.
Julia Child has always been a favorite personality of mine.  My sister worked for a tv station that carried her show I guess in the early 70's? and she wound up with a notebook of Julia's recipes.  The only one I make more than once is the Boeuf Bourguignon.  This is to say the following is a picture of flowers I had for a sharing supper with friends of the BB.  Pearls were optional.

The next picture is the quilt I made for my great nephew Dallas Pope.  This will be his first Christmas and he of course is so precious.  I hope he likes the animals.  This was a panel I got in Greenville at Hancock's about 3 or 4 years ago and did not think I would have a chance to give it to any one in the family.  Thanks Will and Ashley. The animals are all three dimensional and soft flannel.  Cute.

Speaking of Christmas.  If Starbucks which I love wants to disavow the religious side of the holiday why not make the cups blue? Why red? because of the bottom line.  I think they just want to walk the line.  Enuf said.

Happy sunny quilting.

Sally

waterlogged

I have not really minded the cooler rainy days except for the mayhem the soggy ground is causing and the traffic problems.  Having to stay in is like throwing that rabbit into the briar patch.
I had to replace my Samsung Note 3 and the worst thing is getting all the phone numbers etc in addition to losing all my pictures of Africa.  Also the replacement does not have capacity for sending pictures to my email as well as the camera is not as good.  Oh well.

I really like this picture from my back yard last fall.  Not sure if there will be color since so many leaves fell with rain.  I am worried about some of my trees.  Will try to get in touch with Mr. Custer.

Just love the looks of this quilt.  Maybe Pat can help me with the pattern for the setting blocks.  

Will try to keep this up better.  Cousin Art comes next weekend, we have bee to make up all the BOM patriotic quilts from the year on Saturday.  Busy time of year.

Rainy day quilting.

Sally

Cecil

It was with great sadness to hear about the death of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe.  He and Jerico walked past our jeeps in the road on one of our safaris in May 2015.

The top picture is of Jerico and the bottom one of Cecil.  Our guides told us that Jerico was taking over the pride and had allowed Cecil to stay because of his age.  

I think the world has gone mad.

On a happier note, our guild sponsored a learn to quilt workshop for some middle school girls last week and they made two pillow cases and a small tied quilt.  We met at St Andrews Episcopal Church in Goldsboro from 1-4 for four days.  It was great fun and I hope we can do it again next summer.

Finally took my sewing machine for a check up and of course had to leave it so went to Southern Season.  It is a good thing I only go there once every two years!!! That place is dangerous to my bank account.  Did do some Christmas shopping.  That is my excuse and I am sticking to it.

Also stopped at Wish Upon a Quilt to redeem a coupon and pick up some Kaffe fabrics I had ordered.

I know it is not like I don't have enough of those.  Batiks were on sale for 7.99 and I had to resist those.

Guild last night was good.  Three new members and one returning to the fold.  Some beautiful quilts.

V and J told about their 5 day trip to see the shops on the Row by Row list from West Virginia to Tennessee to Virginia and North Carolina.  They went to over 45 shops.  What a wonderful time they had. V  won the prize for turning in her quilt to Bernina on Glenwood.  She had ten rows.  It was lovely. Marla did a demonstration on making a sewing apron.  It is nice with no open seams and a ruffle.  Will have to try that.

Time to get on with the day.

Summer quilting

Sally

quilting at home

It is so wonderful to be at home.  I am having a clear out and a sew up.  Trying to get rid of things I have not needed or used in 30 years and trying to finish projects.
One of the things I want to try to sell is this pie safe.

Another project is to get rid of the last few things in the upright freezer and defrost it and call Habitat.

It is usually less than half full and I can do without it.  Going to miss the ice cream.  

I just finished this quilt top for my brother for Christmas. It was a block of the month and I really liked the way the blues made the secondary pattern so I decided to make the whole quilt.

It will be on the way to Heather.  I am really getting frustrated with my phone camera or the program in windows which will not save pictures after I turn them.  Oh well.

I did finish two large quilts this winter.  The first is Bonnie Hunter's Smith Mountain Morning and the second is her mystery quilt "Grand Illusion" or as P says "Grand Delusion."

I love the Smith Mountain Morning.  I believe it is my favorite of all.  Grand Illusion is prettier hanging vertically than on the bed.  You just don't get the pattern when it is horizontal.

The next two pictures are the BOM for guild in red white and blue and the exchange block is in purple for the main color.

I am working on a dresden plate with irish chain in batiks for my friend M. I really like the blues.

Surprise.

I had better stop and get to work.  Cecil and I just went for a walk and he is sleeping it off.

Warm quilting.

Sally

Happy Freedom Day, and Happy Independence Day

This morning was beautiful, clear blue sky (at least for a while), breezy and cool.  Well that is at 6am.
I don't think I have had so many projects going at one time before.  I am starting my 6th year quilting and it is getting busier!!! So many projects, so much fabric and time just goes away.

This is a picture taken over half way through the golf tournament we have in Branch's memory to provide for scholarships for students at Rosewood who attend ECU.  It was hot. With me are my nephew Luke and his wife Joy.  We had fun. Did I mention it was hot?

I decided yesterday to get to work on our Fall exchange blocks and try to put them together.

I am constantly made aware of my shortcomings concerning technology but this just drives me crazy.
I have tried to fix this but it is the only way it wants to be.  It is what it is.
I am also working on a quilt for M.
This is the latest iteration.

Sorry you have to see the messy work area but I was afraid to try to make changes.

At least it is oriented correctly.

Well on to try to take stuff to Habitat Store.  Trying to clear out what does not bring me joy.

Of course that means the sewing rooms are off limits.!!

Independence quilting

Sally

Back from Africa

It has taken a while to catch up with stuff after being gone for a while.  I was on safari in Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.  Was sick on plane and for four more days, broke my glasses the second day (had old pair with me), lost/stolen debit card (did not get pin and acct was blocked after three tries), caught bad cold two days before leaving and plane from Joburg to Dulles was cancelled so we had to spend another night but besides that the trip was the best.
Unfortunately or not no fabric shops on safari and did not see any in Capetown.  Some of the women had beautiful dresses but the only fabrics for sale were stiffened to make table runners or placemats.
The days were filled with wakie wakie at 5:30am and off to see animals at 6:30am.  Tea at 11am and back to tented camps (large tents with regular matteresses and bath facilities) for wonderful lunch.
Then siesta, lecture at 3:30 followed by safari.  Tea again at 5 and return to camp for a delicious supper with beautiful table ware and wonderful food and wine.  I am told this is not camping but glamping. (glamorous camping) Whatever!

After four camps we flew to Victoria Falls for last safari to see endangered black rhino and elephant rides followed by lunch (we had wart hog and it tasted like chicken) and a  walk through rain forest to see the falls.  It was fantastic.

On to Capetown and tours to Table Mountain and Cape of Good Hope.  Finally got some good walking in and wonderful lunch on the way back to Capetown.  We bypassed the wine country tour to walk around and saw the Slave Lodge with it's history, St. George's Anglican Church (home church for Desmond Tutu) and the company Garden with beautiful flowers and trees. We also went to the waterfront to the aquarium and shops. We flew back to Joburg and the next day flew 17 hours back to Dulles and drove home,  
Back to quilting
Sally

Spring??? maybe

Finally, maybe we will have some spring weather.  Although I am afraid it will go from the 40's to the 80's in one week.
I have finished up the bindings on four quilts and started three new ones.  What am I thinking???
The one I was going to do for my neighbor for her graduation has changed to a different Bonnie Hunter pattern.  I really like the Roll Roll Cotton Boll pattern and have made three of the 50 blocks.
It includes the string piecing as the alternate block but is on a 8.5 inch foundation so goes faster.  Or I could make strips and cut from there.  The main block is colorful but not bright so the neutral string blocks help lightening up the quilt a lot.
 

I really like the combination of colors in the main block.  I thought at first I was going to have to go fabric shopping oh no!! for the red ( the only fabric which does not change) but found three yards of a nice red in my stash. 

Short blog.  Have to get to work.

Spring quilting.

Sally  

The sun the sun....

What a glorious morning with the sun shining and hopes for the temps to rise above 40 degrees.  I went out on the deck and chipped away at the bird bath.  No luck so I filled a shallow container and hoped they could drink before it froze.  Put out sunflower seeds and the cardinals just about pushed me out of the way.  Yesterday morning I looked out and sitting on a limb in the woods was a red-shouldered hawk.  I loved watching it watch the ground and float down to grab some poor frog or other wiggly thing.

I finished the binding on grand illusion and have sewn the binding on Smith Mountain Morning.  It has been a binding marathon as each was 100 by 100.

 I think I like the pillow cases better than the quilt. Sorry BH but to be fair the quilt does not show up horizontally as well as when it is hanging vertically.  Tough to sleep that way though.
 
The next thing on my long list is the dresden plate for my friend M.  We decided on blues with some tans thrown in.  I love the look and am working on choosing background.

I have always loved the bug jar quilts and am making one now.  This is the practice block I made at C's yesterday.  Just love the way it looks and really like the blue background for a children's quilt.  Thanks C for suggesting the different jar lid fabric.  

Finally I completed the Australian fabric quilt and thanks to the fast turn around from H on the quilting have it hanging over my sewing workspace.  If M from Snead's Ferry can have one so can I.

My favorite is the white witchety grub worms in the red blocks.  We acutally saw one dug up and one of our group volunteered to eat it.  Ewwwwwwwe!

Since I don't have enough to do I am also starting another BH quilt.  What is it about the scrappy that pulls me in?  This is "Zuckerwatte" which is pinks, creams and some purples.  I just love the sweetness of that quilt.  

In my defense it has been a long winter.

Sunny quilting

Sally

Briar Patch

It is snowing, we are getting ice on top of that, the temps are in 20's and I have to stay home because my driveway is an uphill sheet of ice in the shade.  "Oh please don't throw me into that briar patch" said mr rabbit.
Officially this is my fourth day in the house and Cecil and I are fine.  Plenty of food, electricity (thank you Lord) and plenty of fabric and thread.  I might even clean out a drawer or two.  Maybe.

This is a quilt inspired by my two friends C and P because I started making the wonky stars that I saw C making and then P reversed the white with the backgrounds and I liked that also.  I wanted to make it longer so added a header and footer!  I am trying to use my many civil war fabrics!  Now if it will get warm enough to go out on the screened porch and put the sandwiches together for 3 quilt tops hanging on my finished rack.

I have finished the binding on the Harriet's Sampler quilt and it is hanging on the wall in my "lividen" which is my name for my living room-den.

Now I have to tackle the binding on the Bonnie Hunter "Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt."  I did decide to make pillow cases to go with it because it is 100x100  which is not long enough to pull over the pillows.  One of the UC bee members emailed the link to someone demonstrating how to make the pillow case without any raw seams.  It is the "sausage method" and I love it.  It only takes about 15 minutes to make a pillow case.  The link is https://www.govf.org/content/presentation-case.html. 

Check the size because I think the demo lady makes these for QOV quilts but they fit queen size pillows.

I do love the Kaffe fabrics and they show up so well in big chunks.  I am cutting up fabric for one of the next quilts i want to make.  It is called Zuckerwatte (Cotton Candy) from Bonnie Hunter's String Fling book.  It is pinks and creams and a little purple.  I have to have something to do on retreat.  In addition to the four projects I still have on my ufo list.

Time to start cutting.

Warm quilting.

Sally

Winter

It seems as if we will get some of winter's wrath next week.  Today was beautiful- cold, crisp, sunny with some gusty winds.  The next three days will not be so nice.
I went to Heather's to pick up my BH mystery quilt and the Harriet's Sampler which was a block of the month from ME's shop.  They look so nice after quilting.  I took her my BH Smith Mountain Morning top and an Australian fabric top to quilt.  I will be sick of binding.  The BH quilts are 100" x100"and the others are 50"by 50".
Our quilt exhibit at the Arts Council opened Thursday night with a nice reception.  I hope people will enjoy seeing our work.
This picture is of Ann's bear quilt.

the next picture is one of my favorite quilts.  I used log cabin blocks to make the stripes.

This one is Vickie T's applique art quilt.  I just love this witch.

And this one is my cutie pie.

Hope to get bindings done while weather is bad.  

Chilly quilting

Sally

Escaped

It seems as if we escaped bad weather in January this year.  Better watch out for February.  It can be our worst weather month.  And it is always so busy.  Beginning of lent, church convention, quilt shows and retreats.  I guess these are helpful to break the winter.  Some people need to escape even our relatively mild winters.  One relative always schedules a two week trip to some sunny place like Arizona or Costa Rica or wherever.  Not me I love and embrace the cold just not the bad weather.
More time to sew.
I have finished the BH mystery quilt top and it is at the quilters.  It will certainly brighten up my bedroom.  It will be my May June bed quilt.  I also have finished the BH Smith Mountain Morning quilt top and am waiting for backing.  I hope it is what I want.  If not I have alternate fabric.  I know I know doesn't everyone.  I can't wait to see that one finished.  It will be the September October bed topping.  I did make 81 blocks instead of the 49 the pattern called for.  I can say after 5 of her quilts that Bonnie Hunter does a great job with measurements because I had no problem putting blocks, sashings, and pieced borders on each of these quilts.  Everything fit and that makes it easy.
This is four blocks and sashings (green, black, and white).

This is the Smith Mountain Morning layout of my 81 blocks.  

This is Mary's quilt made from fabric we got in Australia in 2012.  I have just started cutting out the fabric for mine and am waiting for the red to be shipped.  Just love the way it looks.  It will go on the wall behind my sewing table.

It may have to share space there with this one when I can make it.  It hangs over the desk at Wish Upon a Quilt.  The designer and owner of this one gave permission for the pic and for us to make one like it.  Can't wait.  All the geese backgrounds are Kaffe circles in muted colors.  Just love this one.

So many quilts so little time.  Also starting dresden plate quilt for M.

Windy and cold quilting today after soup to workers at Habitat House.

Sally

clear blue sky

This is the kind of winter I love.  The sky is clear blue, the temps in 40's, and the sun is out.  Oh yes and I am in looking forward to some more sewing.  Trying to finish the units on BH mystery so I can get blocks put together and finally the top.  It is really nice but busy as her quilts are.

I am not sure how my brights will look when put with other blocks and the sashing.  Oh well what is is. Now to finish the last 34 units of the Clue #1 and I can begin to put blocks and sashing together.  

I am not sure I want a yellow inner border.  Right now I am thinking pink.

I am also trying to finish up Smith Mountain Morning that I started at a workshop in June with BH.

The border units are the leader enders for these units.  It is a wonderful system if you have the pieces cut and thread matches both projects.  Will have to float a loan to get both quilted.  The Mystery quilt is supposed to be 88x88 and the SMM is larger because I added blocks. Yikes I just thought that I will have to make more of the border units for that!!!Arrrrrgh.

Cecil and I are snug in the sewing room glad for strong house and heater!!! God is good.

Bright day quilting

Sally