Getting Closer

The clues are almost finished and so is my mystery quilt. Here are the next three units. These blocks finish at 6". I love mixing prints and batiks. Since these are all scraps from my stash, the only thing I worried about was value - making sure there is enough contrast between the lights and the darks.

These strips are cut 1 1/2" sewn in random pairs. They aren't this green looking. They are more neutral, but there are light green included. Sewing long strips and then sub-cutting goes really fast.

Here are the main units all together. There is one last unit that I didn't get a picture of.

As you can see, I used anything in my stash "ala Bonnie Hunter". See the Moda Challenge fabric from about 2004? It's perfect in there. The thing I've come to love about doing these kinds of quilts is that when there are so many fabrics included - nothing looks wrong!!

The reveal is coming soon. I'm off to sew :). Any more guesses????

Until next time,

-Karen

Next Mystery Clue

I do not know where time goes!! I've been working on this project - it's got so many little pieces :)!! These little blocks are 2 1/2" high - pretty little but soooo cute. I needed to make 84 of them - not too bad.
Here they are compared to the big one which is 6" high. These colors are so warm and wonderful. This is another scrap quilt that will be made completely from my stash - love those "free quilts"!!!

I thought I'd give you the update on my ironing board cover. I got lots of wonderful ideas. So far, I've cut a piece of fabric and pinned it to the old cover. Actually it works pretty good and is so much better than that old thing!! At some point I'm sure I'll get tired of looking at it this way and finish it. This is the life of someone who is NOT "Type A" - stuff like this just doesn't bother me.

So I'm sewing away. I'll post another mystery clue soon. It's a published pattern ...any ideas so far????

Have a great day,

-Karen

Quilt Bingo

After 2 years as serving as President of the Night Chapter of our guild, my term is over. For our Christmas Party this year, I decided to play Quilt Bingo. I had seen a post about it several years ago. It was published by Fons and Porter in their magazine. A sweet member came up after the program and offered to put the blocks together. She gave me the quilt this week. How great did this turn out??I asked each member to make at least one "bingo board" made from 2 1/2" squares and gave them directions as to colors, styles, placement, etc. Black Kona cotton was used as the center block and the sashings.

As you can see there was much variety and pretty much anything could be used. We had door prizes and it was a fun evening.

Jeannie has since picked up a second stack to complete another quilt!! These will be donated to our community quilts program. It's a Miagia (Make It and Give It Away)!! Quilters are definitely the best!!

Hope you all are having a great Saturday.

-Karen

My Little Red at Home

My Little Red looks so cute hanging in my living room. I'm going to have to get used to not having a big wall at the office to display my "office art". I may have to make some smaller quilts :). There are so many cute mini quilts out there, it will be hard to pick. That will have to wait as my plate is full with other things (lots of fun things I might add)!!
Here are two more Karen Stone quilts. I was sitting all the way in the back so some of them are not the best, but you get the idea.

She is such a master at color and technique. It's amazing!! Makes My Little Red look a little subdued..... that is my favorite part about quilting - it's all wonderful!

Have a great day,

-Karen

Been busy.... having a ball!!

I honestly don't quite know where almost 2 weeks has gone! I have been doing contract work at the law firm to help them close out, so that has taken some of my time. These blocks are part of my program that I'll be doing for our guild in February. I've been busy trying to get this project done, but there are lots of steps. I'm doing it as a mystery quilt which I hope will be a fun program.
Then I realized I still have TONS of hand quilting left on my log cabin quilt, which needs to be done so I can enter it in our quilt show in mid March! "Wedding Memories Linger" is a perfect name. I have loved lingering over all the fabrics from my kids' quilts.
Here's a "shadow" picture so you can see the next area I have to quilt. It's acutally the border - yea!!!!!!!!!!!!! But as you can see, there is a lot of quilting. But I do love this quilt and I do love to hand quilt - it just takes forever!

But this is what has distracted me for the last 3 days...... Karen K. Stone! She came to Pensacola and I got to take 2 workshops with her, and then attend a GSQA meeting where she presented a trunk show. Oh my goodness, this girl can quilt! She has been a hero of mine for a long time and it was a true thrill for me. Seeing her quilts in person makes you realize that pictures just don't do them justice. They are incredible

I took lots of pictures of her quilts, I'll share more later. But here we are, the two white headed Karens :). She is an absolute doll and I came home with my head spinning. It will be hard to re-enter the real world tomorrow.

Hope you've a great weekend - mine has been wonderful.

-Karen

PS- my ironing board is still not done, but I do thank you all for the great ideas. I'll get to it eventually :)

I think it's time....

I am hoping someone knows of a good tutorial on how to make a new ironing board cover. I have literally ironed on this one so much the fabric has deteriorated!! And the rest is scorched. I don't really want to buy a new one, you know, being unemployed, no money, blah, blah, blah! (To tell the truth, I'd rather use my money on new fabric and use something in my stash that is no longer a favorite).
Thanks for helping, I'll have more fun things to look at soon!!
-Karen

American Girl visits Orca Bay

The sewing machine has been humming, going back and forth from capes and dresses, to what seems like thousands of black and white HST's!! Here's my progress so far.... all the blue string blocks done and I'm making serious headway on the HST's.
I am really intrigued to see what Bonnie has in mind for all these. I still have a bunch more, but I am more than half way there. The rest will have to wait until after Christmas, I'm done for now.

These little dresses are for my granddaughter's AG doll and a matching one for her best friend's doll. There is something so enjoyable about creating gifts for children/ grandchildren, especially your own! One of my friends suggested maybe a business opportunity in light of my imminent unemployment. I'm not so sure about that, but I had a blast doing these and a matching flannel nightgown for my DGD and her AG doll.

Until next time,

-Karen