Bonnie Hunter Mystery

Color Chart and Clue One
 

I'm following along with Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt 2014 - Celtic Solstice.   I decided to work with alternate colors and my chosen colors might change as I go along.  Right now they are blues and neutrals (gray and cream).  Gray is taking the place of the orange. I'm using my stash.  No new fabric.  I did have all the colors recommended by Bonnie Hunter, but I wanted something all in blues and neutrals.   I'm hand piecing so this won't go as fast as machine piecing.  I'm in no hurry. To make the mystery quilt, I'm using Inklingo.   I've purchased  CELTIC SOLSTICE (BONNIE HUNTER'S MYSTERY) .   Linda Franz is making this entire process so relaxing for me. 

Cream with Blue

  

Grey with Blue

INKLINGO FIRST PROJECT



This top is from Inklingo's Free Shape Collection - Diamond, Triangle, Square.  My first attempt with Inklingo and I thorougly enjoyed the process.  The picture isn't great and doesn't show the use of color as it should.  I found it very easy to work on.  I'm currently working on the Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt for 2013.  I used fabric from my stash.


Close ups of the blocks

Blue and Green Blocks

Red and Purple Blocks 

INKLINGO

For several months now, I have been immersed in hand piecing with Inklingo .  I started out with several free programs from Inklingo.  I'm currently using Inklingo's Diamond's, Triangles, and Squares to make a small quilt with 20 Carpenter Wheel Blocks.  I'm learning as I go and it's been so much fun and so relaxing.  I recommend this to everyone.  I've also purchase Shape Collection No. 3,  60 Degree Diamonds and 60 Degree Hexagons.  After I'm finished with the Carpenter's Wheel, I'll continue on with other shapes.  I'm very taken with Hexagons, so I'm moving onto that next. 

Below are pictures of what I've accomplished so far.  All of the blocks have been made with my fabric stash.  Still not wanting to purchase new fabric.

Violet Star Center

Blue Star Center






Block on my design wall

   

 

 

 In between my hand piecing, I've been working on other items with my fabric stash.   Fabric Boxes.  Lots of fun there too. 



MUG RUGS

Hand Painted, Hand Quilted Mug Rug


I recently got into a Mug Rug Swap for Fall.
The theme was leaves.  For my exchange, I drew leaves
and hand painted.  The back ground looks yellow in
this photo but is really a beige.  I enjoyed using this
technique of painting on fabric because it allowed me to do what I love best (Hand Quilting) quickly and without any seams in the way.  This was my first attempt of painting on fabric.  I will do this again.  

Back of Mug Rug showing the Hand Quilting

This is the back.

This next mug rug is from my swap mate at the Missouri Star Quilt Forum Group.  Jane did a beautiful job.  She claims to be a new quilter but I see some real sewing experience in here.  Her machine quilting is excellent.  Froggie likes it too and insisted on getting in on the pictures.

Mug Rug from Jane.  My swap mate.

Back of the Mug Rug from Jane

THREADS FOR APPLIQUÉ

There has been lots of talk about what thread to use for appliqué.  I've been appliquéing since the mid 90's.  Figuring out what I liked best took me a bit.   My first instructor liked a Mettler polyester.  So following her advise, I used that.  While this thread might be good for other uses, it did not work for appliqué.  It tended to knot quite a bit. Frustrating.

I continued on with appliqué.  I loved it.  I learned from others here and there. One of my instructors liked silk.  OK I was game.   I bought some silk. It was supposed to disappear into the fabric. Mostly it just disappeared from my needle. It also stretched and left an irregular edge.  

Then someone introduced me to cotton.   So I tried cotton. I began to use Mettler 60/20 or  DMC 50 wt. cotton.   This disappeared into the fabric very nicely.  I liked it.  I used both of these threads for many years.  Then Aurifil came up with a very nice cotton thread in a number of colors.  I really enjoyed using this thread.  

There is an opinion, that over time, cotton thread is best on cotton fabric because silk or poly will bite into the cotton as it ages making for faster deterioration of the quilt.

This may prove true -- or not.  It certainly isn't an "urban legend" as some merchants  of silk and poly thread would have one believe.  But are there studies out there?  I just don't know.  Perhaps some reader will find a study and point it out.  I haven't made it my life's work to look into it.

 I progressed in my appliqué journey trying various threads along the way.  I found that I like the feel of cotton the best so I've stuck with that.  Will my work outlast the work of you silk and poly users?  I have no idea and worrying about how long my work lasts isn't keeping me up at night.   It would be nice if my work is still around 100+ years from now but that is not why I choose to use cotton thread.   I appliqué, piece, and quilt for the pleasure of it.   I love the feel of cotton thread.  

I will continue to try new threads as they become available.   Right now, Aurifil is my go to thread for appliqué.  I also like DMC 50 wt.  Mettler 60/20 is another good thread for me.  I also like Madeira Cotana 80 wt.  

Conclusion.  Do what pleases you but try them before you make a decision.

Shipshewana Section 3

Section 3 from Shipshewana Sampler

Continuing to follow along and piece together the Shipshewana Amish Sampler from Sentimental Stitches.

Used fabric from my stash.  Most of the fabric dates back at least 10 years.  This block was made in sections.  First some of the sections were foundation pieced and then hand pieced the sections together.

I'm following along with the Flickr Group Circle of Friends Take 3

I do believe I'm a bit behind.  I got waylaid by Love Entwined for just a bit.  Now plan to catch up.

CHRISTMAS TREASURE SANTAS

COUNTRY SANTA - CHRISTMAS TREASURE SANTAS

In 1996, I took a class at the Quilt Foundry in Maumee Ohio.  The class was applique.    The instructor was Jeanne Carmichael.  The class went on for 6 weeks.  Each week we were given 2 patterns for a Santa. I was just starting to applique and this was very difficult for me.  I made my first Santa and then stopped, going on to other things.  I still have Jeanne's patterns.  I went to all of the classes and picked up all the information that I could. Now with time behind me and 17 years of experience working in applique, I plan to finish these blocks.  All by hand.  This is the first one I did in 1996. It is dimensional.  The coat opens and flaps.  The beard is made of cotton batting.  The mittens and the rim of the hat are knitted.  The photo may not show it, but I made my novice mistakes.  As I prepare my 2nd block with the perspective of time, it is a much simpler task for me.   

Jeanne Carmichael passed away some years ago. Jeanne was not a quilter.  She never made this quilt herself.  She was an artist.  Other people made her art into a quilt.  This is the type of applique I love.  Not decorative but telling a story.  Now it's my time to make this quilt.  And perhaps Jeanne will be sitting beside me cheering me on.

Yesterday's Stars

Paper Pieces Pattern "Yesterday's Stars"

 I picked up this pattern way back, can't remember when.  The back is dated 1999, but I think I got it about 6 years ago.  Who knows.  Time flies and far ago objects are father than you think.  The pattern is a Paper Pieces Pattern call "Yesterday's Stars".  It includes pre-cut shapes.  I started my journey into English Paper Piecing (EPP) with this pattern...and oh does it show.  I picked up this partially finished item and it needed some redoing.  In the end, I decided not to go exactly by the pattern.  I think I want to put some applique around...small items...maybe flowers.  I have lots of 30's repro fabric so why not.  So I made the white borders wider and added yellow corner blocks. In the mean time the top is kind of finished according to pattern...just a bit different.  I'll post progress now and then on this quilt.  In the mean time, I have more UFO's to work on.  Nice to have so many...I'll never get bored.

 Just this last week, The Glass City Quilt Commission put on a show,  Kaleidoscope of Quilts 2013.  Here is a link to some of the quilts.  I focused on Hand Applique and Hand Piecing.

The link below will take you to the Flickr page.  


KALEIDOSCOPE 2013  


Here are pictures of some of the quilts. 

Hand Painted, Hand Quilted

The quilt to the right was really interesting.  The maker of this quilt hand painted the blocks and then the blocks were pieced into the quilt and the quilt was hand quilted.  Just really lovely.


The Bird Below is a close up that shows a block in more detail along with the hand quilting and the credits for this quilt.

  

In the Quilt below, each block is a Kaleidoscope made of a portrait photo.  You can see a closeup and the credits.

Credits for the Kaleidoscope Quilt

Closeup of the Kaleidoscope Quilt

Appliqué in the Shipshewana Sampler

 

Love to appliqué.  I'm following a group quilt along on Flickr.  Circle of friends: The Shipshewana Sampler
This is the only block that is appliquéd, but hey, I'm getting to like piecing too. 

I had a super hard time getting that vase straight.  It would tilt one way or the other.  So here's what I did...I squared up the block, using the vase as the focus.  Is that cheating?  Maybe.  

Whatever works.  

HEXAGONS

I love to piece my quilts by hand and falling right in there is English Paper Piecing and Hexagons.  I found this Fiskars Hexagon Punch and bought it.  What a great way to save expense on purchasing the Hexagon papers.  This one punches 1/2 inch Hexies.  What a find!

This is the perfect size for a hexagon landscape.  That project is now on my to do list.
 

Block No. 7

This is the 7th block in Sweet 16

I have just finished appliqueing the 7th Block in the Sweet 16 Series by Edyta Sitar.  Minimized to a 6 inch block.  Now on the next one.

This beautiful mugrug arrived from a swap I'm in.  It's hand quilted and hand pieced Hexagons. 

APPLIQUÉ

Block 1

Block 2

Block 3

APPLIQUE BLOCKS FROM

SWEET 16 PATTERN BY 

Edyta Sitar

 

 

This pattern is originally planned by the pattern maker as 16 inch blocks.  I'm doing them in 6 inch blocks.    

Block 4

Block 6

Block 5