Baby, It's Cold Outside! Picnic Weather?

Lots of quilting time here while it is cold outside.  This week I worked on blocks made from the Clue #1 of the annual mystery quilt from Bonnie Hunter's blog. (Bonnie's blog here)  Thank you Bonnie for all of the quilts you inspire.  I know some of us are difficult to herd together, but I want you to know we all really enjoy your mysteries and the quilts you inspire.  I sure couldn't do your job - I can't even herd myself sometimes!  This year's mystery parts just took me in another direction, and I truly hope Bonnie doesn't mind.  

I made two picnic quilts, each measuring 52 in. by 56 in.  Here's a picture of Sophia Grace and Rosie sitting on them with some of our vintage picnic plates:






The red checked alternate squares and borders just said picnic to me, and we need a couple of picnic quilts for the summers at the lake.  Here's a closeup of the girls having tea on the picnic cloths.  They approve!

Just to show you how NOT picnic weather it is, here's a picture of the shoreline of Lake Michigan, taken nearby this week.

Now that these two tops are finished, and the Clue #2 top was finished last week, (See blog post here) ,it's time to work on Clue #3, green and white squares.  It's going to be a Triple Irish Chain, and I've started putting blocks together on the design wall (which is the king sized bed surface).

I do hope my long arm quilter can quilt a Michigan State Spartan warrior helmet in the white spaces.   That would fit out family so well.  It is fun to make, and I hope to have it together soon.

What is on your design wall today?  I am linking up with Judy Laquidara's blog for Design Wall Mondays, to see what other quilters are working on. (Here)

January Sewing and Looking Ahead to February

January is almost half over, and I am thinking about February.  I am itching to start a new quilt with a Valentine theme.  I love Valentine's Day, and have been saving novelty fabric for a quilt in the future, and I think the future will be this February.  How about you?  Have you ever made a Valentine's themed quilt?

I checked out a book from the library with quilt instructions for a quilt with lots of hearts.  So it will be my next project.  Here is part of my heart themed stash:

In the meantime, I am happily sewing away on the quilts I am making with the parts of the Grand Illusion Mystery from Bonnie Hunter that just ended.

I finished the black/red/white quilt top (Clue #2) yesterday.  It measures 72 by 72 inches without a border.  I may put a black border on it, but it's been put aside while I put some of the other clues into quilts.  Picture is taken showing it on top of the king sized log bed at the cabin (my design wall right now)

I removed all the black from Clue #1, substituted yellow, and am currently sewing them with red checked alternate squares into a crib or twin sized quilt. It is so relaxing sewing these red checked squares to the four patches as I look out my window at the frozen lake.  I love to quilt when it is frigid outside, and the colors of this quilt are so cheery.  Here is the plan:

Here's also a little one that may happen with leftover bits from the mystery clues.  I like the blue checks with the hsts.  Doll quilt size probably, but nothing has been sewn together yet.

It's Design Wall Monday over at Judy Laquidara's blog, so join me there to see what other quilter's have on their design walls.  (Here)

I'm Just A Simple Girl

Since I am just a simple girl, with simple tastes, I have decided to break down the parts of the latest Bonnie Hunter mystery into three quilts.  The colors I chose for this quilt wouldn't play together nicely, so they got divided into three parts:

Red and black and white into one quilt:

The green and white parts are going to be a triple Irish chain quilt:

And the remaining parts are being changed to take the black out, and are going to become something by themselves.  I'm not sure yet, but this is a possibility:

I love Bonnie Hunter and all she does for the quilting community.  She is so generous of her time and talent.    It has been fun seeing what the quilting community has made with Bonnie's Grand Illusion.  Please know that my division of the mystery parts is no reflection on Bonnie's design of the mystery. I always love to play with the parts, and this year it turned out to be three quilts as the end result.  I like this design as I have seen others make it, but with my blocks, the colors just seemed to be fighting each other.

The original plan was to make this quilt for our son and bride for their bed,  but I hope they will like the green and white triple Irish chain, as it could possibly be quilted with a MSU logo in the quilting of the large white empty area, as they are Michigan State fans.  It could be used in their recreation room.   If they don't like it, we are MSU fans too, and it would be used in our recreation room.

Possible quilting motif for large white squares:

We had a great vacation in Texas with our daughter, and have just arrived back home to the frozen tundra in Michigan.   Brrrr!  We took in the fabulous Cotton Bowl, where MSU snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.  Such an exciting game!

We had fun with our daughter and her family, and we took our time coming back to Michigan.  We stopped in Paducah, Kentucky to visit the quilt museum there, and it was so inspiring!  If you are in the area, do stop in and visit the museum.  It is well worth the trip.

It' Monday so here's the link to Design Wall Mondays at Judy Laquidara's blog to see what other quilters are working on today.  (Here)

Christmas in January!

Today we are celebrating Christmas at our daughter's home in Corpus Christi, Texas.  We have been shopping this week, and wrapping packages.  I can't wait to watch the grandchildren open their presents this afternoon.

While on the road, Bonnie Hunter's Grand Illumination mystery quilt was revealed.  I was making this quilt for our son and daughter-in-law, as they were married at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.  I am revising the way I put the quilt together, and the blocks will be as this one is:

The green and white sashing is gone - to be used in another quilt.  The new sashing is made of three red pieces that finish at 3 in. by 4 in. and the cornerstones will finish at 3 inches square.  The blocks will be set on point, and I am excited about the way it will look.  No more work will be done on it until I get back home next week.  I am going to meet with our son and daughter-in-law to offer to make them another quilt, or see if they like the one I am now making.  I do love the fun of working on blocks with others at the same time, but I have so many design ideas in my head that I usually change the finished quilt to something entirely different than what other's do.  I truly love Bonnie Hunter and hope she enjoys all of us and our many changes to her designs.  It's like herding cats to get us all on the same page, and it has proven to be impossible.

I am linking up to Bonnie's blog with all the other people who are working on the mystery quilt, and you can see their beautiful quilts (Here)

Since it is the new year, I am seeing many new year's resolutions online.  Here are my resolutions.

Things I'm Giving Up in 2015

1. Trying to please everyone.
2. Putting quilting projects off when they are 1/2 done.
3. Doubting my quilting decisions.
4. Criticizing myself and others.

Happy New Year to you all.  I hope you finish lots of quilts in 2015!  I'm linking up with Design Wall Monday's over at Judy Laquidara's blog (Here)