Monday, March 25, 2013

Week 8: Mystery Quilt Conclusion

Okay, first is a confession...I did forget!  I tried on Saturday but the weather was messing with my internet connection and I forgot after that.

So.... here is the link to the entire Mystery Quilt.  It is called a Buckeye Beauty by Judy Hopkins.  I prefer to think of it as Xs and Os.  Not so much a Buckeye fan.

http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/feathered-star-productions-inc/Web02.pdf



Join the rows to make a
BUCKEYE BEAUTY quilt,
turning every other row
upside-down to form the
pattern.
Add 6" borders in your choice
of fabric. 1-1/3 yards of fabric
will yield 7 selvage-to-selvage
strips, 6-1/2" wide, for seamed
borders. For borders cut from
the lengthwise grain, you would
need 1-1/2 yards of fabric.

Thank you to those of you that have played along and left comments.  I have not abandoned my blog or my followers.  We have increased production rates by 100% at work and it just wears me out!

Off to the shower and back to work for another night shift!

Keep stitchin'!

Mary

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Down on the Farm

I somehow get myself involved in things that make me scratch my head and wonder what that little man on my shoulder was thinking.  After all, a smart WOMAN like myself would not do these things.

What am I blathering about?  And, when are we getting down on the farm?  This...


This is a row robin I am doing on quiltingboard.com.  The middle row is the originator's row.  Her theme is The Neighborhood at Evening/Night.  My neighborhood is a farm.  So, I tried.



These are supposed to look like hay stacks.




I was trying to mimic hers which you can see in the top of this picture.

She did all that by hand, folks!  I HATE hand work.  It is a pair of four letter words. I tried to add a lot of detail with my machine and was pleased with the effect until I laid in next to hers.  It looks a little bare.  I could add some birds/bats flying around and maybe a crescent moon. What do you think?

On other news, my son and DIL have been here all this week.  They came to play with our toys.  She has been piecing quilts and quilted one this morning.  He is in his dad's woodworking shop making an entertainment center, I think.

I was going to upload a picture of her quilt but it isn't coming.  Have to fix supper.  Pizza...That should be no big deal except I make everything from scratch.  N

So, any thoughts??

Thanks,

Mary

Monday, March 18, 2013

Blog Hop Winners

Hello, all!


I am so amazed and grateful to all of my new followers.  I can’t believe I had 200 comments.  I started out replying to each but with my work schedule I just had to stop by Tuesday.  So, thank you to each of you.  It is time to find the winners!  Here is what my Random Number Generator said.

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:
179 33       138     
Timestamp: 2013-03-18 10:10:32 UTC
Post 179
Lovely giveaway. Thanks.
Post 33
Wonderful giveaway and I am going to follow because your posts are interesting. ttfair@cox.net
Post 138
I love fall when you can wear a light sweater but don't have to wear a coat.. leaves turning.. cool nights.. yep. it's my favorite. Thanks for the chance to win such great prizes. :) xo

I know there has to be an easier way but I ended up counting each of those replies because they were not numbered like I thought.  So, I may be off  and I apologize if I am. 

None of the three specified a choice.  In looking at their blogs I have an idea.  I am contacting each of them by email.  If I don't hear from them within a couple of days I will draw again.  

Thanks to everyone that played.  I didn't make it to many blogs because of time constraints but it was so much fun to see everyone commenting on mine.  I get those to my phone and could read them on breaks at work.

My BOM is tonight and I don't have it done.  Also, my DIL and son are here for the week.  She wants to quilt three quilts this week.  Needles and threads should be flying here this week.  Have a great day!

Keep Stitchin'!!

Mary

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Mystery Quilt: Week 7

Hello, folks!  Did you sew yesterday for Quilt Day?  I did not.  I did make it into a store but I did not buy a single thing.  My DIL did.  Have to sew this evening or tomorrow.  I have my BOM tomorrow evening and haven't done it yet.  it is a basket and I am sick to death of those darn baskets.  Oh, well!

Be sure to check back tomorrow for the winners of the blog hop.  I am shocked at all the new followers I gained.  Better step  up my game.

On to this weeks instructions.

Week 7: We will be making rows. Week 5 was block A and Week 6 was block B. Join the blocks in rows of 6, alternating A and B. Start with A. You will be joining them so that the 4-patches are sewn to 4-patches and the HSTs are sewn to HSTs. Press all the seams in the same direction. Trust me here. You will have 8 rows with two blocks left over.

If this isn't clear, ask me.  I am off work this week and should be able to answer fairly quickly.  Next week is the end and I will be giving the link to the website I took this from.  They have line drawings.

Until tomorrow, keep stitchin'!

Mary

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Week 6: Mystery Quilt

For my new followers, I have been doing a Mystery Quilt via Facebook for some family and friends.  I have been posting the directions on here.  I think I have all the weeks labeled as "Mystery Quilt".

Week 6: This week is the opposite of last week. Using the LIGHT/DARK half-square triangle units and the LIGHT/MEDIUM four-patches, make 25 of Block B. The dark portion of the HSTs should be to the outer corner of the block and the medium squares of the 4-patch should make a diagonal line through the block. The finished block should measure 6-1/2" square. Next week we will get the final instructions and I will provide the link to the website this comes from.


I may be back later to edit this with a photo or two. The weather (rain!) and the time change are really slowing me down.  I am sure it has nothing to do with the fact I stayed out until midnight on Thursday in order to watch Oz, The Great and Powerful after my very busy work week.   Then, on Friday I went to the quilt show.  I usually go on Thursday and there are fewer people.  It was a little too busy for my taste.  I was nice, though.  I didn't push, shove or speak rudely to anyone.

There were several fiber artists there.  I think I could get into spinning.  I don't knit but I do crochet.  Just what I need, another hobby.  I was telling my MIL about it and she asked if I wanted a spinning wheel.  Turns out her cousin's husband started making them for his wife and daughters (who I went to kindergarten with!).  She was just sure that he would make me one and that they are beautiful.  Another chapter to that story is my DIL shears sheep.  I bet she could get me some wool.  This is like a rabbit warren I have fell in.

On another front, my husband and I bought one another a Primo Ceramic Grill for Christmas.  Friday night he wanted pizza .... on the grill.  My son's girl friend was here.  At one point I looked at her and said, "Isn't pizza supposed to be easy?"

She said, "It is if you order it like most people."

I don't.  I make my own crust and sauce. I grate my own cheeses and then there is the assembly and cooking.  It was our first try and my husband made an error in judgement.  I questioned and he told me it would be alright.  I can cook well but apparently if you put charcoal in a ceramic bowl the man knows more than me.  That would be why one edge was decidedly black!

Enough rambling.  I have so much to say but I should start DOING.  Today I am going to make chicken Alfredo lasagna and bake some bread on the Primo.  I think I will try a focaccia.

Keep Stitchin'!

Mary

Friday, March 8, 2013

Beat the Winter Blues Blog Hop Party


Blog Hop Party with Give-Aways
Happy Friday, y'all!  I am glad the weekend is here!  First things first.  Michelle at Quilter's Gallery is hosting another Blog Hop.  I am super excited because I have never participated in one before.  I actually saw this late last weekend.  That was good.  The bad thing was I worked 12 hour day shifts all this week.  No time to go buy something special.  So, I was forced to shop at Mary-Mart.  This is what my sister and my children call my personal stash of everything, not just fabric.  For you wonderful people I stuck to the fabric.

Having Mary-Mart is a handy way to beat the winter blues.  We seem to lose electricity several times a year.   Mary-Mart is well stocked with food items for such times.  Want a craft project to beat those winter blues?  Mary-Mart is well supplied with yarn, scrap-booking supplies, paints and stains for woodworking and of course, fabric.  Fabric is what you lovely folks are interested in.

So, here is my giveaway.  I have three "prizes".  First up is a complete 67"x78" quilt kit including the pattern. I think there are somewhere around 7 1/2 yards in this kit. I am adding a spool of thread from Connecting threads.



This is a lovely collection and hopefully someone will enjoy it. The next giveaway is two different Moda precuts.  The first is honey bun from Me and My Sister.  The second is a a charm pack called Blessings.  I know they are both older collections (because they are from my stash!) but they are both great collections.





This third giveaway is going to be a bit of a surprise.  I keep planning to make some I-spy quilts.  I have collected fabrics for that.  Here is the top of the tote they are in.

A side view.

This tote is fairly substantial. I am offering up a charm collection of I-spay fabrics.  I promise no fewer than 60 pieces and there may be more once I start cutting. There is everything in there from food to fishing to cartoons to sewing and cooking.

So, how do you win?  I will keep it simple.  Be a follower and (I would rather have you follow because you want to, not because I "bought you)  make a comment.  Remember if you are a no-reply blogger to leave an email where I can contact you. I rarely suffer from winter blues but I am getting cabin fever this winter.  I have flower seedlings under grow lights in my basement.  I can't wait to be outside!  That will last until my asthma kicks in and I come back in to sew again.  I love each and every season when it starts and I am glad to see the next one ushered in when it ends. So,  my question is, "What is your favorite season?"

Please let me know if you have no interest in one of my giveaways and I will take that into account if at all possible.  I will ship internationally though that may throw my little post office for a loop. The earliest possible ship date for my schedule is March 19.  So, I will keep this open until March 17 at midnight EST.

Please be sure to go back to the Quilting Gallery and visit as many links as possible.  Good luck and and happy hopping!

I am off to Bloomington for the Heritage Quilt Show.  Maybe I will be seeing some of you there!

Keep Stitchin'!

Mary

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Week 5: Mystery Quilt

Hello, all.  I have Week 5 but I thought the instructions were a little confusing.  So, I wanted pictures.  My computer wouldn't cooperate but I think I am there now.

Using the LIGHT/MEDIUM hst units and the LIGHT/DARK four-patches, make 25 Block A. Block A is a 4-patch made from the units just mentioned. The light triangles point to the center opposite one another. The dark squares in the smaller 4-patch units make a diagonal across the unit. 




I am doing mine in all blues.  I think the contrast will work okay in the end.  I swear to you this block is square!

Hopefully, I am getting my sewing and blogging groove back.  I have several posts planned and I want to participate in a blog hop.  So, stay tuned!

Keep stitchin'!

Mary