Monday...with something on my design wall!

not much to see, but I've made some progress in the last week ;) I have a few more blocks on the Waterfall and some blocks for my mystery quilt...

For more design wall inspiration visit Patchwork Times.

Clue Four with apologies!

I'll start off with the apologies...I did not foresee internet issues when I promised a two week interval between clues *sigh* and once the internet was up we were on another house hunting jog without my quilt pics in the laptop! SO...here is

Clue Four
 Shout4Joy©2012      

If you have not done so, choose your border fabric.

Cut Four 6” Squares of Border fabric 

and make 8 – 5  1/2”  HST using border fabric and the Four assorted background fabrics you set aside in Clue Three. For instructions on making the HSTs, check Clue Three.

Set aside for next clue.

 Taking 20 of your Scrappy Strip HSTs from Clue Three, Sew them into 5 units of four, utilizing a diamond layout. These units should measure 10 1/2” square.

Set aside for next clue

 ONLY IF YOU TRIMMED YOUR HST UNITS TO 5” IN CLUE THREE FOLLOW THESE DIRECTIONS BELOW:

Cut one 1” strip of your border fabric by width of fabric and 16 – 1” wide assorted background strips (about 12” long).

Sew these strips to the outside of your diamond units, making one unit with the border fabric and four with assorted background fabrics as shown:

  

 Units should measure 10 1/2” Square – set aside for next clue

No New Clue :(

my internet is down at home and I dont' have a way to post pictures when I'm posting from the library...

Hold on and I'll update the Mystery as soon as our internet provider takes care of our problem...

Scrapbusting Mystery Clue 3

I know, it is a long time between clues! Next one will be here in two weeks, I promise!

Clue 3

Shout4Joy©2012

 CUT 34 - 6” Assorted light/neutral squares

          set aside 4 for Clue #4

Using a pencil, draw a diagonal line from point to point on the back of the 30 assorted light/neutral squares. Now draw a line 1/4” away from the center line on each side.

Setting the light/neutral square on top, with right sides facing each other, match the direction of the diagonal on the string block, and sew on the 1/4” lines.

 

Cut on center line and iron your HSTs open. Square up to 5” if needed.
CORRECTION: this should read 5 1/2"

Taking your Four Patch units and your HST units, lay them out and choose a border fabric from your stash. You will need approximately 1 ¼ yards.

Keep all units together for next clue...

Scrapbusting Mystery Clue Two

Shout4Joy©2012

Cut lots of strings from med to dark fabrics in widths from 3/4” up to 2 1/2” width. I do not know how many, I just keep cutting until my bag is full and then I start sewing! If I run out, I cut more...

Cut 30 – 6” foundations. You can use thin fabric (old sheets, weird fabrics or poor quality), scrap paper, phone books, tissue paper, newspapers, specialty foundation paper, or wash away stabilizer.

Make 30 - 6” square diagonal string blocks using a short stitch length 1.5 or so – especially if using paper. NOTE: you may want to use one of your wider strips for the center of each block.

Iron the piece to keep it flat. I do this after every strip...

Look at your messy piece and wonder why you even started the project (I did).

 Trim the messy edges off the piece, making it 6” square. Now it looks MUCH better, doesn’t it?

Starch your blocks while the foundation is still attached. You have bias edges on the outside of the block and want to stabilize them before the next step!

 If you used paper or other removable foundation, now is the time to remove it from your blocks (unless it is wash away, then you can let the laundry take care of it). Set these aside in a safe place as you wait for the next clue :)

Expect the next clue on March 8...we have three weeks between guild meetings this time around!
 

Challenge Three Project Quilting - Tool Time

The third challenge for Project Quilting is Tool Time. We are to give homage to FOUR tools...and what better way to do that than with a Quilter's Chatelaine? Or at least that is the direction that my brain took me when puzzling out the challenge.

I started out with one of the Army Guy's ties for shape and size. I put it around my neck to determine how long to make the chatelaine and went on designing from there.

I used the gold decal on my Featherweight to give me a design element that gave a touch of elegance to my chatelaine as well as inspiration for my main fabric.

I chose my fabrics and went to town...the black is the main fabric, the red is an accent and the novelty print is on the back.

I drew out the design detail from the featherweight decal onto water soluble stabilizer, sewed over it with a sample of gold glitter thread that I had waiting for the perfect project. This seemed to be it :)

I used the same technique to put pins on a pincushion and scissors, needle and thread on pockets (I only have one shown here).

Next I sewed up my pincushion, inserted some plastic inside (I don't want to poke them through to my chest!) and then stuffed it with polyfill.

 

 I quilted the chatelaine with straight line stitching so that it emphasized the gold detail and then basted the pockets and other elements on before sewing on the binding.

I love those new binding clips...I found them in my Christmas stocking this past Christmas...what a sweetie my Army Guy is!

I tossed the whole project into the wash to get rid of the wash away stabilizer and now I have a great way to keep my tools handy while I work (I seem to always be running back and forth because I leave things at the wrong workstation).

and a closer shot of the pockets with various items tucked inside.

Happy Quilting!

Scrapbusting Mystery Clue One

Clue One

Shout4Joy©2012

 

*From assorted light fabrics cut 64 - 3” squares

-put these squares into a bag.

*From assorted medium to dark fabrics cut 64 – 3” squares

-put these squares into a bag.

*Taking one random piece from each bag, sew together in pairs of 
one light and one m/d 3” square.

NOTE: random means whatever the next piece is
...try not to overthink this
...it is supposed to be SCRAPPY!

*Sew the pairs together to make 32 four patches 
measuring 5 1/2” each.

*Set these four patches in a safe place and wait patiently for clue #2!

NOTE: if you have other piecing to do, you can use these 
for leaders and enders...

thanks to Bonnie K Hunter at Quiltville 
for the great info on leaders and enders!

Shout4Joy©2012