Bonnie Hunter's Grand Illusions mystery part 1

I love mystery quilts and for the last 4 years I've been lucky to have the time to do Bonnie's mystery at Quiltville. 

So this is part 1.

Bonnie suggests colours - I usually change them :) . This time I only changed one. I substituted purple for yellow - I don't like yellow!

 These are 4 of the 6 colours I've chosen for the quilt. I am doing half size and will add blocks if I need to. 

 I like to use the rotating cutting mat,  my 2.5 inch square ruler, and my F&P half & quarter square triangle ruler.

So after making 50 blocks and 20 half square triangles this is what I came up with. 

 Now to wait for part 2.

Happy sewing
Allison

Sassy Cats blue

After spending most of this year trying to get a blue version of my Sassy Cats blocks finished, the end is near. With work, family,  and just life, it is sometimes had for one to do what ones wants to do. I want to create these beautiful quilts, and at any one time I have three or four projects on the go.
So all I have left to do is the two borders,  backing and quilting.  I know it sounds like a lot, but believe me that is the easy part.

 Sassy Cats embroidery patterns are from BFC Creations.
 Vicki's Creations designed the blocks.

 I like the way the 4 patch makes little mini 4 patches on the back of the blocks.  I always try to make this work on the back as it makes it flatter for sewing.

 I really like these cats. Think I will also make some place mats.

The finished lap quilt will be approximately 55" square. 

I'm very happy with it.  When I am finished l will go back to finishing the pink Sassy Cats quilt.

Happy sewing

Allison

Caravan Block

Continuing from last week's blog, I have completed my van sewing machine cover. You may remember I was watching a live youtube feed from Simply Colorful FibreCast,  and the presenter Lynn was making a vintage caravan block.  After making the block,  I thought it was perfect for a cover for my machine that I keep in our van.

 After the first block I added the two ends and the other side. 

Next I added the roof in two parts to allow the carrying handle of the machine.  I used a thin synthetic wadding and a plain yellow fabric backing to make a flat net of 3 van.

 And here we are. The finished cover. Next time I would make the stairs different and I would also outline the windows in white. 

 

I have owned this little Elna since about 1986. I bought it from my friend Rhonda. It has been the best machine -only does straight and zigzag,  but it has served me well. 

Prior to the Elna I used my grandmother's old Singer machine that now belongs to my Aunty Margaret.

So, tomorrow I'm back to Sassy Cats. 

Happy sewing

Allison

Unexpected Find

In my haste to leave work on Friday,  I left my USB behind. All my work for the weekend was on that USB!  So,  this left me with little work to do this weekend. Lucky it is near the end of the term and I had already updated my class blog last week, and most work this week is planned and on the USB.

Anyway, yesterday morning as I was leisurely going through Twitter I came across a tweet that said something like 50 minutes until the start of a van block.  Mmmm interested! I clicked the link which took me to youtube.  WOW. Not only is this live broadcast at 10 am Australia time it was really interesting. I'll be checking it out next Saturday as well.

Simply Colorful FibreCast

So, Lynn, the presenter, was making a caravan block. Well I have been wanting to make a caravan block for ages ....... and as I had no weekend work with me .... so guess what I did?

The first thing Lynn suggested was to find some clipart of caravans. I found these four.

 I chose this one, and sort of following Lynn's video, started to put the block together.

I acquired a bag of fabric and was lucky enough to discover what looks like hand died fabrics.  I had already used some on Christmas gifts that I'm making and thought one would be perfect for a caravan.

After finishing the van, rather than putting it in a block,  I thought I would make it into a cover for my van sewing machine.

So off I go to finish.  Then back to Sassy Cats.

Happy Sewing
Allison

Spellbinder 2014

I discovered this embroidery website about 12 months before I had even considered getting an embroidery machine. Once I had a the embroidery bug I rediscovered San Francisco Stitch Co. 

They have free mystery projects throughout the year. I did their Christmas table runner 2013 and their Valentines Bon Bon 2014.  

This blog is about their 2014 Spellbinder Mystery.

It is an eight week project, starting with a suitcase. Each week, usually a Saturday (Australian time) a free download is made available. It has the design and instruction sheet. It is only free for one week and then the next block becomes available. 

All blocks are for sale after the free period for $1.49.

Week 2 was a palm tree and Week 3 a camel.

Week 4 was a stamp. This is when we found out that we were visiting Egypt. I forgot to add the appliqué fabric so made the block twice. You can see the difference.

Other blocks were:-

I was so happy with the result I decided to purchase the previous two Spellbinder Mysteries. Lucky for me they were on special for $1 each block. BONUS.  Now to London :-)

Happy Sewing. 

What to sew when you can't use your machine....

Time to catch up. We are on a road trip and will be doing a lot of one and two nights so won't have a lot of time to get the machine out so I thought I would get organized to do some hand sewing.

I bought this kit some years ago. It came with a storybook and some fabric. So this is what I will be working on these holidays.

First thing was ironing the pattern pieces on to fabric. 

Next cutting the pieces out...

.... and pinning in place.

Then ironing on the block .. ready for me to sew.

It's going to be a large story quilt. 

Happy sewing

Allison

2014 Merry Mayhem Mystery tops

I had fun making the one day mystery. I did have to wait until I came home to put the blocks together as in the van my space was limited and it was difficult to work out the layout.

Here are the HST units I pre-made 

The large squares were also then made into HST's

All the little dog ears cut off

First step in sewing the units together. I miss read the instructions so half of the units were incorrect, but still looked good, so I didn't bother to unpick.

See they look good!

 I decided to make two smaller lap quilts rather than one large one. 

This is the first with the incorrect blocks.

Here are the two side by side.

One has all correct blocks the other not. 

I think both look good. They are now on my UFO stand waiting for borders.

I think I will do a thick pink and thin purple. What do you think?  

Happy sewing
Allison

Ready for Merry Mayhem's 2014 One Day Mystery.

Internet is very intermittent here, so when I haven't been able to blog or FB I have been cutting and sewing.
I'm all ready for the one day mystery - which starts less than two hours - but that will be 1am, and I had better not wake the campers next door.

Everything is cut and prepared, all I need to do is read the first clue and start.
I am going to set the camp table up before I go to bed so when I awake in the morning I can get straight to it.

My 6" X 12" ruler is the only ruler I keep in the van, but as I was also doing Bonnie's Celtic Solstice, I had brought along my triangle ruler, so that came in very handy when I had to cut 6 7/8" squares.

As you can see I'm using pinks as my lights and purples and teals as my darks - SURPRISE SURPRISE!

All the squares - large and small all ready.

This is my van sewing machine. Cost me $100 about 25 years ago. 

Cost me $125 to get serviced last year.

Works so well and is great to travel with.

The last step was sewing half square triangles, which I was sewing above.

All the pieces ready to go go go....

Happy Sewing and Happy New Year
Allison