A Messy House is a Sign of a Happy Quilter: Messy House

Sunday 14 February 2021

Messy House - Happy Quilter

In my last post showing the Grassy Creek Mystery quilt top, Michelle from 'From Bolt to Beauty' commented that she was hesitant to embark on a mystery quilt. That was exactly how I felt before my first mystery quilt. I was very hesitant, but needed / wanted something creative that I could work on as stress relief from my everyday job. This mystery quilt idea came up and I thought what the heck, give it a go, BUT..... I wasn't going to use my good fabric! The mystery was published in a monthly magazine and was in four or five parts, so it took four or five months. The end result I was happy with, and sort of wished I had used better fabric, but it is what it is and I love it. One day I will turn this top into a quilt!😉

Mystery quilts, I've made many over the years. There are year long mysteries, 6-8 week mysteries and a few one day mysteries. Most of the one day mysteries are based in the US, so the time difference means I either get up at 3 or 4am, or I start later in the day and look at the clues in turn and don't check social media. Most I like, a couple I'm disappointed with, but that is a learning curve. Now, I've learnt from experience, I do check the end result with a couple of designers just in case I don't like the final result.

Bonnie Hunter's mysteries are always good, and I've learnt a lot from doing her mysteries. I love the small pieces and I love the final designs she comes up with. The past two weeks I have been making slow progress quilting one of the two Unity Quilt mysteries made last year. Both daughters wanted a quilt so this pattern came at a perfect time. Both are the same pattern and are both very different.

Putting the sandwich layers together. See my box of selvedges, I'm using them as leaders and enders.

I started quilting in the centre with a normal foot - and I forgot to put in a new needle - oops.

As the quilt is straight blocks, I decided to quilt it with meandering straight lined. Much easier with a new sharp needle and the walking foot. Starting in the middle, I worked my way around the centre and the first round. That is where I am up to, and hope to finish this weekend, ready to put the binding on next week.

Most of my hand sewing this week has been working on the applique quilt my Auntie gave me and a Focus Cutting Sew Along - photos of that the beginning of March.

I tried posting once a week, and it was good as I had set aside Saturday morning as 'blog' day. Then I decided to go to twice a month, but then I forget to blog, so I'm going to attempt to go back to once a week. We are also going to start travelling this beautiful country of ours, so that means the YouTube channel PetalliTravellers will be updated with our travels as well as the 'Are We There Yet' blog.