A Messy House is a Sign of a Happy Quilter: Orca Mystery Quilt 2011-12

This is where I'll be posting the Mystery quilt info and photos from now.
I'm using pinks as my main colour with purples and teals/turquoise as secondary colours and creams as background.
I'm already 4 steps behind, but with holidays and more time I do hope to catch up :-) - Guess we'll see.

I love Quilting

Have really enjoyed sewing this weekend. I find it very calming and relaxing. I'm enjoying the Orca Mystery quilt - still haven't finished part 1 yet, but will the next few nights. Think I'll leave the trimming of the dog ears until we are traveling after Christmas - that will be an easy task to do every now and then.

I'm using purple's as my dark fabric and creams as my background.

I wasn't sure how the dot patterned fabric would look, but I think it looks good. I have a lot of that material, so it might come in useful as a border - if the mystery quilt has one :-)

Parts One and Two finished

Finished work Last Friday week and went off to beautiful Fraser Island for the week. Of course I took some trimming of the Part 1 units ......

Don't these scraps look pretty? Can't think of what to use them for, so I'll have to bin them - but they still look pretty.

Now for Part 2.
I had only intended to do 50 of part two, but once I got started it was so much fun, I decided I might as well do the whole 72 units. I didn't have a lot of teals / turquoise, in fact what I had I had purchased most of it for a block exchange I was in, so I also added a couple of greens and blues that I hope look good together.

I do think I like the colours.
Now to start Part 3

Progress on Part Three

The thought of all those tiny triangles gave me cause for thought - there has to be a better way. So with some trial and error I worked out that if I lay a light on a dark 5 inch square, I can make 8 half square units.

This was plan two 4.75" and the blocks were about 1/16 too small, so I added 1/4" and the blocks are good. I do have to be careful to sew on the lines, and the lines need to be exact, but once sewing I can chain sew quickly.

Draw the two diagonals first.

Then the two cross lines - these are the cutting lines after sewing.
I also drew the sewing lines 1/4" of each side of the diagonals.
I've check a lot of the finished units and a few need trimming to make 2" squares, but I'm fine with that.

I've made 40 units tonight - 5 lots of 8. Will do some more tomorrow and then start

I need 350 units, so that is 44 pairs of 5" squares needed - 39 to go.

I finished 168 of the 350 2"hst units from Part 3 and skipped Part 4 so I can add them to Part 5 LOL.
http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2011/12/orca-bay-part-5.html

Part 5 is to cut 700 triangle to add to Part 3. Well, that too for ever - not that I'm whining - and I only got 225 cut before I had to cook dinner.

My goal this week was to get 50 units of each part complete. Well I got 168 of part 3 complete, but have pre-cut the required material to complete the 350.

I have also added the wings to Part 3 to complete 50 of Part 5. So I am pretty pleased with myself. (AND I did all this while looking after my granddaughter!

I chain stitched and cut the tabs off as I went.

Cooper - granddaughter - loved the flags and was handing me the wings to put on LOL.

So here are 50 units complete.

I'm looking forward to the next part, although I doubt I'll be able to do any more until after Christmas, and if I can do it while traveling :-).

Here are all the bits and pieces ready to go away until after Christmas.

Orca Clue 6

Clue 6 came out and I couldn't wait until after trip to start soooooo...... out came all the fabric parts again.

I have just finished half of the blocks needed for Clue 6, hopefully that will be enough to move on to the next clue ;-)

My cream stash is getting low

112 cream and purple blocks cut and 56 pinks

light block

dark block

I did a lot of chain stitching

I quickly laid out the blocks in a alternate pattern

I'm really happy with them and tonight will start clue 4

(I missed that one because we were on holidays at Fraser Island)

Part 4

I cheated a little and made some BIG string blocks as I had long lengths of material. I think thy turned out well. I would probably do it the same next time, but cut some of the 'strings' narrower.