Week 5 - Celtic Solstice, A Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt

Wheel the clues come and the pieces are assembled.  Still no idea of what the finished block will look like and I CAN'T WAIT.  This has just been so much fun.

Once again, all my pieces were cut using my AccuQuilt GO!  It sure does speed up the process.

So this week we took the half square triangles and made into a bigger block.

And here is my tray (or baking pan) of pieces.

Check out all the progress at Week 5 Link Up.

And as always, if you are interested in your own AccuQuilt Go! so that you can get piecing faster, you can shop at Stitches N Stories Quilting.

Now let's GO! Quilting.

Webbing your quilt top - chain piecing to the next level.

I always recommend to chain piece whenever possible.  It makes things go by so much faster because you aren't cutting threads all the time, stopping and starting and you don't have to worry about that nasty wad of thread when you go from piece to piece.

Well, this week I read a blog post about Bonnie Hunter webbing her quilt tops together.  I had to give it a try.

You can't really see it that we'll in the photo but look at the bottom.  You can see that my quilt top is "together" even though it hasn't been stitched yet.  Let's see if I can describe this in text.

Rows are all laid out...

Piece block 1 & block 2 of row one... Chain piece block 1 & block 2 of row two... All the way to the end of your rows.

Now back to the top we go.  Piece block 3 to block 2 of row 1... Chain piece block 3 to row two.... All the way down.

What you end up with is your quilt top stitched together.  When you have everything chained or webbed together it made it easy to go back and stitch the row together without having to reorganize or keep track of rows.  Lay them out once and your good.  Now it did seem to add a little extra weight while stitching the blocks and rows together but again, it seemed to save a lot of time and in my world, I need more time.  :)

In case your wondering, this is a sample quilt for a class being planned in February using the new AccuQuilt Snowball Die.  More details coming soon.  If you want to go ahead and purchase your die, please go to Stitches N Stories.

Now let's GO! quilting!

Week 4 - Mystery Quilt - Celtic Solstice

I almost missed this weeks link up... I am so thankful that Bonnie gave us an easy assignment this week.

I had to make 120 4-patches...

This is all the different pieces cut so far...

I can't wait to start assembling blocks.  

If you want to see other quilters progress, you can check it out here... http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2013/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-4.html

Merry Christmas

To me, Christmas is about the birth of Christ and family... Not about how much money you spend or what gifts you receive.  This was one of the best Christmas's in years.

Sunday, we had my side of the family over for a great lunch.  Sunday night was Christmas with our kids (we do this because two of our kids do not live at home and have other places to go also.)

Today was our Kennedy Christmas.  We started just last year making a family picture... Last years just included the kids.  This year, it was everyone AND I LOVE IT.

In the gift world, I was able to give a very special gift.  My father in law passed away earlier this year.  In all the memory quilts that I have made, this was my favorite.  I was so excited about giving this to my sweet mother in law that we had to go early today.

I used the AccuQuilt Tumbler die to make this quilt.  The white is from their wedding, the Hawaiian print was from a recent trip and the brown was from his Sheriff Deputy Uniform.

Oh, and here is my mother in laws sweet dog... NoNo...  He was all tired out from a day of family.

English Paper Piecing Hexies - Progress

If you remember I posted a few weeks back about starting and English Paper Piecing project using the new AccuQuilt die.  This is a slow moving project for me since I don't sit still very often.  I am making progress and have almost finished attaching the second row.

Not sure if I'm going to go for a third row or just end it here.  I am looking for a new wall hanging in my office.

I can honestly say that I have enjoy working on this.  It has been very relaxing and nice to sit with my husband and still work on my project.

You can find this die and many others at www.shop.stitchesnstories.com.  This die is amazing because it allows you to cut your hexagons and the card stock.  Makes life so much easier.

Week 3 - Bonnie Hunters Mystery Quilt

The clue cam out at 6am on Friday and guess what... I had to leave for work.  Before leaving, I reviewed the clue, set out all my fabric and GO! Cutter and dies.  That why when I came home I would be all ready to go.

Now I am going to start cutting the 200 half square triangle that are needed to finish this clue.  Here we go!

  All done with cutting...

Yep, that's 17 minutes and 29 seconds to cut all 200 half square triangles.  I do love my AccuQuilt GO!

If only it would sew them for me.

Look at those dog ears, already removed.

I had to use my embroidery machine for a little while, so I transitions to my Featherweight for my piecing. 

After a small amount of time piecing, week 3 is all finished up.

Well, I better go and get busy.  Remember, if you are interested in purchasing a GO! Cutter or dies, check out our website at Stitches N Stories Quilting.

To see more participants go to Bonnie's Mystery Quilt Link Up.

Week 2 - Celtic Solstice Mystery Quilt

Have week #3 finished and so glad.  I thought I would never get through with the ironing.  :)
Piecing and ironing are like cooking and cleaning... I love to cook and hate to clean.  I love to piece but hate to iron.  That is just part of it though and an important part.  Your finished work looks so much better when the pressing is done every step of the way.

I have no idea what the finished quilt will look like, that's why it's called a Mystery Quilt.  Also, I have completely changed he colors from what was suggested.  Let's hope that works for me.

If you want to check out all the other participants for the Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt, please go view them at...  http://quiltville.blogspot.de/2013/12/celtic-solstice-mystery-monday-link-up.html

Now, let's GO! Quilting and don't forget to check out www.stitchesnstories.com to learn more about what we do and what we have to offer.

Sunday lunch, where's the pans?

So our kids and granddaughter come overe very Sunday for lunch.  Today my sweet daughter ask where my baking sheets where.  I smiled and said I didn't have any in the kitchen.  That of course caught her attention and she ask where they were if not in the kitchen...

Well, where else but in the quilting room...

Isn't that where every quilter keeps their pans.

BTW, those pieces are the first two weeks of Bonnie Hunters Mystery Quilt.  Still have some more piecing to do on this weeks clue but so excited that I am on schedule... (Had to take the weekend off from customer quilting to be on schedule but that can be our little secret).

You can check out all the other quilters progress for the mystery quilt at http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2013/12/celtic-solstice-mystery-monday-link-up.html.

Using the AccuQuilt GO! has made this part so easy.  I just love having the cutting system and am so thankful that I have it.  The dies are way more than appliqué, which is what I first thought.  I use them in every quilt that I make.  Check out all the dies at www.shop.stitchesnstories.com.

Chain Ironing, Oh How Love Thee!

I know you've probably heard of chain piecing.  You know, where you are sewing your pieces together without cutting threads in between.  When your done, you have a chain of your pieces.  Saves so much time!

We'll let me share with you the beauty of chain ironing. (Please ignore the ugly ironing board.)

You lay that same chain on your ironing surface and iron the seams back, in most cases toward the dark side.

This method just allows you to easily and quickly align your pieces and press them open.

I usually cut the threads at this point while on my board but you could iron the entire change and then cut the threads afterwards.

Hope this helps in some way!  By the way, these pieces are for Bonnie Hunters new mystery quilt and I used the AccuQuilt GO! 3" triangle in a square die. You can find it and all others at our website www.stitchesnstories.com.

Now, let's GO! quilting!

Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt

I am so excited... For the past two years I have wanted to do one of Bonnie Hunters Mystery Quilt Project.  This is the year that I am finally going to make it.

Her mystery pattern is design so you can use templates, paper piecing, GO! Dies, inklingo, and/or a combination of all.  Each Friday a new clue is released for piecing.  No idea what the outcome will be.

I am waiting on my new dies from AccuQuilt to come in because of course that is the method I've chosen but I did make a little progress this week.

I got my binder ready and fabric picked out (although I might rethink them).  :). Ok, so that isn't really any sewing progress but it's still progress.  Dies should be here tomorrow along with a new clue, so we know what I will be doing this weekend.

You can see other projects by other quilters at the weekly link up at http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2013/12/celtic-solstice-mystery-monday-link-up-1.html

Want to get the dies to make this quilt, www.shop.stitchesnstories.com!

Now, let's GO! quilting!

Look what else the GO! Cutter can do!

My beautiful granddaughter wanted to make something and had scissors in hand.  Ouch!

Out comes the GO! And we started cutting shapes for a house...

Then a flower and sunshine...

Then we added her, mommy and daddy!

Like magic... Hours of good times, creativity and a piece of art!

Love my Granna and Gracie time!

Cutting A Quilt In Less Than 30 Minutes

I know that everyone has probably heard of the GO!, maybe not tried it but heard of it.  We'll I just have to say that it is one of,the most amazing tools that I have and I can't imagine doing business, or quilting, without it.

I have been working on a customer quilt that required some base blocks for appliqué and lots of sashing.  These are her daughters dance costumes from when she was a little girl.

So I pull out my GO! and my 8-1/2" square dies and in less than 5 minutes I have all 30 base blocks cut.  I had to manually cut the hearts because I didn't have a die big enough but that's ok.

Next I pull out my 2-1/2" strip die to work on the sashing... Just like magic, again, in less than 5 minutes I had several 2-1/2" strips cut.

Now I could have stopped there but where's the fun in that.  My blocks are 8-1/2", so my sashing needs to be the same, right?  So back out comes my square die, I lay the strips across it...

Yep, you guessed it, I was then able to quickly cut all my sashing.

Used my strip die for binding and my 2-1/2" square die for the corners stones.  The entire quilt was cut out in less than 30 minutes (except the hearts).  The more I use my GO!, the more I love it and find other ways to use it.

These are on sale at my website for $229... Includes and amazing die & mat so you can get started right out of the box.

Now, let's GO! quilting!

GO! English Paper Piecing Hexagon - 1" Finished Sides

GO! English Paper Piecing Hexagon - 1" Finished Sides

Just when I thought I would never want to do any type of paper piecing, AccuQuilt comes out with the new Paper Piecing Hexagon dies...  Boy am I hooked!
  

The die is designed to cut 2 layers of card stock and 6 layers of fabric AT THE SAME TIME.  You can reuse the card stock templates so you do not need even amounts.  

Since I didn't know if I would like it, I decided to just make a small wall hanging or table runner.

These are pictures of the ones that I am making now.  I plan to add one more row of a different color after I finish the green row, then I will "fill in" the hexies to square it off a little more.

Here is a picture from AccuQuilt of a sample whole quilt.

This has been a great little "resting" project for me.  It is something I can work on while sitting in the living room with the family.  Give it a try, you can purchase by going to www.shop.stitchesnstories.com.  You can find this as well as all the new dies that just came out... Let's GO! Bust Our Stash!

Mindless Sewing With My Sweet Featherweight

Our quilting has been in full blown Christmas mode.  With that being said, I decided to take the weekend off and do some mindless piecing on a personal project.

So here is my sweet featherweight doing what she does best.

An it doesn't get anymore mindless than paper piecing.  :)

So here is the sneak peek... A wall hanging of a featherweight.  I still have to finish two rows that have little spools of thread on them and regular borders.  I can't wait to finish it.

Feed - Love - Serve Quilt Project

Today I am sharing a very special quilt.  Our church host an auction every year and ALL proceeds go to operate a feeding center in Guatemala.  Missions work is such a blessing and there is something to do for everyone.  You do not have to hop on a plane to be involved.

A wonderful group of ladies at church meet once a week to work on this quilt top.  They all do a wonderful job and pour there love into every stitch.  This quilt will be auctioned off Friday night, in a group with two smaller ones.  The smaller ones will be sent to Guatemala on behalf of the winner.

Hope you enjoy!

This is just a few of the ladies that help make this quilt come together. 

This pattern was designed by myself and will be available on my site as a download soon.  The title is Star Burst.  The pattern was designed to used AccuQuilt GO! Cutting system and goes together really nice.

Pincushion Swap - What fun!

We all get in a mode where we feel we are all work and no play.  :). We'll my friend Bea is hosting a pin cushion swap and I thought that would be just the right amount of fun for me.  The way it works is each month I send a pin cushion to some one on the list and some one else sends me one.  

For October, Bea send me this beauty...  Isn't that adorable!!!

And I made this one for Pam using an EQ appliqué pattern that Bea had previously posted on her blog because Pam's aid she loved cows.

So the next Ike you see a hosting for something like this, please join in the fun.  I enjoyed making this pincushion so much that I made me one also.  

Just thought I would share.

If you want to. Is it Bea's blog, feel free to at www.beaquilter.com.

NEW - Stash Buster Dies from AccuQuilt

Just what we have all been waiting for...

AccuQuilt has just released a whole new set of dies that are designed to help you BUST YOUR STASH.  There are 12 new dies that I truly hope you will enjoy.  You can shop at www.shop.stitchesnstories.com with shipping starting on 10/23/13.

Half Hexagons

Hunters Star - Look for a class coming soon!

Snowball - Look for a class coming soon!

Bowtie

1/2" English Paper Piecing (WOW, this die will cut your cardstock and your fabric)

1" English Paper Piecing (WOW, this die will cut your cardstock and your fabric)

Triangle

4" Clamshell

8" Clamshell

4" Half Hexagon

4" Hexagon

9" Wedge

Don't wait, get your order placed today... www.shop.stitchesnstories.com