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!