Quilting Mystery Quilt

As a Longarm quilter, I spend a lot of time and money each year learning new things and growing my skills.  I subscribe and read several quilting magizines, I am a member of 3 quilt guilds, I subscribe to multiple quilting video channels and attend quilt shows every time I can.

Well this New Years Day, I will be participating in a quilting mystery quilt through Longarm Unviersity and designed by Cindy Roth.  She gave us the instructions to complete the top and have it on the frame ready to quilt on New Years Day.

Of course, all the pieces were cut using my AccuQuilt GO! fabric cutter.  Made this go by so quickly.

Every two hours she will release a clue of quilting instructions to finish the quilt.  That is where the mystery is.  :)  This will all be free handed and will stretch my skills so that I can make my customers quilts even better!

Happy quilting and Happy New Years!

Part 5 - Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt

Another week has come and gone with the mystery quilt.  This weeks clue was very quick.

I can't wait to see what the final reveal will look like since most of the units are very similar.

The picture has this weeks clue as well as some of the previous weeks.

You can see other people progress at the weekly link up.

Jacob's Ladder Complete and On The Bed

Well, after two years, my Jacobs Ladder quilt is complete. 

You just done know how excited I am to have this finished and on our bed.  It was a pattern that I fell in love with but got so busy with customer quilts that it just didn't make it to the priority list.  

I have thought of re-writing the pattern to make it GO! friendly.  We'll see how that works out. 

I also wanted to share the label.

It is so important to add labels to our quilts.  That way future generations or future owners will know it's history.  I first read about this method on Bonnie Hunters blog.  (http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2014/01/label-label-label.html).  This method offered a beautiful smooth finish and I just started in the upper left hand corner of the label, stitched down the open "pocket" and continued with my binding. I have made a few without labels and want to go back and put labels on them.

Hope you have been as productive as I have these past few days.  :)

Quilting In Progress Update...

The quilting is complete on my Jacobs Ladder.

I was trying to decide how to quilt it.  I first wanted to do a custom quilting design but with all the patchwork you would have never seen it.

As that leaves an all over design but which one?  Thought of all over feathers but knew that would take forever.  Thought of vines and leaves but just wasn't feeling it.  So, in the interest of getting it finished, I used a tried and true meandering.

I love it.  I have decided to do the binding by hand so it may not be on my bed tonight.  We'll see!

Quilting In Progress....

Today's quilting in progress is all about a finish.  This is my Jacobs Ladder quilt that I finished the top a few years ago.  

It is 100" x 108" and I want it in my bed by Christmas.  Well guess what, that's tonight.  

Wish me luck!

Part 4 - Grand Illusions Mystery Quilt by Bonnie Hunter

It is all coming together beautifully but I still have no idea of where we are headed.  I guess that is the whole point of a mystery quilt. :)

Having AccuQuilts GO! Cutter has really allowed me to stay on track even though my work and customer quilt schedule has been hectic.  

The 2-1/2" square die will cut 54 squares with each pass and the 2-1/2" half square triangle will cut 72 triangles in each pass.  Plus, to make it easier, if you run the half swuare triangles through the cutter with right sides of fabric facing, you can take it straight from the die to the machine and not have to fumble through stacks. I know, that's awesome isn't it.

Anyway, on to this weeks clue.

Here are the units to this weeks block.  The link and Aqua were assembled with clue 1 so that made this quicker also.  A little planning goes a long way.

This is the pile behind my machine as I am piecing these together.  Sure doesn't look awesome yet. :)

And here is this weeks clue all finished and pressed.

Now back to customer quilts!  So let's GO! quilting.

Quilting In Progress...

Today's quilting in progress is a sweet baby quilt with cotton chevrons and pink minky!

I just love the feel of minky and want to back one of my bed quilts in it but haven't yet.  :)

Anyway, I am just quilting this with a large meandering so that it will remain soft and not stiffen up.

Now let's GO! quilting!

Mystery Quilt Part 3 - Grand Illusions Mystery Quilt by Bonnie Hunter

I made sure to get all caught up and finish this weeks clue on time.  It is so hard to catch up when you get behind on anything.  For some it may not matter, it will end up as another UFO and they will finish some day.  For me, it is very important that doesn't happen.  I don't like hanging projects that make me feel bad because I haven't finished them.  So for me, it is to be finished on time.  ;)

Now this weeks clue went together easily but I have no clue as to where this will fit in with the other blocks we've made.  Can't wait to see how other do their version of the layout on the LinkUp.  It is fun trying to guess where we are headed. 

Unfortunately I didn't have a correct AccuQuilt die to cut these strips with my cutter so I had to rotary cut them.  Boy was that a drummer.  I have the individual square this size but no way did I want to do that method when strips are so much faster.  I would say I'm spoiled.  One thing that I do is if I don't have a specific die that I need, I go ahead with my project (or at least part of it) and make sure to order that die.  I just build my library slowly but make sure that next time I need it, it's there.  Yes, even though I'm a retailer, I don't have them all in my personal stash or my inventory.  I have to watch dollars just like everyone else.  

Here are all the units stacked on their little baking tray that I love to use.

You can still start the Mystery Quilt if you're interested.  Just to go Bonnie's site for all the clues.

As always, if you are interested in learning more about AccuQuilt GO! Fabic Cutters or growing your library, please contact us.  We have very reasonable prices and GREAT customer service.  

Mystery Quilt Part 2 - Grand Illusions by Bonnie Hunter

I'm running a little behind on this weeks clue. My normal practice is to finish the clue in the first day or two of it being released. My husband asked me to go to the hunting club with him last weekend and of course I said yes. As you know I also quilt for the public and I am in full-blown Christmas mode. Not complaining about either one of those because I am so blessed just sharing why I am behind.

This weeks clue was a lot of fun and easy.  I'm probably not even halfway through but should finish up today or tomorrow.

This picture shows the two units something together. Look at those beautiful point and how they line up.

And this picture shows my whole tray of work in progress for this weeks clue. (Plus a few leftovers from last weeks clue.  Might make the quilt bigger later so I am keeping them close by just in case.)

If you have never done a mystery quilt you should really give it a try. It is a lot of fun and Bonnie always introduces you to the new techniques to try. It's a great learning experience and stretches you out of your comfort zone.  Plus you end with a beautiful quilt.  BONNIE HUNTER GRAND ILLUSION

Of course you know I am an Accuquilt dealer so therefore I am an Accuquilt fan.  I haven't done a project in years that I have used my AccuQuilt GO! for at least part of the cutting and this is no exception.  :)  In this clue I was able to use a rectangle die and a half square triangle die to get the exact size pieces I needed. AccuQuilt cutters and dies are a huge time saver and allows you to spend your time doing what you enjoy which is piecing and quilting.

Happy quilting!

Quilting In Progress...

Or just finished. :). I'm not doing good with the "in progress" part lately.

This is a tshirt quilt just finished and it was a great project.

First of all, "mom" had held onto these shirts for her daughter who graduated in 2002.  She had always intended to have a quilt made but never did.  When "mom" dropped the shirts off, she made it a point to talk about some of them with me.  For me, that made this project very special.

I hope her daughter loves it as much as I do.