Happy New Year

    As we embark on 2014 I want to wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!

    As I look back on 2013 I realize that I have many things to be thankful for.  Most importantly is my family.  We started the year off with the wedding of our daughter.  People say you didn't lose a daughter, you gained a son....and I totally agree!

I'm always thankful for my wonderful and supportive husband.  We've been together since 1979 and have survived thru many births, deaths, moves and just real life!  He's supported me when raising 3 small kids in a new town was overwhelming to me and I had no friends, he's supported my decision to return to work when the kids got older and I needed to get out of the house,  we've been there for each other when he lost his younger brother, mother and father and my dad and niece in less than a year.  We are a good "team" I would say!!!
 
     In 2013 I decided I was ready to retire after 19 years of working in the school.  I wanted to spend some time relaxing, sewing and traveling when we wanted to and wanted to do it while we are both healthy enough to enjoy it.  We've seen too many people who "retired" not on their own terms or passed before they could enjoy some relaxing time so I made the decision to retire as of 12/31/2013!
WOW, that's today!!!  YAY!

     My children are all happy, healthy, and productive adults so a mama couldn't ask for anything more!  I still have 2 of those adults living home but we have such a great relationship and they really do live their own lives, they just sleep here, and there's nothing wrong with family living like family!!
We have dinner together every night of the week and we talk about each other's day.   They help around the house with cooking, cleaning, and just all the things that need to be done.  I was asked once this year if I thought I was an enabler.  Really?  Since when did sharing life with your children make you an enabler?  NAH....WE are a family!   BAH to people who think their opinion on my life counts!

     I have many friends that make me happy.  Some I worked with, some I sew with, some I just know from my blog and Facebook.  I value your friendship and hope you have a happy, healthy and fruitful 2014!

     I'm thinking tomorrow I'll get a little less sappy and show a nice quilt recap of 2013 if I can figure out how to do it......New computer, new programs, new things to learn!!!

     Happy New Year one and all!!!

Celtic Solstice Update- Part 5

Not bad......I got the step 5 instructions on Friday afternoon and got to working on it Saturday.  Here it is Sunday evening and I finished!  YAY for me!

I actually enjoyed this step.  I'd already had the small HST units made from step 4 so all I had to do was cut my neutral triangle units and then today I did all the blue cutting.
When Bonnie promised more neutral and blue, she didn't disappoint.  We got enough of that this step.

What do you think.  Do you think Step 6 will be some assembly of the units?

This is a repeat picture from last week's Bonnie update.....these are all the units from the previous 4 steps.

This is one 3-1/2 inch  unit from today's sewing.....aren't they cute?

"Warm Winter Blessings"

     Well, my Warm Winter Blessings block of the month thru Primitive Gatherings is finally finished.
I can honestly say that I kept up with each block as they came in and if Thanksgiving and Christmas didn't come up so quickly, I'd have had the whole thing assembled at least 3-4 weeks ago......However, the holidays did come and that's ok, I'm done and once it's all quilted and bound, I'm ready for next winter.

Here is a picture of the finished top on my design wall and a closer up picture of 2 of the snowmen.....

I really love this top and I'm thrilled I signed up and did it!

                                                                                

Jamestown Landing

My "Jamestown Landing" quilt has returned from it's travels and it came back to me more beautiful than I could ever hope for.

This project was a Bonnie Hunter quilt that I'd found in an Australian Magazine at least 3 years ago, if not longer.  I know I started working on it at a November retreat I went to in Indiana 3 years ago so it's been around a long time!

I worked on the hundreds of parts over time, stopping and starting in between other quilts.  I finally decided back in either January or February that I was getting it done come hell or high water.  While assembling the top I'd text and email my BFF's Robin and Michelle pictures of my progress and I'd get a message back stating this part or that part was not where it belonged.  I'd double and triple check my layout with the magazine and see I was doing it right.  FRUSTRATION definitely set in!
FINALLY in about April or May I bought Bonnie Hunter's book and found the magazine had the layout wrong......  rip, rip, rip....

In the end, I got the top assembled and shipped off to Michelle for quilting.  I don't remember if it was late October or early November, figuring I'd have it back around now.  I always tell Michelle "no rush".  She's had some life moments going on so I didn't want to pressure her, especially since the quilt wasn't for anyone in particular.

"Jamestown" was mailed back to me on 12/9 with an expected 12/16  arrival date in NJ.  Michelle and I tracked it from the 16th on and although some would say "that wasn't that long a time", when you are the recipient and shipper and the tracking stops back on 12/10 and you're talking to rude people at both end in the PO, you get frustrated.

So, long story longer....it came home yesterday, and I'm thinking that if quilts could talk I wonder what this one would have to say?

I think it's gorgeous and Michelle's quilting is exquisite.....

I'll be making the binding and tacking it down as one of my January 2014 Big 3 list items for sure......

Peggy

tone it down

Have you see this article in the February 2014 issue of "American Patchwork & Quilting"?
I think for me, it was an article that was much anticipated.  I'd seen a few blog posts and Instagram posts with hints that there was going to be a "quilt along" with about 9 or 10 designers as well as one of the editors of the magazine.

I had my niece and daughter looking in grocery stores and Barnes & Noble and I went to 2 quilt shops looking for the magazine....even though I subscribe to it. (I thought mine was missing in action :)

Lissa Alexander of MODALISSA.BLOGSPOT http://modalissa.blogspot.com/ wrote the article and got some designers on board to see how they'd make their version. 
I've gone to quite a few of the designer's blogs and I'm seeing that not all of them are doing their quilt scrappy.   I've made quite a few scrappy quilts recently so I'm going to change it up and make mine a planned color.....

        I'm thinking that I'd like to use this black, tan & red colorway.  I've been doing a lot of pastel, floral bright quilts of late and I want to do something a little more organized and dark.

                       Each block in the quilt is 15-1/2 inches and as you can see in this picture from the magazine, you can use up quite a bit of your stash making each block different.

 

I won't be starting this until after New Years Day since I want to finish up my Bonnie Hunter mystery and a couple other projects.

 

 

2013 Celtic Solstice Mystery

     YAY.....I'm all caught up with my Bonnie Hunter Mystery units. 
     Part 3 was pinwheels and half square triangles which were super cute, and Part 3 was orange and green 4 patch units and they were fairly quick and easy to do. 

This picture is all 4 steps pictured together.

I'm hoping Bonnie will use more of the blue and neutral colors.  I'm not a real orange person so I'm looking forward to using more blue than orange  :)

And here is a question.  Do you square up your 4 patch units?  I do because I want mine to be very precise so this picture is what I had from 100 4 patch units.

Has anyone guessed what the quilt might look like?
I have no idea what to expect and I think I want to keep it that way.

Here's a link to Bonnie's Monday Link Up so you can check out other's updates:
http://quiltville.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2013-12-23T13:00:00-05:00&max-results=2

 

FINALLY

I'm finally finished with Part 2 of the Bonnie Hunter mystery.  I don't know why I'm moving so slow but as I'm told....it's not a race, just git er done when you can. 

I did start Part 3 but I need to trim my HST's down to size so that picture will have to wait for next Monday. 

I saw on Bonnie's blog just now that since it's a holiday week she's saved an easy step for us....
lets wait and see what Bonnie considers "easy"  LOL

So....how are you doing on this mystery?  Any ideas on what this quilt will look like?   I haven't a clue, which is perfect because it is a mystery after all.......

What's in the Hoop?

Are you the kind of person that has to be doing something while you watch TV at night? 
I'm the kind of person that either has embroidery or quilt binding. 
Lately I've had the urge to start another Crabapple Hill project that I have traced but not started....only problem is I have at least 2 other embroidery projects that I've started.  One is Hocuspocusville and the other is "Twas the Night Before Christmas" by Helen Stubbings of hugs n kisses fame.

I pressed the pieces that I'd finished and put them up on my design wall, which made it easy for me to pull the unfinished blocks out and get to work on them. 

Here's the block I'm working on right now and the others that are done.......

It's not easy to see these blocks but trust me, they're really cute!!!

Celtic Solstice Part 2

     As I write this post I am realizing that I am not moving as fast on this year's mystery as I did last year but I'm fine with that because "I have to be"  :)    I know everyone is saying the same thing.....missing that extra week between Thanksgiving and the beginning of December has everyone thrown off.  I tend to take that extra week and prep for holiday shopping, list making, starting my candy making etc. but this year we are into the start of week 2 and I'm just now doing those things......

     Anyhow....I did finish Part 1 of the mystery but not in time to post over at Bonnie's blog so I'm including Part 1 that is finished and Part 2 in it's state that I found it when I came home from work today.  I kind of thought that the "mystery fairies" might drop by to lend a hand today but that wasn't the case so I'm updating with just the cutting layout and will start working on the units tonight.

    I can honestly say that I was a little nervous getting into this color way but when I saw part 2 cut out and the fact we're doing a chevron unit....well, I realized to myself that it's going to be an interesting and fun quilt.  I can't wait to see how the finished quilt looks!