Short Saturday Update

     I finally got all my 2015 projects done, last baby quilts mailed and my room a little picked up, so I took a few hours Thursday and Friday and prepped a few things for the weekend.

     1)  My 2014 Designer Mystery has been a monkey on my back for almost a year.  This BOM actually ran into the start of 2015 so it wasn't really "done" for a year!  I stopped after doing the first 10 blocks and then the other day my little monkey Olivia brought the packet for block 11 to me and it reminded me that I NEED to finish so it went on my "TO DO" list for 2016.
While trying to decide what to do with an hour the other night, I cut out #11 and #12 and actually found time to sew them up.

     This block is #11 and was designed by Barbara Groves & Mary Jacobson of Me and My Sister Designs it's named "Sister Mary".

Block # 12 is by Lisa Bonegan of Primitive Gatherings and she named it "Fast Eddie".

I love the blocks and especially the fabric.  I have the finishing kit out in a project box and will start the assembly of that after Christmas.....probably more towards the first of the year but for sure it won't be this week!

Next, I did my last 2 blocks for 2015 of the 52 Week Churn Dash Challenge.  I don't think I wrote about this challenge here at all but it was a challenge on Instagram with a shop called A Needle Pulling Thread.  I did 1 6-1/2 inch churn dash block each Monday morning and then set them aside.  Well, a week or so ago I used up the end of the cut parts for the churnies and ended up with 52 + 2 bonus blocks.  I asked on Instagram what everyone was going to be doing with them and got a mixed response.  Most girls were just setting them and making a child's quilt.  I decided that I wanted to make mine larger so I am continuing the challenge and will use the 6.5 inch block as the center of a 12.5 inch churn dash.  I'll continue doing one a week......

I used a large variety of fabrics from my scrap bin with Kona Snow......I think by adding another round I'll get a lot more scrappy added to an already scrappy pile of blocks.  I'll keep you posted!

Another ongoing scrappy project I've been working on for at least the last 5 years has been making string blocks.  I love making them when I can't decide what to work on but the past year has been a "NON STRING" year for me.  Somehow, I never ran out of things to do in 2015 so they sat and sat......

The piles in the 2 top pictures are "in progress".  I pulled that pile on the left up to my sewing area from that bucket in the picture on the right.  I was actually able to make the 15 blocks in the bottom right picture from the strips I'd pulled....

The bag in the bottom left picture is about 30 or so blocks that have been languishing for the last 5 years or so.....  

THIS is the pile of string blocks after my sewing session on Thursday.....not bad huh?

How do you make string blocks?   I used a tutorial way back when I started and the girl in the tutorial suggested cheap muslin as the base so that's what I've been using.  I realize now that the top will be pretty heavy once I start assembling it but I guess I can use a light batting once (if ever) it's finished.....

Finally, I was caught up with my "Allietare" mystery units so when Bonnie posted the Step 4 instructions yesterday I was ready to go.  

Red and Neutral 2 x 4-1/2 inch units all with geese-like corners.  I LOVE this color combination!

I think this might be my favorite step thus far because of the colors we're using.

I did make a boo boo when cutting the neutral units so I'm going to run out to the quilt shop this morning for an extra yard of my neutral (I'm using 1 constant and don't need to run out) and also a white pencil.  I'm having trouble finding something that will show up on the back of my blacks for drawing HST lines.

Well, there you have it, my 3 day update.....  

I'm off and running right now but I'm sure i'll be back tomorrow or Monday with my Allietare update.....

Peggy in cold cold cold NJ