Clue 5, and I'm Still Alive!!

I'm keeping right up with the Quiltville "En Provence" Mystery Quilt!  This week's Clue is making some 3 1/2" half square triangles with our dark purples and neutrals.

As I mentioned in my last post, I am running super-low on my dark purples.  So, of course, I did not have enough for this Clue.  I went stash diving, and came up with 2 more dark purple fabrics that I didn't originally include because I felt they weren't dark enough.  Well, good news, boys...you made the cut!  Now get in there!

Bonnie is using her new Essential Triangle Tool for this clue.  I did order her tool, but it is in transit, and I want to do some selfish, non-gift sewing NOW!  So I'm going to bust out my Easy Angle ruler for this:

Yup, the wrapping is still on it!  I found a written tutorial by Bonnie on how to cut strips with this ruler HERE.  She also did a super-helpful video tutorial making HSTs with this ruler for her Celtic Solstice mystery quilt HERE.

Okay, so here's where I freak out.  I hate math.  Like, I really HATE math, because I'm generally not very good at it.  But I put on my big-girl panties, stopped whining (after a while) and figured it out.

So we need 3 1/2" HSTs so that they will end up 3" finished in the quilt.  Alrighty.  Based on Bonnie's info, you need to cut the strips 1/2" larger than your finished measurement (3").  That means I need to cut 3 1/2" strips, one neutral, one purple, right sides together for each HST unit:

That wasn't really too bad!  Of course, once I get Bonnie's Essential Triangle tool, I won't need the Easy Angle ruler, but I'm glad I know how to use it.  Just in case of a triangle emergency.

And TA-DA!  I have 32 units ready to sew (I'm making 1/2 of the required 64):

So, as always, I chain-pieced them through the Featherweight:

And then pressed them in to perfect little units:

I clipped the one little dog ear on each little square, and I'm all done:

I think the new fabrics fit right in, and I'm really digging the reproductions!  I'm off work for the next 2 weeks, so I should have no problems keeping up.  Woot woot!! 

Head on over to the Link Up to see everyone else's progress!  Bonnie used my pic in her collage on the link up page again (the center middle one)!  I'm so giddy! ;-)

But seriously, check it out!  Some of these creative quilters are "guessing" at set ups with the blocks we've made so far, and I'm totally loving some of them!  I need to plan a leader-ender project, and I already know how to make these blocks, so hmmmm...

"En Provence" Clue 4, and a Finish!

I'm so proud that I'm keeping up with this year's Quiltville Mystery Quilt "En Provence" by the amazing Bonnie Hunter!  This is Week 4, and I'm still chugging right along.  

Bonnie is having us make more Tri-Recs triangles, this time with our neutrals and scrappy dark purples:

I only had to make 40, instead of 80.  It's a good thing, too, because this is all that is left of my dark purples...I sure hope we don't need much more:

So after some chain-piecing, I got mine done:

These are so cute and pretty, and I really love using those Tri-Recs rulers!  I see a Storm at Sea in my future!!

Check out the other participants' progress at the Mystery Monday Link-Up on the Quiltville blog!  I love seeing others' creativity with the colors and fabrics!

And in other quilty news, I also finished a quilt for my friend's son:

This is pre-wash, so it's not as magical as it will be once it gets all crinkly!  My friend's son is in cub/boy/eagle scouts, and has a bunch of patches.  She wanted something so he can display and use them for years to come, and she came up with the idea of a quilt.  Only she doesn't know how to quilt.  But guess who does? ;-)

I really should not have volunteered to take this on, especially during Christmas-gift-making time.  But it's done, and she'll love it, so there you go!

"En Provence" Quiltville Mystery Quilt - Clue 2, er, Deux

The Second Week's Clue involved the Tri Recs rulers, neutral fabric, and your chosen constant fabric.  I actually bought these rulers a while ago, but have never gotten around to learning how to use them...you know, with how scary-mathematical they look and all! :-)

I don't know about you, but I love learning through watching others, so the fact that Bonnie included some how-to cutting & sewing vids for the Tri-Recs in her post was totally awesome for me!

So after letting Master Bonnie teach me the Tri Rec ways with her fantastic tutorials, I ended up with what I think I was supposed to have:

It was actually pretty easy, and I daresay, kind of fun!  At the very least, it was WAY easier than I had thought it would be.  I've always wanted to make those star blocks with these units, so I'm really excited to have this little skill in my back pocket...or at least I know where the videos are for future reference! 😉 So, let's sew these suckers together!

And through the magic of chain-piecing, and with some help from a mind-numbing movie like "Legally Blonde" (I know, right?), I got a lovely pile of 50 units (I'm making my quilt half-sized):

And after a little starch and steam:

In her Tuesday Link up post, Bonnie says that we are done with this fabric, so I'm kind of sad because I think it's so pretty, although she tossed around the idea of using it for binding, which I just might do...or maybe a thin border?  Who knows?  I guess it's a mystery (har har har).

Speaking of Tuesday Link-Up, check it out HERE to see what all the other crazy-talented Quiltvillians are doing.  I'm super-stoked b/c Bonnie used one of my pics in the collage on her post!  And yes, I'm a total geeky fangirl! :-)

 I'm only a tiny bit concerned that my "constant" fabric is blue with magenta-ish spots, instead of all-magenta, but I think it stands out from the purples I've chosen, so I don't think it will look too wrong.  Only time will tell!

Patchwork Heart

I was able to finish the patchwork heart baby quilt just in time for the baby shower earlier this week!  Mama loved it, and confessed that she had been hoping I would make her a quilt, but didn't want to ask for such a labor-intensive gift.  Awwww, y'all know how fantastic that made me feel...like all of those hours spent are truly appreciated, and that my hand-made gift will be cherished, which is all we crafty peeps can hope for.  YAY!

Here are some pics!  I quilted loops and hearts in the main body of the quilt, and took a stab at quilting feathers in the colored borders and in the corners.  I am always wanting to try something new!

Ta-Da!

Quilting!

"Dream Big Little One"

This was also the first time I tried using rulers while quilting.  I've been voraciously watching YouTube videos and drooling over the work of some wondrous quilters, especially longarmer Linda Hrcka of The Quilted Pineapple and domestic machine quilter Karen Miller of Karen's Quilts, Crows & Cardinals - Red Bird Quilt Co.  Check them out, and just try to withstand the siren song of ruler quilting.  I dare you!

So for this quilt, I made up a practice quilt sandwich.  I don't know why, but it's really hard for me to "waste" perfectly good fabric and batting just for practice.  Yes, I realize that it's necessary so that I don't destroy a "real" quilt, but it still bugs me.  I dunno, just a weird hang up I have.

Feathers are tougher than they look!  I like the "bump back" technique, and my second block above (the one on the left) already looks better than my first try (on the right).  Also, I free-handed the middle "feather" on the right, but used a ruler for the one on the left.  Guess what technique I used on the quilt...

 

I bought a Westalee ruler foot for my machine a bit ago, along with some rulers.  I used the Quilted Pineapple's "BFF" curved ruler for the center, and also used a straight edge ruler to help with stitching in the ditch.  I don't know why. but stitch in the ditch is soooo difficult for me!  Give me loops, stipples, or any other all-over design, but don't make me SITD!  When all was said and done, I think the corners came out okay for a first try:

Horrible Stitch in the Ditch, but pretty good feather design!

Hard to see, but this is my best one!  It's true what they say, to improve I just need to practice, practice, practice!  I do know that I had fun using the rulers and I was happy with the results.  Next time I have to remember to keep the motif farther from the quilt edge to allow adequate room for the binding.  Ooopsy!

So, the whole ruler experience has been an encouraging one.  That's why I'm looking forward to using them on this quilt:

This quilt stalled because I can't decide what to to do for the outer borders, and I'm actually not as thrilled with those sashing stars as I had thought I would be, so I'm kinda bummed.  I tried buying even more matching fabric to give me more border options, but I'm still not sure.  Over-analysis much?  I just need to figure it out and finish it up so I can start obsessing over what quilting designs I'm going to use!

Unfortunately I also need to finish this, and it has a deadline, so ruler work is on hold:

This is a velvet court gown I've been working on for 4 years which I am bound and determined to wear to Ren Faire this year!  My friend and I are planning on attending next weekend, and we've made a pact that we will be wearing our gowns, even though as I write this neither one of us is done with our outfits.  I still have to make the sleeves, make a chemise, make a matching bag of some kind, and come up with some type of period-appropriate headpiece, quite possibly a fancy little flat cap.  But I'd so much rather be quilting!!! ;-)