Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Sewing My Spring Mystery Quilt

Pretty as an Easter Basket!
 
 
All units sewn and bagged and ready to assemble into the top!
 
I went with Fabric Option # 3 in my previous post.
 
It looks to be a good choice. :)
 
Since I have completed all but the last mystery installment,
I have seen "The Big Reveal"
 
... and it is amazing!!
 
I cannot belive this is a mystery quilt pattern!
 
On the other hand, had I seen it beforehand, I might have said,
"That is beautiful but it looks very complicated and maybe I will attempt it someday when I have time." 
 
The mystery instructions take an intricate pattern and breaks
it down in to many small easy steps.
Before you know it, you have created  a gorgeous quilt!
 
On Monday, after nicking my finger with the rotary blade
late Sunday night, when I was overtired and should have called it a night ... or should have been more careful ...

cutting
(gloves are good)
 
sewing
 
At the risk of being called "The Gloved One"
this glove may become a regular thing. 
Actually, there is not much risk of that ...
I love music ... but I can't sing ... ;)
 
My finger has healed well and my blog hop post has been ready
and waiting to go up at midnight.
 
Looking forward to the blog hop ...
but for now ...
 
Time To Sew More Mystery!
 
:-)

Monday, March 18, 2013

Stitch Me Up Blog Hop Starts Wednesday!

from

starts on Wednesday!
 
 
I am posting on the first day!
 
Must get my project done!
 
I slashed my finger with my rotary cutter over the weekend
while working late Sunday night on the mystery quilt and
and with the bandage on my left hand,
the stitching is going very slowly.
 
... just keep sewing ... just keep sewing ...
 
 

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Nancy Drew Blog Hop Winner!

Katniss says ...
time to pick a winner in our
Nancy Drew Giveaway
 
Thanks to all who have made this another wonderful blog hop!
My quilty kitties received 180 cheery comments of our
 
 
I asked my sweet hubby to pick a and he said #171 !
 
 

Butterfly says ...
 
"The winner is ...
 
 
gtcoursey said...
I am now a follower
March 8, 2013 at 6:14 AM
 
Congratulations!
 
I am sending an email for the address to send my starter pack for my QAYG Hexagons.
 
Thanks to our great cheerleader, Carol at Just Let Me Quilt
and to
Madame Samm at Sew We Quilt

for cluing us all in and hosting this fun blog hop.
 
Thanks to all who joined in the fun!
 
Looking foreword to the next blog hop!
 
:-)


Friday, March 15, 2013

Random 5 Friday

 
Linking up with ...
 
@ 
 
(1)  All In A Row
My Pretty Mystery Quilt Fabric Strips
ready to sew! 
 
(2) My New Ergonomic Cutting Table is 34" high
 
(3) My New Ergonomic Pressing Board is 35" high

(4) A Fresh Jar of Nutella
Just went shopping and this is a treat!

(5) "The Boy" Is Home!
This makes me very happy.
When we got home from grocery gathering we found this backpack in the living room, which means one of our sons is here for the weekend. 
No truck parked in front of the house. No son to be seen.
He must already be out hanging with his buddies.
 
~ It is all good ~
 
Time to go sew the mystery!
 
Have a happy weekend!
 
<3
  

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Really Random Fabric

Here are my fabric choices for
the Spring Mystery Quilt Weekend.
 
Thanks to all who helped me decide.
 
20 pretty colored fabric all numbered and laid out according to plan!
 
I can't wait to sew!!!!
 
Since this post is for
Live A Colorful Life
 at Live a Colorful Life

I am going to go a little random here.

First of all ...
 a blogger recently asked what my favorite quilting tool is
and I said my sewing machine,
but I here is "quilting tool" I cannot sew without ... Post it Notes!

I have been known to say if I ever start my own pattern line, I could call it "Post-It Notes Patterns" ... ;)

The other day I was looking all around the house for post-it notes so I could sew and lamented to my hubby that I could not find any post it notes! I was in a dither.

So my sweet hubby bought me a present ...
 
... aren't  they cute?
 
Okay ... now for some
 
Really Random Fabric Pictures
 
 
I have 23 of these colorful pin dots. 
Half-yards of the brights and larger cuts of the black and gray. 
I love the colors!  
The fabric quality is quite nice for what I paid,
which was very affordable.
.
.
.
The Wash Test
 
I washed the black and gray together in the washer on gentle and machine dried a few minutes of low and the fabric quality is very acceptable. For one I cut the edges with my rotary pinking blade the other I did not.  The large cuts did not fray too much in the machine wash and dry process. I take this as a sign of good weave.
 
I am not quite as pleased with the hand wash results.
 
I hand-washed the 1/2 yards of these fabrics as I always pre-wash to remove the chemicals from the manufacturing process and so I will not have any surprises when I wash my quilt the first time.
 
Also, I had never sewed fabrics from this shop and manufacturer before, and I like to test my fabrics.
 
This sink full of colored water is run off from
only the four dark fabrics on the right. 
The first rinse sink water was just as discolored.
It took awhile to get a relatively clear rinse.
 
I am sew glad I always pre-wash!
.
.
.
Some Really Random Cuts

 
This hand-washed and dried half yard measures 19 inches on one end
and 17.5 on the other ... hmmmm 


 
Unfortunately some of my 1/2 yards are not cut straight on the grain.
The dots should be in nice even rows along the grain and they are printed properly.  However, when I press to align the grain and line the dots up on this pretty minty green this is what I get ...
 
 
I have 16.5" of usable fabric for this 1/2 yard cut.
... hmmmm ...


This is another fabric that I will have to give up inches to get 
a straight cut on the grain of the fabric.  Also,the rip you see in this selvage was the way it arrived from the online shop. Now the rip is in the grain but I honestly feel that the person who cut some of my fabrics needed more training or to be more careful.  
 
My LQS always makes me feel like a quilty friend they are happy to have visit and knows I am a happy customer and will return and buy more fabric.
 
I have also had only one other less than happy experience buying fabric online and I have bought from many nearby and online quilt shops. 
 
For the record, I did speak with a customer service representative about my order and am sad to say I feel I had a less than satisfying experience.
 
 
Katniss says, "Sigh."
 


Katniss is considering whether we will buy from this online shop again.
 

Katniss says "... hmmmmmm? ... maybe? ..."

I do really like the colors and the fabric quality itself is very good.

So I have decided I will order from them again
but that I will only buy large cuts or pre-cuts.
 
I am really looking forward to sewing this mystery.
 
I am sure in the end, my quilt will make both Katniss and I very happy.

The 1st Installment of the Mystery Quilt Weekend in In!

Katniss and Butterfly and I will be sewing soon!

Linking up again with

 Feline Friday
@
Sarah Did It

Have a Happy Quilty Weekend.

And if you like sewing mysterys, grab the pattern
and some jelly rolls or strips and join in the fun!
 
:)