Mystery Quilt, Alleteria and Guests

Now that I'm caught up with the clues for this year's "Alleteria"  mystery quilt,

I decided to work on my "Grand Illusion."

This is my block.

And I think this was the last picture I took of setting the blocks together.

And now today when I pulled all the parts and pieces out it looks like a "Grand Mess!"

I think I'll be working on this for a while.

Take a look at all the other Alleteria quilts on Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Monday link up.

Also linking to "Design Wall Monday."

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Recent guests in our home have been:

Paul's folks, Amy and Ashton

Craig & Angie, Tina, and Josiah with Angie's sister Renee.

"Fred"

Paul's sister Rhoda & Lanell and family with school teacher Terrell.

Ashton turned 7.

A Mystery Quilt -- Allietare

I'm ready again to join in the fun of Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt. This year her inspiration came from her trip to Italy. She is calling the quilt Allietare which means "to gladden, to rejoice, to become cheerful."

I have chosen these fabrics that closely resemble her colors; although my reds and golds are more bright.

I tried to keep my neutrals with a creamy background although some are lighter than others. 

And my blacks are mostly prints that have golds, greens and other colors in them.

I have finished the clue for this week; 294 of these half square triangle units all done. We won't get our next clue until Friday. I have no idea what this quilt is going to look like other than it will be scrappy.

A few years ago I did Bonnie's mystery quilt called Orca Bay. It's still needing the borders on it.


To see what others are doing in this mystery you can click on the link below. I think it is fun to see different color combinations that others are using.

Part 1 Link up Party

Patchwork Times

Thanksgiving Day

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. –Psalm 100:4

This morning the birds flocked around the house by the thousands.

There was only a small group of us Grabers together for lunch at Lanell & Rhoda’s.

This looks like a fun and easy way to farm.

I cleaned the counter tops in the sewing room getting ready for Bonnie Hunter’s mystery quilt, “Grand Illusion” which debuts tomorrow morning. I’m having second thoughts about my choice of pink fabric. I like the richer darker look, but I’m second guessing if it contrasts enough with the green and blue.

I wonder how many of you readers are joining in this year or just following along?

Celtic Solstice Quilt

I feel like I am lagging behind and being left set in the dust. I really wanted to join Bonnie Hunter’s Mystery Quilt, Celtic Solstice but felt like I had other quilts that need finishing, like my Orca Bay that only lacks the border. My sister Polly and some of her friends and a few of my Possum Town Quilter friends are joining in and I hated to be left out. Do you call it “peer pressure?” So, here I am just now choosing my fabric.

I know this is a mystery and none of us know how it’s going to turn out, but given the clues that we have; do you think this color palette will work? This is how I’m figuring my color changes.

Neutrals = White with a little Black

Yellow/Gold = Light/Medium Celery Green

Orange = Dark Purple/Violet

Green = Light Lavender/Violet

Blue = Black

Will it work????

This & That

I’m still sewing away on my Orca Bay mystery quilt. I’m about to finish up the Ohio Stars. One thing I changed from the original directions was to make the black blocks with blue centers instead of red centers. Since the finished quilt has been revealed I thought maybe a blue center would help bring out a diagonal look a little more.

My sister Polly & I talked about swaping the dark Ohio Stars with the light Ohio Stars in the final layout. Can you see the difference it makes?

We had a lot of activity at our house over the holidays. The young people had fun singing around the piano & guitar.

Laura came to teach kindergarten for our church school. She is boarding with us and graces us with lovely music often.

My sister Coleen swinging with Ashton. “Put your right foot in, put your right foot out …. and shake it all about …”

I have thoroughly enjoyed watching these two friends develop a close relationship.

Two Katie Jo(s) at our house at one time. One a Schrock and the other a Clugston.

Jason & Karla Schrock, Katie Jo, & Lia along with Audrey & Krisi Dickerson.

Neil & Shelly Clugston with Katie Jo.

Amy & Ashton check out a deer that Paul shot.

Ashton helps Grampa fix his crib into a toddler bed.

Orca Bay Continues

I'm slowly working on my Orca Bay Myster Quilt by Bonnie Hunter. I finally have 224 oversized hour glass blocks pieced, but I have yet to trim them down to 2.5" square.

In the mean time at our Graber Reunion I helped put the finishing stitches into Heidi's quilt.

I love, love, love this "fresh modern quilt" ... and the little girl in front of it!

Sewing, Sewing, Sewing Orca Bay

I have started making 224 quarter square triangles, or hour glasses as some may say, for the Orca Bay Mystery Quilt by Bonnie Hunter. I have half square triangles made but need to make them into quarter square triangles yet.

And I'm still debating on my fabric choices. You can see from my last post that I've already changed out my cream colored fabric for a cleaner look of white with a little black.

Now, I'm debating on changing the blue also. I have some blue old fashion strips already cut, but I'm not sure about adding the blue fabric with the bits of yellow. I don't mind the blue having red in it but the yellow is adding another color to the quilt. Decisions, decisions. What shall I do?

So Many Quilts to Make

There are so many quilts that I want to make. There is so much inspiration and so many ideas out there that I'll never get them all made. But I'm working at as many as I can while I can.

This Mystery Quilt, Orca Bay is from Bonnie Hunter. She uses lots of scrap fabric and makes marvelous quilts. She also cuts the fabric into very small pieces. I'm hoping I don't bog down on this mystery. I'm already behind. While others have already made 224 hour glass units at 2.5" square, I'm only just gathering my fabric for a picture.

And then this next set of fabric is for a quilt or two from Father's shirts. I'm cutting out the seams and saving fabric from the collars and cuffs. Polly cut the shirts in half so we each have the same fabric to work with.

I have fond memories of father wearing a lot of these shirts. And then I'm getting glimpses of Mother's care for Father by altering the shirts to fit him. His arms were so short and she had to take the sleeves off at the shoulder and cut off an inch or two and then sew them back on again. And then I found seams where she had sewed in the seam under the arm. I have 2 patterns in mind to make with these treasures.

Mystery Quilt

I'm gradually making headway on my "Mystery Quilt."

Mystery Quilt ... continued

After sewing many "Flying Geese" units together I finally get to add them to a center square.