Turkey Tracks: Bonnie Hunter’s Annual Mystery Quilt

Turkey Tracks: October 15, 2014

Bonnie Hunter’s Annual Mystery Quilt

It’s started!

The first posting has come for Bonnie Hunter’s annual mystery Quilt.

This first posting describes what inspired Bonnie. This year it was her stay at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan, where she has taught for several years now. The quilt’s name is “Grand Illusion.” Bonnie gives, in this initial posting, detailed instructions about fabric choices–and provides numbers to paint chips available at Loews.

Quiltvilles Quips & Snips!!: Grand Illusion Mystery!.

The first clue will come the day after Thanksgiving. And every Friday morning thereafter, Bonnie will post the next clue–or what to do next. Bonnie makes her quilts in units that combine to make a quilt. There will be from 6 to 8 weeks of clues. Bonnie will reveal the quilt sometime between Christmas and New Year’s.

I have been rounding up fabrics and pawing through my stash since this post came in, and I’m assembling some really nice fabric choices. I’m excited!

I’m going to keep my neutrals to the white end of the neutral scale, which will pop the other colors out. Bonnie says the yellow fabric will be the constant in this quilt.

Last year, you may recall, I did this annual mystery quilt, “Celtic Solstice.” And I learned so much from reading Bonnie’s detailed instructions and from interacting with other folks around the world making this quilt. (There is a Facebook group you can join.)

“Grand Illusions,” said Bonnie, will be less intense than “Celtic Solstice.”

The information on “Grand Illusions” will come off Bonnie’s web site sometime in June, I think. And the quilt will go into an upcoming book.

GO BONNIE!

Turkey Tracks: “Isn’t This Fun?” Quilt

Turkey Tracks: October 8, 2014

“Ain’t This Fun?” Quilt

Look what’s on my long arm today.

“Isn’t This Fun?”

I made the blocks last March when I spent a week with my long-time quilting friends in Williamsburg, Virginia. We’ve been quilting together for close to twenty years now.

For years I’ve been clipping the selvage edges of new fabric and ripping a strip. And, saving uneven strips left over from cutting or ripping a straight edge across the top of fabric. I gathered up the HUGE MOUND of these strips and took them to Virginia and about 100 blocks came home with me at the end of the week.

Here’s the resulting quilt top–the lattice work and border treatment ideas came from Bonnie Hunter’s quilt “Tulip Fields” in her book STRING FLING.

Here’s a close-up of some of the blocks:

I’m quilting with a lime green thread…

I’m really enjoying this project.

Turkey Tracks: The Four Seasons Quilts

October 3, 2014

The Four Seasons Quilts

I have spent large time chunks this summer making the Coastal Quilters’ 2015 challenge: The Four Seasons.

We could do one of the seasons, or all four.

We had a length requirement, but could use a range of sizes for the width.

These challenge quilts will be hung at our state show, mounted by the Pine Tree Quilters Guild, in July 2015.

I was inspired by the banner show from Italy at the Machine Expo in Manchester, New Hampshire, last spring. These seasonal banners were hung by the separate seasons–and you can see them in an earlier post here.

But here’s a reminder–here’s spring:

And I used an idea done by Sarah Fielke in the book by Sarah and Kathy Doughty, MATERIAL OBSESSIONS 2.

Fielke supplied the idea for the tree crown–made with a wedge ruler–and the template for the tree trunk.

Here are my “Four Seasons”:

Spring:

Summer:

Here’s a detail of the pearl cotton quilting used in all the quilts:

Fall:

And my favorite, though “Fall” is a close second, Winter:

Turkey Tracks: “Songbird” Quilt

Turkey Tracks: June 25, 2014

Songbird Quilt

A baby quilt for a little girl!

Niece Lucy Howser Stevens was due in June with my great niece…

Here’s the fabric with which I started. I fell in love with the large print last fall at Marge Hallowell’s Maine-ly sewing in Nobleboro, Maine, and knew I’d use it in a baby quilt. Then, while at Maine-ly Sewing, at a January sale day, I saw these polka dot fabrics. Of course they were NOT on sale! As the large print was still in the store, I was able to determine that the polka dots would work. Friend Gail Nicholson saw the BIG polka dots and said she was sure they would work really well with the little ones. So I bought that fabric too.

Here’s the finished quilt–which I sent off last week. Five days to Wyoming…

“Songbird” is a nice size, too–which you can tell when it’s on a queen-sized bed.

Here are some close-ups:

I like the low-contrast of many of the nine-patch blocks in this quilt as they allow the big print and some of the big polka dot fabrics to shine.

Here’s the center:

The backing is pink polka dot:

And the pantograph was Anne Bright’s “12-inch Simple Feathers.” I really like the soft, feminine curves in this pantograph.

The quilting came out really nicely in this quilt. I used a soft cream thread.

So there you have it: “Songbird” quilt for a little girl, Willamina Grace, who, I hope, will sing through her life.

Turkey Tracks: My 100th Quilt: Centurion

Turkey Tracks: June 20, 2014

My 100th Quilt: Centurion

For those of you who have followed this blog over the winter, here are all the big hexies I mostly hand-sewed–and shared along the way–sewn into the quilt. This pattern is from MATERIAL OBSESSIONS 2 by Kathy Doughty and Sarah Fielke. There are two versions of ways to use these big hexies–all made with a little “kite”-shaped template. This one is Kathy Doughty’s. But I have to tell you that I love Sarah Fielke’s version as well and may well make it as a wall hanging one of these days. I so enjoyed this project. I wanted this 100th quilt to be something special, and I certainly think this quilt is spectacular. If I had one thing to do over, it would be to make the border bigger. Kathy did, and I wish I had made it 9 inches instead of 6 inches. I’m not sure why I didn’t, actually…

Note that the rugs are out of the living room being cleaned. They will be back next Friday, I think. And in a few weeks, this couch will be replaced by one with a sort of cream-colored cotton slip-cover that can be washed. This quilt will live in this room–and the picture above the couch–which dates from early on marriage–will be replaced with another picture or a quilt…

Here’s a close-up of one block and the corner treatment. I had so much fun picking out the fabrics for each block. As this is still a “scrappy” quilt made from my stash–except for the borders and the connecting diamonds–I didn’t pay much attention to how the blocks would work together… I just had fun with each one… See the chickens and bees?

Here’s a close-up of that connecting diamond. The big blocks, ideally, if one read the directions carefully as someone now writing did not as she was too excited to see the whole block together, are NOT sewn together fully but left in half–which allows the long diagonal line to be sewn–which makes installing the diamonds a snap.

I quilted with a cream thread with a pantograph called “12-inch Simple Feathers” by Anne Bright–and it was perfect.

Here’s the backing fabric–which I thought about for the front big border until fellow quilter Jan Kelsey said she thought the gold fabric a better choice. (Thanks Jan!)

I am looking forward to seeing someone curl up under this quilt with a book! Remember, think cream slip covers…

Turkey Tracks: Honeycomb Hand-Sewing Project

Turkey Tracks: May 21, 2014

Honeycomb Hand-Sewing Project

Well, isn’t this fun?

This piece will be finished when I complete the circle of white English Paper Piecing templates–which I bought from Alewives Quilting in Damariscotta, Maine.

Lucy Boston pioneered this “honeycomb” quilting. A “honeycomb” is a hexagon, but with an elongated top and bottom side.

Here’s the “how to” and inspirational book by Linda Franz.

And here’s some ideas of how the honeycombs can be combined. Lucy Boston used combinations of 24 honeycombs ringed by 24 white honeycombs. I started with the top left version.

I’m probably only going to do four of these in shades of red and green and link them into a four-patch. Or, as a banner.

The “blocks” are joined by a series of squared. And if one wanted to make something bigger that gets squared off, one needs a series of templates that will “square off” the blocks. You can order those or make them yourself as the patterns are in the book.

I am joining the pieces with the method Leah Day demonstrated on a utube video. I posted that link on this blog earlier, but you can google Leah Day and “English Paper Piecing” for the series of three videos. I like this method because it does not show the whip-stitch stitches on the front.

Turkey Tracks: Quilts For Twins

Turkey Tracks: May 12, 2014

Quilts For Twins

First, these two quilts are meant to be loved, dragged around, put on the floor for tummy time, and washed.

AND, both of these quilts are made from what is now a “deep” stash of fabrics–so each has many pieces of fabric that have gone into other family quilts–which forms a lovely linkage I think. So, those of you who have been recipients of one of my quilts, look to see if some of your fabric has been used in these two baby quilts.

Mister’s:

I made “Mister’s Twister” for the boy twin using a “Lil’ Twister” ruler brought home from the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show in Norfolk, Virginia, I attended last March.

What a fun project!

One starts this project with a grid of 5-inch squares surrounded by a 3-inch border. One positions the ruler (which is a square with intersecting lines) over the place where the square blocks all four join (or over where a block joins with the border) and then cuts out the template square. Inside the new square are parts of four adjacent “twisters.” One sews this first line of blocks together and then proceeds to the next line of intersections and cuts those outs. As you sew the rows together, the twisters start to emerge. (I posted an earlier blog on the Lil Twister ruler with links to some cool internet sites.)

Leftover pieces of the grid–which now has big holes in it) can be squared up to use as a border–which you can see I did:

I really like the way the black binding is working with this quilt.

Here’s a picture of the backing:

And a picture of the wild and colorful twisters:

I quilted with a blue thread–free hand large, big curves.

The Lil Twister ruler comes in tiny, tiny and in sizes that use 5-inch blocks and 10-inch blocks. You can easily order any of these rulers on-line.

Sister’s:

The girl twin’s quilt is “Sister’s Critters,” and for it, I chose the brightest of my 2 by 3 1/2-inch squares.

I mixed in squares that had critters other than the focus fabric with its bunnies–along with more bunnies:

I quilted free-hand with a pale green thread (which works on both the back and front), using a big daisy pattern.

Here is a close-up of the bunny focus fabric:

I had enough of this fabric suite left to do the backing:

And I used fabric from Mister’s quilt for the corner blocks:

I had quite a time choosing the binding, but in the end, chose the blue, and I think that works really well, especially with the blue sky that runs around the edge of the quilt.

Here’s a close-up view of some of the big blocks:

So, these quilts go in the mail today, and I will post this blog post when I know the quilts have landed at their new home.

PS: Heard from the new mamma-to-be any minute now. The quilts have arrived.

Turkey Tracks: Two Quilts Mailed

Turkey Tracks: April 17, 2014

Two Quilts Mailed

Long years ago now I made a quilt for a family new baby boy–a quilt with a fish theme–that got lost in the mail.

Meanwhile, that baby now has a sister–and neither are babies any more.

So, this winter I set about making them each a long-overdue quilt–with a “fishy” theme.

These quilts are meant to be used, loved, washed, and used some more.

Here’s the boy’s quilt. It’s called “Seahorse Seas.”

I quilted with Anne Bright’s “Ocean View” which has sea horses, shells, and sand dollars in the pattern.

See?

Here’s a piece of the focus fabric:

I mixed in some 9-patch blocks in coordinating fabrics:

Here’s the front striped border and the binding out of the focus fabric:

I like the backing rather a lot:

* * *

The girl’s quilt is from a pattern by Joan Ford in her “Quilt Your Stash!”–a little magazine that I picked up in Portland some years ago.

Joan Ford stopped with the flying geese border–so I added the outer border, and I like it a lot.

This quilt is called “A…’s Pretty Fish”:

The background is a deep navy blue.

Here’s more of that border–and the pantograph is “Circle of Life,” by Patricia E. Ritter–ordered from the Urban Elementz web site.

Here are some fish:

And, more fish:

And another shot of that terrific flying fish border. I think that border is what drew me to this quilt the most…

The backing is a bright red floral…

It’s always fun to mail off one quilt, let alone TWO!

Turkey Tracks: April Update

Turkey Tracks: April 7, 2014

April Update

We are finally getting some warm weather, and near me, the Megunticook River is thawing out fast. I was a little shocked when I went by Megunticook Lake Sunday on my way to see Rose Thomas as the Lake is still pretty frozen. This view is from the top of Barrett Cove, looking north. (This lake is 15 miles around and filled with interesting islands and “necks” that jut out into the water.)

The ice looks bluer towards the middle though, suggesting thinness.

Chickie Diva Queenie has been healed up for some time. I have only been waiting for the night temps to get warm enough to risk her in the coop. She can’t take any more frostbite probably ever in her life.

She did not seem unhappy in her kitchen box, but on a bright sunny day last week, I put her outside. She prowled the yard, scratching and digging, but not getting near the other chickens, who did not seem to notice her. That night, she came to the back door and when I opened it, she came right in, and hopped in her box.

The next day, I put her out again, and she wanted to come right back inside. I had planned to clean out the coop, so I gathered up the buckets and the shovel and started to work.

What followed was shocking!

The chickens found her and immediately attacked her. Even the rooster. They weren’t trying to dominate her. They were trying to kill her.

I rescued her from where she had wedged herself behind the sandbox and the house wall. Her comb was torn again, and she had wounds on her feet again. She was dazed and stunned and so happy to be put back into her box.

I consulted with the chicken whisperer Rose Thomas, and we formulated a plan to integrate her into Rose’s flock, which is larger and far less territorial.

So, on Sunday, I took her to Rose.

Rose’s chicken house is a lot bigger than my little coop, and there are MANY egg boxes. Diva Queenie put herself into one and seemed quite happy.

Rose has three roosters at the moment–Guy, the father of my rooster Pumpkin; the brother of Pumpkin; and Merlin, a guina rooster who is ferocious.

Rose distracted her flock by throwing them some scratch feed to them while we put Queenie into the chicken house.

I called Rose this morning. Queenie is just fine and is out in the yard with the rest of the flock.

* * *

Look at these–I have 12 out of 15 done and have another one half done now.

Here’s a close-up of one:

This large “hexie” is made from the kite shape you can see with the dark blue. I first saw a quilt made with these medallions at Alewives, a quilt shop in Damariscotta Mills, Maine. The hexies get linked by big diamonds, and the pattern comes from the book Material Obsession 2 by Kathy Doughty and Sarah Fielke. Other blog entries here show their TWO quilt versions using this block. Rhea Butler made the quilt at Alewives.

I’ve finished the red/green quilt, which remains nameless so far. It’s loaded on the long arm. It’s pretty big–I used 7 yards of fabric for the backing–a Kaffe Fasset I bought on sale about a year ago. And I had to piece a column of about 20 inches to get enough width for the long arm–which was fine as I used up a lot of orphan blocks. I really draw the line at buying 9 yards of fabric for a quilt backing when I’m only missing ten or so inches. With the long-arm, I need about 5 extra inches of width on the sides, but I could always put on a temporary outside border that would come off when the quilting was done as well.

I am going down to Manchester, New Hampshire, with Gail Galloway Nicholson this week to the big MQX show (Machine Quilters Expo)–where we will both take some classes. I am taking both pantograph and free-motion quilting classes for the long arm. So…it seems to make sense to wait until I get home to quilt this quilt. The pantograph class may change how I currently quilt with a pantograph. Also I ordered a different green quilting thread as I did not like the color I thought I would use. Funny how that happens…

So, here’s my current project:

I am sewing together colorful 5-inch blocks from my stash. I will put a 3-inch border on this grid and use it to cut out “Lil Twister” blocks. Here’s a clue of what I am talking about:

Lil Twister block images – Google Search.

Canton Village Quilt Works has a very nice tutorial on how to use the Lil Twister tool.

Turkey Tracks: The Red and Green Quilt Is Taking Shape

Turkey Tracks: March 25, 2014

The Red and Green Quilt Is Taking Shape

Looky, looky:

I’m loving the interesting secondary patterns that are forming.

This quilt started as a “leader/ender” project–an idea pioneered by Bonnie Hunter as a method to work on two quilts at once. Basically, when you get to a point while sewing where you might cut your thread, you feed a “leader/ender” block through the machine instead. So, for some time I sewed together dark and light green half-square triangles cut from my 3 1/2-inch strips–until I had sooooo many of them. Then I fed through four-patches of light and dark reds and greens from the two-inch strips. This quilt is being made entirely from my stash that I cut up this summer.

The block is a “Contrary Wife” block–and was inspired by Bonnie Hunter’s “Blue Ridge Beauty” quilt, which I made in green shades last year. (It remains one of my very favorite quilts in the whole world.) I think I had a lot of light/dark green half-square triangles started so just continued to make this quilt. I’ve wanted to make a red/green quilt for some time.

You MUST have the light square in the upper left corner when you put this block together for the light and dark rows to line up within the lattice pattern.

I’ll do some borders, of course. Probably a dark red thin border at first–and maybe a wider bright red border next. Who knows? The fabrics will come out of my stash.

	celiamalm on Happy Birthday Soup
	celiamalm on Spring Garden Time
	louisaenright on It’s A Sunny Sunday
	Tracy on It’s A Sunny Sunday
	Andrea R Huelsenbeck on Yeah! The Improv Quilt Is Off…

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