Clue #1 of the Allietare Mystery is Here!

It's here, it's Here, IT'S HERE!  Clue #1 of the Allietare Mystery has been released by our favorite Bonnie!  After going over the nitty gritty, I decided that Yes, indeed - this will work!  I think I can...

Clue #1 of the Second of Two Allietares is sewn/pressed and ready for dog ear trimming

Yep, I decided that I can create not one but two (2) Allietare Mystery Quilts during the Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year's holidays...Oh why not?!?

Here's the first one w/Clue #1:

Clue #1 of Allietare Mystery Quilt #1 - sewn/pressed/trimmed

Chain piecing the Magic 8 units:

Magic 8 units getting sewn together w/chain piecing

Magic 8 units complete - time for cutting:

Sewn and ready for cutting

First unit cut:

Magic 8 unit cut into eight HSTs - 
this 'spinning' cutting board makes FAST work of cutting out the HSTs!

And here we go:

One Magic 8 unit turns into 8 HSTs

Several Magic 8 units turn into hundreds of HSTs...literally:

Several Magic 8 units cut, several to go

And the final result:

Two sets of HSTs for two Allietare Mystery Quilts

I kept the light/white backgrounds the same for BOTH Allietares, but to keep things organized, I changed the gray constant fabrics - one is darker than the other.  We'll see how these choices play out as each clue is released, won't we?

Clue #1 from both Allietare Mystery Quilts - one set has had the dog ears trimmed off,
the other is ready and waiting ;-)

So what do I need TWO Allietare Mystery Quilts for anyway?  One is for yours truly - since I typically make my mystery quilts for others, this will be one of the first ones I will actually keep for me!  The other will be a 2016 fundraiser for our East Central IL QOV Group...how neat is that?

To check out what Everyone is up to with their Allietare Mystery, Please follow this direct link:
http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2015/11/mystery-monday-link-up-allietare-part-1.html


Back to trimming,
~Deb

Let the Allietare Mystery of 2015 Begin
Clue #1 of Bonnie Hunter's Allietare MQ
Clue #2 of Mystery Quilt Allietare
Clue #3 of Allietare Mystery Quilt
Clue #4 of the Holiday Mystery Quilt - Allietare
Clue #5 of the Allietare Mystery Quilt

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, EVERYONE!

Enjoy your Holiday with Family and Friends...and don't forget to have FUN ;-)

~Deb

Midnight Flight Continues to Elude and Challenge! w/Updates

Don't know WHY I continue to make things as difficult and challenging as I possibly can with Bonnie Hunter's stunning Midnight Flight! (From her latest book, More Adventures with Leaders and Enders.)

First, miscalculated and only cut enough Magic 8 squares to make half  the HSTs that were originally called for in this quilt for each quilt block.  Then, I made another goof with the four patches.  Notice anything strange in this photo?

Elongated 4-patches, anyone?

Geez - this is what I get for trying to cut/sew a quilt - ANY quilt, with multiple units while on cold/flu meds...that's my story and I'm stickin' with it!

Time to cut these red/white 4-patches down to size:

Trimming ALL the red/white four patches down to their correct size

This is more like it!

Right size 4-patch

The red/white 4-patches are ALL trimmed:

ALL red 4-patches trimmed - check!

UPDATE 11/21/2015:

Now, ALL the cheddar/white and the red/white are all trimmed and ready to be sewn into blocks. Yes indeedy, I'm consistent IF nothing else!  Elongated the cheddar/white 4-patches, too:

the reds and the cheddars ALL trimmed!

OK, that was definitely another learning experience ;-)

I was determined to finish this quilt in time to start Bonnie's annual Mystery Quilt that begins on Black Friday. This year it's Allietare!  At this rate, I'll be lucky to have it completed by next year's Mystery!

I need a stress-buster - time for some 'quality quilting time' w/Miss Betty!

Later,
~Deb

Alycia's Quilts of Valor Mystery starts TODAY! Are YOU In?

Alycia's Quilt of Valor Mystery starts TODAY!  Are YOU In?  The First Mystery Clue has just been released - Looks FUN to me and since 'Miss Betty & I' have committed twenty-five (25) QOVs for 2016, NO time like the present to get started...Come Join US! https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/mysteryquilts4military/info

Alycia is a super-talented Quilt Artist and QOV Volunteer, who also creates stunning Quilts of Valor throughout the year for our very deserving Service Members and Veterans.  One of the very first Quilts of Valor 'Miss Betty & I' created was one of Alycia's QOV Mysteries.  You may recognize it:

One of Alycia's QOV Mysteries from 2012

After completing the assembly of this 2012 QOV Mystery of Alycia's, I opted to add patriotic embroideries.  This Quilt of Valor was originally created with my WW II Veteran and dear father-in-law 'Dick' in mind.  Sadly, it was not completed until after his passing.  This Quilt of Valor is now a 'Tribute Quilt' in honor of his life and his service and sacrifice for our country at Iwo Jima, as well as the life of my Uncle Danny - a Vietnam Veteran, and my cousin, IRAQ Veteran, Charles - who served and fell in IRAQ.

If you would like to join us in creating a beautiful Quilt of Valor for one of our deserving Service Members or Veterans, Come Join Us!

Just follow this direct weblink: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/mysteryquilts4military/info

...to become part of this Yahoo FUN-filled Group.  Once your F R E E Membership to this Group has been accepted and approved, you will have access to ALL the clues to this Brand-NEW Quilts of Valor Mystery to create your own one-of-a-kind Quilt of Valor...See YOU soon!

UPDATE:  Fabrics!

My QOV Mystery Quilt fabric choices - good 'ol Red/White/Blue

Let the cutting begin!

UPDATE 11/15/15: Clue #1 is Done and DONE!

Alycia's QOV Mystery Quilt Clue #1 ALL Done...Yippee!!

Alrighty then, now that we've completed the first clue - including the pressing/trimming and squaring up our blocks, back to the business of binding in between sneezing!

Happy Quilting ;-)
~Deb

A Salute To Our Veterans

A salute to ALL our Veterans home and abroad:

In Honor of my Dear FIL, 'Dick' - an Iwo Jima WW II Veteran, 

my Uncle Danny - a Vietnam Vet, my oldest son, Josh - an IRAQI Veteran

And to ALL our Service Members and Veterans - Thank YOU!
~Deb

Let the Allietare Mystery Begin! w/fabric updates...

Actually, Bonnie Hunter has ONLY just released the fabric requirements and the color options for this year's annual Allietare Mystery Quilt via her famous Lowe's Paint Chip method, and here they are!

Thanks to a Quiltville Facebook friend, Betty for sharing these digital paint chips - what a neat idea for those of us who live almost an hour away, across the state line from our nearest Lowe's!

Special Note:  Dark Kettle Black is also a fabric requirement in this color palette.  For ALL the nitty gritty details about this year's Bonnie Hunter Allietare Mystery Quilt, Please follow this direct link: http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2015/10/quiltville-winter-mystery-2015-allietare.html

And now, my personal fabric selections so far, based on my interpretation of these digital paint chip colors:

Allietare Mystery Quilt fabrics so far w/rulers

My camera doesn't do these fabrics justice - the reds and golds are much deeper than this photo depicts, probably due to bright lighting ;-)

Also waiting for some additional fabrics from connectingthreads.com, should be here within the week:

UPDATE 11/7/2015 - just received my Connecting Threads order and pulled/discovered some additional fabrics during my recent quilt studio re-organization:

Allietare Mystery fabric selections - don't these look rich!

A closer look at these luscious fabrics - can hardly wait to start cutting & sewing!

Still need to make a final decision on our constant Winter Flannel fabric requirement, but I'm leaning towards this one (pictured below).  It's a darker gray with a burlap texture, and fits in nicely with the burlap bags I'm planning on using for gifting my homemade wines in the future ;-)

Gray burlap textured quilt fabric shown w/white swirls fabric

Looks like most everything is starting to fall into place - just in time to get ready for the Black Friday reveal of our first Allietare Mystery Quilt clue...See ALL you Mystery Lovers then!

Later...back to the never-ending quilt studio reorganization!
~Deb

Let the Allietare Mystery of 2015 Begin
Clue #1 of Bonnie Hunter's Allietare MQ
Clue #2 of Mystery Quilt Allietare
Clue #3 of Allietare Mystery Quilt
Clue #4 of the Holiday Mystery Quilt - Allietare
Clue #5 of the Allietare Mystery Quilt