Playing Catch-up w/Grassy Creek Mystery!

 It feels soooo good to be ALL caught up w/Grassy Creek Mystery!  Been so busy w/EVERYTHING Christmas, was beginning to think I'd need to wait until 'after' to get caught up!  But, lo & behold, a window of opportunity opened up and yours truly took it ;-)

Clue #4 - working backwards:

 

 

 Clue #4 - ALL caught up!

 

 

 

Clue #4 - assembly

 

I thoroughly enjoyed creating this clue, and I dearly LOVE this unit, so pretty how the colors play together!
 

Clue #3:

 

Clue #3 

 

I used a die for this and other clues:

 

 

AccuQuilt Go! Die made quick work of several of these clues!

 

This clue was a blast to create - the die helps make these units practically perfect...Yes!

 

Clue #3 - assembly

Clue #2:

 

Clue #2 - finished up, ready for those dog ears to be trimmed!

Hour glass units ARE not typically my fav to make but, when in a hurry, I tend to use Jodi Barrows' SNS/Square-In-A-Square method.  One of her latest SNS methods include Option #40, hour glass units!

 

I was skeptical BUT, this method is fast!

 

Strips cut, ready to sew Clue #2

Clue #2 - back, w/twist & shout center SPIN:

 

Clue #2 - twisting & shouting those center seams

And last but not least, Clue #1:

 

Clue #1

Bagged & tagged, ready and waiting...

 

Clue #1 - bagged & tagged!

 

Time to finish wrapping up those Christmas presents...

 

Later,

~Deb

Spider-Man/Marvel quilt gets quilted in time for Christmas!

The long-awaited Spider-Man/Marvel quilt finally got its turn in the quilt queue - especially since Mom helped come up w/perfect backing...Cobalt BLUE minky, a fav of the intended!

It had been long enough since yours truly finished up this top, forgot just how coool the fabrics are:

 

Spidey - coming off the frame!

 

                           Getting quilted

 

BAM!

 

                                                                                   The Amazing Spider-Man

                                                                                     Crisis on Campus!

 

WHAM

 

 

     Quilter's Dream GREEN batting - quilted great!
 

The back - w/Cobalt BLUE minky!

 

Back of Spidey

 

Spider-Man Fast Facts:

• Finished size:  62" x 80"
• Needle thread: 'Glow-in-the-Dark' Moonlight machine quilting thread
  
• Bobbin thread: Glide Royal Blue
• e2e quilting design: Bam, Zap, Wham! from UrbanElementz.com  https://www.urbanelementz.com/bam-zap-wham.html
• Backing: Cobalt BLUE minky
• Batting:  Quilter's Dream GREEN
  
• Loading/Quilting time:  6 hours
• Quilted to:  Charlie Brown's Christmas - 'original' version
  

As a final caveat, was really struggling w/bobbin backlash/tension issues/looping, etc., utilizing this thread combo.  Out of desperation to get that perfect stitch, resorted to using a 'pigtail' bobbin case recommended quite awhile ago by Mike, owner of The Machine Shop in western Illinois.

 

Pigtail Bobbin case

  

At the time, I pooh-poohed this idea, since HQ does not endorse this bobbin case for their longarm machines.  But, they 'also' don't recommend using the Teflon washers many of us use - including yours truly in the past, to try and reduce bobbin backlash.  (This time the backlash was soooo bad, when I would remove my bobbin after a thread break, the bobbin thread was unwound/loose in several layers, despite being firmly wound prior to loading!  I've NEVER in ALL my years had such a development with a bobbin, and I wound several using different bobbins, they ALL continued to do this...quite frustrating.)  

Well, Mike knew what he was talkin' about, because once I started using this pigtail bobbin case w/Glide thread in my bobbin, my thread issues w/looping/tension, etc., magically vanished...OMG!  Perfect stitches front & back.  

And the next baby quilt I quilted w/leftover backing...just gorgeous stitches!

 

KP's Circus quilt coming off the frame

 

Circus baby quilt

 

Cobalt Blue minky back, Glide in the bobbin and LAVA in the needle, w/perfect stitches!

I'm currently a Big Believer in this pigtail bobbin case.  I will continue to use it on the next few baby quilts I quilt, since ALL of them will have minky backing w/Glide in the bobbin and possibly in the needle...Thanks, Mike for saving my Quilting Bacon ;-)

Later,

~Deb

Grassy Creek Mystery...Almost Here!

The annual Bonnie Hunter Mystery is almost here!  This year, Bonnie has named it 'Grassy Creek' - and the fabric colors she's chosen are most definitely some of my very favs!

 

Grassy Creek fabrics - Love these colors!

All from stash - even found a few more yummy fabrics in one of my latest organizational sessions:

Adding a few more of my own 'GREEN' color choices for variety

 

While we wait for Clue #1 to be released on Black Friday, time to finish up this cute little Barn quilt for my favorite grandson, Korbin - he's 2 months old Today!

Attaching the last row!

'On the Farm' Fabrics are from Connecting Threads w/Monotone Barns added to the mix for good measure.  Chose to make some 4-patches out of the jelly roll, added some 4" squares in between, and called it good!  A few borders to finish it out to the size I wanted and this one is ready for Miss Betty & I to quilt!

Love how Fast & Fun this one was to create ;-)

Think I'll name this one Farm Squares Puzzle 

 

Time to quilt and still have several to bind & label before Christmas!

 

Later,

~Deb

2020 Veteran's Day Tribute...Thank YOU!

 

Thank YOU to All our Veterans for their Service and Sacrifice for our country.

 

~Deb

LOTS of Baby stuff happening along with...;-)

It's been awhile - LOTS going on w/summer, gardening, and preparing for the arrival of our own Li'l Peanut in early September.

After sewing masks in the Spring, moved on to baby stuff and My, Oh My have things changed since I was a new Mama!  And Thank Goodness!!  FUN stuff - including AccuQuilt GO! dies to make burp cloths and bibs (saving the bibs for later ;-)

But first, NO respectable Grammy quilter would be worth her grits without a farm quilt for her grandson, right?

 

And of course, it had to be quilted w/tractor design:

It's all bound, needs a label w/baby name that has yet to be determined - considering using the 'Li'l Peanut' connotation on these first quilt labels.

Receiving blankets, anyone?  We got those, too!  Thanks to one of my vintage Viking sergers, creating these generously sized receiving blankets is a breeze.

Receiving blanket recipe:

• 1 yard of flannel fabric for good measure
• round the corners of flannel w/dinner plate (fold fabric in fourths and cut/round corners all at once for time-saving)
  
• fuzzy woolly nylon thread for soft finish for baby...and it's durable, can handle LOTS of machine washings!
  

Viking Serger from the 90s...STILL serging strong!

My favorite 'Goldy Locks' dinner plate to round corners with - NOT too round, NOT too sharp and/or wavy edges but...Just Right!

 

 

 

Tractors!

 

 

Farm animals and a barn to put them in

 

And a couple of FUN ones just for me ;-)

 

You knew we had monkeys on the farm...right?       

 

 

        And what's a good farm pond without frogs?

 

Burp Cloth AccuQuilt GO! die makes cutting super-easy...this is one BIG die!

 

Burp cloths - I like to layer a double-fold cloth diaper with a freshly cut burp cloth from novelty print flannel, serge w/fuzzy woolly nylon for a nice, soft finish for baby... and GO!  Makes them reversible and stretches my flannel fabrics, getting 2 for 1 out of each double layer of flannel.  IF I watch my cuts, I can get four (4) burp cloths out of one yard of flannel when I layer w/double-fold diaper...win/WIN!

 

Double-folded/sewn cloth diaper on the back of burp cloth - I prefer Gerber/Birds Eye

 

 

Child-safe novelty print flannel on the front of burp cloth

 

 

Serged w/fuzzy woolly nylon, ready to launder in time for baby's arrival!

I will be creating the bibs the same way as the burp cloths...easy/peasy!

The flowers are blooming:

And just when I thought I was done making face masks...got an urgent request for two little girls who need them to go to school...time to Sew, Mama SEW!

 

Stay Safe & Healthy EVERYONE - Prayers for those in the path of Tropical Storm Laura.

Later,

~Deb

 

Memorial Day 2020

What is Memorial Day?

In Loving Memory of those who have fallen for our Liberty and Freedoms.

~Deb

Victory in Europe/VE Day 2020

What is VE-Day?

In Memory of that Victorious Day - 75 Years ago... 

Thank YOU to those who sacrificed for ALL of us.

Blessings,
~Deb

351 & 352 - Mission Accomplished!

Did it - exceeded our 300/30 Day Mask Goal...Yippee!!!

Here's 351 & 352:

351 & 352 face masks

A few pics of the last 50+  - got a little busy sewing/delivering masks ;-)

Pinned/ready to sew!

Optical Illusion - ready for liner/filter to be sewn in

Musical version

Filter/sleeve

Created especially for a 'Special Someone', who's also a Front Line Responder

ALL ready for delivery!

Latest batch of fifty (50), ready to be bagged & delivered!

It's been an incredibly rewarding experience - one we won't soon forget, and even FUN picking out the different fabrics to use for so many of our front line responders and caregivers...Thank YOU to those who've supported us in ANY way, and especially to those who joined in our face mask creating and volunteer efforts.

If you made one or 300+ face masks, you know that you participated in an effort not seen in decades, to help keep our country and those who sacrifice and work on our front lines each and EVERY day, safe from harm's way.

And to those we created these special face masks for - to help keep them safe, Please know we value YOU and EVERYTHING you do for all of us...THANK YOU!

My Best to Each and EVERY One of You.

Later,
~Deb