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