First QOV of the New Year comes off the frame...At Last!

This Quilt of Valor may hold the record for being on a quilt frame the longest...at least on 'my' quilt frame.  Been trying to quilt this QOV since before Thanksgiving!  You may remember, Miss Betty decided to develop an attitude and threw herself out of time.  After getting some new 'Timing Tools' plenty of much-needed timing knowledge, and several bouts of trial and error coupled w/flu, she's back to quilting ;-).  Here's that 'Thanksgiving' Quilt of Valor - now the first 2015 QOV to come off my frame, and doesn't it look neat?

Gold & Blue QOV coming off the frame...At last!

This entire quilt was quilted with LAVA Diamond Head - one of my very favorite threads to quilt with, especially on a Gold & Blue w/white Quilt of Valor!

Naturally, Dave Hudson's Random Stars panto is the star of the 'interior':

Random Stars panto by Dave Hudson in the interior
w/special border treatments to go with

I've used my own version of Jamie Wallen's continuous swirls in several quilts now - they're fast, effective, and most importantly...FUN!

They look really neat done in variegated threads, like LAVA Diamond Head, King Tut Freedom, and Rainbows Patriotic.

I struggled a bit to discover just the right quilting design for the gold sashing border.  Angela Walters to the rescue!

Her 'Wishbone' quilting motif - or what I like to refer to as the 'Crazy 8', was perfect for this border, and sooo much FUN, I'll definitely be using it again in future quilts.

Angela Walters' Wishbone quilting motif, aka "Crazy 8"

My version is a little more whimsical than hers but - that's the beauty of custom quilting, isn't it?

Swirls and Wishbone border w/McTavished navy border

I featured the navy border w/McTavishing in a previous blog here:  http://donebybettyboop.blogspot.com/2015/01/new-year-resuming-quilting-quilt-of.html

This Gold & Blue Quilt of Valor was wonderful to quilt - once I was finally able to quilt it...At Last!

And now, time for some binding and to embroider a special Gold & Blue QOV quilt label.

Adding the finishing touches to the binding

Back of the quilt and quilting

Finished Navy/White/Gold Quilt of Valor

Later,
~Deb

New Year - resuming quilting a Quilt of Valor...

We've had the same Quilt of Valor on the frame since before Thanksgiving!  You may remember, 'Miss Betty II' developed a major attitude during the final quilting pass of a previous QOV, and because of time constraints, had to load 'Miss Betty I' to be able to finish in time:

'Miss Betty I' and 'Miss Betty II' on the frame at the same time!

After finishing the previous Quilt of Valor, and suffering through the most recent bout of flu/cold for the season, it was time to make a call to HQ and see what could be done.  Luckily for me, I hit pay dirt by getting hold of a wonderful HQ Tech, Mr. Salter - who was kind enough to walk me through the necessary steps to get Miss Betty II back on track.

A few new tools for Christmas definitely were a big help:

Opening the box - those are Lipstick RED T-handles, Miss Betty's favorite color!

T-handle and ball-end Hex tools

After a LOT of patience during the 'trial & error' learning phase of how to get her fixed, we were back in the quilting saddle!  Just look at these gorgeous quilting stitches:

McTavishing the left navy border

Along w/right navy border

Central quilting 'perpendicular' to the stripes in the top w/Dave Hudson's Random Stars panto - 
one of our very favs!

All of the quilting is being created w/LAVA Diamond Head in the needle - another favorite, and white Maxi-lock in the bobbin to match the white backing.  Quilters Dream poly blend was used for the batting, and quilted like a Dream ;-)

The panto quilting is ALL finished, time to do the final ditch & McTavish quilting, THEN go back and quilt continuous swirls in the white borders and 'something' in the gold borders...still haven't settled on a final quilting design...time for some quilt browsing...

Later,
~Deb

Playing Catch-Up w/Grand Illusion...w/Updates!

With our Family Christmas celebration winding down, dinners cooked and dishes mostly done ;-), got to steal away for a few hours and feed my quilting soul:

Christmas present from my youngest son and his bride...Thank YOU Brandon & Emily!

Playing catch-up on Bonnie K. Hunter's Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt - just finished up Part II and almost finished w/Part V!

All Double Diamonds completed and ready for final pressing

Part V in the works:

Turquoise & yellow four patches completed

UPDATE 12/31/2014 - Finished up ALL the four patches, complete w/pressing:

Pink and aqua w/yellow/black four patches finished up!

Half-way through creating the HSTs of Part IV:

HSTs ready for their 'side dressing' pieces

And of course the 'left-overs' from Part I are now ready to come out of hiding and join the FUN:

Turquoise & pink HSTs from Part I

Haven't done a thing w/Part III yet, saving it for last.  Hoping to catch-up by tomorrow morning's link-up...looks like I'd better get back to it!

Later,
~Deb

PS...to see what EVERYONE else has been up to with this Grand Illusion, follow these direct weblinks for each Part of the Mystery:

Part I -   http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2014/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-1.html
Part II -  http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2014/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-2.html
Part III - http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2014/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-3.html
Part IV - http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2014/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-4.html
Part V  - http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2014/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-5.html

Big Reveal of the New Year - http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2015/01/grand-illusion-finale.html

Christmas Day FUN - just for You!

We like this one soooo much, brought back just for You:

Merry Christmas!
~Deb

The Miracle the World has NEVER Forgotten...

Over a thousand people spent 10,000+ hours making this very special Christmas video and song just for You:

Merry Christmas EVERYONE!
~Deb

Part II of Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt Underway...

Another late start w/Part II of Bonnie K. Hunter's Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt, but I'm gettin' there...just in time, too since Part III will be out bright and early tomorrow morning!

Chain piecing those diamonds

I chose Option #3 to construct my diamonds and I LOVE the tip Bonnie gave about sewing just a touch to the 'inside' of the drawn line, rather than right on that line - works great!

Set my needle just to the 'inside' of that stitching line - what a great Bonnie tip!

And here's one of my first finished diamonds:

First finished black/neutral/pink diamond - just a 'few' more to go!

There's no time to waste - time to get back to it...I'll post updates as they become available.

Later,
~Deb

PS...To see and enjoy what EVERYONE else is doing w/Grand Illusion Mystery quilt Part II, Please follow this direct link:  http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2014/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-2.html

Grand Illusion Quiltville Mystery Part I - Let the Mystery Begin! w/Updates

After a rather slooow start due to a fast-paced cold/flu over the past few days, got to gather my Grand Illusion Mystery fabrics for Bonnie K. Hunter's annual mystery quilt ALL us quilt-maniacs, myself certainly included, look forward to each year.  And I think these batiks will work well, don't you?:

Grand Illusion Mystery quilt fabrics

Once again, decided to use the SNS system to create my half-square triangles:

First two sides sewn to the center block

Sewing on the final 2 sides

All pressed and ready to be trimmed

Time to trim up those sides

4 half-square triangles ready to be sewn into blocks

Just 200+ to go!  Actually - I have all of the SNS units sewn and almost half of them cut.  I'll post an update when I get them all assembled w/black & yellow squares, which I do have all cut out ready to go.

UPDATE 12/2/2014:  Part I Finish...Yippee!

Got ALL the SNS HSTs trimmed and cut:

ALL Part I HSTs cut and ready to assemble

Whipped out the ol' Bernina 1090 to finish piecing - LOVE the sound of this quilting workhorse, and just look what we were able to finish up together:

Chain piecing the broken dish units

They look like pretty butterflies to me ;-)

Tah Dah!

Part I of Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt ALL finished up!

Like I always say...time to get back to it ;-)

Later,

~Deb

PS...To see and enjoy what EVERYONE else is doing w/Grand Illusion Mystery quilt Part I, Please follow this direct link: http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2014/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-1.html