Runaway Mystery Quilt Update

Time has flown by this month!  I had a wonderful time at Kinderhook last weekend.  I really need to do that more often - go on trips to work on projects rather than to shop for more, that is!  I spent many, many hours working on the Runaway Mystery quilt.  I had high hopes of getting it completely finished, and put in at least 16 hours of sewing each day, but alas came up short...  I did make considerable progress, and even started fantasizing that I might get it done in time for my friends to take to Runaway with them this year, but I think I am going to run out of time.  I have a few more blocks to finish but started laying it out on the floor to see what it will look like:

I wasn't sure that I liked it at first, but looking at the picture, I really think I do!  It is the first scrappy project I have ever done, and it's really been difficult for me!  It's going to be a big one...I think maybe a king or at least close to it. 

I've also been making some progress on my Lisa's Garden blocks.  I've had week six done for a while but hadn't gotten around to taking a picture:

I haven't made much progress on my snowman rug.  It has to be finished by October in order to be part of our Christmas card project, so I suppose I had better put away the stitching and get to hooking!

Setback

No pictures to post today, although I have finished the first Summer Freebie block and a couple of the BOW week 5 blocks. I also started a new rug on Saturday at Wool Club.  I'll have to post a picture of it later.  It's a snowman...it's kind of funny working on a snowman during a heat warning. It's supposed to be 100 F the next couple of days.

Sometimes a little whining makes me feel better...

I spent the afternoon at the machine yesterday, diligently working my way through the first step of the March clue for the Runaway mystery quilt.  The clues have no text or explanation - just line drawings that are filled with the approximate color that the pieces are supposed to be.  I use the word "approximate" because the colors aren't entirely obvious in some of the clues.  So anyway, I finish all 80 sub-blocks and press them nicely, then take a look at step two.  Step two calls for 64 green triangles.  I have 10 left after sewing the 80 blocks.  Only then does it occur to me that what I thought was green in step one was supposed to be black.  Not my happiest moment of the weekend, to be sure!  I now have 80 blocks to "un-press", unsew, and redo.  I made it through the first 10 last night.  Only 70 left to go.  The worst part was that I decided I had better take a look at the rest of the clues, including the final layout, to make sure I hadn't screwed anything else up.  It kind of ruined the fun a bit - I like a true mystery - but I am glad that I did it. If nothing else it prevented me from making a mistake on my border.  The good news is that I really like the final quilt and think it will look nice in my colors, so I guess I will bite the bullet and grab the seam ripper!

Fantastic Weekend!

I had such a wonderful and productive weekend!  It's a shame there isn't some reason to be off on Monday at least once a month.  I got an early start to my weekend on Friday, heading over to Bread Company with a friend to sit outside (the weather was absolutely wonderful and completely atypical for this time of year) all afternoon and work on binding Bird Party.  I was 75% finished by the time we left for the day!  I finished whipping it Friday, stitched the binding tape down Saturday, and did the final steaming this morning. 

I finished the first week's applique blocks for the Summer BOW late last week but didn't get a picture posted.  I have prepped the applique for week two.  I haven't started on the pieced blocks yet.  I am absolutely loving this project!  The pieces are tiny but the blocks are so cute!

I also managed to finish the first sewing step of my Runaway Mystery quilt this weekend.  I was really worried about how all this scrappiness would turn out, but when the blocks came together I was very happy with them.  I took a peek at the next step thinking I would get going on it, but the first instruction involved making 80 of something - an immediate turn-off!  I went back to my applique.

Last, but not least, I did get some applique done.  I am still plugging away at last month's AA assignment.  It's an obnoxious block!  I have 27 of 45 pieces sewn.  I also took a quick break today and started one of the quilts that I have been wanting to work on for a long time - one of the Nancy Page Quilt Club patterns.  I appliqued one block but still need to add embroidery.  I will write more about the quilt and my Nancy Page obsession at a later time...

Garage Sale, Excessive Heat, and a Bit of Sewing

This weekend was crazy busy!  My sister and I finally got around to having our garage sale.  It was a popular weekend - several local neighborhoods had sales the same day (a couple because of rain delays), so the competition was stiff.  I'm never sure if all the hard effort is worth it.  It does force me to clean things out (especially the garage!), but it's certainly not much fun!  Now I have all the follow-up to take care of - getting all the leftovers picked up by whoever will take them.

The weather this weekend was wicked-hot!  It  was dry for the first weekend in over a month, but the humidity was oppressive.  Today was ridiculous - over 90 F.  I hiope it cools back down soon.  I'd hate to think we completely skipped spring!  We did have a bit of spring-like weather in April but May was cold and damp, so I'm not at all ready for heat and humidity.

I did manage to squeeze in a bit of sewing this weekend.  I finished block ten of My Garden Album:

I'm really pleased with the way it turned out.  I used the Floriani stabilizer technique that I learned from Mariya Waters in Paducah.  Not bad, but I think I will try the starch technique next.  I still can't find anything that I like working on more than plain-old needle-turn, but it does seem like placement is a bit more accurate when the pieces are prepped ahead of time.

I also managed to do a little more sewing on the Runaway Mystery quilt.  I am definitely not good at "scrappy"!  I'm still working on the February step...I'm a bit behind, but making progress!  I have the most difficult time putting all the different tans/creams together - it just doesn't look like they should be in the same block, but I have seen so many quilts done this way and love them, so I am going to force myself to stick with it.  Here's a shot of all the pieces:

And one of the first blocks (not sewn, but this is the general idea:

Wow...I don't like that one bit!  This is going to be tough!