Chinese Whispers

[Lois B.]

I have been saving Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt as well. but currently I am trying to get all my scraps of quilting fabric under control (ie all stuffed away in a box or two instead of just sitting on top of my sewing table :wink: ) so that I actually have some space to work in. I am also in the throws of setting up a scrap user's system, and I am contemplating getting a 'crumb strips' project box for leaders & enders. But basically it is currently in such a mess my mojo takes one look and goes off to find a book or blog to read instead.... Not good :roll: , especially as I need to get on with some dressmaking.

[Nancy R.]

Wendy -

Your cat sounds like mine! But I have two of them... For a little while (couple of days) I had a design wall that was just a big piece of flannel that was thumb-tacked to the wall. That is, until the cats pulled it down several times. Then I gave up. I'm very stubborn, but they have worn me down. They also pull quilts off of the walls so most of my quilts are hung in uninteresting locations or in rooms where they aren't allowed to go. Sounds like you're making progress, though, and I'm sure it's stunning!!

I've not done a Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt yet, but I really want to do one some day. Her quilts are beautiful and I love how she designs them to be scrappy! But right now I'm just working on Christmas. I've finished 2 bags and am currently working on a third that I hope to have done today. One of these bags used the "professional bag" pattern that I love and the other two are from a Craftsy class. The Craftsy class bags take an extra long time because they are heavily quilted before putting the bag together. I'm also working on 2 lap quilts that just need some more quilting in the middle. They both have Minkee backings so they are a bit of a struggle shoving into the harp space, but they are very cuddly! But only a few weeks left so I need to keep my nose to the grindstone! I'll post pictures when I'm done....

Nancy

[Renata L.]

Luckily, my cat will play with any fabric strips I'm willing to dangle in front of him, otherwise, he sits in my sewing room and just keeps me company. However, if there is virgin quilt laying on a bed or the couch, he will initiate it!



Like Rita, I am also doing Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt, Celtic Solstice. My sister has done more than one of Bonnie's mystery quilts and last year's is on her bed, just beautiful! She warned me there's a lot of work and you can anticipate what she plans to do with the blocks you've built, but you'll always be surprised because what you thought you'd be doing with the blocks are probably not what you will do... :wink: Lots of work but lots of fun, I'm enjoying myself with it. This is what I made this morning:



I'm sure I'll get plenty of them done today as it's snowing outside right now--no desire to go out! :lol:

[wendy w.]

Your cat is so cute, hope he doesn't leave a black nest on that lovely quilt. Your two sound fun Nancy. Don't they make you laugh when you're not pulling your hair out at their antics

This mystery quilt sounds fascinating.

[E.M. T.]

Computer is cooperating...so will write a bit today ! It's been a pain getting straightened out !

In a couple a words--Happy Dancing ! CW is nearly in Maureen's hands at last !! Thanks everyone !

Celtic Solstice is a huge temptation...Like Lois, I'm taking notes and keeping the pattern. Too many
other things in the way just now. Don't think I have enough variety without digging deeper in the
scrape stash ! :roll: :roll: How can that be??

New computer is cluttering my desk ! My old brain is trying to get acquainted with Windows 8 ! ARRGH !
Still will need new printer...Is Epson still about the best for fabric printing?? And then, there is the matter
of cleaning up all those photos !! :evil: Why didn't I do that as I went??? ARRGH, again! I'm glad PC didn't crash
totally...but it is really cranky.

Renata...cold and snowing here, too...no ice storm,tho...8 below last nite. Did I tell you how much I liked your
trees quilt? It's glorious !

You can talk about your kittys...but the other night DH caught Daisy the Yorky sneaking out of my sewing room
with a 4 x1 inch wool scrap dangling from her mouth....she was hoping to get in a good chew !! :lol: :lol: :lol:
Can't leave sewing basket down ..she's a big thief !!

[wendy w.]

well the batting I'd bought for CW quilt had a corner of the plastic chewn and when I took it out they had scratched out a hole in it :roll:

I'm with you Marilyn computers are so annoying and unfriendly

[E.M. T.]

Wish I had a thumbs up button ! :lol: :lol: :lol:

[E.M. T.]

Productive afternoon
All my quilting cottons are now boxed and I can nearly get to my sewing table! I even sorted out a box of scraps that I can date to 2009 when I was saving every tiny scrap in case I wanted to do confetti style quilting and today I decided that nah! - CBA (can't be arsed) to that technique at the moment and can't be bothered to save them any longer. I do however have a smallish box of scraps & strips of 2 1/2" papers so that I can make up crumb strips and I also have a lot more strips cut for the scrap user's system 8)

Re-discoveries include -

My no. 2 list of muggies and some of the pieces that I had ready prepared.
A dress I had partly made and was after fitting advice from a friend.
Various threads including some gold and silver passing which I wish I could remember what I had bought them for :roll:
And a large pile of only used once tough envelopes, that I am sure could be re-used (just need to make some muggies to put in them :wink:

[Lois B.]

It is snowing here and we are expecting freezing rain overnite. I'd rather have 2 ft of snow than freezing rain but you take what you get. And since we have a lovely fire in the fireplace I'll be content with my knitting. All the antics of my Chinese Whispher friends are bringing lots of smiles to my face. As long as the freezing rain doesn't bring down power lines I'll be happy. A friend and I are working on a rather big Christmas project for our church. Tomorrow we plan to be finishing it up and we need to use our machines. Can't wait to share pictures. Have a good day everyone and keep inspiring me to be creative with news of all your current projecst. That Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt is more and more enticing now that I know Renata and Rita are doing it too. Marilyn are you still thinking about it or are you moving beyond that. Nancy, Christmas will soon be over. Then what will you do?

[Renata L.]

Lois, I could not agree with you more! I just finished shoveling ice before it solidified on the pavement and that was after being outside shoveling snow twice before, thinking that it had stopped for good! It's supposed to ice over during the night, but at least I won't have to worry about the trash collector or the mailman--I cleared out the area for them (well, I hope it stays clear). Look forward to photos of your church Christmas project! Marilyn, we certainly can't compete with the cold and snow you get in Idaho, we have just gotten used to 60 degree weather in November-December so what a shock to the system here... wish you were joining us in the mystery quilt!

Congratulations, Maureen, on getting up-to-date on your receipt of all the quilts that were due to you--I know I feel so relieved that Nancy's is in your daughter's possession right now.

Rosemary, must have been fun to make the discoveries you did, or was it just nice to have your room ready so you can start a new project?

Wendy, you sound like a real trooper, getting through Chinese Whispers with both delight and a touch of desperation--like we all did along the way and as Lorna will too next. But no one, to-date, has blamed a four-legged member or the family for eating the wadding!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

And Nancy, super-woman, you will probably get all those Christmas presents finished, wrapped, delivered and you'll still celebrate with bells on--wish I had some of what you have to get it all done! :wink: I'd be sleeping for three days straight... :roll:

[Rita C.]

When Renata posted her photo of her chevrons I thought they looked a little different to mine....

and then I realized that I had sewn them together the wrong way around! :shock: :roll: .....57 of them. (There are 200 in total so it could have been worse) Fortunately the fix was easy. Fold them over, stitch the other side and then unpick the offending seam and hey presto all fixed. Sorry I don't have a photo to show you the fixed ones because it's too late and I am heading to my little cosy bed for the night. Lois, give it a whirl girl. It's fun not knowing what is coming next - so counter-intuitive for us quilters - except when doing the Chinese Whispers quilt. :lol:

[Renata L.]

Oh, Rita, that's an ouchie for sure! I'll have to remember your method of restitching before unpicking, seems to keep one more organized when having to redo. Glad you recovered quickly.I must admit that in looking at your chevrons, I was overcome by stash envy--those chevrons are made up of some very pretty scraps!

[Nancy R.]

Another bag done, tomorrow I'll start back on the quilting. Phew! After Christmas, I'll probably make another bag for a friend who has a Jan 11 birthday. Then, I hope to quilt my mom's tablecloth, maybe in time for Machine Quilter's Showcase in Wichita, KS. I won't be going to the show, but it would be nice to put another quilt in. The deadline for those entries is Feb 15 and I have most of the quilting designed so I might be able to make it. Then on to piecing the backing and quilting my niece's college graduation quilt which must be done by May. Her quilt shouldn't be too difficult to quilt since I think I'm just going to quilt straight lines, but we'll see once I get back to it. Then I'm FREE to work on something I want to work on -- maybe finish up my Laura Nownes sampler or work on one of the BOM quilts I've started. I've also got a wholecloth quilt that is mostly designed that I'd really like to make. And, of course, a few mug rugs along the way....

Rita & Renata - your mystery quilts look like so much fun! Sorry that you had to do so resewing, Rita! But it was nice of Renata to show you your mistake!

Glad you're back online, Marilyn, even if you are still limping along. I need to get a new laptop soon so will be going through your pain myself.

My kitties haven't gotten into the packaged batting yet, but that's probably because I keep it in one of the "off limits" rooms. They sure are cute when they're sleeping! And, yes, they really are fun to watch. My favorite is watching them climb trees outside or climb up the ladder to the loft inside. The ladder is connected to the wall so it is completely vertical so it's amazing to watch them climb up the rungs. My previous cat was more like yours, Rita. Didn't get into any trouble but loved to curl up on a fresh quilt. I could even put up a Christmas tree and she wouldn't touch anything on it. I don't dare do that with these scamps!

Nancy

[Lois B.]

Nancy you are so, so busy. I can see why you are just thinking about Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt. I bet I could make a long list of things that could go on a "to do" list but I am also thinking I need to use my stash. There are lots of pieces of fabrics on my shelves in the colors she's suggested that are screaming to be in a quilt. We'll see how much we get done today on the Christmas project.

[Lois B.]

Rita, I also sewed several of my Celtic Solstice chevron blocks the same way you did. I was doing mine in batches of ten, and within one batch I had some that were one way and some the other way. I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong!!! Fortunately, though, I only had to rip out four of them. I'm making the smaller version of the quilt and have done 50 of the 100 chevron blocks so far. I was much more careful on the next batches!