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December 2, 2024
Weekly update: the stash report, Old Town, OMG + reading from With Strings Attached


 



The tree is up.  



The boys are back.  (The big one never went away....)  

My mother started our nutcracker collection in the mid-1980's with one of the twins on the mantel (#2 or #10) and later with #5, #6, and #8. The others came from estate/garage sales and TJMaxx.   They're all German. 

 


 I try not to acquire more Christmas decorations, but if I come across German nutcrackers at good prices I will indulge.


The November stash report shows that I didn't indulge much compared to earlier this year.    Fabric IN:   60-1/4 yards, $80, average $1 ...

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February 13, 2024
2024 In Pictures... from caledonia quilter

The apron I made for my egg-providing neighbour.  I know she appreciates these...I popped over there one day for a visit and she was wearing a tattered apron that I'd made her a couple years earlier.  Ever since then I make her a new one every couple years.

I'm lucky enough to have friends who I meet at Mapleview Mall for an irregular dinner date, maybe a half dozen times a year?  We met through our work at Royal Bank ...so many years ago I don't even want to think about it.  Somehow these new shoes ...

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February 1, 2024
February's Snowmen! from Quilt Doodle Doodles

 

 

Happy February! It's first false spring here in Minnesota. It's unseasonably warm here this week. It's supposed to hit 50's today. I should take Josephine for a walk, but she had a bath the other day and she's looking so nice that I hate to chance her rolling in something disgusting at the park. It's crazy warm, I've even cracked open a couple of windows to air the house out. I suddenly have spring fever and it's too soon! Toooooo sooooooo....... although it's been glorious to finally see the sunshine and ...

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February's Snowmen! from Quilt Doodle Doodles...

 

 

Happy February! It's first false spring here in Minnesota. It's unseasonably warm here this week. It's supposed to hit 50's today. I should take Josephine for a walk, but she had a bath the other day and she's looking so nice that I hate to chance her rolling in something disgusting at the park. It's crazy warm, I've even cracked open a couple of windows to air the house out. I suddenly have spring fever and it's too soon! Toooooo sooooooo....... although it's been glorious to finally see the sunshine and ...

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January 20, 2024
Free Pattern Friday ~ Canadian Quilter's Mystery 2024 from Life in the Scrapatch

 



Would you like to make a Fabric Oatmeal Raisin Cookie?


Then the

  Canadian Quilters ~ 2024 Mystery Quilt-Along 

is for you!

All Information and the First Two Blocks are available in the link above. 

Are you sewing along? 


My idea of a yummy oatmeal cookie has dried cranberries, 

white chocolate chips and walnuts in them, 

so I would add red to my cookie fabric.

What would you add?


 I have not decided if I will sew along.

I have sew many projects.


I may have to bake Oatmeal Cookies this weekend, though.


May you have a happy quilty and yummy cookie ...

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December 19, 2023
Weekly update: tragedy, triumph, estate sale delights, and Indigo Way from With Strings Attached


 Look at the upper left of the photo.  That dot is a bald eagle.  He's got his eye on a disabled duck in the lake.   Gulls were doing their part to chase the eagle off.  [Taken after the Friday estate sale.]

I was going to post on Wednesday. I was going to post on Friday.  But things happen.

To make a long story short, I've been figuring out how to adapt the household layout to S's limited mobility and particularly to his advancing dementia.  He wrenched his knee last week so going down to the basement family ...

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November 30, 2023
Advent Countdown from Melva Loves Scraps


Hi, my name is Melva and I am a sucker for a fun Advent Calendar. My love for them began as a child.  We had a calendar with a Christmas tree and small pockets that held ornaments.  Each day one of the small ornaments was added to the tree.  

When our children were young, we used the same calendar.  I passed on the calendar to our grandchildren.  Though, I don't think it has been used for a few years. :(

My Mom loves them as well.  She also loves puzzles.  I found an advent puzzle for her!  She has always ...

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November 27, 2023
Weekly update: Indigo Way begins, under the needle + reading from With Strings Attached

 

Sunday brought a dusting of snow.  It looks pretty and I am glad it won't last long.

Photo taken at the state park.  I stopped on the way home from church but I didn't take a walk!

# # # # #

I've made many of the Quiltville mysteries.  I was greatly disappointed in two of them Grand Illusion and Rhododendron Trail) and skipped their immediate successors, Allietare and Chilhowie.  Those turned out to be designs I liked. 

Now it's time for Indigo Way.  I've decided to give it a go.  

I have a hoard of South African indigos but ...

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October 31, 2023
New FREE BOM And FREE Mystery Quilt from Podunk Pretties

 Happy Halloween Quilty Friends!  Today post will be as short and and sweet as candy corn, one of my favorite seasonal treats.  If you've never had candy corn and cashews together, you need to give it a try.  It was my momma's favorite fall treat.  I was leery about the combination at first but it's wickedly addictive!

Now onto some sweet treats with no calories.  Free quilt patterns!  The first one is Bona Lisa's Sweater Emporium.


You can get all the details for this quilt FREE BOM at the following blogs.  Be sure to visit each ...

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August 26, 2023
Mystery quilt all sewn, seeks backing from Art In Search

       My guild's mystery quilt for this year is all sewn. I am not going to put a border on it. I am looking for an appropriate backing so I can get it done to show at guild.



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August 4, 2023
Guild mystery quilt from Art In Search

      The final clue of the guild mystery quilt came in and I was able to lay it out. The paper copy showed a square. I don't know why, I hate square quilts. Maybe because people are rectangular, not square. I stopped subscribing to Block magazine because most of the quilts lately were squares. I like the colors I picked not knowing what the quilt looked like. Relief.
     I pondered with some graph paper and added a top and bottom row which I think finish it off better and makes it a rectangle. Win-win. Now to find a backing. Not ...

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June 23, 2023
Good Fortune is finished from Wendy's Quilts and More

It's been a long time coming, but I'm very pleased to advise that my Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt from 2018 is finally finished.  It's called Good Fortune. 


I like it, but I wouldn't say that I'm in love with it.  I did learn some useful lessons along the way though; 

- beware of mystery quilts.  This isn't the first time I've said this, but I think I started this quilt before I really learnt my lesson on Jen Kingwell's Marshal mystery quilt. 

- if you're going to change the colours or layout, be ...

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June 8, 2023
Guild's Mystery Quilt from Mimi's Passions



I may have OCD.

Doing a mystery quilt is really hard for me.  I need to know what color is going where, what the pattern is, etc., etc.  

I've only done one mystery quilt in the past and I have to admit that I really ended up loving it.  It's just stressful while I am making it because of all the unknowns.  

Well, I am jumping in again.  

We needed 1 yd. very dark; 1 yd, med dark; 1 yd dark (I'm already losing my mind), and 3/4 yd medium.  Then there is the 5 yards ...

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February 28, 2023
Slow, but moving forward from Art In Search

      Progress on UFOs and other stuff is being made, but I wish I had superpowers for just one day to get it done. The mystery quilt from Alycia, Dakota Inspired (A12) has been sewn for a long while, but I finally got it quilted over the weekend. I made the binding, which is glued on now, and hope to get it sewn. As soon as the quilt was trimmed off the longarm and hit the floor and I got my camera, the newest inspector was already on the job.


Binding made, now glued, ready to sew
     I confess, I could ...

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January 13, 2023
It's a Mystery! (quilt) from DaySpringQuilter

 In my previous post here I shared my photos of my fabric choices for the Bonnie Hunter Chilhowie mystery quilt which started on Black Friday. This was my post wedding project to help me transition to the next stage of our adventure on the road.

I haven't kept up with the clues (my normal) but have been very amazed at the reveal.  This is Bonnie's quilt:


I chose her colours this year basically because my stash isn't with me and it was just easier.  And of course it wasn't a chore to actually visit quilt shops ...

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December 12, 2022
5 quilts December 12, 2022 from Making A Lather

 last report 5 quilts November 16 , 2022

I try to work on these 5 quilts until they are done. Their turn in the UFO closet is over, and, they need to be finished one way or another.

1. rhododendren mystery - Bonnie hunter - 

finished 12/22

2. Boho heart - it is quilted waiting on binding

3. dotty bow ties-  all the blocks are done and first sashing on them

4. circa 1880-  More about this here.  no progress

5 - frolic mystery - back and binding - re-ironed - frame  finished  11/22

Making a 5 quilts report has been good for staying on track ...

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December 9, 2022
Mystery quilt finish from Making A Lather

This quiltville mystery quilt has had it's share of mystery. I lost the blocks for Rhododendron mystery quilt after they were all made. Luckily, with a little sleuthing, they were found, and I decided to add this quilt to my 5 quilts goals. In November, the top was ready for borders, but, the corner pieces were missing. It was ready for quilting by Thanksgiving. I made this my December one monthly goal. If I wanted to make the new mystery - Chilhowie, I needed to finish this one.

90 x106

25 yards

I pieced a pink and floral ...

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November 29, 2022
frolic finish from Making A Lather

 I have finished my one monthly goal for November. I finished frolic quiltville mystery quilt from 2019. I kept current on the clues until it was time to assemble the blocks. That seems to be my undoing. I take longer to do that, I guess. I really like the colors and pattern of the blocks. This will be my 19th finished quiltville mystery quilt. I have a page here that shows them from the first to the last that I have done. I still have rhododendron to quilt and grassy creek to add borders.





I used a flannel back and ...

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November 21, 2022
rhododendron progress from Making A Lather

 It has been soooo cold here this past weekend, and we are still recovering from covid. There was nothing to do but work on rhododendron mystery quilt from last year.


I added inner and outer borders. I may change the cornerstones. I could not find the ones I made during the mystery. And I didn't want to be creative. I wanted it done.



I made the back from a sheet and a leftover pink piece from another back. It was almost to much math for me.


I even cut and made the binding. I can see the end in ...

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November 16, 2022
5 quilts 11/16 from Making A Lather

last report 5 quilts October 31 , 2022

I try to work on these 5 quilts until they are done. Their turn in the UFO closet is over, and, they need to be finished one way or another.

1. rhododendren mystery - Bonnie hunter - the top center is together. And I did get brave enough to trim.


2. Boho heart - I have finished a small section of group 3

3. I am working on the sashings of dotty bow ties.  The bow tie blocks are made. I am slowly adding a sashing to the center of each block, 10 at a time ...

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