Sister's Choice Quilts

Quilters Are the Best People

I am one happy quilter today. Look what came in the mail! A week or so ago I posted that I was sorry I hadn't signed up for the Designer Mystery Block of the Month program back in 2015 because it was the best one Fatquarter Shop ever did. Linda E. contacted me and said she had the kit, unused, and was willing to sell it to me. You bet I jumped on that offer.

She sent a box out that very day and I am pretty sure I got the patterns and fabric before she even received my check! I am so excited to start working on this project. I have to work out a plan for the finishing and layout of the blocks, and have a few things in mind. Luckily, Primitive Gatherings has recently come out with a collection that has navy and lighter blue fabrics that I think will coordinate great with these blocks.

Quilters really are the best sort of people. 

Designer Mystery 2022

Because I need another project to work on right?

This is the Designer Mystery BOM sponsored by Fatquartershop.com. The fabrics are Nantucket Summer by Camille Roskelley for Moda. The colors are fabulous, aren't they? Shades of blue and green and a wonderful cream background. This BOM and the fabric for it are so popular, much of it is sold out and you can't join the BOM because it's full.

The FQS Designer Mysteries are hit or miss for me. I haven't been that thrilled with the ones I have signed up for and have actually only finished one out of the three I joined. But then, every year or so there will be one that is off the charts in terms of fabric, colors, and patterns, and sure enough, I missed out on it. 2015, Primitive Gatherings, I am talking about you. Seriously, if anyone has an unused kit they aren't going to make, I'll buy it from you.

So, I jumped on this one because I love the fabric and the setting looks like it is going to be really interesting. What you see on my small design wall are Months One and Two. We are up to Month Five now, so I have some catching up to do. 

Sad news for our Badgers. They lost the final game in the league tournament and came in second. Some of the girls took it hard, but it was a great season and I, for one, can't wait for more next year.

How's your week going? I haven't had many comments this week, so I hope all is well. 

How Nice It Is To Sew

What a nice week this has been to get caught up on my several sewing projects. The two blocks in the photo above are for the Midnight Moon sew-along.  Nothing like a Halloween quilt to pick up one's spirits. Isn't that apple green color divine? It is the perfect accent to a quilt with black and orange. I still have no idea how I am going to set these blocks or how large the quilt will be.  I will be happy with lap size. I am making only the 6" blocks.

These two blocks are for the Moda Blockheads 4 sew-along. I love these muted spring colors and think a quilt featuring them will be just about perfect come April. The fabrics are from three different collections designed by Linzee Cull McCray for Moda. Who would have thought grey and yellow and aqua would be such a great combination?

Eva and I spent the day together yesterday. We made banana chocolate fudgecicles and went to the pool. The pool was super crowded with loud boisterous teenagers, so she didn't feel like staying too long. Also, her mermaid fins have become too small for her growing feet, which really bummed her out. She sure loved pulling on that mermaid get-up when she went to the pool. She has loved that thing for three years, so we got our money's use out of it. I wonder if I can find one in a larger size? She just isn't done pretending she is a mermaid. Childhood just doesn't last long enough, I tell you.

April Mug Rugs in Progress

I will be slipping just under the wire with my April mug rugs. I gifted my daughter and three friends with the "Mug Rug of the Month" at Christmas. I have actually given them October through March so far. I thought these little baskets would be cute for Easter month. They could also work for May baskets too, but I guess it would be cheating to double up.

These are taking a fair amount of time to piece as you can imagine. They are turning out super adorable though. Hope to get them quilted and bound over the next couple of days.

The pattern is Pretty Little Baskets from The Pattern Basket Co. The fabric is a real throwback. Years ago Carrie Nelson (Miss Rosie's Quilt Co.) designed a couple of lines of fabric for the Henry Glass Company, and this is one of them. I am pretty sure it is called Nine Dots and is from around 2010. It has perfect Eastery colors and I am so glad I have a project that suits it at last. 

I like it so much, as a matter of fact, that I am going to make four more blocks and make a mini table topper for my counter for Easter. Fingers crossed for Wednesday for that project.

I spent a nice couple of days this weekend with my father, who was in fine fettle. He is always so appreciative of any attention from his daughters. We had a lovely salmon salad for dinner on Friday night, and Potato Ham Soup on Saturday. I avoid any big cooking projects when I am at his house because his appetite is so light and he doesn't much care for leftovers. During the week I try to make a hearty soup, stew, or casserole for my husband and I. It is easy to take out a couple of portions and take them to my dad's for one of our meals. 

Hope you all had a great weekend. The weather has been great here, and what a pleasure it has been not to have to bundle up in sweaters to keep warm. Finally I can wear some of those cute new lightweight spring tops I recently purchased. I really want to sit outside and enjoy the nice weather, but my husband is having the worst allergy attacks this spring than ever before in his life. He's willing to try, but he is so miserable with sneezing and itchy eyes afterward I can't put him through it.

It seems crazy that we are at the end of March already. January seemed to have 104 days, but February and March have just flown by! Does it seem that way to you too?

 

Going In a New Direction

I am taking my Designer Mystery Quilt 2011 in a different direction. I decided I didn't really care for the flower stems. Too "cutesy" for my taste. I spent a lot of time looking over the past Designer Mystery settings and liked the look of the one from 2020. 

As you can see it has nine blocks set on the diagonal as a center medallion. There are a couple of narrow borders that will frame it, as you can see in the diagram below. 

It finishes with a star design and the four remaining blocks on each corner. I have enough fabric for a floral outer border, so that will increase the size of the top for me.

This quilt has the look of a girl's quilt I think. And I know a special girl who is turning 11 in July that might like it. And look what I can use on the back:

Thanks so much to those of you who made setting suggestions yesterday. It really made me rethink the pattern directions that came with the quilt blocks!

Among the Stars Again Month Four-All Caught Up!

I'm happy to say I am all caught up with the Among the Stars Again sew-along. This is Month Four. Pretty subtle block for sure. Each month you make two blocks with the same pattern and same fabrics, just reversing the color placement. These blocks may look kind of blah, but the overall effect in the quilt is very elegant.

I had fun playing around with my ancient Singer Featherweight the other day. Do you have one of these classic old machines? I used to use mine when I attended quilt retreats or get together with quilting friends. I only sew at home anymore, so I wasn't even sure if this old Featherweight still worked.

The good news is, it works pretty well! The lacy looking plastic gizmo on the right of the needle is a seam guide I bought ages ago. It is so pretty, isn't it? You line it up with your quarter inch foot, then screw it in place for accurate sewing. I don't always use it, but I tried it out again. I was thinking I might be able to take this Featherweight with me to my dad's on the weekends and get in some sewing. I may or may not do that.

Here is something super cute I just bought and thought to share with you all. You know how on these old machines the spool of thread sits on a little felt pad? There is a lady on Etsy who crochets these little spool pin daisies that work great in place of the boring felt circle. Here is a link to her site. I contacted her and she says she isn't making them anymore, but she has a pdf pattern on how to make them. Evidently, I bought the last one!

Well, I sure did get a lot of chocolate chip cookie recipes after my plea for help. I don't know what the issue was with my recent attempt that spread out all over the pan. I think leaving out the nuts could have had an effect on the dough holding together. Also, since i prefer a chewier cookie, more flour might have helped. I am really intrigued with the chocolate chip cookie recipes that called for a package of vanilla pudding! I am going to try that next up. I also noticed so many of you recommended half butter and half Crisco. I will give that a shot soon as well. One more thing is that I will let the butter soften to room temperature on the counter before using it. Giving it a nudge in the microwave may have affected my outcome. 

At any rate, thanks so much for all the suggestions and links to chewy chocolate chip recipes!

 

My Garden is in Blossom

Another productive sewing day for me yesterday. This has been quite the week for getting my mojo back. I finished the fourth and fifth blocks in my 2011 Designer Mystery BOM. The setting is going to be so cute. I will be making little stem units so it appears that each block is a flower. Hope I have enough green....

That fifth block (the middle right one) was a bear to sew, I can tell you that. It was a bit fussy. But it used all the colors, woo hoo. Of course, I got one tiny unit switched around (not just once but four times) and had to do some unsewing. Ah, those thread-picking interludes are restful for the mind, right?

I am really enjoying these bright fresh colors.

I also can report that I got my Serendipity quilt top all put together, except for the borders.  Maybe I can wrap that up on Sunday afternoon.

Have a great weekend everyone!

What Next?

I tell you, give me a week to spend sewing, and I can get things done. Lately that hasn't been happening though, but due to a Covid outbreak in the family, I have been able to get up in my sewing room for extended periods this week. And look what I found.

This is an ancient fabric collection by Fig Tree & Co. It was called Strawbery Something. Strawberry Fields, Strawberry Rhubarb, Strawberry Shortcake, I can't recall. It was a Block of the Month Designer Mystery sew along sponsored by Fat Quarter Shop from 2011.  Eleven years ago.  Can you believe I dug up a UFO older than my grandchild?

And I never made a single block. Month after month for a year I paid for my monthly block subscription and never sewed a blessed one. 

I had neatly stored all the fabrics in a plastic tub and still had all the patterns. 

I started assembling the fabrics needed for each block and starching them. Yesterday I made three blocks,
and I don't mind saying, they are adorable!

Block number one.

Block number two. This one took a while. And I got two of the corner blocks turned wrong. Fixed it!

Block number three. I think this one is my favorite.

I am having fun working with these larger blocks (12.5 inches unfinished). I have no idea how I will put them together. Probably a simple setting with the white tone on tone polka dot I am using for my background. I will never find a matching border fabric after all these years, but Fig Tree will have a red print that will still match, so I think I will be good.

Did any of you make this quilt back in the day? 


 

Christmas Among the Stars Again Months 1, 2, 3

Another glorious day of sewing yesterday. I have finished the first three months of the Fatquartershop Block of the month sew-along "Among the Stars Again". Now, here's a question for you.

I could make this same block of the month with Fig Tree Halloween fabrics. I have a bundle of Fig Tree Pumpkins and Blossoms in orange, green and black. The book I am using for the pattern instructions for the Christmas sew-along actually shows the quilt blocks in both Christmas and Halloween fabrics.

The question is: Should I make the blocks in the Halloween fabrics while I am already making them in the Christmas fabrics? Then I would have two quilts that were the same, one in Christmas fabric and one in Halloween fabrics

OR

Should I make the Halloween quilt completely different? I have a couple of patterns in mind that would work.  

Have you ever made the same quilt twice? I have thought it might be boring, so I have only done it a couple of times.

Whatever I decide, I know I will end up with two super cute quilts. 

I sure hope you are having a great week. I certainly am.

 

Christmas Among the Stars Again BOM Progress

Amidst the holiday hubbub, I managed to get into the sewing room for an hour or so. If I don't keep up with the Christmas Among the Stars Again sew along I am going to get behind. This is one of two blocks for the second month of the sew-along.  I just paid for month four, so I need to step it up a bit. 

How many times have you signed up for a BOM year-long sew-along and lost steam after the first or second month? I swear I have at least three abandoned BOMs sitting in storage. Now that is a real waste. I regret abandoning two of them, one was in Fig Tree fabrics and the other was Bonnie and Camille. At some point, I do want to finish those up. The third one I ended up not caring for because the fabric was kind of ugly (to be honest). It was a Blackbird Designs collection that featured muted colors and had lots of prints in a baby diarrhea gold/brown that was just bad. That one can remain a UFO.

Are any of you participating in this Christmas Among the Stars Again sew-along? I looked on the Fat Quarter Shop website but did not see any finishing or backing kits for this sew-along. I hope they aren't sold out! There isn't much left of the Christmas Morning fabric collection that the BOM is using.

I am enjoying making the blocks and fondling the pretty fabric.  The quilt is Christmassy, but still kind of subtle. 

Next Christmas I will be so glad I made it!

Hope you are all doing great and that you are enjoying a relaxing week between Christmas and New Years.