2016 Finished Quilts - Star Skill Builder - Quilt 12

This is another "counter BOM" put on by my local quilt shop.  This is a sampler of star blocks made into a standard three by four block layout with a small block sashing.  The colors are a muted peach and brown tones.    

Close up of the borders.

Backing is a tiny gingham peach print that I picked up at Goodwill one day.  It works perfect for the back of this quilt.

Close up of some of the star blocks used in the quilt.  Also gives you a look at the framing and sashing of the quilt.

Looks pretty boring in the pictures, but actually it is rather calming because the colors blend together so well.

I did some posts about the struggles I had with making this quilt here, if you are interested in reading the history behind the finished product.

Next are the specific facts about the quilt:

Size: 65" X 80"

Fabric Lines Used:  Marcus Brothers various lines, and Maywood Studios 

Pattern: Star Builder

Designer:  Diane Bowden, Spinning Moon

Long Arm Quilter:  Carol Nelson

Year Began:  2009

Year Completed:  2016

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2016 Finished Quilts - Alliatare Mystery Quilt - Quilt 11

This is my second year of participating in Bonnie Hunter's annual Mystery Quilt program.  You can read my posts about all the details of this quilt and how her Mystery Quilt works here.

This quilt was made with mostly (other than the dark green print) are from several different lines of Fig Tree by Moda.  I like using mode fabrics, as their lines within a designer, can be mixed and matched and come out just beautiful!!  When I posted it on the Quiltville FB page, I even got a comment from Bonnie herself!!  She has over 30,000 followers all over the world!!  

This is another rather large quilt, 82" X 95".  All of her mystery quilts are this big.  My first one, done in Thimbleberries (you can read about it here).  I still have to get a backing put together on it and get it sent off to be quilted at my long arm quilter.

A lot of the comments from my FB post were about the border print.  Everyone liked how it looks on the quilt.  I bound it in the dark green print and it pulled the quilt together.

The backing was a tough one, I had lots of the background fabric leftover, but not enough to cover the entire back, so I used up the peach print from the quilt top and made a different looking back.  Not the most attractive looking back, but it works, as no one will ever probably see the back, except my readers.  The front steals the show, and the back will stay off stage.

I am anxious for the next mystery quilt coming this November.  I am already deciding what type of fabric I will be using.  That's how I dream, always thinking about the next quilt project.  Sigh....

Next are the specific facts about the quilt:

Size:  82" X 95"

Fabric Lines Used:  Moda Fig Tree - Different Lines

Pattern: Allietare

Designer:  Bonnie Hunter

Long Arm Quilter:  Carol Nelson

Year Began:  2015

Year Completed:  2016

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2016 Finished Quilts - FQS Mystery Quilt 2012 - Quilt 10

Is anyone beginning to see a pattern here of the kind of quilts I like to make?  Yep, here is another one I got suckered into participating in from the Fat Quarter Shop.  They have an annual mystery quilt program.  I have only done two (I still have 2013 to put together.  Blocks are done, just have to get them sewn together and put one the borders.  Sigh...)  I haven't liked the last two years, but I did like this one for 2012.  It used Moda's Vintage Modern by Bonnie and Camille. 

Their fabric lines are focused around red and turquoise for colors.  And this quilt is full of both colors.  It is bright, fun, and well designed.  

Again, when using 12" X 12" blocks for a 12 month BOM program, you will usually end up with a twin size quilt.  This one measures 68" X 85".  I like the striped horizontal setting strips, and the flying geese vertical setting strips for the blocks.  It all played nice together.

Even the corners of the borders have some added whimsy to make this one stand out quite a bit.

Now the backing was a surprise, as it wasn't included in any of the blocks, but it ties in just perfect.  

Next are the specific facts about the quilt:

Size:  68" X 85"

Fabric Lines Used:  Moda Vintage Modern - Bonnie and Camille Line

Pattern: Fat Quarter Shop Mystery Quilt 2012

Designer:  12 Differen Moda Designers.  One different designer each month

Long Arm Quilter:  Carol Logan

Year Began:  2012

Year Completed:  2016

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2016 Finished Quilts - Asian Shadow Box Quilt 9

This quilt is the first in a series of posts about quilts that I have finished this UFO resolution year.  

This quilt started out as a kit.  It was bought at a quilt shop off the beaten path, one I have not been back to ever since visiting about 4 years ago.  My husband spotted a shop sample on their wall, and said that his sister would love a quilt just like that one.  I was just going to get the pattern, when he discovered it was made up in a kit.  

The quilt pattern is called, "Shadow Box".  Placement of the dark fabric on two sides of the prints, creates a 3D illusion giving it a shadow box effect.  The prints are various Asian prints set on a white background.

My husband helped me pick out this kit and fabrics, because he wanted me to make one for his sister. Her bedroom is in an Asian theme, and this quilt will be a perfect fit for her bed.  

It is a nice size for a throw for a queen bed, but it is more of the size for a twin bed.  When I put the pictures of all my finished quilts on my FB page, this was the most favorite out of all my finishes so far.  If you can spot the error, please don't say anything, I found it once it was all done, and so far no one has noticed until I point it out, so I left it alone.

This is a close up of the border fabric and the matching binding.  I am doing more and more bindings using the same fabric as the last border.  I like the finished look of it when done.

This shows the backing I used.  It matches nothing with the front fabrics, but there are no repeats in the shadow boxes either, so this backing is a permit fit for this quilt.

Next are the specific facts about the quilt:

Size: 68" X 80"

Fabric Lines Used:  Various Asian fabrics

Pattern: Shadowbox from Mountainpeek Creations

Designer:  Kari Nichols

Long Arm Quilter:  Carol Nelson

Year Began:  2016

Year Completed:  2016

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2016 Finished Quilts - Chocolat - Quilt 8

This is my horror quilt.  You can read about all the issues and problems making this quilt in these past posts.  But through perseverance, I was able to get this one done.  In my last post on this quilt, I had pinned it myself to try to do the quilting on my domestic machine.  Nope, not going to happen, so I took out all the pins, separated the backing and the batting, and shipped it of to the long arm quilter.  After all, it is the biggest quilt I have ever finished.  It measures a whopping 100 inches square.  

It looks big laying out on my lawn!!!  Makes that ladder look puny.  And it is very heavy to lift when folded up.  It fits very nicely on our king size bed though, so after it is all said and done, I really do like it and how it looks.

I bonded it with the extra leftover backing.  The red makes it pop, and brightens up the whole quilt.

Below picture gives you a pretty good look at all the different blocks used in the quilt.  If you remember it is a round robin of each block, so by the time you get to the last round, you are making a zillion blocks of that one pattern!!

Below shows the backing,  remember I scored wide backing of the Chocolat line for the backing, and it was nice to have the width all in one piece for such a big quilt.

Next are the specific facts about the quilt:

Size:  100" X 100"

Fabric Lines Used:  Moda Chocolat by Three Sisters

Pattern: Chocolat Legacy

Designer:  Harriet Beecher Stowe - Harriet's Legacy Quilt

Long Arm Quilter:  Carol Nelson

Year Began:  2007

Year Completed:  2016

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Harvest Time

Its that time of the year again, harvesting of the garden.  Yesterday was a full day of harvesting, as it seems many of the veggies and fruit ripen all at once.

I canned 11 pints of green beans last week, and this is what we picked again this week.

Potatoes didn't do so well, I think I need to address how they get watered. These were volunteer plants that came up from not getting all the potatoes out of the ground from the prior year.  I'm also thinking that volunteer plants don't produce as well as newly planted potato eyes.  Gardening at my house is always trial and error.  

These are honey crisp apples, the best apples in my humble opinion.  My little dwarf tree over produced this year, and the weight of the apples, broke the trunk.  I will have to replace this one and start over.  Having to get a new apple tree, will spur me to finally get some other fruit tress and build a mini orchard.

My husband and I are originally from New Mexico, and we love hot chili peppers, especially the anihiem green peppers.  Grown here, they don't have as much heat, but they have good flavor.  It doesn't stay consistently hot enough here in the Northwest to create the heat in the pepper.  The little yellow one are Hungarian yellow hots.  They have a nice bite to  them!

Also, last week I canned 13 pints of salsa and 9 quarts of stewed tomatoes, and they just keep coming,   I am putting this batch in the freezer, until I have enough to can some more.   

My strawberries are prolific this year.  I pick this amount, about two quarts, every three to four days.  I can't remember the specific type of strawberry plant that I bought, but they are ever bearing type.  I am so surprised they are doing so well, as I had about 20 leftover plants that I didn't know where to put them, so I just stuck them in a garden bed at the back of the property, that was just plain dirt and straw over it to keep the weeds out.  I stuck the strawberry plants in the straw, and watered them.  The first year yielded very little, but I didn't get back to them during this spring, and they anchored in and just took off with yummy strawberries all the time.

This is just a small sample of the carrot harvest this year.  I pull about this much or a little more each week to eat fresh.  I plant enough to harvest throughout the winter.  I just put some straw on top of them and pull what we will eat each week.  

I didn't even get to my neighbors house to pick plums.  She has a bumper crop this year.

So it goes, another great garden year with good produce!

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2016 New Leader Ender Project

I'm stopping in between 2016 Finishes to let you know that I have started the 2016 Leader and ender by Bonnie Hunter from Quiltville.  You can read all about the details here.  I made two sample blocks to get started.  I am going to to make groups of four hourglass units into a block to be used in the quilt.  I pulling out scraps out of my 30's reproduction fabrics to do this project.  I used the same fabrics for last years leader and ender, and still have a tub of fabric, so I will be attempting to use them up for this project.  Ha! Ha!  Not even close.  Oh well, there will be another project I can use them for later down the road.  Always!

During all the goings on in my life, I had a tendon cut in my toe to release it from becoming a hammertoe.  It is a really simple procedure and it keeps your toe straight for the future.  Hammertoes are hereditary and both my mom and grandma have suffered with them most of their senior life.  There is little to no pain, and the end result is no pain and suffering into the future.

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2016 Finished Quilts - Land of Lincoln Sampler - Quilt 7

I have written several posts on this quilt during the construction process of the top.  It is out of civil war reproductions and the top center block has a picture of President Lincoln, thus the name, Land of Lincoln Sampler.

It is more of a wall hanging, lap quilt. as it measures 60" X 60".  Right now, my mom covers up with it for an afternoon nap on occasion.

Here is the picture of President Lincoln, in the center of a block.  Sorry for the shadow of me taking the picture.

The blocks were all different, most I haven't done before, but this kind of project always builds more quilting skills.

The backing is nondescript, just a plain small beige reproduction print.  

The setting blocks between the quilt blocks are five strips of the various fabrics used in the quilt, this was a first for me using this type of setting blocks, and it is a wonderful way to use up leftover fabric, rather than adding another background fabric.  

Next are the specific facts about the quilt:

Size:  60" X 60"

Fabric Lines Used:  Various civil war reproductions, sent in kits in a BOM program.

Pattern:  Land of Lincoln Sampler #244 by Civil War Legacies

Designer:  Carol Hopkins Designs

Long Arm Quilter:  Carol Logan

Year Began:  2011

Year Completed:  2016

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2016 Finished Quilts - Thimbleberries Warm Heart - Quilt 6

Where do I begin on this quilt?  Everyone knows that I was (and still am to a certain extent) a Thimbleberries fan.  There was a time when Thimbleberries was going strong and very popular, around the late 90's and the early 2000's.  During that time, I think I bought everything and anything that was Thimbleberries related.  I participated in every program, BOM, and yearly club that it had.  If I had to guess, I would say that I have over 75 projects, several BOM's and 10 yearly clubs UFO's that need to be done, completed, or just dumped.  When I say dumped, they are projects I know I will never make, so I need to break up the fabric in the kits and possibly make something else with these fabrics.  I am thinking of making several scrappy quilts using Thimbleberries prints, and I could add to my already amassed collection of Thimbleberries scraps.

But, I have digressed.  This quilt is part of a program called, Room by Room.  It was a 12 month program that had a complete quilt kit each month.  This was the first kit in the program, and it arrived on my doorstop around the time I got laid off during the 2008 downturn of the economy.  I went into a very dark place, but quilting helped me through the process.  I completed this quilt the same week it came in the mail.  But I didn't have the confidence to go ahead and quilt it then , and I found other projects to work on, so it laid sleeping for several years.  

Sorting through my many UFO's, I came across this one again, and promptly sent it off to the long armer.  The pattern is called Warm Heart and designed by Lynette Jensen of Thimbleberries.  

Most of the backings sold with the kits (and yes I bought the backings too, to all the projects) will be in the line of beige on beige that Thimbleberries is famous for not only for backings but backgrounds.

These pictures are a close up of the two block patterns in this quilt.

When it came back from the long armer, I took it on an weekend trip, I snapped a picture of it and posted it on my FB page with a post about carrying a quilt to trips and stays in hotels.  I received a lot of likes and comments.  It was a nice pat on the back.  

A close up and better showing of the true color of the border.

Next are the specific facts about the quilt:

Size: 64" X 88"

Fabric Lines Used:  Thimbleberries

Pattern: Warm Heart

Designer:  Lynette Jensen

Long Arm Quilter: Carol Nelson Logan

Year Began:  2008

Year Completed:   2016

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2016 Finished Quilt - Pastel Baskets - Quilt 5

See double?  Yep, I have posted a quilt with this pattern here. It was done in the 40's print, remember?  Anyway, the quilt shop did this as a "counter BOM", in two different fabric lines at the same time.  So, silly me, I went ahead and did both ways.  I really like basket blocks, so I enjoyed doing these two quilts together.   

The fabrics in this quilt are pastels from various different lines of fabric.  

The difference in this quilt and the other basket quilt is, this one has a couple of added borders.  I chose to do that, because of all the leftover fabric that I had.  (Note:  the leftover fabric from the other basket quilt, I made a simple nine patch quilt that I gave away).  The outer border is close to what I would call a piano border, only the keys are a little wider in my border.  Totally random scrappy.

This is the backing,  Believe it or not, there was that much fabric left over, and I had enough to make another complete quilt.  I designed this quilt pattern for the backing.  It kinda worked itself out with the scraps leftover from the baskets.   This is the only "reversible" quilt that I have made.  Not sure I will do it again, but once is worth the effort.

Next are the specific facts about the quilt:

Size: 63" X 80"

Fabric Lines Used:  Various Pastels

Pattern: Baskets Sampler

Designer: Diane Bowden

Long Arm Quilter: Carol Nelson Logan

Year Began:  2007

Year Completed:  2016

Warmest...