Celtic Solstice - part 1.

As I yesterday showed you, I began a new Mystery with Bonnie from Quiltville.

The reason why I began it now...

- although I have other unfinished quilts and so on -

... was that I want to make a quilt, which reminds me of our journey in Ireland few years ago. I was there with my dear mother and we traveled around the island of Ireland with a bus. It was one of my many dreams to get there... and it happened!!! It was only a week... but it was a wonderful WEEK!!!!

I won't never ever forget it!!!

 Here is my color / fabric choices.

Bonnie is now

- first time? in her mystery history -

offering to us the mystery quilt in two size... 75" x 75" and 111" x 111".

I'm sewing the smaller one...

... so I'll need in total 188

these kind of background (orange / neutral) and side triangle (blue) units.

I have now sewn 47 units! ... tomorrow 35 more and day after tomorrow 35... and... on Friday I have them all sewed and I'm well prepared for the next clue ;o)

...
... but before that I'll go and see the progress of other quilters, here.

Hugs, Smiles And Warm Fuzzy Feelings

to every one;o)

1. Adventtina...

The first door of advent calender is opened...

eli ensimmäinen luukku Veikkauksen joulukalenterista raaputettu... 1000 euroa pukkaa, hih-hih!

... few things from my first Advent...

 ... a gorgeous decoration from Maria... I love it! It will find a nice place at our Christmas tree...

... It snowed - the first snow - last night, but at this moment it rains and the snow is melting...

... secret cross-stitches...

... pieces for Bonnie's new Mystery quilt, Celtic Solstice...

And there will be soon November's Schnibbles parade on Sinta Renee's and Sherri's blog...

'MORNING JOE'

I planned to sew my own version of 'Morning Joe'...

but it was only a plan in this month... again!

I got a lot of inspiration of Carrie's block pattern...

and I'm going to sew more of those blocks and...

I'm going to use some VERY tiny triangles - left overs from other works -  to make season greetings cards!

... oh dear, many going to -phrases... again;o)

To everyone...

Hauskaa ensimmäistä adventtia!!!

CWD: John Morgan

November 28, 1863: 15 years old Cora Owens Hume wrote in her diary

- Hurrah, Hurrah, Hurrah! I feel like I want to be somewhere that I can scream as loud as I can. I think I will get into the cellar and then no Yankee can hear me. Yes, Hurrah, Hurrah, Hurrah, for John Morgan and six of his men have escaped from prison. They dug through the floor in some way. - quote from Civil War Diary Quilt written by R. Youngs

Today's block is John Morgan. It's an easy one;o)
I wrote down some of the cutting instructions. You can see them in the adjacent photo.

 63. John Morgan

Happy Thanksgiving Day to everyone!!!

- although here in Finland we do not spend it...

A Busy Postman...

.... brought to us some treats today!

This year also Fenix got his very own SSCS -parcel. THANK YOU, Santa's little helper MARIA!!!

You know we are very excited...

somehow we had to hold back our horses... or something..., that we won't open them before Christmas Eve!

See you on Thursday... then it's again CWD block day!

LUS: C-7 Democratic Watchman

Niin se vaan on, että mitä helpompi blokki (tai muu tekele), sitä käsittämättömämpiä virheitä tekee!

Last night I had an hour between two TV -programs, which I wanted to watch. I didn't fancy to knit or read or do anything else. Because the BOW of Loyal Union Sampler looked quite easy, I went to the sewing room, ironed the fabrics, cutted them and... vau! I had still 45 minutes left! Maybe I'll sew the block right now... there is only Quick-Pieced Flying Geese units and Quick-Pieced Square-On-Point unit.

So everything supposed to be QUICK!

Kaikki ei kuitenkaan aina mene niin kuin Strömsössä;o)

Square-On-Point unit went well... it was exactly 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"... although usually I have problems with them (always too small or uneven). 

I was happy... so far SO GOO:D!

Then the FG units... It felt a little bit odd, when I laid the first two square onto the big light green fabric. They didn't overlap each other so much as they should... 

I looked the clock... oh, better just hurry, that I get this block finished before Midsomer Murders!

I sewed, cut them separately and Voila!... DAMN, damn!! I had four all too big (= wide) FG unit! Furthermore their seam allowances were all too narrow!

WHAT has happened?!?!

My mistake was, that I had cut the light green square for FG units 1/4" too big  (it should have been 

4 1/4" x 4 1/4" square)!!! Luckily it was too BIG, not too small and the mistake was easy to repair...

... but just after Midsomer;o)

Block C-7 Democratic Watchman

Jo aikoja sitten... joskus lokakuun alkupuolella Soile, Töölön Tilkkupajasta, "haastoi kaikki bloggaajat avaamaan aarrekaappinsa ja kertomaan, millaisia välineitä / erikoishärpäkkeitä käyttää tilkkutöitä tehdessään".

Mietin sitä jonkun tovin - ja toisenkin;o) - huomasin, että aika yksinkertaisilla välineillä pärjäilee...

melko pitkälle...

  - lyijykynä, the RATKOJA, hyvä leikkuri, ISO, tukeva neulatyyny, ompelukoneen tilkkutyöjalka ja valikoima erilaisia viivaimia!

Viivaimia minulle onkin kertynyt mukavan kokoinen valikoima - kuvassa ei läheskään kaikki, mutta mieluisimmat = eniten käytössä kuluneet;o)

Koska tuon edellisen blokin kanssa oli hieman "ohjelmaa" lentävien hanhien kanssa, niin esittelen tässä kaksi tuumaviivainta (olen tuumaihminen), jotka ovat oivia apulaisia niitä ommeltaessa.

 Folded Corner Clipper

Hyvä esittely sen käytöstä löytyy Modan ... the Cutting Table blogista täältä.

FCC:n avulla olen lähes poikkeuksetta onnistunut saamaan OIKEAN kokoisia ja muotoisia lentäviä hanhia!

Plussana: ei tarvita kulmasta kulmaan piirrettyjä viivoja! Tosin edellytyksenä on, että koneessa on 1/4" saumanvaralla varustettu paininjalka.

Miinuksena: ei sovellu sellaisille projekteille, joissa ei ole varaa "tuhlata" kangasta. HUOM! Kulmapaloista voi ommella 2 -väri kolmio-neliöitä (HST), joten kangasta ei mene hukkaan!

Toinen hyödyllinen erikoisviivain ommeltaessa lentäviä hanhia on Open Gate Quilts:n...

Fit to Be Geese

Niitä on saatavilla ainakin kahta eri kokoa. Itselläni on tuo pienempi viivain - olen sellainen pienen näpertäjä:o)

Hyvä tutorial sen käytöstä löytyy täältä. 

Alkuun palatakseni... niin, vaikka olisi kuinka oivia, hyödyllisiä, käteviä vippaskonsti - härpäkkeitä, niin erheitä sattuu tilkkuilijan taipaleilla! 

Mutta virheistähän oppii... ainakin jonkin aikaa muistaa taas lukea ohjeita paremmin ja TARKEMMIN okulaarit päässä;o)

HAUSKAA SUNNUNTAITA... and a Happy New WEEK!!!

PS. As you see we (Fenix & I) decided to start a Christmas time here in a blogland ;o)

Courthouse Steps... and UPS!...

...Sparklers!!!! Bling!

Now I do not mean that I would have fallen down the stairs of the courthouse and saw sparks. I have never been to the courthouse... and I hope I never be... So the sparks, which I saw were quite different...

Today our postman delivered the sixth block of the 2013 Designer Mystery BOM. And I had to sew it... HETI!... sofort!... forthwith! I guess my eyes sparkled all the time, when I sewed ;o) 

The block's name is "Sparklers". It's designed by Kate Spain.

I do not know, if it's just an illusion, but it seems to me that these blocks are becoming increasingly interesting month by month... I surely don't regret that I joined also this BOM!

Can you believe this BOM is already in a mid way? Time really rushes!!!

The first three blocks are BASKETs, the next three are STARs... 

uuuhhhrrr...., I'm thrilled... what is coming next....

BeFORE the postman visited, I sewed this week's Quilty Fun Sew Along blocks...

two Courthouse Steps - blocks!

If until now you've been wondering... am I crazy or what... and what do I write ... maybe you are now back on track in my mad funny tale...

Yes, these are those steps;o)

I did my steps with dotty fabrics... but I didn't want to make them as scrappy as Lori (& other Sew Alongers) has made.

Maybe I have said this many times earlier, but I use rarely bright colors... BUT after this Sew along I'll know what color therapy means! It feels SO good to watch and fiddle the fabrics... full of colors!!!!

Because I already warmed the machine B. for the sparkles, I sewed two 8" stars for my OH, My Stars -quilt.

Now I have ALL 12" and 8" star blocks ready! Only eleven 4" stars is undone.

OhMy... so close but still so far away from... the quilt...

Here's those all 8" stars!

Each star has the same white background fabric, but the light has altered so much, when I have photographed them, that's why the backgrounds are not similar in this collage...

Wishing you Quilty or Sparkling Fun time!!!

PS. Erehdyin eilen käymään Marimekon Outletissa, ja mukaanhan lähti palalaarista muutama palanen mm. tuota hurmaavaa Rati Riti Ralla -kangasta... Harmitti, kun ei ollut kuin pieniä paloja! Olisi aika veikeää essuna...

LUS: G-4 Massachusetts... and few other thing

I am so happily lucky that I don't have to talk to you now... 

because pronouncing this block's name... Mas... Massasaschusss... äsh... would be totally impossible! - at least to me;o)

 Loyal Union Sampler BOW - G-4 Massachusetts

OhMy...- even the writing of the name is difficult, I have to look it again from Jennifer's book...

This is the first LUS block, which I sewed using Luna Notte's fabric with a black background. I was a little frightened, would it be too gloomy block... therefore I chose the black fabric with the large flower print... maybe it's not too gloomy!?! Or what do you think?

Then I'll write few words in Finnish about the craft fair. The photo below shows you what I found there;o)

Tampereen Kädentaidot 2013 sitten oli... 

tässä jotain, mitä minun kasseihini tarttui... Voi, minuu...

... näyttää ihan Lankahullun päiväkirjan kuvasivulta...

Mutta eihän tuossa ole kuin langat parhaimmillaan 13 pariin sukkia... ja se sukkainen joulu taitaa tulla taas ensi vuonna;o) Olikohan tuo tarpeeksi vakuuttava selitys lankaostoille?

Kankaisen Ommellaan.fi -osastolta tarttui kohtuullinen! määrä kankaita mukaan... tarkoituksena oli ostaa vaaleita taustakankaita. Melkein meni nappiin!

Liekö tuossa mosaiikissa sitten uuden harrastuksen alku?

Perjantain Summa summaarum: Hauska, antoisan uuvuttava päivä kaikkinensa! Aikaa vain olisi pitänyt olla enempi...

Tension in Chookyblue's Secret Santa Claus Swap 2013 is growing... an excitement is almost palpable....

Tomorrow is the first day of the postage... and as you see I'm ready as a scout ;o)

This little rosy girl will deliver my secret parcel to my pal far, far and even farer away...

I'll trust her that she will success in her job... and my SSCS pal will receive her gifts in time!

... while one week seems to over - again! - ... 

I wish you ALL a WONDERful upcoming week!!!!