Betty's scarecrow 5

I made a pieced circle for the scarecrow head.  I used the tutorial you gave about using freezer paper and a glue stick.  I traced the bottom of a spray baste can for the size.   The hair, hands and feet are free motion thread painting, also the face I did free motion.  A bit of thread painting on fabric for the bird nest.  I started with the head and kept putting fabrics around until I was a little larger than what I needed.  Then trimmed to size when I was done with the appliques.
I bought the April/May issue of the Quilter Magazine.  It has a patten for the branch with the birdnest.  It turns out is was too large for my block so I sketched it smaller.  I hope that isn't illegal.  I am giving the magazine credit for the design and I am enjoying the rest of the magazine!

A bird has made a nest on scarecrows hand.  That was my idea but I am sure I am not the first person that has ever done this same thing.  Cat wants the bird but dog is keeping guard!

I have sewn my two sections together.  I edited my post so I could stick the picture in.

Bird Block #5

I'm finally back home, so here is my finished block 5! It's getting harder and harder to get a good, undistorted picture. I had to stand this up on the back of the recliner to get the right angle on it!

As you can see, the circle is the hole in the birdhouse. The free motion embroidery is the twigs. I was planning to do the leaves in free motion embroidery too, but I had so much trouble that I gave up and just machine appliqued and embroidered them. The birds are from a Pam Bono design using a diagonal corner technique. I'm really happy with them!

Here is everything put together. I gave up trying to get a good angle. Since you've already seen all the individual parts, I didn't worry about trying to get it square in the photo. Can't wait for the next rule!!

Lyn pieced a half circle to make the top of the silo. She created a zig-zag pole fence on left to add a different look. The blue at the top is the start of the lake she is adding. She embroidered the brown bushes at the top.

Pam's Woods Mystery Rule #5

I will post my tease first even though I am late with it.

This is the sewn circle. I really had to think about this one. This has been exciting.

I did the thread painting on the sewn circle. I don't know how well you can see it in the pic.

Here is my rule #5 completed. I also did some thread painting with smoke coming out of the chimney. It shows up a little better than the yellow on the circle.

This is all of my rules combined. It was a little scary for me to add the blue for the sky, but I am now glad that I have done it. It will give me a little more liberty on the rest of the blocks and might be able to put some water or a stream in there now.

Thanks again to the daughters of Dorinda for hosting this fantastic mystery. Also, thank you to everyone who is posting their blocks. I get so excited everytime I see a new one. Everyone's quilts are going to be so wonderful.

Moira's Rule 5

Here is my completed rule 5 block. The two topmost balloons were the ones that were pieced. All of the other balloons are fusible applique. My free motion embroidery are the strings tied to the balloons. =) the block was added to the left side of the quilt so far.

I plan to add a couple of butterflies to the quilt yet an will overlap them over several of the blocks already made.

Desertsky Susan - Rule 4

I can only go this far until my printer has ink, which won't be until after the first of April - no joke.  So here's the block, minus pictures of Lincoln and Mary Todd in positive-negative frames on either side of the flowers.  I chose a fabric I thought might resemble the wallpapers of the time, and made a bookshelf across the block.  The vase is needle-turn applique and the flowers are broderie perse with a small machine blanket stitch.

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Autumn Country Rule 5 Full Release

When this rule was released, I knew what I wanted to do. The river from the last block was the perfect segway to the idea. The next thing was deciding how to do it. I first cut a piece of freezer paper the size of the rule and roughly drew in my idea. Then I googled pictures and found the one I liked best and with my ruler and a cup, drew the sawmill onto the paper. I put in the trees and the bridge very roughly, and then went through my patterns and fabric to see what would work.I made the first circle using one of the ideas from the links on the release, and made the second one using a different link. They both turned out to look the same. Overlapping them worked very easily, and then I put up the walls. This fabric looks like rocks, but is so pale that it barely shows up at all. I fashioned the roof and appliqued it on, then satin stitched the paddles. When I attached it to the river, it looked strange, so I used a smocking stitch to make waves, so the fabric bunches a little, but the tucks smooth it to the opposite riverbank.

The little trees above the river are done with the free-motion embroidery, and the large trees are done the same as the trees in rule #3. The pine trees are paper-pieced and I staggered their placement like those in rule #1. So I used lots of techniques to put this together.
And here are all 5 blocks together. I have some rough ideas where to go with future blocks, but will have to see what the rules are, in order to pull it off.
This is so much fun. I am having a blast creating this picture. And that is what it is turning out to be, a picture.

Full Rule #5

Here it is!

These dimensions seemed very large to me, but all the more space to be creative with!  I really enjoyed learning this circle technique.  But my machine hated the embroidery thing.  It is an embroidery machine, but usually you program the design into the computer and then it does it itself, so I guess it just didn;t like me doing the work for it.  Here is a close up of my circles, and the embroidery.

And the whole thing...

It's starting to look like a good sized wall-hanging.  I like it a lot.  It's not my usual style, but I do like it.  And yes, I did move the number four block, I couldn't sleep cause of where it was.

Granny Annie's Garden Rule 5 Tease

I'm posting my circle as my tease. It will only be 1/3 of my whole Block 5 but it's going to take me forever to finish the block as that is alot of space to cover. First time I've ever sewn a pieced circle - not perfect but I'm happy with it.

Marie's Block #5 Teaser

I haven't made much progress on my Block #5 yet, but here a teaser of what I have done so far.  I'm still in the drawing stage.   I'd better get busy--it's going to take me a while to finish this block.

Barn teaser #5

Not a single stitch yet, but a paper-pieced pattern is sketched.  I have also laid out some of the fabrics I have selected.  Oops, cut some off the top.  If you look closely, you'll see words that are written in mirror image.  I will copy this pattern onto overhead sheets and then flip the sheets over to make a reverse copy for the paper pieced pattern. 

I have decided what to do with the circle, but haven't sketched it yet.  I still have several inches to the right that need to be designed on this one.  No idea yet on the free motion embroidery part.

Deana's #4 Barn COMPLETE

I finally "got 'er done".  The front of the barn uses a square-in-a-square pattern of positive negative.  It is subtle, but it is there.  I think it gives the effect of shadows and worn paint.  The trees were hand appliqued using the freezer paper on bottom method.  I also appliqued the third window in the row because I forgot to use black in the center of my square-in-a-square block there to form the window.  I may add some shadowy branches later.  I'll cut the tops off once I do the next block that goes on top.

The next pictures gives you a closer view of the underbrush.  You can see that it is just basted down.  I caught the edges in the seam when I attached it to the main barn block.  I used steam-a-seam on two pieces of the same fabric, peeled off the paper, and then stuck them to each other (wrong sides together).  They will be permanently stitched down in the quilting phase.  I think they show depth and the purple Batik behind them looks like shadows of them dancing in the moonlight.

My favorite part of this block is the night sky.  It is made from a piece I hand-dyed with Dharma proactive dyes a few years back.

HELP ideas

I know of two ladies who are struggling with the free motion embroidery thing.  If your thread is looping on the bottom, tighten your tension.  The reverse is also true.

One thing that has seemed to really help is stabilizer on the back of your project.  I use plain old paper and it works well.  I just rip it off when I'm done. 

One lady couldn't get the foot under the hoop so she took the foot off, slid the hooped project under the needle, then reattached the foot.  You can also do this without a foot at all.

Everyone is free to offer advice or what works for them.

Bird Teaser, Rule #5

I don't have my block done yet. This has been a difficult one for me. However, I am going out of town for over a week and wanted to have something to post, so here it is. Sorry that I didn't get it pressed. I didn't notice until I had the picture taken, and time is too short to press it and take another one. But here is the teaser.


I found the free motion embroidery very hard. My machine just doesn't like it at all. After the thread broke for about the umpteenth time, I changed the plan and didn't do as much of that as I had planned. None of it shows on the teaser, but that's just as well. It isn't very attractive!

Deana's Rule #4 Barn progress

I know I am very late and should be posting a #5 teaser, but I wanted to show that I haven't desserted you.  Hopefully you can see a barn in progress here.

I'm going with a night sky on this one.  I hope I can blend it in.

Rule 5 teaser!

Here is my teaser...

I enjoyed working on it, but my machine did NOT.  It kept telling me the thread was broken, when it was just fine...

Teaser for block 5

Here is my teaser for rule #5. The block is nowhere near being done, but my circle is stitched to the background. I am excited to get it all done.

Better late than never Block #4

Well it took me a while to come up with something... So I decided to make some african kids playing. I hand appliqued the door on the hut. I can honestly say that I do not like hand applique. I also cheeted and didn't do the rule.. I was going to incorporate it in the border, but I didnt have room. Oh well, at least I am not being graded on this project.

late, and photo intensive rule #4.

So, I am late, but I have had a CRAZY past two weeks, and have had the HARDEST time coming up with something for this rule!  I finally decided to go with something a little more symbolistic for this one.

I built my dream home!  A log cabin filled with love, in the woods.  I was originally going to make the whole unit log cabin blocks, but I must have been doing it wrong, cause I had a difficult time making those as far as they are.  So I stopped there and just added background fabric.  The positive negative is kinda hard to see, but with those hearts, I applique'd them on with the opposite color, so I did the brown with a light blue, and the blue with a brown colored thread.

As far as the applique technique, I actually used my own, where you use a tear away stabilizer.  First you sew the fabric to the tear away stabilizer, leaving a quarter inch seam.

Then you cut a hole or slit in the stabilizer,

 

And then flip it inside out, iron it, and tear away the stabilizer, and you have a perfectly turned edge! 

And here is the whole thing so far...

 

the picture won't flip for me, sorry about that.  But the block is finally done and up!

Say hello to newcomer, Sher!!

Hi, my name is Sher and I have chosen a "Beaches" theme for my mystery. I
love the beach and the blues and greens associated with it. My friend encouraged me to join and showed me her block today. I just love the idea and creativity of everyone's perception of each rule and technique. This is going to be so much fun! I sent this on to my daughter and my aunt. Hope they pass it along as well, it is a great idea and I just know it will be so fun.
> Thanks!!

Rule 4 finished and Rule 5 teaser

Made it thru the week from you-know-where in school yesterday for which I'm thankful. And was finally able to decide what I wanted to do for the pos/neg aspect of Rule 4. =) Knew I wanted it to be fairly simple and make a background for what i planned to do as applique. Ended up making a checkerboard of the yellow gingham and a couple of different WOW's.

I appliqued a pink butterfly to the checkerboard as my hand applique and then embroidered antenna on. Not real happy tho with the body of the butterfly so I'm probably going to redo that. And am thinking of adding another smaller butterfly or two off to the left of teh block (as fusible appliques).

And since I'm now on spring break (not going anywhere 'cause i have to work and get homework done), I've started on my block for Rule 5. Know what I'm gonna do....just need to get it finished....lol.....at any rate here is my teaser.............

moira

Rule Release #5

SIZE:  27 1/2" tall by 14 1/2" wide to be added to the RIGHT or LEFT side of the quilt (block finishes at 27 x 14).

Note to Betty:  If you want to get your size on with ours you could make it 27 1/2" tall by 11 1/2" wide.

RULE:  machine pieced circle somewhere
http://angieasplund.blogspot.com/2009/09/circle-quilt-block-tutorial.html
http://www.dioramarama.com/2009/02/tutorial_easy_pieced.html
http://jootjoot.blogspot.com/2010/02/tutorial-techniqe-for-sewing-non.html
http://haniesquilts.blogspot.com/2009/03/circle-tutorial.html
http://andothersillythings.blogspot.com/2009/07/polka-dot-quilt-tutorial.html

TECHNIQUE:  threadpainting/free motion MACHINE embroidery  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbD8q7nJ0Do
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj9LkDkI538&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiPnKal0ohM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO2Y-o0bQXo&feature=related

Note:  If you don't have a free motion foot, you can use NO foot at all.  One of the links above shows you how.

DUE DATES: 
  -Post a teaser anytime between now and March 24.
  -We would love for ALL to post something before the 24th because it keeps us excited.
  -Full-releases begin on (Thur) March 24
  -Final due date and rule #6 release date (Mon) April 4

Lyn's Rule #4

Lyn made a haystack, fence, and gate.  She also added some trees along her road on rule #3 and a new pine tree that overlaps onto rule #2.   She needle-turned the tree trunks, haystack, and pine tree.  The positive/negative is in the gate.

Non-functional

I'm enjoying looking at everyone's blocks, but mine isn't started yet.  Something is non functional here at home (no, not me!) and until its functioning again, I can't do my block.  And today is such a perfect, rainy, cloudy, cold day to stay indoors and do the block, too!  However, I thought I'd at least post a second teaser, about the +/- part.  Hint, this goes with the president.

A day late...but finished!

First off, I want to thank the one that submitted the needle point applique technique and also the positive/negative rule. I really enjoyed both of these methods. I joined this mystery project so I could learn new quilting methods so this is stretching me. Having said that, I really had to think hard to get my creative brain working. I sympathize with anyone still trying to come up with a plan.

I was going to make a sled, but I'm not quite confident with making my own paper piecing patterns just yet. I found these cute mittens and got excited about them. They are not side by side, but they are the positive/negative idea.

I used the top freezer paper method for applique for the mittens. I was surprised and pleased with how easily it is to follow the shape to exactness.

So here it is together. The fun thing about the positive/negative is I decided to create the snowflake to be opposite of the one below it. I didn't plan it in the beginning so it caught me by surprise.

Betty's Scarecrow 4

Here is my section 4.  Lots of rain falling.  From the skies and the eyes.  The umbrella is needle turn applique.  I appliqued each color on, starting with the red.  I used a glue stick to hold the piece in place, one at a time.  I am going to make the handle a little more visible, it is too thin now.  The reverse blocks are 3 dimension windmills, made with folded fabric squares and stitched into the seams.  I always wanted to make some blocks with that method.  I hope that passes for the reverse blocks. 

I had to chuckle when I got the scarecrow done.  The umbrella isn't over his head. If he only had a brain.

He made me think of Mary Poppins!  LOL.  The lion could use a spoonful of sugar!  He doesn't mind all that rain.  He is just a little bit heartbroken but he has more courage than he realizes.

Oops

Sorry, I hit the wrong button.

Madeline Mae was born today, March 7, at 7:27 pm. She weighed in at 7 lb 1 oz and is 20 inches long. Mom and babe doing well.

Ann's new grandbaby

Granny Annie's Garden Rule #4

Here is my Rule 4 block. The 3 green leaves are needle turned & even that little bit was a chore! The butterflies were fun to do once I had the math figured out.

And here is my garden so far:

Full view Rule 4

What a morning. My plan was to get up early and post this, but that changed quickly.

My daughter is in labor with grandchild #12, and granddaughter #6. So my priorities changed drastically. We hope to have a baby by late afternoon, early evening.

So, my block: Every country scene has to have a river, right? And every river has driftwood and rocks.

And being Autumn, must have have bushes with fall foliage. (Sorry about the orientation. In my memory file, it is turned the other way.) My Positive/negative got chopped up a bit by the river. It is all needle-turn applique, using a blanket stitch, and hand embroidery.

And the four blocks together. This is coming together nicely. I have an idea what the whole quilt will look like, but until we have all the rules, it will be hard to completely know.

I plan to add something to block 2, but don't know exactly what, yet.