Wonderful Work!

I've just spent part of my Thanksgiving Day enjoying all the beautiful pictures you've been posting. You've made such wonderful quilts! I look forward to seeing how things finish. I've enjoyed learning to know some of Dorinda's descendants a little, too. What a terrific heritage!

I guess this will be my 2012 mystery, too! When I got involved in buying the house, I spent several months not stitching, and now I can't catch up with it all. I will work on that through 2012, though, and if the blog stays up, you will see the way I finish my Civil War version. I expect I'll leave out a few techniques that don't fit the era, but there will be a finish. I've really enjoyed this year's project, even though it's so completely not done.

Is there a plan for a 2012 project of some kind? I would love recreating an antique quilt with others of like mind.

Moira's Rule 13 Reveal

Yippee, I'm actually up-to-date with this one and that makes me happy, not to mention actually being able to quilt for a change, something that is rare at this point in grad school.

Since I'm working on my second quilt for this mystery I get to be creative with my measurements. So instead of adding another section to the quilt for this rule, I added to the previous section where I had put the words in order to use some of all the blank space that i had with the section.

I appliqued 22 balloons around the words. I used scraps for all of teh ballons (thereby "using it up" ;-) ) in yellows, oranges and reds. There are three different shades of each color.

Bird Rule 13 Reveal

I really enjoyed this one.  I chose to use a stack and whack to create a peacock tail.  The body of the peacock, the blues in the tail, and  the sky in the background are my three values of the same color.

I put this block on the top of my column, and here is how that turned out.

When I went to put this column on the side of the quilt, it didn't fit.  It was two inches short.  I have no idea where I messed up, but I had to make it work, so I sewed another strip of the stripe across the top.  I would have done more of the sky, but I didn't have enough fabric to get a full strip across the top without a seam in it, and I thought that would look worse than using the stripe, so here is the whole quilt as adjusted.

Autumn Country Rule 13 Reveal

This was a fun rule, and since I was working with a whole panel, finishing off the bottom with the D9P was just the natural thing to do. The fabric I got for the trees was different shades of the yellow/gold so that fit the rule perfectly. I was up all night Tuesday night, with something else, so spent the time at the sewing machine and nearly finished the block during the night. I had to find a button similar to those I used on the previous yo-yo trees, so I could not complete it until I got the button.
I did take a picture of just rule 13, but for some reason I can't get the computer to add another picture, so you will just have to look at the entire panel.

Here is the entire top to this point. The yellow background really stands out in this picture. Those of you who have seen the fabric know how gorgeous it is.
The next panel will have to go on the top, so I hope the rule is something I can add to my "picture". Otherwise, it will be hard to finish off.

I have Autumn Leaves fabric for my outer panels, so that will tie everything together. I am excited that we are this close to being finished! It has been a really fun project.

Marie's Optical Illusion Rule #11

Yippee, I finally finished Rule 11, and have hopes of catching up soon.  This rule required at least one yo-yo. This was another new technique for me--I've never made a yo-yo before. I was only going to make one and put it in the center block, but it was so much fun I decided that each block needed a yo-yo. I think I finally got the right color combination for the shadows this time, but I'm not going to change the star blocks.

Rule Release #13

Rule Release #13

Rule:  Must use 3 tones or values of the same color.


Technique:  None - use any technique you choose.

Size:  We are going to complete the column we started in rules 11 and 12.  Remember that this column will go on either side of the quilt.  Block #13 will need to be 17 1/2" wide ( 17" finished) by 19 1/2" tall (19 finished).  You can join block #13 to the top or bottom of your 11/12 column. 

Due Dates: The next rule will release December 8th.  You can begin showing a full release of #13 any time it is completed. 

We are getting very close.  The quilt should now fit on the top of a queen-sized bed.  We'll need to add borders to hang over the sides.

Marie's Optical Illusion Rule #10

I'm so happy to finish another rule.  Now I'm only 2 months behind!  Rule #10 is 4 disappearing 9 patches.  The technique was to use a folded insert.  I've never made d9p before, and they were really fun.   I combined the folded insert with the d9p's. 

I really had fun making this (faux) cathedral windows block.

 I don't know what to call this block.  It's rather different, but it is a d9p and it has fabric folds.

I used folded pinwheels in my last rule, and decided to put some in this one too.

Here are my 4 d9p pieced together.  The hearts aren't folded, but they fit my optical illusion theme.

I added the 3-d continuous triangles because I thought I needed  more optical illusions.

Here is the whole quilt, just waiting for me to finish the next rules.

Marie's Optical Illusion Rule #9

I finally have finished Rule 9.  I'm still way behind, but at least I'm making some progress.  This rule called for different sized blocks that fit together.  I used this rule to make my star.  The technique was something 3D that actually sticks up on the quilt.  My pinwheels in the center of the stars are 3D.  To make the rule fit my theme of optical illusions, I added a shadow to the star.  I wish I would have made the shadow a little darker, but I'm not going to do it over!

Here is the quilt with the Rule 9 blocks added.

I hope to get Rule 10 completed before Rule 13 comes out in a week, and then hopefully I'll get the rest caught up before the end of the year. 

Lyn's Small Town Winter Caught Up

Here is what she did:
She made half yo-yo's on the silos. She paper peiced the yellow house. To follow the Buggy Bard pattern, she created a tractor. She also wrote 2011 on the silo by embroiding.