Additon to Bird Rule 14

I decided I liked Moira's suggestion of adding more branches, so here is the updated block.

I like it better.

Granny Annie's Garden Rule 13

As you know I'm not doing the quilt but still following the rules. I've made quite a few wall quilts so decided to do a tablerunner this time. The binding is my third green tone.

Autumn Courntry Rule 14 Release

Since this is the top, what better thing to add than the sky and the sun. Mountains in the background and of course, pine trees.

For the rule and technique, the sun is my pinwheel and it is needle turn appliqued behind the sky. I cut the circle and appliqued it by hand. From each seam of the pinwheel, I hand embroidered a sun ray. The mountains were fun to do. I have a pattern with one mountain with the snowcap, but it looked pretty lonely, so I added a couple more. For a block this size, it was a challenge to fill it in, and I may still add some more clouds.

Bird Mystery Rule 14 Reveal

Here is my Rule 14.  I'm not sure I like it, but I need to let it sit for a while before I decide for sure.  I may add something, perhaps a swallow with a third pinwheel in it's beak.  I'm a little uncomfortable with all the open space, but I may decide I want to keep it and quilt a design in it.  Any suggestions?

Rule Release #14

Rule Release #14


Hello again everyone!  How is your Christmas readiness coming along?  I am certain we all have our days and evenings filled with all sorts of goings-on.


As for the Dorinda Mystery, we are very close. The last rule release will come out in January and then we will have a top completed minus borders -- yeah!!

Rule:  Make a pinwheel


Technique:  combine a hand stitched applique with embroidery

Size:  We are going to make half of a row this month and next month we'll make the other half to complete the quilt top (minus borders).  This row will go on either the TOP or BOTTOM of the quilt.  Block #14 will need to be 30 1/2" wide ( 30" finished) by 22 1/2" tall (22 finished). 

Once the row is completed in early February, the quilt should measure 60 x 80 which will fit the top of a queen-sized bed.  You will have to make borders to get the quilt long enough to go over the sides of the bed.
Due Dates: The next and FINAL rule will release January 15th.  You can begin showing a full release of #14 any time it is completed. 

Granny Annie's Garden, Rule 12

Well here I am with Rule 12. It's another wall quilt. I searched out a real Buggy Barn pattern of butterflies. I wanted the top & bottom background to be the same color in all 3 blocks, though, so I altered it a bit. I love how it turned out.

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.

Moira's Rule 12 - Caught up!!

Yippee - I am finally caught up with the rules that have been posted and have everything done. For the remainder of rule 12 I made wonky 16 patch blocks. I made three different pairs of 8" finished blocks. Put five of them together and it fit perfectly across the width at the top of the quilt - serendipity because I didn't measure before hand, lol. Did these wonky blocks freehand and had fun with them. May use this idea to use up some fabrics that were from an online friends stash when she passed away. quick and easy - just my type of blocks. =)

Still thinking about what to add to the one section, but am getting closer to making a decision. At the moment am thinking of adding balloons in and around the lettering, with the strings going down through and around the lettering and the basket.

Rule 11, and a start on Rule 12 - Use It Up #2

I've finished my version of Rule 11 and have added it to the quilt top. The section is 14 inches wide and runs the full length of the top as it is right now. The words were created through Word - at 300 pt font. Basket was paper-pieced and I used yo-yo's as flowers in the basket. Scraps were used to make the basket, letters, and yo-yo's. I used buttons to hold the yo-yo's on. I'm thinking about what to add to the section so that there isn't so much "empty" space above and below the words. Might take a while to decide what to add.

Next up is Rule 12.....time will tell how fast I get it done. And as I look at the instructions I see that i've already got part of Rule 12 included in this section....oops....that's what I get for not double-checking them before I make something. Not gonna change it tho.............way too much work for that. So all I need to finish up for Rule 12 is to make the buggy barn style wonky blocks. I can handle that....lol.

Bird Rule 12 Reveal

 I'm still here!!!  I have found that, even though my time is very limited, I still have time to do a block a month.  So here is my wonky penguin.  This was a tough rule for me.  I learned the hard way that buggy barn doesn't work well with curves!  I added the eye, the beak, and the feet later.  I am placing this block at the bottom right-hand corner, so I put the words in to identify the whole quilt.  Unfortunately, the whole block looks a little wonky in this picture.  I had planned to do the positive negative thing, but the size wouldn't work, and the second block didn't want to go together, so I am just including the positive piece.

Here is the penguin block added to the owl block. Can't wait to add the last block to the top of this strip and sew it to the side of the quilt.

Rule 10 - Use It Up #2, and "Use It Up #1" top

I've actually managed to get some quilting time in these last few days....woohoo! Should have been working on homework or the commissioned sewing, but needed the quilting time for me. =)

At any rate, since I had decided that the pastel quilt was big enough for what I wanted to do with it, I stayed with my theme and started working on "Use It Up" quilt #2. =) This quilt top is starting with a pair of pillow panels that I've had in the stash for at least 10 years. I'd planned on using them for a baby quilt....so I figure by following the remaining rules, with the exception of maybe the posted sizes for the sections, I should have another nice baby quilt at the end of this mystery.

I've finished Rule 10 - because of teh size of the pillow panels, I was only able to get 3 of teh disappearing 9 patch blocks in the quilt on the left side of the quilt. Had goofed up on my cutting so the 4th block didn't turn out anyway. I added the folded insert blocks along the bottom of the top in progress. Now onto Rule 11. =)

Meanwhile, I've also managed to get a border onto the pastel quilt and that top is now finished. Eventually it'll get quilted whenever I next need a baby quilt for a girl.

Ann's Autumn Country Rule Release 12

This was a fun rule. The Buggy Barn designing was partly from my imagination and part from what was posted in the rule release. I trimmed the house blocks to 6 1/2 inches and the trees to 5 1/2 inches. The top house overlaps to block 11.

The sign says "CABINS FOR RENT ----->"

Here are the two blocks together. You see that I added a second "Yo-Yo" tree that also overlaps the two blocks.

Country Holiday Traditions

I can say one thing about this Mystery quilt....it truly is just that, a mystery that unfolds and leads down different paths with each new rule and technique. I have been playing catch up, but I can tell you that this project hasn't turned out like anything I had envisioned in the beginning.

Here are my rules #9 and #10. Number 9 was to add something 3D, if you look close the wings on my chickens are 3D. Number 10 is a disappearing nine patch and a folded insert. My sunflower garden is the nine patch and the leaves are my folded inserts. The leaves are beginning of my fall holiday traditions.

I knew at the start of the quilt, I wanted to have the holiday traditions surrounding a home, but I didn't anticipate all that I've added around the home. This project has really stretched me. I'm loving all I'm learning. It is a simple, but the disappearing nine patch was fun to do. I like the possibilities that can be done with it.

Rule Release #12

Before we get to the rule, let me just say that everyone in the group voted to use the rules that already exist from active and inactive participants.  This rule comes from the original pool of rules submitted.

RULE 12

Rule:  put words in it somewhere


Technique:  I am calling this technique the "Buggy Barn" technique.  The idea comes from the way Buggy Barn patterned quilts are made.  You may use a real Buggy Barn pattern if you choose, but it would be a learning experience to try to make your own.

Follow the steps below:

1.  Draw a basic pattern of what you want to make.  Don't do anything too detailed and remember that it will SHRINK dramatically after it is sewn together.  Create "sections" that must be sewn together before they can be joined to other sections.  I like to label my sections as letters and the pieces in that section are listed in order by number. The photo below shows that there will be 7 sections (A-G).

Below is a sample of a wonky churn dash I drew.

 2.  Draw or trace your pattern onto freezer paper.

3.  Stack at least two contrasting fabrics with right sides up.  Place the freezer paper pattern on top and press it to the top fabric.  The waxy side will stick to the top fabric and hold it  in place while you cut.  Don't be concerned with leaving the outside edges large.  It will give you room to true up the block when you are finished.

4.  Cut along the lines between the main sections as shown below.

5.  Cut out the remaining sections after the main cuts are complete.  Once your sections are cut you can cut out each individual piece.

6.  Trade the position the two different fabrics to form the block pattern.  Sew the pieces together by section in order of number.  As you sew them back together REMEMBER THAT BUGGY BARNS ARE NOT EXACT.  You WILL HAVE TO trim the edge of each piece before you attach it to the next one.  The Buggy Barn style is always wonky and rarely fits together perfectly.

7.  If you started with two fabrics, you will end up with 2 separate blocks that are positive negative blocks.

Here is another example to look at.  This one will be a wonky house.

When I finished, my house looked like this.  Because the patterns don't always turn out like you think they will, I had to make some simple adjustmens.  My chimney was too tall so I added another piece of background to go across the top of it.  Also, my door was the same color as my background, so I added a piece below it to make the door stand out.  See the difference below.

Here is a link to some wonky trees I made for the Block Lotto last December.  I used this same technique to create them.

I LOVE Buggy Barn technique!!  Give it a try.

Below is a link to another tutorial from the block lotto.

block lotto tells and shows us how to make a tree


Size:  We are going to add to but not complete the column we started in rule 11.  Remember that this column will go on either side of the quilt.  Block #12 will need to be 17 1/2" wide ( 17" finished) by 19 1/2" tall (19 finished).  You can join block #12 to the top or bottom of block #11.  We are still short 19 more inches of completing this column, so you won't be able to join it to the quilt yet.


Due Dates: The next rule will release November 8th.  You can begin showing a full release of #12 any time it is completed.  Good luck and have fun.

Lyn's Small Town Winter

I am posting this for her as she doesn't do blogger.  Lyn has completed and added rules 8, 9 & 10. 

Rule 8 is the block with the yellow house, brown tree, and rock piller fence posts placed in the lower right.

Rule 9 features more of the lake, the mountain behind it, pine trees, and embroidery work so show more backgrouond hills.  For the 3-D portion of the rule she added black colored birds flying above the pine tree on the right.

On rule 10 she tried to do the disappearing 9 patch in the sky and then changed it because it looked too boxy for clouds and sky.  She did the folded inserts on her clouds.  They are difficult to tell that they are folded inserts because she did such a fine job of stitching down the fold, but they are the long skinny clouds.  Don't they look great and oh so clever?

Granny Annie's Garden Rules 10 & 11

I'm going to pull a fast one here. I'm trying to catch up & since I'm doing wallhangings instead of the quilt I'm combining Rules 10 & 11. The 2 sides are my 4 disappearing 9 patches. I made one folded insert flower. The rest is yo- yos & raw edge applique. The yo-yos were such fun but I don't think there's a cathedral window anywhere in my future - but I'm glad I at least tried a folded insert.

Autumn Country Rule 11 Reveal

I am about 2 weeks behind in my sewing. Life has gotten in the way of fun. Other priorities have taken up my sewing time. But it is all good. Now I have my other 2 projects to catch up before our next release.
The Yo-yo's were really fun and I plan to add 1 or 2 more later. The button in the center holds the yo-yo in place, so the fabric is free. This is a new trick for me. The tree on the left will overlap onto the last column on the right side.
This is also the end of the river and the road. We will see where it goes on the left side of the quilt. It may end where it is, or another column may be added to balance. We shall see.

Scarecrow rule 11

Here is rule 11 with 2 yoyo's.   For the scarecrow I cut the fabric picture out of a panel.  One of those printed panels that was for making a stuffed scarecrow.   They had a picture on there to show how it should look when you assemble all the parts.   I thought it was nice that it had the word 'scarecrow' right above his head.
This was just too easy so I put extra batting behind the scarecrow part and tried to trapunto it. I watched a video on youtube.  It didn't come out as well as some I have seen already done.  Maybe I should have used more batting or thicker batting.  Yes , this block is quilted.  I am doing the whole quilt qayg.  ( I still need to quilt row 10 and attach it to quilt then I will be up to date!

Rule 9 finished!

Finally got to quilt and do something for me.....probably should have been doing homework, but decided to play "hooky" for a few hrs and get rule 9 completed and added to my quilt top. Made three 3D pinwheels and used buttons to embellish the blocks.

Now the only problem is, that the quilt top is about the size I typically give as baby quilts, and that is what I had planned to do with this quilt at some point. But I know that there are still more steps coming.....not to mention the two that I'm behind on at this point. I'm thinking I'd like to stop adding to this one at this point, with the exception of a border. But then take the remaining steps and start working on with them to make another quilt. I hope that's ok with everyone!

Meanwhile here are a couple of pics of the panel that I added, and the quilt top as it is now. =)