Scrap Dance Mystery Quilt Along Updated

Ok…like I don’t already have enough to do…..but really…this kind of thing is just my speed…once a month.

Carole from the blog “From My Carolina Home” is sharing a project that is a “scrap buster”.   She posted about it in March, and I looked at it and thought…no time ….no time… Today, she released the directions for Step 2, and I was hooked.  I know, there are all these blocks of the month, and patterns I have saved etc…but I like this one…so here I go to play along with Scrap Dance Mystery Quilt Along.  This is what happens to me and why I have SO many projects going…oh look…fabric…shiny …ooooh  !!!!  I like to get distracted by a new project.

I won’t tell you what size, but I will tell you that today, I will go out, clean up the scraps from my last project (QOV) and all those other scraps that are piled on the back of the cutting table and on the little skinny table in the center of the room.  My friends KNOW that I love scraps and have gifted me several bundles that are now needing to be put to use and under control.  I think I will tackle one piece at a time. Press it, cut it; store it / add it to the “SCRAP DANCE MYSTERY QUILT ALONG.   It is NOT too late to start, step one & step two are posted, and I think I can “catch up” today and tomorrow, then I won’t worry about it again until MAY.  (While I press and sort & cut I am keeping my eyes open for possible “hexi” pieces…I am short a couple of hexi’s on one of my “rounds” of double diamonds and am on the lookout for a particular scrap!)

If you want to play to – go check out  https://frommycarolinahome.wordpress.com/2015/03/12/quilt-along-mystery-quilt-2015/

I put a button on the side of my wall to her Scrap Dance Quilt Along too.   The button and the link above will take you to the “intro – part one”.  Today’s post was step two – https://frommycarolinahome.wordpress.com/2015/04/09/scrap-dance-mystery-quilt-along-step-2/

Now, don’t tell anybody…I have dishes to wash, taxes to do, etc.  But…the clean up of the sewing room needs to be done before I can carry on QUILTING those 2 Bonnie Hunter Grand Illusion Mystery Quilts AND my Quilts of Valor top that are waiting.  I might even break the vacuum out and clean up the threads and bits on the floor….you know it is SPRING and time to clean up a bit.   Hope you are inspired to play with your scraps a little too.

Oh the scraps to be tamed!!

Shhh…..don’t tell; I spent 3 hours working on the scraps. but now it is time to get on with the family life…the dreaded trip to the warehouse store for groceries.

But I DID get something done……

the 2.5″ light squares to go in the house for hexi’s

the basket that awaits taming

 

 

the tamed blocks – 2.5″ and 3 “

QOV Top finished and embroidery machine fights

I have finished my QOV top.  I worked on it yesterday and today.  I had taken a little break over the weekend and played with my embroidery machine.  I did a little stitching on some wonderful cotton dish towels. The first 2 designs drove me batty. Broken needles, jammed threads etc.  The last 3…easy as pie.  I think the first two were so thread heavy; that my little machine went on strike.  The very last one…the blue chicken looking creature was a pain in my neck too.  Note to self….stick to the lower stitch counts.  All in all I am pleased.  Have 4 gifts “in the bag” for future gifting.

Dish towels

On Tuesday afternoon I decided to get busy and finish the QOV.  I had about 6 sections to connect and then it was time for borders.  I deviated a bit from the original pattern by putting on a piano key border and adding Ohio Stars for cornerstones.  Bonnie Hunter, the pattern designer used a neutral center block in the stars, and I used gold.  I also added gold sashing where she had white in the pattern.  I just like to give my own “spin” on things.  Truth be told, I didn’t have enough yardage left to make a solid border in just one color, so the piano keys were born.   Did I mention that I “over did it” when I was making those “rail blocks”.  Miss read the instructions and made 70 instead of 40.  So; I just added another strip of neutral and the piano keys went together very quickly! Of course, I had to build 4 more of those star blocks with those fun star points. But, by this time I have turned into a bit of an expert!

QOV top complete

Finished top is 69″ x 69″.

For the backing, I decided I would USE what I have for the back of the quilt!  Before I started making the backing; I made my binding!! (Sorry, no picture until it goes on the quilt…you have seen it before!)    I used the same blue as in the stars, and did “Susies Magic Binding” with a gold flange.  Once that was done,  I made a scrappy pieced backing; starting with the larger pieces of left over fabric and working in the strips and leftover bits and pieces.

pieced backing

Now all that is left to do is get it layered up and ready to quilt.  (Oh and fill out the entry forms for the Ocean Waves Quilt Guild show…and make a label….and a presentation case……yikes).

Time to call it a night…..I will be dreaming of stars tonight.

note: Pattern – Ohio Stars and Rails by Bonnie Hunter – Quiltville.com (with minor modification)

Quilt show – Ocean Waves Quilt Guild, Lewes DE; July 17 & 18  – details here – http://www.oceanwavesquiltguild.org/qs15.html