En Provence progress

I'm pushing forward with my En Provence quilt by Bonnie Hunter. I wish I had hours and hours to wrap it up. One day if I ever have control of my own life .... I love my life and its a fun roller coaster.

I literally spent days trying to decide what to put in the center of the block.
Is my yellow too bright?
Bigger quilt size desired but do I stitch more units to add another row and column of blocks or add a border? What kind of border?
Have I ever mentioned my brain will not shut up? This is why I don't get enough sleep.

I finally decided to put a solid dark purple fabric in the center of my blocks. It was my only purple in the beginning and I had to shop for another. Then I loved the new swirly purple so much I used ONLY that. Silly right? This original purple is sweet and ties in with the theme of lavender fields. See the lavender flowers and butterflies? Check out the lavender fabrics from my stash - purple flowers and butterflies! God knew these fabrics had to go into the same quilt and once I got quiet, there they were :)

Decisions made, I stitched blocks. Added sashing.

Then today I spent the day with a grass fire on the neighboring property. I could see the flames from my yard. I was scared enough to get a hose and start soaking the barnyard. Once the fire crews started to arrive they set up massive water trucks in our farm yard to refill the brush pumper trucks. Over a mile of land burned. We're all safe. Success! My horses will have to stay in the corrals until we can get out this weekend to rebuild the fence the firemen cut to get to the flames. Its a small price to pay for safety. I lost count of the many agencies that responded. County - volunteer firemen are amazing!

Cross your fingers I can get to the borders soon ...

En Provence Mystery Quilt Clue 7 and Finale

Units ready and waiting for their big part in a block

January 1st Bonnie revealed her final clue and the big reveal. More hourglass units! Have you seen her quilt? Go look! * En Provence Mystery Quilt * The clues will be live and free until summer 2017 when Bonnie removes them because the quilt pattern will be published in one of her books. Go save, print or memorize them now! You will regret it if you pass up this opportunity.

I tuned into Netflix while I trimmed

I hustled and finished all of Clue 6. Then hustled some more to stitch up Clue 7. I worried about stitching those little bias sides of the Quarter Square Triangle - Hourglass units. I'm a reckless stitcher. I literally ran my hand over my strips before I cut them - stroking them smooth - they clung together and stitched up beautifully! I learn something new and improve my skills every time I do a Bonnie pattern. It makes me feel proud, like getting a gold star in school as a child.

Now to make blocks.

I have not stitched even one block together yet. I have watched all of you lovely quilters boldly create blocks, rows, columns, whole tops and even finished - on the bed amazing! And I'm hanging back trying to decide how MY colors play together to create my best version of Bonnie's design. She will get the credit on the quilt label even if I do alter something; I'm honest and want it recorded properly. No worries there. But how do my fabric choices look best?

  Contestant #1
The quilt block as Bonnie designed it. You can see my yellow is quite bold. The lavender in the hourglass units almost disappears.

Contestant #2
Putting yellow in the center of the green star. It provides more of a surround for the lavender hourglasses. But that much bold yellow really competes with the purples.

Contestant #3
This changes out the yellow corner blocks in the center/main block for purple/neutral half square triangle units. I like how it looks but it would necessitate making more HST's. I do like the yellow centers to the stars. It gives them a touch of a flower look.

Contestant #4
Takes all the big bold yellow out of the block. Leaves the possible additions of the purple/neutral HST's. This is a very peaceful look to me. Nothing jarring to the eye.


And I may still audition another tweak. This is play time baby :)

What are you stitching?

En Provence Mystery Quilt Clue 6

Can you believe Bonnie revealed everything in one fell swoop for her En Provence Mystery Quilt? Acckkk! I was so happy that I was caught UP TO Clue 6 which is hourglass units. I don't expect to get the whole clue done by the link up which comes a few days after the clue but I like to have some accomplished. I did stitch a few hourglass units on Sunday Jan 1st in an effort to have something done for Monday Link Up, then I got online that evening to find Bonnie had shared the whole tamale earlier that day! Totally forgot that she likes to gift us the big reveal on New Years Day. I'm happy but now I feel like I am behind which is really silly - she only gave us the final clues hours ago. Hours!

Clues 1-5 and a few of 6

This is a lesson to us all - do NOT be your own worst critic. I see many quilters being very harsh about their work. I do it too, just like the 'I'm behind' whine. We need to relax and remember we sew because we love it. I LOVE creating beautiful and useful items. So yeah, be nice to yourself :)

Have you seen Bonnie's new tool? The Essential Triangle Tool. She wrote this pattern to include her ruler and I bet its amazing. At the beginning of the Mystery the rulers were back ordered (manufacturer issue, NOT Bonnie's fault at all) so I figuredI would have to do without it. Blissful ignorance. Fast forward to Clue 6 and hourglass units with green, neutral and lavender. Oh no.

Back at Clue 3, the lavender and purple 4 patches, I lost my mind. Totally. Gone. I cut my strips. But instead of doing the math and cutting half lavender and half purple - I cut enough lavender for ALL the strips. This meant I cut all but a tiny bit of ALL of my lavender stash. My remaining lavender was now in 2 inch strips. Thankfully Clue 6 could use 2 inch strips IF you had one of Bonnie's Essential Triangle Tools. I had a pity party. I figured I was doomed to wait until I could get the tool shipped. Then I studied the hourglass unit and several tutorials on making hourglass units. I looked at Bonnie's Triangle. Hhhhmmm .... its a 90o angle corner .... Tada!

I fashioned my solution. It's imperfect but it will work for now. I stitched an hourglass unit up - amazing! It measured out a tiny bit bigger than 3 1/2 inches. Amen! Did you hear the angels singing?

Quilters are nothing if not creative and inventive. So here's to making do with what I have right now. I'm working on my hourglass units for Clue 6 and will push forward to accomplish 7 then make a real, actual, amazing block. I'm excited!

Have a great week! Stitch something!

En Provence Mystery Quilt Clue 5

Clue 5! Can you believe we have been doing this for 5 weeks already? Where does the time go? Actually considering the introduction prior to the clues, Bonnie Hunter's En Provence Mystery Quilt has had our eager attention for quite a while longer. I'm loving this years mystery. Thank you Bonnie!!

Squares marked and stitched

This past Thursday I was under the weather so I decided to get organized. Yeah right! Like that is going to ever happen. I sat and counted my units for each clue. I was done with the neutral 4 patches but lagging on all the others. Funny thing though, once I counted and realized how few units I needed to finish the other clues, I felt perky enough to sew. Apparently I'm still a child wanting a day off then finding the energy to play after all. I'm proud to say that by dinnertime I had completed clues 1, 2 and 3. Yippee! Clue 4 is in progress.

Purple and neutral is really growing on me

Clue 5 is small - just a half million purple and neutral HST (half square triangles). Easy peasy lemon squeezy, except its grape not lemon. Or purple. But anyway ....

Fields and my baby tree nursery

Do you feel a bit blue - down in the mouth - melancholy in the winter months? Or during the holidays? I've been feeling dull and I'm trying to be more proactive this winter. Rearranging my sewing room put my sewing table right in front of a south facing window. Might be a day of glaring sun in my eyes or just another gray day - either way I have more of a view. Yes, I do move my fabric away from the window so it won't fade. The view isn't amazing this time of year but it is Gods creation with a little rural domesticity mixed in. I love it and I'm very thankful.

Have a fantastic week!

En Provence Mystery Quilt Clue 4

Clue 4 of Bonnie Hunter's 2016 Mystery Quilt is here and all over the globe quilters are feverishly stitching purple and neutral tri rec units.

Unless you're me.

I am sad. Christmas has some past harsh events so I tend toward caution each season. This year though, this past week, I lost a friend. My family lost a friend. He was only 62. Only 62!! Life is harsh for many and he embraced adventure and lived a full, amazing life in spite of genetics that would drag him down.

So this week I have cried and mourned. I did stitch a few tri recs but the bulk will be done as I can thru the holiday hustle.

If you are a diabetic - TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!
If you know someone struggling or living with diabetes - appreciate them, love them, help them.
Life is short and very sweet.

Have a great week!
Have a very Merry Christmas!

Clue 3 En Provence Mystery Quilt

Are you stitching along with Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt En Provence? I enjoy the fun and friendship plus I get to learn new skills. I'm a self taught quilter so Bonnie has her work cut out for her, LOL :)

My husband wandered in and got trapped counting Clue 1 units

Last week I had chores and had to leave my ironing board draped with 4 patches waiting to be pressed open. And trimmed. I dislike trimming units down and I love trimming units down because I like knowing I have wiggle room. Plus I had some 2 1/4 neutral strips I wanted to use. Good news though - they are finished! Waste nothing!

Clue 2's Tri Rec units are about halfway done. I am making a few extra units of each clue since I will probably make this quilt a bit bigger that Bonnie planned. And just in case I goof ...

My stack looks wonky but they really are properly square.

Clue 3 is more 4 patches, this time in lavender and purple. I love the 4 patches. What I really love? The darling tiny 4 patch on the back when we spin our seams! Its so stinking cute!

Have you been stitching? Shopping for the holiday season? I'm avoiding shopping. We will see how long that lasts for me ... Have a fabulous week!

En Provence Clue 2 in progress

 I have clue 1 of En Provence almost done. I actually have not counted, LOL. I added some neutrals to my selection. It stretches my comfort level. I like scrappy but I want my colors to be very, very close to one another. Having tan, cream and patterned fabrics all in one group makes me edgy. But that is why I want to do Bonnie's fabulous Mystery Quilt along. She pushes me to do more, learn more and stretch my mind.

And as I stitched the strips together I started liking the play of the fabrics and shades. And I just love the tiny, little, spun 4 patch of seams on the back of the block.

Clue 2 was released this past Friday and Sunday I slipped away to have some Mystery time. Thankfully I was introduced to Tri Rec units during Celtic Solstice. I felt confident that I can accomplish this task.

The trick for me is to be very sure I match the little cut corner on one edge and the long straight edge on the other. They stitch up properly each time. Whew! I'm so happy I persevered on Celtic Solstice as it taught me so many techniques in a short time frame. Thank you Bonnie!

I only had time to finish 16 tri recs before kids and grandbabies arrived. I cook Sunday supper for all my family each week. This week was lasagna and garlic bread. Family time keeps us close and happy :)

Have a great week everyone!!