Is it a Conspiracy?

It's Monday and even though there isn't a Linky today, it seems like posting is a bit of a habit.  Besides, while I was working on this yesterday, I think I discovered a conspiracy.  I've read on different blogs estimates as much as 4400 pieces in this quilt, and where there are lots of pieces it's obvious that there are also little clingy threads.  I thought of wrapping some masking tape around my fingers, but that seemed like a lot of trouble, and then I remembered.  How many times have I seen pictures of cats on blogs, many times sitting on an ironing board.  I haven't got a cat or dog, but maybe threads and pets are somehow connected.  What if some of the "quilting ladies" have discovered that cats pick up threads and carry them off so that they can clean themselves as I've heard that cats do.  What if they are like big soft furry brillo pads when it comes to threads.  Maybe, dogs are similarly helpful, and take the threads outside and shake them off.   I've also noticed that many times these same "quilting ladies" have more than one pet, so I think that perhaps it is a conspiracy and they are trying to keep them all to themselves. 

Body of Orca Bay - Sunrise Sunset Done

The body of the quilt is finished, now on to the five borders.  I like working with smaller pieces better than borders and backs, but it has to be done.  Still have my by the end of the month goal, so it seems doable.  I really should try for better lighting outside, but not today.

Bonnie Quilt Collage

I've seen on a couple of other blogs where people had grouped their Bonnie mysteries or Bonnie quilts so I thought I would, too.  For one thing my blog needed a break from so much orange, for another, I just learned how to do collages (http://support.google.com/picasa/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=19539) and last, I like Bonnie's quilts just like you probably do.  The Carolina Straightaway was my version of Carolina Crossroads, I just did one of the blocks.  My Roll Roll Cotton Boll is smaller, but I have another in process.   I made the strip twist for my grandson and had some leftovers, so made the small one which covers the big fuse box in my sewing room.  Orange Crush is on the bed in my sewing room and Iowa (Carolina) Christmas is on DH and my bed until my Orca Bay Sunrise Sunset is completed.  DH says it makes him feel like a king.  Bargello Bowl went to a Sister-in-law after she had some surgery.

Getting Threre Long Way to Go

I've worked on this and gotten nine rows done.  Phew.  It wouldn't be such a process, but I'm back and forth to the iron constantly, which I figure is good for me as it's a little bit of exercise.  I'm liking it although it is a bit busy, I think that even with my wild colors it's going to be pretty awesome when it's done. 

I had discovered a new quilt shop on the last shop hop that I went on, and then forgot where it was except that it was about 30 or 40 miles away and seemed to be in the boondocks.  Luckily I was able to find the flyer for the November shop hop on the internet and DH and I made a trip there yesterday.  I got this fabric for the borders I'm adding to make the quilt bigger.  It looked bluer in the store, and it looks bluer in person than it does here, but if I use it, it'll be for the 1st extra border, as some of the piano keys, and for the third extra border.  The other piano keys will be various purples and here is the link again of the quilt that I got the idea from.  I've been coveting the Janome 6600 and recently read that they aren't making them anymore.  At the shop yesterday they had the Horizon, and wouldn't I love to have one of those.  If I could get the right price I think that I'd trade in all my machines (4) except my old serger and my embroidery machine and just go with the one machine.  I'd gain some floor space and it would do it all I'm sure. 

I've been looking at clearance flannel sheets on Lands End and they are pretty pricey even on the clearance.  They had this flannel for $3.00 a yard yesterday, so I got more than enough for my Sunrise Sunset (Orca Bay) back.  I think I saved quite a bit maybe even half over the flannel sheets.    It had a little sun fading just on the fold, and for my purpose it won't be a problem, as I plan to do a couple strips of leftovers from the quilt on the back.  It'll use up some scraps and fancy up this pale flannel a bit.  I would have rather had it a bit darker, but I think it'll be fine.   Oh well, back to 8 more rows of Sunrise Sunset and then 5 borders etc, etc.  I think that I probably have a good ways to go before I post my first finish for 2012.  I hope that it will be in January though, I'm hoping to continue my challenge of at least a finish a month.  Last year, I didn't finish any in October and November, but I did have 18 finishes total.  Without my challenge to myself I think that I would have had a lot less.

I Wasn't Having Fun Yet - Rippit - But I Am Now

Here is what I did at first (after the Rippit Rippit).  I thought I was being super careful, but I made the mistake of going by the pictures in the instructions (on pages 1 and 2) without noticing that on the one of the actual quilt that the top left Ohio Star was a light, and on the EQ version on page 2 the top left Ohio Star is a dark.  Luckily, it wasn't that hard to fix, I used the original row 1 as row 3 and made another row 1.  I had marked the top left little string block and the top left of the second row, but I didn't 'look' at them until I had sewn them together.  Oh well. 

Here's a rather grainy picture of rows 1 through 3 sewn together.  If there are any more mistakes, I don't know if I want to know, lol.   As I had mentioned in my post "Is This What It'll Look Like"  I am going to make mine bigger, about 92 by 102 I think that I had figured and after seeing the first 3 rows, I think it'll look just fine in my bedroom.  I think that my colors won't even look that crazy.  I sure do miss my design wall that I lost when I changed from my little sewing room to my big one.  What happened to my wall space.  Pictures are a lot less wonky when you have a design wall.

As usual if you want to see what everyone is doing on their Orca Bays, go to Bonnie's blog here and take special notice of Forest Jane's Orca Bay badge I think she out did herself this time.  It's a beauty.

I couldn't help myself, I had to add it here.  Didn't I tell you it was a beauty.

I think that I'm calling mine "Sunrise Sunset" as the song from "Fiddler on the Roof" keeps going through my mind, and I don't really have any orcas.  I like the chorus, too:

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears

2011 Finished Quilts

I've been seeing these collages around the blogs and thought I'd jump in.

Is this What It'll Look Like

I hastily laid a few parts out before church this morning and I must say, it will be busy, but I think I'll like it a lot.  I want it to be a bit bigger for my queen sized bed, and so I think I'm going to add more borders.  Another plain, a piano key, and another plain.  Something like the one (a bigger view here) here.  I'll use a black print for the inner border that Bonnie has given us, and then I'm going to go mostly blues and purples for the other 3 borders.  I'm thinking blues (maybe predominently Kona Robin's egg) where the example in my link has white, and purples where they have multi colors.  Bonnie said this one is 74.5" x 84.5", so with my additions it should bring it up to about 92 x 102.  That would be a 2" border, 6" piano border, and another 3" border.  My Iowa (Carolina) Christmas is about 92 x 92, so I think that 92 x 102 would be about perfect.  I like the width on Iowa Christmas, but wish it was a bit longer.   Again, thank you to Bonnie for her generosity and another great mystery.  She never disappoints.   I'm so glad now that I've finished my Iowa Christmas that I've overcome my fear of bigger quilts and can make another for my bed.  The one I was using was smaller than I would like, and I'm ready for a little change. 

Step 7 Complete and the Mystery Soon to be Revealed

Step 7 is complete can't wait for step 8 and the answer to the mystery.  Thank you to Bonnie for giving it to us early.  This is rather orange overload, as it is laying on my Orange Crush. 

I was thinking as I was stacking up all the parts that that is half the fun.  It is so rewarding to stack up all the little piles that we have worked on so diligently and to anticipate the beautiful quilt that we will have.  (Those who went with Bonnie's colors are assured of a beautiful quilt, mine is a little bit in question at this point, lol.)

Orca Bay Step 6 Finished

Step 6 is finished with a few hours to spare.  I'm ready for step 7 and hope that a little more blue or some purple will cool things off a bit.  For some reason the camera is washing out the blues, they are bluer than they look in the pictures.

Step 6 Sample

Thought I'd try a couple of samples, It's gonna be wild, I think "Orca Bay Crazy Lady" may be appropriate.  
PS  I've still only made the 2 sample blocks, but hope to make more soon.  It probably won't be today, Monday, December 26th, as DH has a Dr's appointment in the city (Orlando) and then we are going to Gainesville to visit my brother who is in the hospital there.  It will be a busy day.  I can't wait to make more.  For a look at some real progress visit Bonnie Hunter's blog here .  Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that your New Year is happy and productive.