Plodding along on The Reveal on Grand Illusion

I apologize for the overload of pink, aqua, white, yellow, green and black.  It's Bonnie's mystery colors, so it's everywhere.  These are my 25 blocks stacked up ready to start sewing.  Last step and reveal time.

First step sewn together on my large fancy 9 patches.

Yay, They are 9 patches now.  (What's the correct spelling of Yay?)

Time to add sashing and cornerstones.  I deviated here, I like to do it the Gourmet Quilter's way from you tube.  She has a video about sashing 5 inch squares, but it works for anything.  First side on.

I guess since I really love scrappy best, my blocks looked kind of blah to me, even though they are bright.  I decided they needed something else, so I went to Hobby Lobby today and this black floral was the closest I could find to my vision. My print is where turquoise 3 1/2 inch squares were supposed to be.

Both sides of sashing sewn on.

Just 5 sashings to sew on here, and 5 at the top, and sashings will be complete. I really like the video from Gourmet Quilter, "How to Simply Sash 5" squares - Quilting Tips and Techniques 054".

This picture doesn't show the cornerstones as well as I'd hoped.  I'm hoping that when it's done it'll be pleasing, and give it a little less boring look.  I'm also going to put another small border on using the print.  Two reasons, to tie in the print a little more, and to make the quilt a little larger. 

Christmas Past

I made a couple of these a few years ago.  This wasn't the prettiest. 

I used to have Christmas for the family at my house, but my daughter has had it the last few years.

I loved this quilt and gave it away this summer.  It's on my to-do list to make another.

This Christmas quilt was given to one of my grandsons and his wife.

This one is on my bed until the first of the year.  I really like it.

These little mini stockings were a fun project that I made several years ago.  I made lots of them.

I have made lots of table-toppers.  Pillow covers, too.

Wall hangings too, and almost always reversible.  I figured why not a tree for fall and Thanksgiving.

A dresser cover from some blocks I got at a shop hop.

Table-toppers and wall hangings, it's a sickness.

And, one more wall hanging that almost got left out.  The scare crow is from Hobby Lobby.

I have also made countless Christmas bags.  I made this Christmas post to link up to Bonnie at Quiltville's Very Merry Happy Holiday linkup here.

Great-Granddaughter Rocker Ensemble

A couple of years ago, my daughter and I got this chair, made the cushion and a little matching blanket, for Dominic.  He has a little sister now, and since he has outgrown his chair, and she seems to like it a lot, my grandson asked if I could make a more girlie rocking chair ensemble.

I, of course, said yes and here is the front of the little rush job quilt.  I am not thrilled at all with the looks of it, but it is mostly purple, like her room.

He also asked that it have a fleece back, as she loves soft, and so it has a fleece back. 

And here are the replacement chair pads.  Again, I wish I'd taken more care to straighten things up, but in my defense, I was hurrying.  I wanted to get them done in time for a free ride to their new home a couple hundred miles from us.  I have a feeling these are my last finish for the year.  I just hope that they fit, I got dimensions from my grandson, but I was on my own with the curved top. 

Grand Illusion Step 5 Finished

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Grand Illusion Mystery Steps 1 - 4

Step 4 complete.

Steps 1 - 4, getting closer to the reveal. 

Iron Tote and Pad

Oh my goodness!  I thought this was going to be a piece of cake, but in it's way, I think it was more difficult than my Bionic Gear Bag.  I tried to do some investigating before I started, and one lady suggested using old towels instead of batting.  I wonder if she ever tried it herself.  I didn't have any 100% cotton batting, and I thought to myself, I have old towels, and that will save a little money, and a trip to the fabric store.  First since it called for 2 layers of batting, I used 2 layers of towel, and I couldn't hardly even get it under the presser foot.  Before I had even gone 4 inches, I broke a needle.  I took it apart, and used 1 layer of towel.  Alas, even that was a major stretch for my Bernina presser foot, and every stitch was a fight.  Breaking of thread was routine.  Never again, if I make another one, I'll make sure that I have the batting. 

Here it is with my little travel iron inside, still in the box.  I feel sure that a full sized iron would fit in here just fine, and I'm thinking, I'll make myself a little hemmed piece of flannel to use on top of it when I iron to keep it looking nice.  That will fit in here just fine, also.  I used 4 inches of elastic, as the pattern called for, but I think that was too much.  I need to investigate what would be good to make sure that the buttons don't pop out and dump my goodies.

Not perfect, but I wasn't kidding when I said every stitch was a challenge. 

All in all, I'm happy with it, and I think that if I hadn't used the towel it would have been as easy as I expected it to be.  It might be that the firmness of the towel is more to my liking than the batting would have been.  I know, pink buttons?  They were all I had, and my Bionic Gear Bag is pink and brown, so they'll fit right in.   Oh, it is a free pattern and I got it here: http://thepaintedquilt.blogspot.com/2013/07/easy-peasy-travel-iron-caddy.html       or                        
http://tricountyquilters.weebly.com/uploads/3/0/2/4/3024945/iron_caddytote.pdf

Grand Illusion Clue 3 and Sea World Skating Show

Oops, good thing I decided to double check after I did one.  It was a lot easier to rip only one.

120 plus done.  Now, I have a couple of small projects to work on while I wait for clue 4 on Friday. 

Sea World's annual ice-skating show, it's like a fairyland this time of year.

Pre-show entertainment, a very good Christmas music show.

A very nimble gymnist. 

And the show begins.

Bionic Bag II

Here it is loaded, and I'm sure I could fit a bit more in, too.

Here is what was in it:  Counter-clockwise   Full sized 45mm rotary cutter, small wallpaper tool for flattening seams, a magnifying glass, pencils, embroidery scissors, pre wound bobbins, more pens and pencil, point turning stick, thread with bobbins, walking foot, seam ripper, 8 inch shears, back scratcher ( I don't know anyone there well enough to ask them to scratch my back), needles, 2 1/2 by 6 1/2 inch ruler (one of my favorite sizes), and a screwdriver (you can see the blue handle).  And, of course, in the tray, a full sized magnetic pin holder, and a box of 50 wonder clips.

Bionic Gear Bag

I worked a few hours on this one yesterday and today.  There are a myriad of things that could be better, but it is good enough to serve the purpose.  Tomorrow, I hope to load it and take another picture.   Even better, I have two days left to clean, maybe do a little Christmas decorating, and straighten up and be ready for clue 3 of Grand Illusion.