Easy Street.

Once again, Bonnie K. Hunter is hosting her annual mystery quilt-a-long.
I look forward to this event every year.  The patterns and colours are so different year to year, the quilts are amazing.
The first clue came out last Friday, but it has taken me until last night to actually decide on colours.  Bonnie has used Grey as her constant, Aqua, Purple, and Green her main colours, and Black on White prints as her background. 
Recently I went through my fabric cupboard and donated a heap of fabric that I thought I would never use.  Unfortunately, this included anything with grey, aqua or bright purples and greens.
I've mulled over many combinations, finally settling on yellow for my constant, Red, blue and green colours and shirtings for my backgrounds.  All from my 18th century repro cupboard.
I did consider cheddar as my constant for a while, but yellow won the day.
So, finally, here are the first 22 blocks of step 1.  Only another 170 to make!

Bonnie has a Linky happening over at her blog , at last look there were over 200 people linked up with their blog posts showing their progress.  Please drop by and have a look.

Grandmother's choice.

I'm still chugging along with my Grandmother's Choice blocks.
Block 12-Little Boy's Breeches.  The colours are better in real life, but it's still a fairly light coloured block.

Block 11- Schoolhouse Block.  This is the second time I've ever pieced a schoolhouse block.  I don't know what it is, but I always have lots of trouble with the measurements.  No problems with the set-in seams, the block just doesn't like me!  I'm glad it's finished.

I had intended on sewing these on Saturday night, but somehow the conversations got in the way! 

Midday to midnight sewing.

Yesterday was an extravaganza of sewing activity for me.
Karen from Somerset Patchwork has had several 12 hour sewing marathons, I decided I needed to try one.  So from midday until midnight yesterday, sew I did.  Twelve hours seems like such a long time, but went very quickly once you get sewing.  Fifteen other ladies and myself sewed up a storm.
I had kitted up 12 blocks from a sew-along with Pam Buda, and took several other projects with me.  It wouldn't do to run out of something to sew!  (I think I had enough for a 2 week retreat stay!)

 I did think these blocks wouldn't take that long, but time went very quickly.  I left the sewing of all the blocks together for today, that part did go quickly.  As you can see, I've used 2 different pink setting fabrics.  Miscalculation on the amount of pink needed, luckily I had another on the shelf.

This centre from Summer School last January is coming along.  I worked on sewing the corners into place.  Would love to have this quilt finished for this coming January's classes.  Once the corners are in place, the large borders will go together very quickly.  I'm now trying to decide how to quilt it.  Handquilting is definately off the list- too many seams.  Perhaps Baptist Fans or Clamshells on my machine, it's not a big quilt.  Any ideas?

Whilst I was taking photos of my quilt the other day, I took the opportunity to photograph some others that are also too big to hang inside.

This quilt started life as a mystery quilt way back in 1999.  I did finish the top soon after the class ended.  Not bad for me.  LOL.  However there it sat for a long time.  Finally, a very good friend of mine convinced me to quilt it and be done. So, over even more time, it was slowly machine quilted by me on my domestic machine.  Whoever thought that quilting on the diagonal on a king sized quilt would work needs shooting- Guess that would be me!  Oh, not forgetting that I had embellished the pomegranates in the middle with beading before quilting.  That certainly led to some interesting moments.
However, it was finished and I'll be eternally grateful to Megan for giving me the push I needed.

I'm feeling a little strange today- I completely finished a quilt.  Not just the top, but the whole thing!
Feeling pretty good actually. This quilt was started in about 2008, machine quilted in 2010 ( I still have the paperwork!) and finished 2012.
 Photos were taken and the quilt is on my bed.

Turns out when the quilt is large enough to hang over the edges of my king-sized bed, there is a definite lack of places to hang it for a photo!
Clever DH to the rescue, so out we go to the vegetable patch where there is the remnant of a trellis.  I've edited out the woodworking clamps he used to hold the quilt in place.
Hmmm, I've just realised there is another  quilt on my ladder that just needs the binding on to be finished.  Begun about 1989, handquilted by my mum sometime in the next 5 or 6 years, and still waiting for the binding.  I think it should be next.

Bindings...

I haven't sewn on a lot of bindings.  I have to admit that I love to sew quilt tops, but that's where it ends.  I sometimes have my tops machine quilted, but more often than not  the tops go on my quilt ladder and I move on to the next quilt.
So, I bit the bullet last week and chose some binding fabric for a quilt that I finished around 2009.
It was machine quilted in 2010, and since then has been draped over the ladder looking gorgeous!

I'm on the home stretch with three quarters sewn.
I must say that this is the first time I've used clips to hold the binding instead of pins.  I'm converted.  No pin pricks, no pins to fall out.  The clips hold well and the edge is nice and soft to hold.

Grandmother's Choice.

Still up to date with my Grandmothers Choice blocks.
Block 9- Brick Pavement.

Block 10- New York.

A good day off...

I spent yesterday finishing off a small quilt project from some months ago.
My little quilt has been languishing in the corner , complete with borders cut, just waiting to be finished.
So TADA, here it is.

Oh, that red binding isn't for the little blue quilt, I also cut and ironed 400" of  binding for a large bed-sized quilt that has been waiting.
Feels good to get some finishes happening.

eeek...

I have been following along with Jo's year long quiltalong at Jo's Country Junction,  I nearly forgot to post my October little quilt.  What happened to October?  Suddenly we're into November.  My goodness.
So, better late than never, here it is.

Have a look over at Jo's, she's hosting a linky of other's October quilts.