To Do or Not To Do......Bonnie Hunter's mystery......

How many of you are doing (or have done) Bonnie Hunter's mystery this year?  It's called Grand Illusion, named after a hotel in the US where she taught some classes earlier in the year (2014).

I thought, and thought about it.  I have loved her mysteries in the past, but didn't think I would sew it this year.

A couple of weeks ago I went to my monthly GTG of the CBD group of Scquilters in Melbourne and two of the girls (Vireya and Jeanette) had their nearly completed mystery quilts for Show and Tell.  I quite liked what I saw, although I still think it is a very busy quilt with nowhere to rest your eyes.

This one is Vireya's.  She decided to make it smaller - which I like.
















This is Jeanette's - Jeannette has made it full size.  She hasn't got the borders on as yet.

Comparing the two - it does look different with the borders on.  Hope to see Jeannette's with hers at our next meeting.

Apologies here - for the table and (I think) Vireya's hat.



I went through my stash (before it started) and found most of what I would need.  Changed the colours slightly - I'm substituting Royal Blue for the Black, as it's not a colour I like very much in quilts and I don't have very much of it - used a lot in the Orca Bay quilt. Not sure if I want to use the yellow Bonnie is using -  I am taming it down a bit - have quite a stash of yellow, no problems there, also have a huge amount of green, as well as the pink - mine is more of a darker dusty pink; but the lighter blue or aqua is a problem - not much of it in my stash. Plenty of neutrals, but I'm sticking with creams/cream-on-cream.

Now that I have seen the finished quilt, I know I can make it smaller and therefore will have enough of the aqua material to finish it.  I am thinking of double bed size not the large queen that she has made. Bonnie's is 5 x 5 large blocks with sashing.  Vireya's (above) is 3 x 3 - I'm thinking 4 x 5.

As I sew happily along I will post what I have achieved at each stage.  Having collected all the steps I will be able to work through them - and of course, typically, there is a lot of cutting, sewing, cutting, sewing.

Following Bonnie's instructions is very easy - full of explanations and photos.

Back to the sewing room - have completed all the cutting, cutting, cutting. Will post the first step very soon.

Take care,
Joy

I am truly blessed...

I have just spent the last few days in Melbourne with my grandchildren.  DIL went to Gippsland to visit her mother who is in hospital having a rather big operation.

My beautiful granddaughter who is 8, put this basket with its contents on the table next to the bed where I sleep. She has been told over time that when Nanna (me) or Grams (other nanna) comes to stay she must make sure the room is tidy (she often plays in here with her girlfriends to get away from the little brother...) and not to leave anything that we might trip over.  Usually she places a glass with some flowers in it from the garden.  But this time I got the basket with a couple of mags, some shampoo and soap etc; plus some 'treats' - a couple of packets of sultanas and a container of fruit with spoon.  "Just in case Nanna', she said, "I'm sorry but we don't have any flowers".

Isn't that just the best - made my day.  I felt very special.

2015 Word for the year

FOCUS.

That is my word for this year.  As most of you who read my bog know I don't make resolutions - they are too hard to keep and too restrictive.

 I choose a word for the year which I use to help me FOCUS on what I need to be doing.

Last year with moving house, a family wedding and other stuff that happened, I kind of lost my focus on what I was doing (or maybe I should say - what I planned to do...)  Of course, as usual when this happens, one tends to go off in a tangent and no matter how hard you work, nothing gets done and you are back to square one!



This year to help me FOCUS I have put together a ring binder with dividers for things like - My Garden, Quilting, Sewing General, Computer, etc. Into this binder I (hope) will write down the different tasks, perhaps what I wish to purchase, etc for each of the divisions.  I'm not putting in a timetable (only if there is a time frame, ie if say, a quilt needs to be made as a gift), and I will jot down my progress as I work through the folder.  Sometimes I will add things, hopefully I will be crossing most out. 

 After all, that is the reason for having this folder!!

What is your word for this year 2015?  Do you have one or do you make resolutions.  I would love to know.