Clue One of Bonnie Hunter's Old Town Mystery Is Complete

 I'm happy to have completed clue one of the Bonnie Hunter 2024 quilt along, Old Town Mystery.  All my units were Accuquilt cut.  It was fun digging through the blue scraps and finding just the right size scrap to use.  All units have a different fabric for the aqua and the neutral.  That's scrapilicious!

Below you see them patiently waiting for their red/neutral friends from clue two to arrive.  I am following along with the suggested color scheme this year.  I can't wait to see all the different color arrangements of my quilty/bloggy friends.

Elf on the Shelf Escape Room

 Our elf family had two escape room challenges this week:

Above they are in a little safe box with a four-digit combination.  This one is harder than the next challenge.  I'm sure Owen will take it out to breakfast with him and my husband today.  Hopefully my husband knows what year I was born.  Ha Ha

This one is much easier at the end.  I bought this little safe thing to use on my bike/kayak.  It was a great deal at the bin store for $1.  It did not come with a combination.  Luckily it was still factory set at 0000.  

Learning is so much fun!  By the way, our son knows that the elves are not real.  He still loves the magical tradition.

Charm Basket Quilt -- A VERY Slow Process for Slow Sunday Stitching

 Yes, this week I started a NEW project.  I needed something that would keep me busy during my lunch and planning periods at school (and hopefully high school study halls as well.)

The quilt pattern is called Charm Basket by Laundry Basket Quilts.  It is an Edyta Sitar design.  I just LOVE her designs.

I have not stitched the outside of the basket handle down yet.  But it is ready to go in my sew-to-go box.  

For over 15 years I have been a spoiled Accuquilt girl.  I love to select patterns and blocks that utilize my extensive Accuquilt collection.  This quilt is taking me a little out of my comfort zone in the fact that things will be cut with a rotary cutter.  Dog ears will need trimmed.  I will need to draw lines with my Pilot FriXion Gel Pens for the basket handle and diagonally across the unusual sized pieces.  It should be a time consuming project.  Due to the charm-sized fabrics needed, I should also be able to take my cutting and marking chores with me to class.  I'll be able to use my small cutting mat and rulers.

I love how cute this repurposed plastic box that someone gave me free at a garage sale holds all my stuff!  It slips easily into my teacher bag nice and flat with my quilt magazines.

If you are wondering why the duct tape is on my Fiskars spring-loaded scissors, it's because over time the material the handles of these scissors get gummy and sticky.  A little duck tape on the handles and the life of the scissors is extended.  It seems they stay sharp longer than the handles last.  A pen cap fits perfectly over the scissors so that it doesn't poke through anything while riding in my teacher bag.  Aren't thrifty quilters great problem solvers?

You can also see my favorite type of pins on the basket handle.  Magic Pins are a favorite notion of mine because I can iron over the silicon grip.  I also like the way the grip is shaped vs. a small bead.  It's easier for me to pick up.  I'll also be using up these mini spools of thread from a sewing kit someone threw away.  The little spools fit perfectly into the flat box.

Each basket can be made from a 5" charm square.  I am going to try to utilize pieces from my multi-colored fabric bin.  I sort my fabric scraps by color and store them in large totes.  I never seem to know what to do with these fabrics (besides use them in scrappy Bonnie Hunter quilts).  I pulled a tote bag of multi-colored fabrics from this project.  After I use the piece that I need for a basket, the remainder of that fabric piece will be cut into strips (with my Accuquilt dies of course) so that I can start making another BitCoin quilt.  I can't wait to see how all the fun fabrics land in that quilt!

I'm linking up at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching here.

Elf on the Shelf Fun

Elf on the Shelf has been a tradition in our house for over ten years.  Our single elf, Chippy, has dated Barbie, got engaged, got married, had a baby and then a set of twins.  Blue (Chippy's cousin) is here with his girlfriend, Skipper.  There is a pet reindeer.  We have a Grinch.  

This is how the Grinch showed up this year two days before Thanksgiving.

See how I utilize Elf on the Shelf to teach something?  One of Owen's chores is to empty the dish washer.  Now he looks in the dishwasher every morning to see if there is anything in there for him.  If there are just dishes in there he quickly puts them away.  He also writes long notes and lists to the elf family and puts it in the empty dishwasher.  The trolls talked about in the note were trolls (like in the movie Trolls) dressed in Halloween costumes that were a Halloween decoration that Owen set up in my sewing area.  Owen has been in charge of holiday decorating for YEARS.

The elf family has numerous creative adventures.  They travel to different places around the world.  They had to quarantine in 2020, they use elftronics to text our son.  The leave notes with big words in them.  Usually something needs to be researched.  

Our son learns differently than other kids.  BUT he does learn.  We are so blessed that God hand picked him for us.

Stay tuned for later this week when the elves need help in the escape room.  You got it, important numbers and math will be involved  ~ wink wink.

Sorting Fun -- Old Town Mystery by Bonnie Hunter

I spent some time today watching Netflix (The Watcher) and sorting pieces that have already been cut.  When I use fabric I often run it through an Accuquilt die that best fits the scrap size.  Then I throw it into a bin.  They are easy to grab for leader/ender pieces.  When I get too many they wrinkle.  So I set a goal to use them.

Today I sorted all the reds and neutrals out of the bin.  I found that at least 1/5 of the units are already complete!  The other cool part is that there is so much variety in the reds and neutrals.  

Here's a pic of my pride and joy.  Yesterday he wanted to help cook Thanksgiving foods.  He did the ham, green bean casserole, gravy, and baked beans ALL BY HIMSELF (with me coaching, of course).  I couldn't be prouder of what an amazing young man he has become. He's 17. We definitely had a few laughs and a lot of fun in the kitchen together.

2025 Quilt Dream Finish List -- A New Kind of WIP Wednesday for me

I have always had a very long WIP Wednesday list of projects.  Here's a few things I'm going to TRY to finish in 2025.  The next step is listed in parenthesis.

Random Ohio Stars -- Started in November, 2022 (needs quilted)

Vintage Flower Garden Blocks -- Top completed 11.23.2024 (needs a back)

Crib Quilt BitCoin -- Top finished 11.4.2024 (needs a back)

Blue Embroidery Quilt, top completed Summer 2024 (needs a back)

This is my project that I will taking along with me to applique basket handles for hand work.  It's called Charm Basket and available at Laundry Basket Quilts.  Purchased pattern 11.27.24. My goal is to use my fabrics that are multi colored.  Hopefully I have a few baskets in my school tote to stitch (and keep that supply stocked.) I'm sure I will make the quilt a different size that what is listed.

HST Quilt, Three Six Nine RSC22 -- (needs more HST made and rows completed)

My WIP Wednesday posts are overwhelming.  I lost my sewing mojo a while back when I got on the healthy kick.  2025 I'm going to try to start a better balance of diet/exercise, and incorporating other things I love back into my routine.  I have been going to the pool at the YMCA five times a week.  It has helped my knee injury recover.  Now that I have started getting gel injections in that knee, I hope to be able to do more activities that can continue my recovery.

Other honorable mentions on my to-do list without quilt photos:

Bubble Gum Pink quilt (needs a back)

Hunter Green Star Quilt (needs a back)

Embroideried Acorn Quilt (needs pieced together)

Card Trick (needs a huge back)

Kite Girl (needs sashing & borders)

Bonnie Hunter 2024 mystery Old Town Road (not started yet but the goal is to finish by 11/25)

Dogs with Sweaters started November, 2024 (blocks need cut)

Sail Boats started November, 2024 (blocks need cut)

Legendary started November, 2024 (blocks need cut)

Christmas Socks started November, 2024 (block need cut)

Bonnie Hunter Unity Quilt, Started during Covid, 2020 (needs decision on another row to make larger)

Miscelaneous Block Lotto quilt blocks (needs decisions on how to arrange)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Slow Sunday Stitching -- Grandma's Flower Garden Quilt Top Complete

Grandma's Flower Garden blocks have been sewn together.  I had spent some of my waiting times (at bowling, school, appointments...) appliquing these vintage pieces to a backing.  It's time they get moved to the "to be quilted" pile.

I'm happy to return to the quilting world after a long, long break.  I have a feeling it's going to be a snow-covered winter.  I have been scheduling some jobs in which I can take some quilty things with me to work on while substitute teaching.  Most of them will be cutting instead of hand work.  But I will still enjoy it.

I'm linking up at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching here.