Tag: Mystery Quilt

Triumphant Top Finished!

I got online with Latifah Saafir the other day as part of her Mystery Quilt project. I almost didn’t, but am really glad I did, because it was me, Latifah and one other person for almost the whole session. I didn’t have a Zoom background installed so the other participants could see my small design wall. Latifah asked about the Blue Improv piece hanging behind me and we talked about it for awhile. I almost swooned. Latifah admiring MY piecing. 

Finished: Triumphant top
Finished: Triumphant top

One of the things I got to do during the session was show my finished Triumphant top. Despite having continual cutting problems, I was able to finish the top. Now I need to make the binding and backing then it will be ready to go to Colleen. 

I am pleased with how it came out. I am glad it is done, but happy with the finished result. It is really different than other quilts. 

I am also not feeling as cranky about the rulers as I was. I think I will try the HuRTy PuRTy design to try and get the way those rulers work stuck in my mind. 

Triumphant Towards the Finish

I didn’t get Triumphant on the wall as early on Sunday as I would have liked. I was busy finishing the Sidewalk #2: Blue Strips so Triumphant would have some design wall space.

Triumphant blocks on the wall
Triumphant blocks on the wall

When I finally did get it on the wall, I found that I had miscounted the pieces I cut at Sew Day. I was short about a dozen units. Sigh. 

The photo doesn’t show any of the side border pieces I cut on Saturday. You’ll have to trust me when I say it wasn’t enough. 

I was actually glad to get it on the wall as I could see what I was working with. The main part of the quilt is just a giant 9 patch, so I sewed it together and then sewed the top and bottom borders on which I had finished a week or so ago. 

Then I sat down and had to correlate the pieces I had with what I needed. Once I figured out what happened, the cutting went relatively quickly. 

Now on to sewing.

Triumphant Again

Triumphant blocks 4 & 5
Triumphant blocks 4 & 5

The way this piecing is going is I cut a lot wrong, then I figure it out, cut it right and piece cool units together. This is the case with Blocks 4 & 5.

However, I like this quilt, am pleased with the fabrics I chose and am learning a lot. 

Except for a couple of background strips, these blocks are done and I have the patterns for blocks 6 & 7. I plan to work on this weekend.

Not So Triumphant

After out Triumphant week off, I am back to cutting out pieces. Well, I am back to trying to cut out the pieces. There are very few this week as we are on the borders, but I am struggling with those #@%^ HRT Bs again. 

I watched the video, which is very clear, and cut several pieces wrong. I am now watching the video again,but stopping it, doing the step and then watching more. I just can’t seem to wrap my head around this ruler. I am glad she came up with the mystery quilt as it is a good way to try out the tools.

Triumphant top border
Triumphant top border

Now I have  the Color 3 (turquoise) pieces cut and am about to add some Color 6 (red-violet) pieces. Fingers crossed I can trim these  to the correct size.

Truimphant Block 3 Finished

Triumphant block 3
Triumphant block 3

I cut like a demon at Sew Day, so the pieces were ready to go when I was. Having the pieces cut, having fewer pieces and being more familiar with the process meant I was able to finish Triumphant block 3 in record time.

I am all caught up and have a break for a week until the border instructions are posted.

Yes. This top is in sight of being done. Hooray!

There are some pieces I would have cut differently, though I am sure Latifah had her reasons. I prefer large pieces for the background – as large as possible. I’ll have Colleen quilt over the intersections of the background, however, and I am sure by the time I get it back I won’t care. LOL!

Triumphant center complete
Triumphant center complete

These are large blocks: 20 inches finished. Right now this is a large Nine Patch that is 60 inches wide.

I find the shapes that I can make with the HuRTy rulers are really different from other shapes. I looked at Latifah’s other patterns and didn’t see anything appealing. I hope she has a “Design with HuRTy rulers” course.

Truimphant Block 2: Done

Triumphant: blocks 1 and 2
Triumphant: blocks 1 and 2

I finished the rest of the block 2 blocks. my design wall is full of Sidewalk, so I used the design floor (LOL!) to lay it out.

What stands out to me is that turquoise border around block 1 (center). It doesn’t stand out to me in a bad way. It definitely highlights the center block. 

I kind of wish I had used the purple from the center for the purple tips of block 2, but c’est la vie. I am not ripping out more seams. 

Working on Triumphant Block 2

Triumphant block #2
Triumphant block #2

I am trying to keep up with the Triumphant Mystery quilt. I don’t want that lingering. Since the cutting is the hardest part, I spend as much time as I can on that when I have time.

I cut all the pieces for block 2, but started out just sewing one (of four) together. It has a really different look than ‘regular’ blocks. 

Now to make the other three.

Triumphant Block 1: Done

Triumphant block 1
Triumphant block 1

After cutting a lot of pieceswrong and having to re-cut I finally finished block 1. What I figured out is that I am struggling to cut the HRT B pieces.

For the next block, I will label much better. I had a hard time figuring out which ruler to use for trimming.

I am pleased with the fabrics I chose. 

Triumphant Progress

Triumphant block 1
Triumphant block 1

It really is all about mystery quilts lately.

I finally got all the pieces I needed for the first block cut out correctly and started to sew the block together.

I am struggling with the HuRTy rulers**. I wanted to give up since my sewing time is really precious. However, cutting the background was so easy that I have it already cut out and couldn’t see wasting those strips. I’ll get there.

So far, I think it is an interesting  design, but not one I would have come up with myself. Perhaps this is a stretch for me? I am definitely using my brain with the rulers. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Old Town Back

Old Town back
Old Town back

The back of Old Town is done. I have sewn the binding, so it is ready to be applied after the quilting is done. With all of these chores done,  the quilt is ready to go to Colleen for longarming.

I used a really nice wisteria print from Philip Jacobs. I had two pieces, which means I bought it twice, but I can’t remember where. The colors fit perfectly with the Old Town top.

The blue swirly prints were leftovers from the Half Hexie Star quilt. I wanted a little bit of that fabric on a quilt I will probably keep.

So, on to quilting. I have to arrange that, but hope to take another quilt at the same time.

Started Triumphant

Starting Triumphant
Starting Triumphant

I started Latifah Saafir’s Triumphant Mystery quilt. It is a lot of cutting and I have to re-learn how to use the HuRTy ruler. Well, there are three of them in use for this quilt, so HuRTys!

I cut a bunch of pieces wrong, because of my misunderstanding of the instructions. Fortunately, I have enough fabric to make a few mistakes. I am struggling to get the flip of the ruler(s) from A pieces to B pieces correct. I am trying to be more careful as I don’t have infinite fabric.

Old Town Top Complete

Old Town top complete
Old Town top complete

I finished the Old Town quilt top over the weekend! Hooray! I am so glad it is done.

It is pretty pink. Pretty in Pink? I don’t think it screams ‘little girl’. It does remind me of my childhood bedroom.

Now just to make the back and then I can take it to be quilted.

Old Town Checkerboard Complete

Old Town with checkerboard border
Old Town with checkerboard border

DH was out of town all week with the Native Sons at Grand Parlor. I didn’t go as I had to work and hold down the fort at home. Instead of cooking dinner (hooray for microwaves!) I sewed and the Old Town second border is now complete.

I keep looking at this piece and marveling at how different it looks with borders. OMG! So much better. Who knew a border could do so much?

Moving Forward on Borders

Old Town - left checkerboard
Old Town – left checkerboard

I continued to work in dribs and drabs to get another border on Old Town. This one is a pieced checkerboard border.

I considered stopping work on this quilt at the plain border. I decided to soldier on because I already had made hundreds of 4 Patches.

I am amazed at how different the quilt looks after adding that checkerboard border. I know I only photographed half of the quilt. I stood and looked at it for a long time trying to figure out why that one border made such a difference.