I Finally have something to share.....
Many months ago I signed up for a Mystery Quilt Contest. Contestants were given individual steps over a 6 month period....plenty of time to put the quilt together and have it finished by the end of February.
Plenty of time that is, if you don't procrastinate! You guessed it.....I put it aside, allowing other things to take priority, somethings had to take priority and others not so much.
Due to some unforeseen circumstances we were all given an extra month to finish our quilts. A month that I was thankful for, it took a bit of pressure off me.
This past Friday afternoon I succeeded in putting the final stitches in the binding and attaching one of my new quilt labels. Since I've been having van troubles (it doesn't want to start), I talked my sweet hubby into driving the finished quilt and I to Warrenton to Kelly Ann's to meet that all important deadline to show off the finished quilt.
WARNING: If you are participating in the Mystery Quilt, "International Intrigue" by Debbie Caffrey and want to keep your quilt a mystery don't scroll any further!
I wanted use fabric from my stash and not have to purchase any fabric for this particular quilt. The two purple pieces I had purchased several yards of with the intention of making myself some of my favorite baby doll tops, which never happened. The lightest fabric in the quilt I purchased at a going out of business sale and got a nice deal on everything left on the bolt, about 12 yards. The black fabric is one of my all time favorites, you'll find it in several of the quilts I've made over the years. I thought that this quilt would finish what I had of it, but happily there are still a few good-size pieces left.
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| Finished Mystery Quilt |
I've been creating a quilt label to attach to the back of each of the quilts that I make. But, I was finding the time it took to create the label to be a bit frustrating. When I came across
this tutorial at JayBird Quilts, I knew Spoonflower was my answer! Following the steps in the tutorial I created a .jpg file to upload to Spoonflower and ordered myself a yard of fabric with my quilt labels printed on it.
I left room on the labels to add the Quilt Name and possibly a note to the recipient as well as space for the completion date. I use Print Shop to print up the Name, Message and Date and then use a Pigma Pen to trace it all onto those adorable labels. Easy Peasy as they say!
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| My new Quilt Labels. LOVE them!!! |
We had to pull the ladder out for my dear hubby to be tall enough to hold up the quilt for its photography session. I love my hubby! He actually gets excited about the things I make and helping me whenever he can. He's the best!!!
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| International Intrigue - A Mystery Quilt |
I'm actually in love with the back of this quilt! The print is fabulous, just enough activity to not be boring, but not so much that you can't see the quilting. The quilting is my favorite part!
The Quilting is all Free Motion Quilting, done on my domestic machine using 50 wt. Aurifil Thread and a size 110 needle. I discovered that the thread shredding problem I was having was due to using too small of a needle. Once I took out the 80 and replaced it with the 110 I finished the entire quilt without any more shredded thread!!!
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| Quilting highlighted on the back. |
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| The quilting seen on the front of the quilt |
When it came to the back of the quilt the piece I wanted to use wasn't quite big enough, it was just about 9 inches too short. UGH!!! That left me with two options; find something different to use (but, I have nothing else in my stash that's big enough...so that would mean buying something) or find a way to make this piece work.
I'm sitting there contemplating this dilemma and grumbling under my breath to myself, when I notice the pile of pieced strips left over from the front. With a bit more piecing I could make a strip big enough to make up the difference. I really don't like how it looks, but I now had a piece big enough for the backing and I didn't have to go spend money that I didn't want to spend, just to finish the quilt. Problem solved!!!
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| Piecing to make the back big enough |
Quilt Stats:
Finished size: 79" x 94"
Quilt Name: International Intrigue, Pattern designed by Debbie Caffrey
Fabrics Used:
Cream - "Once Upon A Garden by Lynnea Wasnburn for In The Beginning (2006)
Light Lavendar - "Romance" designed by Vicki Lynn Oehlke of Willow Berry Lane for
Henry Glass & Co. Pattern #5695
Dark Purple - "Romance" designed by Vicki Lynn Oehlke of Willow Berry Lane for
Henry Glass & Co. Pattern #5700
Black - Candy Corner by Blank Quilting Pattern #BTR-5105 (2010)
Thread: Aurifil 50wt.
#2520 in the center stippling, #2600 in the inner border, and #1243 in the outer border
Thanks for stopping by!
Happy Quilting &
Many Blessings!!
Marcia
