I made a commitment.

Once in a while, someone will catch me at just the perfect moment...

Wait! Let me start by emphatically saying, "I. Do. Not. Accept. Commission. Work!!"

lol, .... but once in a while...  someone catches me just right...😆

This is one of those times.  I accepted a commission a while ago.  My client said, "there's no rush." 

That was as far as I got. 

But now it has caught up to me. She contacted me a couple weeks ago inquiring about it.

I had to admit I hadn't even started 😳

As it happens, it seems right now is the perfect timing to make good on this commitment.

(small disclaimer:  I apologize to family members that are waiting for quilts, I strongly feel I have to do this now.  I promise I haven't forgotten. Unpacking my sewing room has them fresh on my mind. This year is for getting those done.) 

However, right now I have to make....

American Indian maidens!
The pattern is from the International Sun Bonnet Sue book by Debra Kimball.

The book contains designs of 49 Sun Bonnet Sues from around the world, a few from different USA regions, even a Mermaid Sue and an Astronaut Sue too!!
For a peek at some of these Sues you can click over to MooseStash Quilting blog post about her International Sun Bonnet Sue quilt.  It was her USA-West block that caught my client's eye.

Instructions for the blocks are "use your own favorite applique method."
After consulting with my client, we decided fusible applique with hand-stitched buttonhole embroidery on the raw edges is exactly what she wants. It is quite the undertaking! I am enjoying the challenge.

Surprisingly, I only found a few southwest prints for the dresses in quilt shops around here.  It seems that being in Texas, there would be more TexMex prints available that would have a native american vibe.

Luckily, I already had some suitable prints in my stash that will work nicely.

It's like playing with paper dolls again!

They were coming together quickly.

so far, only one is stitched to show how it will look with the buttonhole stitching round the pieces.



This quilt will require 18 maidens that will be alternating with squirrel blocks.
Fourteen out of eighteen so far. But a fashion guru I am not! I have many more sleeve pieces than dresses!!

Four more to go. Then a final approval from my client before they are fused to the backgrounds. And then the buttonhole stitching frenzy will commence.

I made a commitment.
I've placed a soft deadline. (I work best with deadlines!)
It's a challenge.
I know I can!!
(There is a second quilt for this same client as well. But I'm not going to think about it yet.)
(I'll have to stitch a Frolic block here and there, just so I can continue progress on that one as well.)

A Day Retreat!

Last Tuesday I had the fortune and pleasure of spending some time with a few new quilting friends.

Kathi had won a Day Retreat for her birthday at The Encore Quilt & Sew Retreat Center in Lewisville, TX.

Everyone was set up by the time I arrived.

 

There's only room for 12, it was so wonderful for Kathi to put me "on the list."  

What a wonderful welcome! It really is heart warming to be invited to an event outside of the usual meeting place.

That empty chair there is the spot they saved for me.  

The retreat center made the walls into floor to ceiling design walls! So cool!

I took the Bonnie Hunter 2019 mystery Frolic project to work on.

At home, I don't have the design wall set up yet. It was very inspiring to see my blocks up..

..and arranged on point as they will be in the final layout...

.. and when I added the sashing pieces between the blocks!!

WOW! I am really loving this! And really inspired to continue 😉

one more block assembled..

and a artistic photo. But I really need to learn to focus my photos better.

To tell the truth, my first response was to decline the invitation. 

I have a pretty good work space at home. My sewing room is located upstairs. To pack up the sewing machine, the project, all supplies needed, and tote downstairs is a bit of a pain. (Knowing that it's going to have to be packed back up the stairs later as well...)

Then there's the 30-40 minute drive to the meeting place and back home. That's time I could be at the sewing machine already!

Aww, but to have that quilting fellowship!! 💕

 

 The encouragement,

The confirmation,

The admiration,

The support, even on non-quilting related things

The conversation

The FOOD!! 😂

All of it makes it worth the effort.  I'm so glad I went.

And I'm so grateful for welcoming quilting friends!!

Really the mystery continues, even after the reveal!

Bonnie Hunter's 2019 Mystery Quilt "Frolic"...

I am so enamored with it all!!

I am so happy I gave-in to the urge to join in on this fantastic quilting adventure this year.

I did resist. I mean, I already have many projects to continue. The release was the day after Thanksgiving, like it is every year, which just happened to be two days after we moved into our new house.  I really didn't have time or room to start another project.

Curiosity got the better of me.  My quilting friend Judy's enthusiasm was contagious! And I had a quick look at Bonnie Hunter's blog Quiltville's Quips & Snips!!

A quick click on the "Frolic Mystery" tab had me well on my way down the rabbit hole.

The second sentence started with "Texas Wildflowers" and I was completely hooked.

Also, I was setting up my sewing room and was able to pull from my stash as I was taking it out of the boxes to put on the shelves. So convenient!!

I was making my way through the clues slowly but surely. I didn't mind being so far behind those that had started right at the release. I actually liked the lack of pressure to complete the clue before the next one posted. Until clue #4...

it seemed to take F.O.R.EVERRrr...

I think clue #8 was posted when I finally finished #4.

Then clue #5 was short and sweet. And I started #6...

...just in time for clue #9 - "The Reveal" post!!

I read the posting and everything came around full circle!

The whole mystery was so clever!

I am in awe of Ms. Bonnie Hunter.

I am amazed at how much effort she put into giving us this mystery (free for a limited time, I think I read she will be taking it down and making it into a digital download for purchase on Feb 15. But don't wait until the last minute if you want it free!! Go to her blog - Quiltville's Quips & Snips and look for the Frolic Mystery tab!)

 I have been sewing since my feet could reach the pedal from the chair.

I took my first quilting class in 1990.  That's 30 years of quilting!

I have always taken a pattern and converted it to techniques I know work for me.

This time, I followed the instructions, word for word.

I think for the first time EVER, ALL my seams matched up!

I didn't have to ease-in anywhere.

Seams nested where they were supposed to.

That's 64 pieces in this block and they all lined up perfectly!!

 I love my second block even better than the first!

The colors are not captured very well with my phone camera. They are more vibrant than I am seeing on my computer.

I can't wait to see how they all turn out. Each one a little different because I went as scrappy as I could.

really I didn't do too bad. I made it all the way to clue #6 out of 9! 

The reveal was perfect timing for me...

I am more of a whole block maker than a make all the pieces first then make the blocks kind of piecer. 

The next block is laid out on the design board, ready for piecing. I have company visiting this weekend. I'll have to be sure to sneak to my room here and there, whenever possible, to stitch a seam or two.

I can barely stand it. Now the mystery is "what will the next block look like?!"

I want to see this one put together and the next one laid out!

I can't wait, I can't wait, I can't wait!!!