2009 MYSTERY QUILT

Last January Verda passed out 'Clue One' of our Mystery Quilt to be worked on for the '09' year of quilting within our Quilt Club. Each month she passed out another clue that we could follow the instructions to discover our suspect of the month. Eventually as the months passed we began to see patterns and possibilities to answer the mystery of what kind of quilt we were creating. The first month we were instructed how much fabric to purchase or gather from our 'stash'. We quilters are inclined to have shelves full of fabric (our stash) that appealed to our taste in color and possibility of quilts without knowing how we might end up using any of it in a project. This first picture shows how I followed my first clue and ended up with suspect 'A'

This process was followed each month until the experienced eye began to see likely patterns and potential. Finally we were given the final clue that showed how all the suspects lined up to create the whole picture of the finished quilt. The aHa! and 'But, of course' were realized and we could begin to sew it all together and solve the mystery.

Here I am at our Christmas party where we brought our quilts to be viewed during our Show and Tell portion of our get-together. This is a favorite and fun time to ooh and ahh and admire each others work. The choices of colors was as varied and special as each gal that had chosen them. We had learned that the pattern was called "Twisted Cables".

Come January of 2010 we will once again embark on the solving of the newest mystery that we will be presented with month by month. And so it begins as Sherlock would say. "Come, Watson, come. The game is afoot"

LOOKIN' GOOD

Goodie. I feel finished with this project now that I see it put to use. This is Jackson using the quilt I made and sent him recently. Knowing he had it and liked it is not the same as seeing it in place. His Momma took these pictures and posted them on Facebook. I downloaded them for my scrapbook of quilts I've made. So far I have made baby quilts and twin bed quilts for each of the nine grandchildren. The oldest is 19 and I am thinking I need to start on some really big quilts for the future.
I made Jack's quilt in the style of his big brothers quilt which is on the top bunk. I used the same basic quilt pattern but modified it so they would match but not be exactly the same.

Here you see big brother Joshua on top with the quilt I made when he was ready for a big bed. Now that Jack has been freed from his crib he needed his own big bed quilt. And there you have it. Sweet boys.

JACKSON'S FINISHED QUILT

I really like this picture of Jack and Josh, they are all of a year older, but it just sings brothers to me. Jackson is two and out of his crib, that was my signal to get busy and make him a quilt and now it is finished. Let me review the steps I have shared here on this blog of how I went about it.. Jack's big brother Joshua who is seven had already received his big boy quilt when he moved from the crib, now it is Jacks turn. I decided to make Jack's quilt from the same quilt pattern as his brother, but I wanted it to be different in color and layout. A compliment to Josh's but unique to Jack.

First comes cutting, sewing and stacking blocks to be put together later. I find the process almost meditative

Here are the two basic components that make up each quilt. I altered the number of each and how I would set them together.

This is the new quilt. The color schemes should blend nicely on the bunk beds. At least that is my deep desire. Below is Joshua's quilt that I guess I made about five years ago. The same fabric was no longer available.

Jack's quilt is the ninth grandchild big kid quilt. They all got a crib quilt and all I asked their moms was to not hang them on a wall or put them away for keeps. I call my quilts Dragon Quilts because I expect them to be dragged, used as forts over tables or chairs, spit on, thrown up on and wrapped around as snuggly hugs from grandma. I don't think that's to much to ask. Use it or loose it, at least thats what I told them.