Celtic Solstice, Part 2!

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Note!! I fixed the pdf on my layover in Charlotte so it now matches the numbers below!  It's safe to print it now :)

As this posts I’m on the way to Germany with a fabulous group of 24 quilters and companions, exploring Christmas Markets and Castles and everything else that this part of Bavaria and Austria have to offer!

It’s the stuff Christmas Dreams are made of!

But it might mean over the next week I won’t have as much access to email as I usually do.  It might mean delays in responses if I am able to respond at all.  I want to encourage anyone who has questions to ask their questions in the comments section below, and those of you reading – if you read someone’s question, and you know the answer and can help – will you reply to them?  If you leave a question…click the option to have comment notifications  sent to you in case someone answers your question.  And come back and check the comments section after a period of time to see if someone has indeed answered your question.

Did you have a chance to check our first Mystery Monday Link-Up post?  There are close to 200+ bloggers and Flickr folks sharing their progress!  Click HERE to see!

Monday, Dec 9th we will do it again –come link up your blog showing any amount of progress on the mystery and share with others.  Remember – we can NOT link to your Facebook page.  You must have a blog or a Flickr page.

You can also find the links to previous Mystery Monday Link-Ups and earlier clues for Celtic Solstice under the Celtic Solstice tab at the top of the blog.  Everything is there for easy access!

There are many things that came together in designing this quilt –like inspiration from this photo.  This is one of the tiled floors in Christ Church, Dublin Ireland where I was in June of 2013.

How many of you see traditional patchwork elements in this floor?

This week's clue is going to be a fun one!

CHEVRONS!!

     Some go down, some go up, and when put together they make Chevrons!

                                                                                                                                                                               

In this clue we will be using our yellows, our neutrals and our greens. 

Units will measure 3-1/2” and finish at 3” in the quilt.

The Small Quilt needs 100 Chevron units. 

For the SMALL quilt cut:

200 2” X 3-1/2” green rectangles

200 2” neutral squares

200 2” yellow/gold squares

The LARGE quilt needs 244 Chevron units.

For the LARGE quilt cut:

488 2” X 3-1/2” green rectangles

488 2” neutral squares

488 2" yellow/gold squares

Pieces for ONE Chevron unit.

For each Chevron unit you will need 2 green rectangles, 2 yellow squares, and 2 neutral squares.

Marking Diagonal Line

Square placement for one downhill and one uphill Chevron halves.

There are many reasons WHY I mark my diagonal lines.  The biggest reason isn't  that I can’t sew straight to save my life ((which is TRUE!!)) but that I need a visible line so I can sew just to the RIGHT of that line so that when I fold my triangle up, the drawn line ends up just on TOP of my thread.  This makes allowance for the thread in the seam so that my folded corner will reach all the way to the edges of my rectangle.

If you have done the diagonal sew and flip method before and have always been a bit ticked that your corners never seemed to reach the edges of your base unit – this is likely why. The fabric will fold up from off the LEFT side of your thread.  You need the line to end up on TOP of the thread, so we sew right next to it like this:

Needle placement just barely to the RIGHT of the line ((The CUT OFF side))

See the left edge of the needle kiss the right edge of the drawn line? THIS is what you want!

Fold corners back after sewing to make sure that they reach the edge of your base rectangles before snipping excess fabric.  If they reach where they are supposed to – snip an approximate 1/4” from the stitching as shown.  I do this with scissors, I find it to be faster, and don’t have to be standing at a mat!

These little corners are perfect for your Pineapple Crazy quilt centers from my book String Fling if you have one started ---At the current time I am not saving them because I have boxes and boxes, and these are on the small side.  I would save them as bonus triangles if I were working with 2-1/2” squares, but these are only 2” so the bonus is quite tiny.  You choose if you want to save them or not!

Trimmed and ready to add the yellow corners next!

Match the drawn angles with the angles of the previous stitching!

Stitch these as you did the neutral squares – keeping your stitching just barely to the right of the drawn line.  Snip excess corners.

Pressing!  Two Up and Two Down!

Do you see that the left hand Down-hill Chevron has both seams pointing up? And the right hand Up-hill half has both pointing down?  This is so seams will easily nest and eliminate bulk.

Place halves with right sides together and sew with 1/4” seam joining halves together. 

Press center seam open!

Units will measure 3-1/2” and finish at 3” in the quilt.

Cute Cute Cute!

If you like to hand piece, or want to print your shapes onto your fabric so your sewing lines are visible –Linda Franz has a special inklingo offer for you!

Click the image below to view the collection info for inklingo!

Have a great time working on Part 2, Everyone!

I'll be in touch as much as I can over the next week!  I return home on Saturday, December 14th.


Click Here to like our Quiltville Friends Page on Facebook for more fun! You do not need a Facebook account to read the Facebook posts - They are viewable to all! Feel free to read & quilt along with us!

When I Should Be Packing ----

I was off BROWSING!!
The DH and I are looking for end tables for the couch in the family room at the cabin.

There is an outlet sort of place not far from where we live that has some pretty nice stuff and great bargains – so we started there.

And left empty handed.

He went one way, and I went the other on the way to my afternoon massage.  I had time to kill and so I swung by my fave antique mall in the area which was right on the way, just to fill some time and browse.

And before you get the wrong idea – NO!!  This machine did NOT come home with me!

At first all I could see was the cabinet, which looked in very good shape, with a price that was “not bad” depending on the condition of the machine inside.  But the top of the cabinet was closed, the machine invisible, and the whole thing was piled high with dishes and other fragile nicknacks and dust catchers.  What’s a girl to do?

Move everything to the floor so she can take a peek, that’s what!  ((Can you see the dishes on the floor in the photo? Don’t worry, I put them back!))

Cleaned up, this would be a lovely machine!

It’s a Singer 66 with Red Eye decals, probably from the late 19-teens to the early 1920s.  It moves freely…and the missing bobbin cover plate is in the drawer, so all is present and accounted for, even the manual.  They are asking $135, which is not a bad price for a nice machine where no major parts are missing.  The decals are mostly intact with just a bit of wear in front of the needle – which just shows this machine was loved and used!  There is NO PIN RASH on the arm…bonus!

Anyone close to Winston Salem?  This is in the “Lost in Time” Antiques Mall on Peters Creek Parkway.

I spied a huge basket quilt!

The quilt wasn’t huge..but the baskets were!

I’m guessing 1940s on this one…they are so folksy and funky!

Love this combo with the plaids going in every which direction—and no borders..the sashing just ENDS at the edge making the blocks on the outside edge look like they could just fall off the edge.

Chambray backing – machine stitched down to the front as binding.  Aren’t those wild polka dots fun?

No quilts came home with me either….but I turned a corner, and look what I found:

Spool Cabinet Table!!

THIS, my friends came home with me!  Merry Christmas to myself –I need a bedside table between the two twin beds in the upstairs guest room at the cabin.  This is perfect ---for the quilt friends and family who will come stay!  Spool cabinets are getting harder and harder to find, and prices are soaring.  The last one I found was $795.00 in Texas.  This one (It’s all one piece – spool cabinet, table, and the attached bottom drawer thing on the shelf – that’s permanently affixed and part of the whole –was marked $200.00  It’s got all original hardware, and dovetailed drawer joints.  LOVE IT!

I also found something that might work for one end of the couch ---but it doesn’t have a match to it.  And I have a feeling I will be the ONLY one who loves it so:

Look at this pot bellied end table!

Those knobs are actually doggie heads!

The bottom drawer is divided, and tin lined.

What would you put in here?

And this little shelf slides out!

It’s drop leaf on both sides, so the table could extend out for playing cards or something?  ((See first photo))

I’m torn on this one.  I love it ---but I’m afraid I’ll be the only one who will and we will end up with some “new” end table with no character.  What’s a girl to do?

If it’s still there when I get back from Germany I’m going to look at it again!

I’m finishing up the last of the details for tomorrow’s Celtic Solstice Clue #2 to go live.  Are you ready?  I’ll be out the door early, but it’s set to go on schedule!  I hope you enjoy it!

Have a great evening, everyone!

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