Yankee Puzzle Plus! A Bonus Buddy Bonanza!

Good Morning from Quilt Villa in Virginia!

I arrived yesterday afternoon after a short stop in Wilkesboro to have lunch with my friend Mona and catch up – just us girls.

We only live an hour or so apart from each other, but when both moving targets are going in opposite directions, we just don’t get to see each other as much as we would like to.

Lunch was long gone, and we were still sitting there an hour later nursing our iced teas and chatting up a storm.

With a full belly and another hour’s drive ahead of me, I was grateful to slide in for a late afternoon nap by the time I finally got here.

Are you intrigued by this block at the top of this post?

This is something I have been working on behind the scenes for a while!

You know how I love units that leave me bonus triangles.  But instead of saving bonus triangles for ANOTHER project down the road, how about we find a place for them to land in the same project you are working on, using my Bonus Buddy ruler to turn those waste triangles into BONUS!

Bonus Buddy Singles are available in the Quiltville Store.

Also included free in the Essential Triangle Tool package!

I use the Bonus Buddy for many things, It’s great for a quick measure of this or that, and also the perfect size for drawing lines on the back of squares for stitch & flip action.

There are many reasons why I DO draw lines, but the best reason of all is the resulting bonus triangle unit in an all-ready-good-to-go size that I couldn’t get if I put a full 1/2’’ between my lines.

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Set that Seam Allowance!

The best way to set your seam allowance is to measure from the needle out – not the edge of the foot in.  The holes in the Bonus Buddy allow me to set in many sizes – from 1/4’’, 3/8’’  1/2’’ and 5/8’’.

There are many things that work together to give us unit size, so be sure to do a seam test.  Your cutting, fabric thickness, thread weight AND your seam placement all come into the equation.

Yankee Puzzle Plus block!

If you want to try your hand at my Yankee Puzzle Plus block, I’ve got the free pattern/tutorial up on the C&T Blog HERE.  

It’s a sweet block made from 2’’ and 2 1/2’’  strip widths and would be great in a number of different fabrics and colorways.

Head on over and check it out!  Please leave a comment on that post to let them know that Bonnie sent you!  

And I’d love to see your blocks if you make them.  Please use the hashtags #quiltville and #yankeepuzzleplus when posting to social media so I can find you and share in your fun.

Yesterday’s cabin sewing!

I’ve got more of these half-chevrons to make, and you can see my pile of bonus triangles growing.  They are the gift that keeps on giving, and I always choose this method when the stitch & flip triangle I’m sewing on comes from a 2 1/2’’ square or larger.  Why not?  I love this bonus size!

Beautiful pink blooming dogwoods as I left Wallburg.

Mountains in the distance as I drove west.

Mona at lunch!

I found this great zipper pouch for her while in Pacific Grove, California for Asilomar. Inside it, I placed all of the goodies from this month’s Quilty Box as the bunny quilt pattern found in the Bundles of Inspiration Magazine just screamed out CARMEN to me – Carmen is Mona’s granddaughter.  She’ll be making that quilt for Carmen likely for NEXT Easter.

YOU can make one too – if you are the lucky winner of this month’s Quilty Box Gift-Away!  Did you enter to win on THAT POST?  Drawing to happen Sunday evening.  (Crafty *itch pouch not included!)

The main reason I’m up here today (besides the much needed R&R) is a trip to the dentist this morning to replace a worn filling that is giving way.  Numb is my friend.  Numb is my friend.  Hopefully it will be an easy fix and I’ll be back at the machine in no time.

I was planning on staying until Sunday – I head out to Iowa on Monday.  But I might be cutting that short because more snow – perhaps 5’’ or more – is expected tomorrow afternoon and I don’t want to get stranded up on the mountain.  I may start to head home tomorrow morning, weather depending.

I really believe this.

Rick Rack Nines Quilt shared during our Illinois workshops last week.

(Pattern from Adventures with Leaders & Enders)

Enjoy your Friday, everyone!