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Sunday, December 22, 2019

Helping Paws at the QPO?!


Oh, Lola!!

I fired up the 1961 Rocketeer to quickly zig-zag some batting scraps together.  Franken-batting is the name, and using up batting scraps is the game!

And Lola wanted to get right in on it.  Are you helping, Lola?  Or hindering?

There are very few times that I need a machine with zig-zag capability in my quilting life.  And this is the main reason besides mending tasks, which rarely happen in my world.


Set the machine at widest zig-zag with a very long stitch -

I overlap the batting by about 1/8’’ to make sure that my zig and my zag are really catching things securely.  And zip zap I go – zig-zagging away bringing these two pieces together to make a batting big enough for the no-name quilt top I shared in yesterday’s post.

It’s a small quilt – barely 36’’ square or so.  It wouldn’t take long to quilt, and small projects are perfect for putting leftover batting to use.

In fact – that is my goal this coming year.  There are two boxes and a partial bin of batting pieces and parts just sitting at the Quiltville Post Office taking up space.

It’s been easier to just cut a piece off of the batting roll so I could load that quilt into the long arm machine quicker – but this year – I am narrowing down the scraps.  The placemats and smaller projects are helping greatly with that. 



In the machine and quilting.

I’m still not sure I like the center of this quilt.  It’s fairly muddy.  But then I remind myself that these are the kinds of quilts that I adore when I find them out on my antique mall jaunts.  I used what I had, this is what came of using up parts.


There is a lot of fun stuff in here!

Is it perfect?

Not by any means – but that wasn’t my goal either!


Some days you play Thread Roulette -

AND WIN with inches to spare!

My fingers are holding the tail end of the thread – HA!  That was a close one!


The batting isn’t the only thing to go!

I have a rather large bin of “honking big florals.”  I don’t usually use big florals on the front of a project – I’ve never been that attracted to them.  Sometimes as borders – so what am I going to do to sew all that down?  BACKINGS!

I’ve used the big florals for the back of the place mats I’ve made for Quiltville Inn.  I’ll be piecing them hodge-podge style and using them up as backings.

I figure – either someone IS a big floral person, or they are NOT.  I am of the are NOT category –but admit that they can be pretty on the back.

I think it has to do with the scale of the prints and the fact that I do like to piece fairly small with no place for big florals to land.


They are the perfect “Back Up Singers” for this!


Little bit closer look.

Maybe I like it more than I thought I did?


Binding in berry shades!

This should take a few evenings – seeing me through until Christmas I expect!

Will there be more small projects coming out of that pile of orphan blocks?  Highly likely!  Quick finishes are becoming my feel-good-for-now.  I’ve got some bigger projects in the works behind the scenes, but these little small things – they are ringing all of my bells right now..


Label in the corner.


Yep, it feels SO GOOD!

December Things to Remember:

Our Hunter’s String Star PDF pattern is 1/2 price through the month of December at only $4.00!  No coupon code needed.

My newly released Bavaria/Austria project, Warm Hands, Warm Heart is available for download, in the digital pattern section of the Quiltville Store where you will also find the Hemming Chenille needles, size 24.  We are out of the Sulky Stick ‘n Stitch, but more is on the way!

I am shipping out Quiltville Quilter’s Date Keepers left and right! Thank you, thank you!

They are on sale for just $9.99 through December – feature more than 70 of my quilts, full of my favorite quotes, hints, helps and tricks and perfect for gift giving.  Regularly priced at $16.95, this is quite the discount.

I also have all of the rulers on hand that we are using in our Frolic Mystery, as well as many different styles of Karen Kay Buckley Scissors in the Rulers, Notions & Tools category if you are wanting to treat yourself (Or someone else!) to something special.


Quiltville Quote of the Day -

I pulled off to the shoulder along a busy highway to take this photo. There is a life lesson in this little barn with its beautiful quilt block.

When the trees are leafed out in summer, you cannot see it - it is hidden from the road. But when winter comes, and the world gets cold and dreary this wonderful old barn is visible and makes my heart smile. It just begged for this quote!

Thanks for being a friend, behind the scenes or out in front. I appreciate you!

Have a wonderful Sunday!


31 comments:

  1. I love the pink. Not muddy at all. Nice table topper size. Or small wall hanging. Is the block the same one you did in the red and purple quilt? Happy Holidays!

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  2. I LOVE this! Such a fun little quilt! You are inspirational...making beautiful things with the leftovers!

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  3. SEW sweet, Bonnie!! Super scrappy = Super AWESOME!!!

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  4. I love that little quilt you threw together! YOU make it look so effortless!

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  5. Lola is just precious, trying to help out Mama with her quilting :) I am loving the pink quilt- will this be in your new book? Also the blues quilt you made last January -SO pretty!






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  6. Little quilts are cozy in chairs indoors or on porches.....

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  7. What a blessing you are in so many lives! Thank you for sharing your Life experiences with us. I laughed out loud at "honking big florals"! Merry Christmas to all of the Hunter household and all of your many friends and followers! Love, Christy Horton

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  8. I love that you can just barely see the toes on Lola'a paw helping Mama sew.

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  9. My kitty likes to help too. I laugh and gently remove her and then she gently comes back...that's when I bring out the decoy quilt.🤣 Your quilt is lovely. It hits all the buttons for me.❤💛❤💛❤

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  10. your comment, "I like it better than I thought I did." I've noticed there are few quilts that are not enhanced by quilting! IMO... AND, i think the berry binding is the perfect accent to pull it all together, leave it to Bonnie Hunter to make charming quilts out of left over left overs!!! Cats in Carlsbad CA == Blessed and happy Sunday

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  11. Yes, Friends are always there. Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall! Humming...Carole King's song You've got a Friend. Some days Quilts are your friend. Thanks for the fun Mystery that brings us all together ss Friends during the Holidays

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  12. You might not love that little orphan quilt you made, but I bet it would bring a ray of sunshine to a person in need. Maybe a Linus quilt ? Maybe for a homeless shelter? To quote my first quilt instructor, “done is good “!!

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  13. I love your little project and don't see any mud in the middle! :-) Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

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  14. will you be having a word for 2020? 2019 mine was equilibrium and for 2020 it is perspective. I commission a friend who does rock painting to make me a desk rock which keeps my word firmly in mind. Seasons best, Sharyn in Kalama, recovering from my MacTel experimental surgery!

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  15. Oh dear....I loved your saying "they are ringing all of my bells right now." I do hope you don't mind me using it during the holiday season when I visit my friends. It's just splendid!

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  16. Merry Christmas to you and yours. Thanks for all you do for us out here in blog land. I am halfway done with clue 4 and enjoying every step.

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  17. You inspire me to use up those scraps....

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  18. You inspire me to use up those scraps....

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  19. I love your pink quilt. When I first saw it as a flimsy, I thought “Pretty in Pink.”

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  20. Love the pink finished product. I am a Big floral lover and I use them for the backs of all my quilts. Especially love the 108" fabric for the backing. Enjoy our holidays.

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  21. Happy Christmas to you and your family. I love the pink quilt so much fun that it came from orphan blocks, it must be so satisfying to be able to use them to create something new. I love the idea of using up the batting scraps thank you for the tips. So nic3 to see your assistant helping lol, she is obviously enjoying your company .
    Love and quilty hugs
    Anne

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  22. Hi Bonnie. Just wanted to ley you know I put on 3 bindings and used your instructions to finish joining the binding. Best finishes ever. Thank you. Also this quilt would lokk goid on the stairwall at Quiltville Inn. Merry Christmas. Love to you and the family.

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  23. I think you have done a great job having the pink through the centre, adding the small pink sashing and then expanding the colour to the scrappy border. It is a wonderful quilt. I wish you and your family a very happy and safe festive season.

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  24. I love this little quilt! Good to see the pink! Merry Christmas Bonnie to you and your family and friends.

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  25. Merry Christmas dear Bonnie.

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  26. I think the quilt sounds perfect for a granddaughter!!! Shirts from your grandfather and the pinks.........just sounds right to me.

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  27. Lynne Tyler at patcherymenagerie.blogspot.com uses the big florals in her quilts. They are SO different! Quilting has so many useful applications. Thank you for your blog!

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  28. Happy quilting and Merry Christmas! I have 2 cats who love my sewing area and both were rescues my daughter brought home. They are my buddies and they do hinder my work but they are getting up there in age now so I try to be patient. Of course I'm getting up there in age as well, so maybe someone is being patient with me when I don't realize it. Thank you for the positive posts!

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  29. That barn quilt. My oh my. And your little quilt is so fun! I'm not a pink person but I love it.

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  30. Some day you may have a granddaughter. This would be a perfect quilt for her.

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