Monday, July 27, 2020

Christmas in July Blg Hop


I would like to thank CAROL for hosting yet again another fun and inspirational Blogger's Hop for us to enjoy.  This one was greatly looked forward to  - it has been so ghastly hot and humid that to think a little Christmas can certainly help.

THEN

My early blogging years introduced me to so many quilters world wide as I joined several swap groups.  I miss these folks, but postage got so terribly espensive that it ended them.  One of my favorites was the Secret Santa Sack Swap, they really made my Christmas special. 



The Miniatures Group did theme and seasonal Swaps.  I adore miniatures and have some wonderful pieces from around the world. 



NOW

July 2 - 30

I don't do a lot of mysteries, but this one came along just when I signed up for this Hop.  Hosted by MODA - Fat Quarter Shop with a weekly block reveal.  All the blocks are there and the last block with setting doesn't come out until this Thursday, but I wanted mine done for the Hop.


The last block is the center and I went with just a simple 9-patch.  Not sure if they are setting a border, but I wanted just a little more and it made it come out to a 50" square throw size.  Will be fun tossed across the couch.


I don't like to work with 'heavy sesonal' prints, so chose this bright polka dot, accented with the starry print, and the background is a white-on-white mistletoe print.  The star print will be used for the binding (made).  These are all pieces that have been 'gifted' to me over the years, and I'm glad they have found their place in a quilt.


Since I am a scrap quilter, yardage is a premium.  I knew these three pieces were going to be 'squeekers' compaired to the yardage chart.  And yes, they were!!  This is all that is left.

GIVE AWAY


A layer cake of a 'gilded' mix of Holiday prints.  There are two of each print and at least 42, but there might be more (I can't count).  Every time I counted I got a different number, so I threw a few more on the stack.  I will pull the winner next Tuesday, August 4th - be sure I can contact you.


Be sure to visit today's list of hosts:

July 28

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

74 comments:

GranChris said...

I have never liked mysteries. I need to see the finished quilt. I love how yours turned out.

Carol Andrews said...

Isn’t it sad that some of our simplest joys are too expensive to share now? But I love the fact that you shared your special memories with us. Your version of the Snowflake QALis fabulous. Thank you for sharing with us and for the chance of winning those lovely squares.

Jayne said...

Thank you for sharing your quilt and what a lovely giveaway. Thank you

Elizabeth Coughlin said...

Your mystery quilt turned out wonderfully! (Please leave me out of the giveaway, thanks.)

Siouxzq64@gmail.com said...

I like the mystery quilt. It turned out lovely.

Stitchin At Home said...

Love the quilt! I did one mystery quilt and that was the first and only.

Rita E in AZ said...

Your snowflake quilt is the perfect size. Thank you

Leah said...

Such fun memories and lovely projects. Your mystery sew along reminds me of gingerbread Christmas cookies. Great fabric choices.

Ann said...

Wonderful mystery quilt. I am always nervous about them also.
I am a fan of heavy seasonal prints but sometimes they are tough to use.

Jan Snell said...

Nice to see the mystery quilt assembled. No doubt you will have it quilted and ready in plenty of time before Christmas. Love your fabric choices! Thanks for the inspiration.

Carol said...

I like the way you finished the Jelly Snowflake quilt. The center looks like it belongs there, and I like your fabric choices too. Thanks for sharing!

Nancy L said...

Your quilt is beautiful! I love Christmas quilts and need to make one!!

LJ said...

Great quilt. So perfect to use prints/fabrics that look Christmasy but can also be used all year long. I, too, enjoyed the swaps but it's understandable that they ceased. You'll have that Mystery Quilt done by the holidays.

Frog Quilter said...

Love your snow flake quilt.

Anorina @SameliasMum said...

I used to love joining swaps in the early years too, but yes, postage just got way too expensive to keep going. Your quilt is a real beauty.

tink's mom said...

I too miss swaps and the wonderful people I shared with. Love your quilt top and am impressed with how close you came to the end of each of these fabrics from your winter stash.

Lori said...

Thanks for sharing and inspiring today. Then and Now are both lovely. I have not joined a swap yet. Sounds like a lot of fun.
quilting dash lady at comcast dot net

Barbara said...

I love that quilt. I’m with you on not wanting to use heavy seasonal prints. I never know what to do with them the rest of the year, and so they sit in a bin. Your quilt is very cute. I’ve wanted to try something like that...pinned on Pinterest...where ideas go to die.

Deonn said...

Love the way you finished your quilt! And bravo for squeaking by with the darling fabrics you had on hand.

sue s said...

I'm making my snowflake from reds and grays but am waiting on the middle square. I like your simple 9 patch and may decide to do that instead. We'll see! My womens group at church has a holiday bazaar; these fabrics would be great for making runners, etc.

Marsha B said...

Your quilt is wonderful! I've been saving the block patterns but haven't started it yet. I love the way yours looks.

The Joyful Quilter said...

Nice solution for finishing up the Mystery ahead of time, Sharon! Thanks for offering a giveaway. What fun!

Mary C said...

I am in love with the quilt! I started mine and now need to finish putting it together....later this week! maryc76904 at yahoo dot com

Calicojoan said...

Sharon, Sharon, Sharon...it is always so much fun to visit you and see what your up to. I LOVE this mystery quilt. I guess you did work that yardage to the very end. Thank goodness you didn't run out. You amaze me with your ability to create beautiful quilts with scraps. Remember the coffee commercial...good to the last drop? That's you and quilts! Love it.

Carol Swift said...

Oh my goodness, Sharon, you are truly the queen of scraps and getting the most our of your fabric. As for your mystery quilt, it is totally amazing and beautiful in the fabrics you chose. The dots were perfect for it...love it! Thank you for sharing your Christmas "then and now" with us. xo

Connie W. said...

The Mystery QAL is cheerful and bright! I like your setting. Your blogs have been inspiring. Thanks so much for sharing.
Connie W.
c_s_wolfe@yahoo.com

Bonnie58 said...

Beautiful. I've been collecting clues for the Fat Quarter Mystery, but have not had time to sew anything. I love it, so it is moving to the top of my ToDo pile. Thanks!!

For the love of geese said...

Very pretty. I don't do mystery qal so I envy you joining and following through. Out of curiosity though I'll have to go see what the last block would have been. Your center block meshes well with the rest.

CindyD said...

I absolutely love metallic Christmas prints, and that looks like a nice variety.

JANET said...

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! We need something positive to look forward to!

Susan said...

Kudos to you for joining a mystery qal, and for sticking with it. You'll have one beautiful quilt when you're done!

Kathleen said...

I love your new quilt and those giveawy fabrics are my favorite kind of Christmas fabrics.

Anita said...

Beautiful Christmas quilts and gorgeous fabrics!

Karrin Hurd said...

Beautiful Christmas quilts and fabrics. At the beginning of my quilting journey I was in a lot of swaps too, mostly blocks, of which I still have some left. Thanks so much for sharing!

Patti said...

It is good to know that there is another counter like me! Thanks for sharing.

Carla said...

You really did squeak by. Great job. The quilt is stunning.

tac73 said...

What fun it is to be able to connect with quilters all over the world. Love your snowflake quilt. Thank you.

Brenda @ Songbird Designs said...

Sharon, I love your snowflake quilt! Really beautiful. Thanks for sharing and the giveaway!

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

The jelly snowflake quilt is so pretty! I really like the red, white, and gold fabrics you chose for it. Thanks for the giveaway!

Pam said...

I really like your Christmas Mystery quilt with Fat Quarter Shop - I love mysteries -- Thanks!

KatieQ said...

Your Christmas Mystery came out great! As usual, I saved all of the blocks, but haven't started yet. I hope mine comes out as nice as yours did. Lovely giveaway. I'm sure the quilter who receives it will find a special project to use it for. This quilter, is trying to use up her own fabric as fast as she can and not add any to the piles.

Magpie's Mumblings said...

I miss being able to take part in swaps and doing RAOK's but you're right to say that the postage has gotten way out of hand. Too bad, because it spoiled a lot of our fun! Thank you for inviting us in for a wee visit with you.

Turid said...

Your mystery quilt is great. So fun to read about the swaps. So bad you can't find them so often now.

va7qlt said...

Good afternoon, love the quilt and fabrics chosen. I know a James that could be Bella's twin. Love to see the furbabies as they add to making a house a home. Thanks for sharing your contribution to the Blog hop. Jeanne

Home Sewn By Us said...

Hello! Gosh, your fabrics really work nicely in this quilt. While it's not seasonal fabrics it does give off the holiday vibe. I think it will be a fabulous throw to snuggle under in cooler weather. Right now, that seems so far away but it will be upon us before you know it. ~smile~ Roseanne

MaryBeth said...

Really love your quilts. Thanks for the giveaway.

Vicki in MN said...

Beautiful 'now' quilt. I tend to use more fabrics that are not screaming Christmas too. But sometimes it is fun to whip out that part of the stash. Variety is a good thing.

Barb said...

I enjoyed seeing your "old" projects as well as your new quilt--so very pretty!!
barbkaup(at)(yahoo)(dot)(com)

Susan said...

I really like how your mystery quilt turned out. Thanks for sharing it.

Karen's Korner said...

The mystery quilt turned out beautifully. Thanks for sharing your pretty projects.

Unknown said...

Love your quilt!!!!!!!! Nancy A: SewingGranda@gmail.com

Rebecca Smith said...

I have been so tempted to join this mystery, of course I procrastinated and it’s no longer a mystery. One of my main concerns was that I didn’t want to buy a jelly roll when I have yardage I need to use, your quilt helps me realize I can use what I have!

Jollygirl said...

I am doing the same QAL, though I am behind. I love how yours turned out!

ShirleyC said...

Love your mystery quilt! I love scrap piecing!

Sharon Aurora said...

I love your snowflake quilt. Now I wish I had joined in, but I had too many other projects going on.
shades000 (at) gmail (dot) com

Beth said...

Your Snowflake throw came out so cute! I thought about joining in, but then remembered I already have a Christmas quilt in progress and thought I had better finish that one first...

PatriciaLud said...

Love the mystery quilt! I'm always tempted but I can never wait to see what it will look like! Merry christmas in July.

Julie in GA said...

I love your version of the Jelly Snowflake quilt!

Elizabeth V Kelbaugh said...

Lovely job on the Jelly Snowflake quilt. You might be interested to check out what Edyta of Laundry Basket Quilts will do next week to enlarge the quilt with borders. https://www.laundrybasketquilts.com/blog/

Debby said...

I like that you don’t use holiday specific fabrics in your projects. You can use them any time of the year! It’s a good idea.

piecefulwendy said...

Oh, that Moda quilt is so pretty!

Sharon said...

I love that snowflake quilt! Gorgeous.

Charlene McCain said...

You did such a beautiful job on the mystery quilt. Love your snowflake miniature quilt, too!

Sherry said...

I love the inspiration I get from this blog hop. I am making the Snowflake quilt also. I love yours, great choice for the center block. I too remember participating in swaps and I miss that. Thanks for sharing, you always inspire me.

Joyce Carter said...

Your quilt is very beautiful Sharon. The center block works well with the others. Great job!
I have saved the pattern, but haven't started on it yet. (Please don't count me in on your giveaway. You were sooo generous with the last one and I appreciate all the beautiful pieces you sent me.

Susan said...

Wow, what a wonderful display of beautiful things. I do like the new quilt, with the understated Christmas fabric. I don't know what their final plan is either, but I surely do like yours! Thanks for the chance to win the fabric pieces, too. That's a very useful size for many Christmas blocks.

judys said...

your quilt from the surprise quilt along turned out amazing; great job, it's been fun digging for fabric for this one. You have done some beautiful quilts.

sewyouquilt2 said...

Love your snowflake quilt.i need to make one. Later on. But its so pretty

Dwbuckie said...

Love your snowflake quilt !
Dwbuckie@icloud.com

Michelle said...

Your Moda mystery is pretty.

kiwikid said...

Beautiful Christmas mystery quilt. Swaps are wonderful I agree, it is a shame post is so expensive now.

Marian said...

My #1 reason for not doing mystery quilts is because I want to like the project in the end. I'd never have the guts to attempt a mystery quilt, so I definitely salute anyone who has that much courage. This turned out beautiful...

Janis said...

What a great idea to do a mystery quilt for your Christmas in July project. I've never done a mystery quilt, too many ideas of my own that I want to get done. Yours turned out very nicely. Congratulations.

Camille said...

I have all of the patterns for the Jelly Snowflake quilt but have yet to start a block. Yours is lovely so I am feeling the need to get started.