Secret Agent Mystery and Indigo Way Mystery Coming Along!

Here is the last clue for the Secret Agent Mystery Quiltalong  We had to cut things apart and do a bit of sewing before putting our top together.

I ironed most of my seams open since I had to pin like never before to make things line up just so.  I redid several blocks if they were off by more than a 16th of an inch.  

I did press all along, but it still needs another good press before quilting.  Here is my completed top.  I had no trouble with the first half of this, but the second half (the next day) was a bear.  I sewed the parts backwards on the right side bottom and had to take them all apart and do them again.  I felt like I did it the same as the day before, but clearly I did not!  I also did not use the right blocks in the right side (we had alpha a and alpha b type blocks but I used both a's in the top half, which somehow worked out (though the seam is in a different spot, see cherry corner block inside the yellow eye break strip) but in the second half of the quilt one block would not work without unsewing and fixing.  So this may just be the hardest quilt top I have ever assembled!  

I love it anyway!  I am so excited to tick transparency quilt off of my bucket list, and I hope to make another transparency quilt in the future now that I have some experience with it.

This past weekend I participated in my fourth online reading retreat with the Booktube Besties (and 50 other people) and it was so much fun as always!  I completed this book and this fun puzzle.  This is the bookmark they sent us.  We made a friendship bracelet, and we did a book exchange.  I got "Bride" by Ali Hazelwood in the mail today for that.

Yesterday (I no longer have Indie on Mondays as she now goes to daycare) I finally was able to assemble Indigo Way!  It needs trimming and borders but is coming along nicely.  I thought this would be tough to assemble since one of the blocks is turned differently every row, but despite not being able to lay it out it went together well!  I only had to unsew two sets of end blocks. One row I put on backwards and the other was when I got to the two centers.  Other than that it was great!  

I need to press the center parts on this one too!

 

Game Day Mystery and More!

Today I sewed online with BJ and Barb.  Here is my Game Day Mystery from Cuts and Bolts Facebook group

                                              

Here is Barb's.  BJ is making a larger one so no picture yet.

                                                

In between clues I worked on my Secret Agent mystery.  I had pinned everything very carefully and so it was easy to sew things up acurately.  The reveal is this Friday, I cannot wait!  I am loving that we are starting to see the transparency happening here!

I even had enough time to recut, pin, and resew my X-ray block.  If you look carefully you can see which one was pinned.  The other one will be left out of the quilt.

                                    

I also had time to cut and sew two of the A Quilting Life BOM blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  I plan to make another green block and then do two a month, I think.

 

Two Almost Finishes and My Favorite Reads of 2023!

I quilted and bound my three little snowmen on Friday.  Hazel has pinkeye and an ear infection, so they kept her home and Indie was content to watch me sew in the morning.  I am waiting on some tiny black buttons (would you believe I did not have one matched set among all my buttons!) to make their eyes.  

Last night, I quilted my snowflake quilt.  Today I will bind it, I think.  
                                                 

I read 327 books in 2023.  This is a record for me.  My favorites this year (not including rereads) were:

This reading year is off to a good start too!

Nita Seamripper Strikes Again!

Agent Nita Seamripper here.  Clue three from the Secret Agent Quiltalong is done.  Somehow I cut one wrong fabric, one wrong size in that fabric and forgot to cut one thing.  It is all fixed now and hopefully works out so that I do not run out of the miscut color!

Here is my fabric for the Cuts and Bolts Game Day (Superbowl Sunday) mystery quilt.  Sadly, the Packers are out so I am free to sew.

Today, after getting a cut and color--badly needed, I cut out and sewed the stuff for that mystery.

Yesterday I did my first Rainbow Scrap Challenge Block for 2024.  I decided to do the A Quilting Life BOM but in the rainbow colors.  I am making the outside star scrappy for each block and then coordinating whatever is on the inside.  Love being able to do both but have less work.  I really wanted to do Bonnie's Morning Glories for the RSC, but have put it off for now.
                                         

Secret Agent Mystery and More!

Here is the key to my Secret Agent Mystery.  

We made a pocket as part of the first mission.

Everyone is doing fun posts with their agent names, so here is mine!

Here is the second mission, completed yesterday.

And here is my second mission post.  As you can see, Ros decided to join in the fun and do this mystery too!  Dr. Kathy is also doing it.  Super fun!

I also managed to finish the Cuts and Bolts mystery for 2023.  Love how it came out with my controlled scrappy choices based on the border fabric.
                                                 

I also got my A Quilting Life BOM top together.  Also super happy with how this one came out!

                                                

Merry Mayhem #148 NYD Mystery 2024

 Today BJ and I sewed online (and Andrea popped in).  She was working on her Cuts and Bolts mystery, and I was working on my surprise clue seven from Indigo Way.  As usual I did the math wrong and this time instead of cutting half the units, I cut double the units.  I have many leftover that I can sew or bag up for future.  I need to put these hourglass blocks into the blocks, but that is for tomorrow maybe.

This is the bonus Eye Spy quilt I managed to get sewed while working on the mysteries this year.  I need to add a border to it.

The following pictures are in backwards order of clues for Merry Mayhem.  I am loving how my blocks came out (I have more blocks than what is pictured) and have decided to add the sashing, but to swap out the light colored cornerstones and use either all red, or red, green and dark blue.

I like it okay without the sashing too, but since the sashing is already cut and makes it bigger, I may as well use it.

These blocks are Becky's.  Looking forward to seeing how all three of ours turn out!

Spinout--Cuts and Bolts Mystery 2023!

I spent yesterday sewing Spinout--the Cuts and Bolts NYE Mystery for 2023.  I only did the baby size so plenty of time to cut and sew an 

I somehow cut the wrong size large dark blue triangles so I had to cut some more and ran out of the dark fabric...so on to a more medium fabric but it works.

BJ and Barb sewed with me too.  Barb did her own baby size quilt and BJ did her cutting and started sewing a larger one.  

You can see my piles of Eye Spy that I was cutting here too.

I turned the corners on this quilt.  Decided to leave them.  Looks fine overall.

Still have a few more rows done to add to this Eye Spy today.

 Here is the finished Spinout!  Mine above and Barb's below.  I like hers better!