Free At Last!

All week, I was longing to spend my time doing this:

But instead, I spent my time doing this....

I'm attending school with the thought of getting my MBA Entrepreneur degree and finals week has just about done me in.  It has been non-stop and I cannot believe that the final schedule put me in the classroom from 8:45 - 11:30 PM... 3 nights in a row!  It's crazy if you ask me.  I mean, who can think STATISTICS at 8:45 pm???!?!?!  Oh well, the good news is that I'm done for the semester and I can BREATHE and QUILT!

I'm not as far along on Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt, Grand Illusion as I'd like because of my finals but now that they are done and over with I can really get things rolling.  

I started step 3 and did a get a bit of it done because it's a fairly simple step.  It's all about strips turned into squares and that goes pretty quick.

Since I like things to be as scrappy as possible, I used a wide variety of strip lengths.  Some were as long as 18" and some as short as 4".   One of the things I've learned is that to get things really scrappy you got to really mix things up!  I fed the strips through the machine and as one ended I added another.

You can see in the photo below  that the black strip is about to end . 

So, I just slid a neutral strip in place.

This way I could keep my chain going and have great scrappy variety!

Here's what it looks likes when it's sewn and open.  See the scrappy goodness?

One thing about this technique is that you want to pay attention to the length that remains before adding the next strip

I need at least 2 and a half inches to make it worth adding a new strip.

This strip had just enough! 

(Yes, that's a Bonnie machine seam guide ruler. 

 If you don't have one you can get them 

through Bonnie's Online Store. 

 I love them and have about a half dozen of them!)

So, here is what I did manage to get done.

  

Oh! By the way.  Can you see my little numbered pins?

I love these pins!   

Their "intended use" is to help you keep track
of the order of your block layout.
I use them to keep track of the number
of units while I'm making them.
This way I avoid having to stop and count
 every time I get a few more done.
  I just add to the pile and put the
appropriate number pin in the set.

Once I have ten units done I clip them together
 with Wonder clips and move them out of the way.

Since I'm making two separate units
 (One with a black square and one without)
 I have two sets of pins (1-9) lined up
in my pin cushion for easy access.
(Michelle, this is the pin cushion you gave me :-) )

Don't you love finding additional uses for
things you already have on hand?

As you saw, I only have 8 finished units so
I better get off this computer and back to sewing.  

After all, Clue four comes out on Friday 

and I want to be ready!  And just think!
With finals out of the way it will be guilt free sewing! 

 Yea!

Piece and Joy!!

Irene

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