Orca Bay Reveled- mine will have to wait awhile- Dear Jane is calling

For not participating, I think I have done pretty well keeping up.  Everything is cut, I need to trim up the triangle/squares and add 'wings' .  Looks like this one may get done this year!

Two rows of stars done,  I think I will leave this hanging up for awhile to motivate me to finish!

OrcaBaySpoiler group

I saw that someone had tried to post a photo to the mystery group album and was deleted.  I am sorry I missed it b/c I am having ideas too.  SO..... I am going to start an unofficial group for anyone who want to banter ideas of where this mystery may or may not go.

I set it up as invitation only so bear with me.  (my first group)  I will keep it up just till after the reveal.

No prizes, no deadlines, just fun "What IF's"





Your OrcaBaySpoilers group at Yahoo! Groups is good to go.

Here are the details on OrcaBaySpoilers:
Group home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OrcaBaySpoilers
Group email address: OrcaBaySpoilers@yahoogroups.com


Of course I am traveling today so don't worry if it takes me a bit to get you in, I am still learning how to be a group moderator.


Merry Christmas to all the spoilers and non-spoilers out there!  cw

Step 6- Ohio Stars- My GO is getting a work out!

My 2 1/2' strip die is getting used a lot on this Mystery!  Because I can cut multiple of layers I think for this quilt I am going to use fabrics in sets of 4.
I really like the scrappy scrappy that I am seeing by other quilters but for me this will just have to be a little on the controlled side.  I was a little low on red and blue scraps but managed to get a fairly good variety for the string blocks in previous steps.  My blacks are really lacking and I am having to duplicate in several steps.
I am confident that I will love the final top and am not worried about only having a dozen different lights/darks. 
I found a piece of red that had been on the shelf way to long.  It was die cut and will be the centers of all my stars.

Step 5 (I'm hanging in there)

Most of my 'blacks' have floral on them

I even found some cameo to cut up

I was able to cut my 'wings' out using my 2 1/2" tri/sq die for my GO.  I am not sure but I think I will use matching wings to make this weeks units.  I am still sewing on the red strings but should be able to call it good this weekend.

After the units were sewn I 'trimmed' them using the triangle die #55009  3" finished 1/2 sq/tri

Orca Bay step 4 Red strings

I might not sub-cut until I know how we are using these- so far I like how they are turning out.

These should be called kitchen sink reds, everything is in here!

Pulled strings from my string bins and from the scrap bins.  Many of these are left overs from a 2 1/2" piano key border.  They will get sub-cut to 1" and 1 1/2" .  It will be fun re-visiting fabrics as I sew blocks for this mystery.  Lane and Karlee took turns using the GO dies to cut down the strips.

Gotta love having help at this stage.  Now to cut out the foundation papers and get started sewing!

Note to Self:  use the die for 5 1/2" sq to cut the foundation paper.  Use the Triangle Die #55002  4 7/8 triangles to sub-cut the units.  Just need to fold the striped squares in half and the die cuts out both perfect~

Orca Bay step 3

I would love to say that I am done but in reality all I did was cut into my fabrics!  The tri/sqs above are the ones still left on step #1 that need sewn together- my bad

In my defense, I had NOT planned to do this Mystery, so technically I am WAY ahead of schedule- lol

Here is "my step 3"  I am doing a light and dark sq. sewing down both sides of the middle and cutting them apart to product the desired unit.  "Zero down- 350 TO DO"

Orca Bay Blue Strings

I strip cut a handful of 1 1/2" blues to use on the corners.  The rest of the strips came from my 1" pile (left over from my mini pineapple days)

I love using my GO 3 1/2" Sq Die to cut my strings after I have taken the paper off.

Lots of Ideas on how to use these cute blocks!

On my way with Orca Bay- clue one is almost done!

Funny thing (to me) is that I was NOT going to do this new mystery from Bonnie Hunter.  I enjoyed watching the quilters over on quiltville get all excited about pulling fabrics and waiting for the reveal of instructions.  I was fine with just watching the fun.

Wouldn't you know after reading Fridays post, I (without thinking) went to the stash and pulled enough lights and blacks for the first round directions.

What's a few hourglass blocks here and there anyway?

My rational is I am busting stash and stripping down for a couple of TO DO's I have been wanting to do with my GO 1 1/2" die.  This is a 'round-about-way' of getting more scraps for next yrs mini's.  (Yep, that's my story!)

So to show off the future TO DO's here is what I am working on-

I am busing into the 1 in strips and combining them with 1 1/2 to make a scrappy mini Bento Box.

So far I have been playing with a 3 1/2 block which if set in a 16 patch yields a 12 1/2 block.  This one may take awhile but will be so much fun in the making

I will do a tutorial after I get a bit further along on the technique I am using for this scrappy blocks. -- cw