Weekend Stitching: More Mystery Making

It was a quiet weekend, which I was more than ready for. Work has been a zoo and it doesn't look like it's going to slow down any time soon.  I'm off this all this week and am looking forward to the down time.  Saturday we ran some errands in Tulsa, had lunch with the Scientist in Training and her room mate.  The SIT only has two days of classes this week, we'll see her sometime Tuesday afternoon.  She's looking forward to a slight break before the madness of finals. She and I have made plans for some serious do nothing time accompanied with the occasional glass of wine over the holiday.   

The only sewing this week was on the Christmas Mystery quilt. 

Christmas Mystery, designed by Carrie Randall (Quilter's Hideaway)

Most of the squares in the stocking come from the scrap bin.  This was a very fun and easy block to make. It was easy and fun on top of using up some odds and ends from the scrap bin.  

One of the goals of the mystery is to introduce new techniques to everyone, so the second block was paper pieced.  

Christmas Mystery, designed by Carrie Randall (Quilter's Hideaway)

I've done a lot of paper piecing (Vintage Dresses) so this block was pretty easy.  I was surprised by the number of quilters at the shop who had never tried paper piecing.  The last block and the quilt setting was handed out Saturday.  I'm contemplating adding one more row and another column of smaller blocks to one side to keep the proportions.  Or I may just put it together as is.  

The other stitching relating activity has been trying to come up with a quilt that will work on our bed.  The quilt on there now is almost 9 years old and I'm ready for a change.  My Guy really likes batiks and has requested anything new use just batiks.  I've not found a pattern I like, but I've been playing around in EQ.  

This one is simple and includes a lot of brights, which is another of My Guy's requirements. Black seems a bit stark, a dark navy or dark green might be a better option for the background.  Here's the second contender. 

My Guy likes this second one better. it needs some additional work on the borders, but it's a good start.  I'd like to try controlled scrappy, using squares of similar color families to make the blocks.  Not sure I'm sold on either mock up as yet. As I'm still trying to work through UFOs, there is certainly time to decide on something else completely.  

Linking up with the normal Monday morning show and tell parties.  

Main Crush Monday
Monday Design Wall 
BOMs Away