PopUp pics

Later than planned but nonetheless – we wanted to share just a few pics from our PopUp Mystery class last week. All the usual C&B stuff- lots of chat, lots of tea and coffee, lots of humming sewing machines – was in evidence, plus an outstanding colour co-ordinated manicure modelled by Mouse …

We began to wonder if we had sent out a memo to everyone that said “Come dressed to match your fabric choices” –

And here’s Mouse’s blocks ready to be stitched together – another example of matching to fabric choices

A few more pics to come in our next post – see you soon!

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PopUp, tiles and a finish

We’re really looking forward to our PopUp Mystery day on 18th March – just over a week away now. Nearly all the preparation (printing, samples, equipment) is done and ready to go and it will be great to have a large room full of quilters working their way through the Mystery steps aided by tea, coffee and cake.

Somewhere in southern Spain Barbara has been temporarily sidetracked (again!) by a fabulous book on the tiles and mosaics of the Alhambra (“How to draw the mosaics of the Alhambra” by Manuel Martinez Vela).

Back at C&B Towers Chris has been mega busy and productive continuing with her mission to finish things – this little gem emerged from her workroom just a few days ago.

Happy stitching!

Popping up in 2023

Even though 2023 has only just begun we are already looking ahead to our PopUp Mystery day on Saturday 18th March. Lots of office work and admin at C&B Towers and quite a bit of fabric cutting and stitching over at the Rural Office.

It’s going to be interesting to see all the different versions of the Mystery. And still on the topic of things mysterious we are going to respond to popular demand and post a vintage C&B Mystery here beginning in March – sharpen your rotary cutter, check your stash and dust off your sewing machine!

Mystery Monday Finale

Having hunted out your units we look at putting them together this week. The version shown on the worksheet isn’t the only possibility and Chris has played around with her units turning them this way and that

before deciding on one, sewing it all together and adding a couple of borders.

Then there is the matter of quilting. In the ditch? Something a little more adventurous? In the end it was a mixture of the two. The birds in the border fabric were traced and turned into quilting stencils and stitched in various bits of the quilt. A variegated thread was used to stitch in the ditch around some more prominent parts of the design and a wiggly line was quilted in the borders –

And the finished quilt – (which possibly needs more quilting in the border . . . . one day)

We hope we will get to see photos of your finished Mystery Quilts – email them or post on Instagram and tag us!

Mystery Monday Step 8

The final step – it all comes together this week.

Download the instructions for Step 8 here and then go and find all the units you have made, which should look a little like these –

Come back tomorrow for a few more ideas – there’s more than the one(s) on the worksheet. You may have already had those ideas yourselves, of course!

Mystery Monday Step 7

This week you will need fabric B from Step 1, the remaining units from Step 2, and units from Step 4. More sewing things together to make bigger bits!

Download the instructions for Step 7 here before you go in search of those elusive bits and pieces. These are what you should be searching for –

Step 8 will follow on June 28th.

Mystery Monday Step 6

More sewing units together to make bigger ones today. This week you will need some of the units you made in Step 2.

Download Step 6 instructions here and then go and look for your bag of Step 2 units, which should look a little like these

Step 7 will be here on June 14th.

Mystery Monday Step 5

We start sewing a few things together to make bigger units this week. You will need four of the units you made in Step 4 today.

Download Step 5 instructions here. As a reminder – this is what your Step 4 units look like

Step 6 will be be here on Monday May 24th.

Mystery Monday Step 4

Find the pieces from Step 3 (earlier this month!) ready for Step 4 with a little more stitching and cutting – or possibly cutting and stitching. . .

Download Step 4 instructions here and then go and search for the Step 3 bits and pieces which should look a little like –

Step 5 should appear here on Monday May 10th.

Mystery Monday Step 3

A little more cutting and stitching this week.

You will need fabrics A, D and F – hope you remembered to label them!

Download Step 3 Instructions here. You should end up with a few things looking a little like these. Label them and put them safe as you will need them again.

See you back here for Step 4 on April 26th.