Grand Illusion - Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt 2014
#1661
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DogHouseMom - this is the first time in the five years I have been doing Bonnie's Mystery Quilts that I have heard so much discussion in the negative about her quilt. I have to agree that it is very busy, and I am having trouble with it as well.
Here is a photo of what I am playing with. I turned the black to the inside as well, and lined up the yellow squares in a row. Lots of decisions. Have not tried different cornerstones yet.
Here is a photo of what I am playing with. I turned the black to the inside as well, and lined up the yellow squares in a row. Lots of decisions. Have not tried different cornerstones yet.
hi there, with reference to your question about negative opinions on the reveal, I decided to do this years mystery because I really liked the look of some of the previous results, especially last year's quilt. I suspect that this one is just a bit too far out of some people's comfort zone lol. For instance, I can't even look at an ordinary pineapple quilt because it sets off my motion sickness lol.
Your block layout is very similar to the one I went with.
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I went with green cornerstones in the green/neutral sashing. I did toy with the idea of further sashing all the blocks with either black or red, but it turns out I don't have enough of those fabrics left anyway.
Not sure yet what I'll do with my outer border units - I don't have half enough made yet.....
Cheers, K
#1662
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Thanks for the good thoughts... it was two little (3.0 & 4.5) quakes, but close together like that and very close to my DD's home.....21 years ago there was a large one here. Anyway, did the "California" thing and went to sleep with my shoes next to the bed !!! just in case.
This morning I am making additional border blocks and will sew on the narrow inside border and hopefully the pieced border......I am excited about the backing I found (on sale for $4.50 a yard...and it is a Ro Gregg for Northcott) that I will piece with a length of the black and white check (like the flooring) also have a bit of green jungle leaf print like that wallpaper....but decided it stays in the stash ! With all the information about the island, thinking it would be fun to go there someday and see Lake Superior not just fly over it.
This morning I am making additional border blocks and will sew on the narrow inside border and hopefully the pieced border......I am excited about the backing I found (on sale for $4.50 a yard...and it is a Ro Gregg for Northcott) that I will piece with a length of the black and white check (like the flooring) also have a bit of green jungle leaf print like that wallpaper....but decided it stays in the stash ! With all the information about the island, thinking it would be fun to go there someday and see Lake Superior not just fly over it.
#1663
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Illinois
Posts: 211
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Looks great! I just had an AHA moment - I'm doing 3x4 and know the border won't fit perfectly and was wondering how to use my math to get it to work. I figured I'd have to adjust the width of the yellow border but never thought about piecing the inside and the outside FIRST and THEN measuring for the border. Thanks for laying yours out this way! It helps TONS!
#1665
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Looks great! I just had an AHA moment - I'm doing 3x4 and know the border won't fit perfectly and was wondering how to use my math to get it to work. I figured I'd have to adjust the width of the yellow border but never thought about piecing the inside and the outside FIRST and THEN measuring for the border. Thanks for laying yours out this way! It helps TONS!
No sewing for me yet this weekend. I donated blood and put away all our Christmas things. Very very busy.
I think the less scrappy the better when I'm looking at completed blocks/ quilt tops. I think some of mine are too scrappy. Some of my week 3 blocks are going to go on the back of the quilt for an accent. There was just not enough contrast.
#1666
Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: suburbs of Dallas, TX
Posts: 64
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i was trying to figure out the layout for my daughters full sized bed and was thinking 3x4 or 4x5. Do you have the measurement of the 3x5 layout without the borders? Floating the inner border confuses me too. I have a Craftsy class on borders and there is a formula but I think until I actually do it (like on a sample) I won't quite get it.
Each of the main quilt blocks finishes at 12 inches, and the green sashing strips finish at 3 inches. So if you have 3 blocks wide, that's 3x12=36 for the blocks, plus 4x3=12 for the sashing, so 48 inches before adding an inner border. The next multiple of 8 is 56 inches. So you'd need 8 inches of additional width in this case, so 4 inches of inner border on each side.
If you have 4 blocks wide, that's 4x12=48 for the blocks, plus 5x3=15 for the sashing, for a total of 63 inches. You could either add one more inch to get 64 inches, meaning a 1/2 inch finished border, or you'd need to add 9 inches, by using a 4 1/2 inch finished border.
If I were making a 3x4 block quilt, I think I'd add a 4 inch finished border down the long sides, and 4 1/2 inch on the short sides. Then the outer border should work out all around, and the slight difference in inner border width won't be very noticeable at all.
#1667
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mine is 2 blocks x 3 blocks..............so I am going to keep the inner border at 1 1/2 inches and make the adjustment with a yellow or possibly black 'keystone' in the center of each border strip.....or maybe green....hummm...will audition the colors first.....or a second inner border.....hummmm thinking....
or I could use some of the black and white checkerboard fabric for the inner border if it is printed on grain, actually have it in two different sizes of check......or not...have to consult the 'buzy' meter.
or I could use some of the black and white checkerboard fabric for the inner border if it is printed on grain, actually have it in two different sizes of check......or not...have to consult the 'buzy' meter.
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Last edited by SunlitenSmiles; 01-04-2015 at 05:49 AM.
#1668
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I followed Bonnie's design completely and am having a great time putting it together. One thing I've noticed over and over is that when the greyish green is substituted for the grass green I find the colors blend better and are more pleasing to my eye. As some have said on FB, the Grand Hotel is literally a riot of color and BH definitely achieved that with her quilt.
#1669
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I hope she does read all the comments as an opportunity for increasing awareness thru constructive critiques. I think the color choices for an intricate quilt pattern led to high distractions and difficulty to look at the quilt without experiencing vertigo. I loved the pattern in some of the alternative choices; however, with the original color pallets it was a Mackinac miss.
Thanks all for answering my questions about some of her past "busy" quilts - particularly Celtic Solstice and Orca Bay. Both of them had lots of colors and are really busy.
Bonnie sure is a genius at putting wonderful patterns together and getting a great secondary pattern.
#1670
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Yes. I'm using my white tone-on-tone as cornerstones which also is the constant in my quilt. I'm also using pink in the center of my blocks. Mine may end up being 1/4 sized. We'll see. . .
Jane
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