Bonnie Hunter Winter Mystery 2021/2022 - Rhododendron Trail
#441
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2020
Posts: 706
Iceblossum: Your blocks looks great! Because I’m using scrappy neutrals, I found I had to be very aware when adding the HST from this clue. By doing this, I was able to use 13 neutrals in each set. I was less careful in adding the 2nd pink, but I don’t have nearly the variation you do. Your theories on using fabric in blocks is similar to mine. If I’m going to use something weird, I try to make sure that I use enough of it that it feels intentional instead of desperate. It is usually the odd fabrics that give the quilt a bit of zing!
Terry: I used AQ dies for all of the pieces in this block: A HST die for 4 neutrals and 1 pink and the trapezoid for the other pink. If you have the correct Qube, the HST is in the basic set and the trapezoid is in the Qube Corners set. My trapezoid does leave some fabric waste, as it only cuts one from each fabric at a time. I stacked up 4 strips of different fabric, cut, then shifted the stack down to cut the next until I had enough of each fabric for each set.
Terry: I used AQ dies for all of the pieces in this block: A HST die for 4 neutrals and 1 pink and the trapezoid for the other pink. If you have the correct Qube, the HST is in the basic set and the trapezoid is in the Qube Corners set. My trapezoid does leave some fabric waste, as it only cuts one from each fabric at a time. I stacked up 4 strips of different fabric, cut, then shifted the stack down to cut the next until I had enough of each fabric for each set.
#442
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 641
Wow - so much exciting variety in everyone's blocks - it's clear some of you have incredible stashes to be able to come up with such variety in specific colourways. This is such a fun journey. :-)
Iceblossom and SuzSLO, these observations are so helpful. I'm not doing this mystery but am following along because I'm loving seeing what everyone is coming up with. I think I'm getting some ideas that will help my own project as well.
Thanks for letting me lurk and tag along!
It's funny but I've found it's better for the quilt as a while to have a whole bunch of mediocre blocks than a couple great blocks.
If I’m going to use something weird, I try to make sure that I use enough of it that it feels intentional instead of desperate. It is usually the odd fabrics that give the quilt a bit of zing!
Thanks for letting me lurk and tag along!
#443
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2020
Posts: 706
I’m doing half (+ or -) and now have Clue 5 finished. I’m hoping for some more yellow, as well as the aqua.The design in the photo is just me laying out a few of each finished unit. I have no idea how these will go together.
#444
Super Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Ballwin, MO
Posts: 4,271
Everyone's units are looking wonderful!
SuzSLO, I love, 'feels intentional instead of desperate,' LOL.
(I'm probably the odd person out on this, but I'm hoping that after the Friday clue, Bonnie will reveal the next morning! --but I don't think it's likely.)
SuzSLO, I love, 'feels intentional instead of desperate,' LOL.
(I'm probably the odd person out on this, but I'm hoping that after the Friday clue, Bonnie will reveal the next morning! --but I don't think it's likely.)
#447
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: northern minnesota
Posts: 2,480
ok. So I made my plan to cut out one clue a day which would get me done with the cutting until Friday's clue. Oh woo is me, I am still on clue 2! Am I going to be able to pick up the pace and get that cutting done!! I am impressed with all of you who are keeping up! I see triangles in my sleep already...
#448
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2020
Posts: 706
ok. So I made my plan to cut out one clue a day which would get me done with the cutting until Friday's clue. Oh woo is me, I am still on clue 2! Am I going to be able to pick up the pace and get that cutting done!! I am impressed with all of you who are keeping up! I see triangles in my sleep already...
But it’s not a race and you’ll finish it when you finish it.
The bad news is that I did the math and we are only about half done as a matter of square inches completed based on the dimensions of the finished quilt given in the Introduction. The good news is that there are likely to be “fillers” like sashing and borders (and maybe setting triangles) that are bigger units.
#449
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Greater Peoria, IL -- just moved!
Posts: 6,183
Yay me, I am caught up ready for the next clue to come out tomorrow, Friday. I did go out and got some groceries yesterday -- mostly snack stuff I shouldn't have but try and stop me...
There was more snow overnight and I am again reminding myself to be thankful for things like electricity and gas heat. Which I am, and water too (especially hot). I can live without all sorts of things but I do require plumbing for comfort.
If I'm not up at my usual time and get the clue posted early, I might be out of power/internet so somebody please post the clue link!
Was talking about the "double uglies" before, I also have a concept of "homely faces" that came from my quilting friend June. Homely faces result from less than ideal combinations of fabrics, like those double uglies. They are going to happen with collections of scraps, as opposed to choosing every piece. While we may be striving for randomness in scraps, what we want is aesthetic/attractive randomness. True randomness includes ugly. It includes putting two of the same piece together, my random is a bit more structured. Sometimes in scrap quilting we talk about the flinch test -- you put together whatever comes up next unless it actually makes you flinch. I was deeply unhappy with some of my combinations in last year's Grassy Creek when I was making them. I was past flinch but not quite up to gag... They come out fine in the quilt as a whole because I was following the design guidelines even if I switched colors. I have a few "less than desirable" combinations this year, but not near as many as last.
Anyway, about the homely faces. June says that when you look at family pictures or beauty contestants or whatever, you sort of glaze over and what you start to pick out is the homely faces. It is the homely faces that help other blocks sparkle. Or sometimes, surrounded by the others they find their own sparkle. I like this concept.
There was more snow overnight and I am again reminding myself to be thankful for things like electricity and gas heat. Which I am, and water too (especially hot). I can live without all sorts of things but I do require plumbing for comfort.
If I'm not up at my usual time and get the clue posted early, I might be out of power/internet so somebody please post the clue link!
Was talking about the "double uglies" before, I also have a concept of "homely faces" that came from my quilting friend June. Homely faces result from less than ideal combinations of fabrics, like those double uglies. They are going to happen with collections of scraps, as opposed to choosing every piece. While we may be striving for randomness in scraps, what we want is aesthetic/attractive randomness. True randomness includes ugly. It includes putting two of the same piece together, my random is a bit more structured. Sometimes in scrap quilting we talk about the flinch test -- you put together whatever comes up next unless it actually makes you flinch. I was deeply unhappy with some of my combinations in last year's Grassy Creek when I was making them. I was past flinch but not quite up to gag... They come out fine in the quilt as a whole because I was following the design guidelines even if I switched colors. I have a few "less than desirable" combinations this year, but not near as many as last.
Anyway, about the homely faces. June says that when you look at family pictures or beauty contestants or whatever, you sort of glaze over and what you start to pick out is the homely faces. It is the homely faces that help other blocks sparkle. Or sometimes, surrounded by the others they find their own sparkle. I like this concept.