Grand Illusion - Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt 2014
#671
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 9,299
HELP ! I can't believe I just now caught my mistake!!!
Oh, I'm panicked here, people. I read through all Bonnie's directions first, saw that she was using the Easy Angle ruler to make her 2.5 HSTs, decided I would make mine a different way, and improvised a plan using my 2.5 square ruler and some cardstock for the cutting lines (on the diagonal).
But the whole time , I was thinking "cut at 2.5, finish at 2" which is not correct. I am making the quilt half the size of Bonnie's, so I "only" (ahem!) need 140 of these little pairs.
YET, oh.my.word. I have been CUTTING them at 2.5 but finishing them at 2. I just now got back to her blog to reread the directions and feel so stupid. I should have cut them at 2 7/8 using my method.
Now what? I have made about 100 HSTs at 2 inches finished. What should I do? I have all my 2.5 " strips cut already in the pink and turquoise. I have NOT cut the yellow or black at all.
Advise? I could...
-Alter all the directions by 1/2 inch from here on?
-Order the ruler and proceed with the rest of my strips when it gets here? (and save my 100 2-inch finished HSTs for a different project?
-Take it as a sign that I should not have started this mystery quilt in the first place??!
((Shaking my head, looking for sympathy and advice, feeling stupid and like I've just wasted 6 hours))
-
Oh, I'm panicked here, people. I read through all Bonnie's directions first, saw that she was using the Easy Angle ruler to make her 2.5 HSTs, decided I would make mine a different way, and improvised a plan using my 2.5 square ruler and some cardstock for the cutting lines (on the diagonal).
But the whole time , I was thinking "cut at 2.5, finish at 2" which is not correct. I am making the quilt half the size of Bonnie's, so I "only" (ahem!) need 140 of these little pairs.
YET, oh.my.word. I have been CUTTING them at 2.5 but finishing them at 2. I just now got back to her blog to reread the directions and feel so stupid. I should have cut them at 2 7/8 using my method.
Now what? I have made about 100 HSTs at 2 inches finished. What should I do? I have all my 2.5 " strips cut already in the pink and turquoise. I have NOT cut the yellow or black at all.
Advise? I could...
-Alter all the directions by 1/2 inch from here on?
-Order the ruler and proceed with the rest of my strips when it gets here? (and save my 100 2-inch finished HSTs for a different project?
-Take it as a sign that I should not have started this mystery quilt in the first place??!
((Shaking my head, looking for sympathy and advice, feeling stupid and like I've just wasted 6 hours))
-
#672
Zozee, don't panic! Everything will be ok. Don't give up on this mystery quilt. Take a deep breath and start over making them the right size (using whatever method you choose to make it come out right). Save the ones you have done for another project or put them on the back of this quilt.
#673
PRESSING HINTS: For the triangle units, Bonnie said in her instructions to press toward the blue (or whatever you have substituted for the blue) fabric. For the rest of the broken dish unit, you are on your own to decide which direction to press them. Most of the time Bonnie doesn't press units until they are joined to the other units because you never know which direction or what you will be joining the unit to (it's a mystery). If you go ahead and press now, just be prepared to re-press them later (if necessary) when the units are joined into blocks. If you've looked at some of her other quilts, there are sometimes 6 to 9 units that are joined to make up a block and many times more than that. I'll press mine open because her blocks have a lot of seams and they can get bulky. That will also save me from having to re-press later on.
#674
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 9,299
Thanks. I do need to breathe....
Zozee, don't panic! Everything will be ok. Don't give up on this mystery quilt. Take a deep breath and start over making them the right size (using whatever method you choose to make it come out right). Save the ones you have done for another project or put them on the back of this quilt.
#675
Super Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Florida
Posts: 3,708
That's to bad but it happens. I just ruined two blocks and cut one strip too wide.
Save your errors and maybe you can use them in the border.
Luckily there is no rush to finish this quilt. Take your time and enjoy the process and learn from your mistake like I am.
Save your errors and maybe you can use them in the border.
Luckily there is no rush to finish this quilt. Take your time and enjoy the process and learn from your mistake like I am.
#676
Zozee, since you have made 100 hsts already, I'd continue doing it the way you are, and adjust the other squares to match. It will be a slightly scaled down version of Bonnie's, which should be fine! Don't start over!
#677
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 9,299
I'm just wondering if she is going to use all 2.5 pieces throughout, or could there be, say, directions to cut different sizes to make different blocks, and I'd constantly have to be thinking "okay, now, reduce this by ..."?
#678
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Utah
Posts: 8,847
That's what I was thinking. If you don't know how it will fit together you can't be sure what smaller size to make it. I'd start over and save the ones you've done for another project. Don't give up.
#679
I received Bonnie's email yesterday but I started cutting out and then had a visitor, after that did some Christmas shopping so all is at a halt, on top of that I have to clear everything away because they are fitting new double glazing this week, I am doomed
Today I did a huge amount of cutting but couldn't resist putting some of the block pieces together, I love her colour selection, not something I would have thought of but love it, so far, hope the builders don't put me too far behind as I have some important Project Linus quilts to finish as well, just waiting on a delivery of fabric to get them finished. Life does get in the way of quilting I sometimes find!
BTW I have miscut some strips as well so I have just put them on one side to see what else is coming, maybe I can use them elsewhere, if not my scrap pile is going up NOT coming down!
Today I did a huge amount of cutting but couldn't resist putting some of the block pieces together, I love her colour selection, not something I would have thought of but love it, so far, hope the builders don't put me too far behind as I have some important Project Linus quilts to finish as well, just waiting on a delivery of fabric to get them finished. Life does get in the way of quilting I sometimes find!
BTW I have miscut some strips as well so I have just put them on one side to see what else is coming, maybe I can use them elsewhere, if not my scrap pile is going up NOT coming down!
#680
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 2,122
PRESSING HINTS: For the triangle units, Bonnie said in her instructions to press toward the blue (or whatever you have substituted for the blue) fabric. For the rest of the broken dish unit, you are on your own to decide which direction to press them. Most of the time Bonnie doesn't press units until they are joined to the other units because you never know which direction or what you will be joining the unit to (it's a mystery). If you go ahead and press now, just be prepared to re-press them later (if necessary) when the units are joined into blocks. If you've looked at some of her other quilts, there are sometimes 6 to 9 units that are joined to make up a block and many times more than that. I'll press mine open because her blocks have a lot of seams and they can get bulky. That will also save me from having to re-press later on.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post