Everyone! Your quilts are amazing. I'm very slow I guess, still working on my double diamonds, everything else is ready to go. justflyingin I love both your quilts the last one is amazing, I really like your border too, they look like little houses or trees.

Justflyin, Your variation is amazing. Love the way those yellow squares explode out to the other square. The last border looks to me like arrows pointing inward saying, Look at me!

So interesting to see all the variations here and on FB. Even some versions that I wonder if when the blocks were stitched together.... did the piecer even notice the deviations? One on FB which I really liked has the outer border turned opposite to quiltville's as the black doesn't form a border.... it's out on the outside of the blocks.... so many things to consider as I get closer to adding the yellow border and then that final outside border. Thank you to everyone for posting your pictures, it's really inspiring to me... this is my first Bonnie Hunter mystery.

Has anyone noticed that its only been a week since the reveal? I was wondering why it was taking me so long to turn all the pieces into a quilt. Then I realized I never put a whole quilt together in a week. Everyone that already has their quilt put together, is this normal for you? Are you always this fast?

If you are going to machine quilt your Grand Illusion on your domestic sewing machine..... WHAT is your plan? I don't really like a meander or stipple.... BUT... there is so much action in this quilt top.... I would really appreciate seeing or hearing what others are planning to quilt. I couldn't possibly hand quilt this with so many seams.....

Great question thimblebug.

Hallelujah! I've finally finished clue #2. It would have gone more quickly had I figured out earlier how to match the points.

After a long search, I've finally found a yellow I'm enthused about. This means I can finally start sewing together the clue #1 broken dishes!

Emma, I am also amazed at how quickly people are able to finish the quilt.

Looking great Krista!
Brooke I love your version with the sashing! Both are beautiful!
Joy your colors go together so well, great job!
Joe'smom your Clue 2 units are so pretty!
Seeing the quilt tops coming together are a big thrill! I have two more memory quilts to go and then I can put my blocks together...I may have to borrow some ideas from some of you :)

I like the yellow border . Yours doesn't look too busy.

QUOTE=Nanny's dollface;7033732]Well, I think my rendition of the Machinac quilt (based on the "scrappiness" despite none of the fabric choices were scraps). There is one thing I'm not sure of....the addition of the border. What do you think?
I think it needs to be omitted.
I did learn a lot from making this mess- I love piecing, I love cutting fabric, and I love sewing at 4am before getting ready for work. I have extra sashing a and 4 patches left over...think I will use that in the backing. Can't think of sandwiching this just yet...need to work on a quilt with a different color scheme. Lol.[/QUOTE]

Jeanie: Look real close at Brooke's picture. The child on the left is a little boy. Those extreme pigtails are a picture frame his head just lined up with. I know only because someone pointed it out on Facebook.
I think I am going to try to find a all over design that mimics the movement of the design itself. Whirls, or swirls, something with a lot of movement.
I have only the pieced border and the solid outside border (that I'm adding) to do. May be done today.

Okay, you guys are so helpful. After looking at the comments and pictures I've made a definite decision. I'm going to do lap size quilts, 3 blocks by 4 blocks. I'm going to make one BHs way and the other Brookemaries way. If I like the outcome, great, but if not, that's really okay too because I thoroughly enjoyed the process and that is why I quilt, because I enjoy it.

I also want to add that someone (I think it was Emma) cautioned about changing colors because you may lose the design. In my case, changing colors wasn't the issue as long as the basic value was the same, but switching black and yellow made a big difference. I lost the swirling, windy look achieved by the dark blocks. I'll remember this in the future.

Thanks to everyone for all the positive input. I do love this board!

Justflyingin, you have been BUSY! Both of your quilts are drop dead gorgeous!

Thanks JeanieG: I was thinking to try a double straight line in the checkerboard and some kind of maybe a spiral in a block, but will wait until the borders are on to see if I get any other suggestions.

joe'smom, your clue 2 blocks are wonderful. Your quilt will really shine with all those white-based neutrals and dark blacks. Some of my blacks had too much white in them, I'm afraid.

I'm also amazed that people are already done with their tops and quilting their quilts! This is a BIG quilt for me and it's not going together all that fast. I have to measure and adjust seam allowances with every part I sew. Seems the extra thickness of all the seams is playing with my measurements!

Wowzers what beautiful work everyone is doing and FAST!!!! I can't get my camera to work, at Christmas thought it was just the batteries but it is something more won't power up. So sorry cannot share pictures.

I am doing a 4 x 3 and a 3 x 2 version with the left overs. Made up my worksheet to calculate my inner border to fit the outer one with some minor modifications to it. I hope to have the borders sewn on tonight.

This is really fast for me. I am trying to stay at it and decide on a backing and not just add it to the pile of tops waiting to be quilted.

I have no idea either what I will do for the quilting just know it will be on my DM not hand quilted with all those seams. Deciding on how to quilt is the hardest part for me. It leads to many UFOs so also appreciate people sharing their thoughts.

Lisa: I am determined to continue until I have the front and back completed, maybe even the binding prepared. First of all it just makes sense because all the pieces are together and you know the front and the back are the right sizes and most of all no new UFO.

Here are my first four blocks pinned up on the wall. Can't believe how much time it takes to put them together. I'll keep plugging... I plan to do 20 blocks in a 4 X 5 layout, then all the borders. I love that pieced border.

The more I work on this quilt, the more I love it. It's so beautiful and balanced.

sewbizgirl, You did something different. You put in a double row of the green squares. I really like it! It keeps the black pattern yet gives a little space. Wish I'd seen that idea sooner..... :) :)

sewbizgirl, I love your blues! I love your pinks! I love your greens! It all looks so light and fresh. Did you make extra greens so you could double the sashing?

Yeah, poor Ethan looks like a girl lol. I didn't notice it when I posted. Poor thing has the exact same shade as the clock, sure he's not happy I posted this picture heehee.
I don't usually get my tops sewn so fast, but I was in withdrawals from my family coming to visit with the holidays so I spent way more time in the sewing room than usual.
Everyone's updated pics are looking great! Keep'em coming.

Ack! The double sashing was a mistake! I'm so glad you mentioned it as I have not connected my blocks yet... Will have to fix that so I don't have to make a bunch more green/white/black pieces, as well as border pieces. I do like how the extra green in the quilt looks, tho...

I like it too. It's all in whether you want to make twice as many green block.

Pieced and ready to sandwich and quilt...about 1/4 Bonnie's size but perfect size for me. Stuck with original directions except to modify pieced border to smaller size and my wimmzy for pinwheels.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]505513[/ATTACH]

Love the pinwheels and the two sizes of dragonflies, Bonnie did not mention Dragonflies but bet there are some at the Grand Hotel on the island. Emma would know, are there Dragonflies ?

Boy am I glad I posted pics... Haven't sewn anything together so I can put a few blocks without sashings in between these and not have any double rows. Still loving this quilt!

Beautiful quilt, wavewatcher! Didn't notice the dragonflies until Sun mentioned them... too cute!

Well, here's one of my blocks. I've got all the blocks sewn together, put the sash on but the border is too small! I'm taking the sash off & see where I went wrong.

Wavewatcher I love your quilt. I should have made 1/2 or 1/4 size this is taking me a long time. I have Dragonflies too, mine have a light purple and a buff background. Yours look better with the black background.

Cindy Love the aqua in your blocks.

Love your smaller version, pinwheels and dragonflies, Wavewatcher. My quilt has dragonflies too......amazing how many of us included them in our quilts!

Haven't finished yet, but did manage to get the first yellow border on. I have the other borders stitched together & ready to attach if I make time for it. [ATTACH=CONFIG]505552[/ATTACH] This will be a large quilt and I'm not sure what will be it's destiny!

Because my blacks have more white in them than I think they should.... the spinning star effect is diminished....oh well.... another learning experience.... BUT...then again... I wanted to use all fabrics from stash...and in that I was successful :o

I'm loving all the quilts!! I sewed up two blocks and borders. So fun! I'm afraid it might be more busy than my daughters little 10x10 room can handle. This might it might not end up on her bed. Lol. Here is my first block. I had a hard hard time keeping things straight and ironing it.

i learned a lot too. Not enough to contrast with my green black border. It's hard to see the whirl there. Darn. [ATTACH=CONFIG]505556[/ATTACH]

Here are two blocks together. I'm going to keep playing with this tomorrow. My eyes are getting too tired tonight. [ATTACH=CONFIG]505564[/ATTACH]

Maybe it's because I've seen so many photos of the quilt and I'm getting used to the pattern, but they're just not looking that busy to me anymore. Looking great, everyone!

Looks like I need to make 4 or so more of the border blocks to make it fit. Guess I will figure that out tomorrow.
Dang! It still won't let me post a picture.

I agree with you Emma.

Thimblebug: I at almost the same place, have two of the pieced borders on and have pieced the same border for the back. Getting there.
Susan: I love your colors, somehow very retro 50's. Don't know how old your daughter is, and of course tastes differ but I could picture it going very well in a teenagers room. Great Job.

Well, I figured out how to tone mine down. Just take a B&W picture. :)
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