I took the border blocks apart and made them only one deep. I'm still learning a whole lot about color selection. It has a black border that is hard to see.
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Wavecatcher, I love your colors.

Whitepine: What an amazing photograph. It really would make a beautiful monochromatic quilt. I wonder how many of Bonnie's quilt designs would translate like this. She really is a master of making values determine the design.

Emma, I meant the picture as a joke, but your comment made me think of something. After selecting colors for a quilt, take a B&W picture and check to see if something stands out as not belonging. I'll bet it would show up, especially in a stack of fabric, or in a bunch of 3 1/2 " squares.

A perfect "value" study!

whitepine, it looks beautiful in both photos! That secondary block shows up perfectly in the b&w photo.

Whiitepine: Can't imagine why you would be interested in the values of 3.5 squares. Could be a "clue" to what you've been doing. I knew you were kidding but it was such a striking picture that my mind skittered off to a different pathway. Black and white photos for value study was a tip I received on FB. I asked a quilter how she did Bonnie's GI in browns and beiges without knowing anything about the quilts design. I know you used the CT fabric consistently for your green. Love the more subdued green you achieved as a result. Some of my favorite GI's are the ones that used a grayish green rather than the true grass green.

ok, now the backing is pieced and ready and the binding prepared so this little one (+/_ 44X66) will take a place in the line up waiting to be quilted....there are several ahead in line all with their backs and binding ready but this time I have to stop piecing and quilt one because that was the last empty oatmeal box to wind the binding around.

I think it might be your strong corners that slowed down your spin, rather than, or along with, your blacks. I've been looking at photo quilts with strong colors in the corners, since I have ended up with a dark gold for my yellow (had trouble looking at lighter yellows, they're so bright to my eye), and was concerned about the effect. Defining the block as a square (which is what the strong corner accomplishes) slows the spin and alters the look of the secondary block. But I think it is still pretty, just a bit different than the intended version. I think this is what my will end up looking like, too.

Whitepine, although you intended your picture as a joke it actually is a real help! I went & looked at my top so far in a B & W version, thanks for posting this.

Even with my little grand doggies HELP... I've managed to get the final borders on today. [ATTACH=CONFIG]505661[/ATTACH] what...you want to iron this? [ATTACH=CONFIG]505664[/ATTACH]aren't you done yet?[ATTACH=CONFIG]505665[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]505666[/ATTACH]

Awwww.....Some furrkids just can't stand for your attention anywhere else.

Emma, the 3 1/2" blocks I was referring to are Judy's mystery train blocks. It might help to separate dark and medium dark from just medium.

Sunliten: Just buy another box of oatmeal. You don't even have to remove the oatmeal, think of it as storage.
Thimblebug: Such great pictures, can't believe he actually fell asleep in your arms. I'm almost sure, that's not a ergonomic way to sew.
Whitepine: Got you this time, I knew perfectly well, why you were doing the squares. I'm doing Judy's mystery too. She designs such great quilts, no way would I miss one of hers.

Got rid of the double sashing... here are my first two rows. My quilt will be 4 blocks x 5 blocks.

It is so much fun seeing everyone's colours and quilts! I didn't have the time during the holidays and am just starting mine.

Whitepine - Liked your pics! Great idea to do a value study by using a black & white photo - puts everything into perspective - I will have to try it in the future. A friend of mine, who is very good with colour values, did GI in black and white fabrics and the results are amazing!

Thimblebug6000 - love the pics of your grand dog!! They are so expressive!! You have a great sewing buddy!!

Love your version, I am doing the same size, how are you going to fit the borders?

Thimbles, little Minnow knows a good thing when she sees one :)

New dilemma. Finished piecing a 3 x 4 block top, sorry my camera is broken so I cannot post a picture.

Thought I would piece together blocks with the remainder and was able with some additional chevrons to make 12 more blocks. I thought I would just have enough for a 2 x 3 block top that I would give to charity. Now what to do?????

My center is all together, first border on. I am working on the outer border. I plan to double the border and place the pinks together to make a mirror image of Bonnie's pieced border to make my quilt just a bit bigger. Not sure about the cornerstones yet. Maybe I will keep the blacks together?

The blacks together for sure. If it needs to be larger than that I will add another golden yellow border.

Karen, either way is good. It's the same pattern. Just depends on if you want the diamonds to be pink or white and the center of the stars black or yellow. You could flip a coin and it would be great either way!

Karen, your fabrics are just scrumptious!

quilt addict, do you mean, what should you do about having more blocks than you expected? Could you make the charity quilt bigger?

Finished! I took a pic last night and saw that one of the borders was on wrong so had to re-do that this morning. The borders were a challenge with the size that I made but I worked through it. May have to replace my seam ripper after all the mistakes I made on this quilt. I changed up the colors a bit and I really love the way it turned out.

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Pam, have you tried posting photos recently? I was wondering if you're still having problems with that.

Yes, I have. It seems I can no longer post pics here from my i-Pad. I had to copy and paste this from facebook.

Wow, everyone has come so far since I last checked in on this thread! I got sidetracked by making a fox quilt for my niece for her birthday (Jan 30th.). I almost have the top finished and am going to an open forum type class tonight to get some help with sandwiching and tips on quilting. Really hoping to get that done and shipped out this week at some point and plan on getting back to bonnie this week! Everyone's look so pretty and I can't wait to get back to it. Also have plans for a one block wonder... I found the perfect fabric (I think)!

Pam H I just love your version well done :)

Must have cross-posted with you, Pam. It looks wonderful!

They will be the same vertically, but if they don't work horizontally, I'll just 'fudge' something somewhere, LOL!

Do a 3x4 layout if you got 12 blocks. Should make a happy baby quilt.

Love all the pictures everyone has posted. I have followed along and also made " Grand Illusion" when it was revealed it was not quite what I envisioned. Attempted to add different sashing and did not care for that either so ripped that out. In the end decided to put it together as designed. I used the same color family as Bonnie except I switched out the black and used brown. Mine is quite scrappy not sure when it will be quilted or who the end recipient will be.
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frustrated, your scrappiness makes it fun, and your bright pinks make it sparkle! I like the lighter cornerstones. I am currently considering what to use for mine. I've noticed that the value of the cornerstones really changes the look of the quilt.

Thank you joe's mom. I used 2 fat quarters for the corner stones wish I had a darker aqua but that is okay. My friend thinks I should go ahead with another thin border so I will audition I think green .

I just made a connection that I wonder if some of you have made as well. I'm up late - as usual lol- doing laundry and clicking through the cable channels. I came across an old favorite movie on HBO - Somewhere In Time with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. Imagine my surprise when he drives up to the old hotel and it is one and the same "Grand Hotel" from Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt? This might seem insignificant but I just love these "it's a small world" situations. It makes me want to stay up all night watching this old movie waiting for glimpses of this great, old hotel.

Beautiful!!!

Every year on the Island there is some type of gathering of fans of that movie. I guess you could say it has a cult following. I was on vacation on the island during the filming!

I just set it up to record. It's going to be on again Jan 23 on HBO.

Thanks PamH... I'll look for it too and watch for the Grand Hotel.

I love everyone's photos and versions of the GI quilt. So many pretty interpretations! Keep em coming...

Last night I finished piecing all my center blocks (sans sashings) and find I need to make two more for my 4 x 5 layout. Won't know how many more sashing pieces I need until I get the blocks I have put together. My son is getting married in May and I'm thinking this may be their wedding present.

I was looking up the hotel on Wikipedia the other day, and one thing they mentioned was that the filming of that scene was one of the few exceptions that have ever been made to the "no vehicles" rule on the island.