I really don't like my rendition of "Grand Illusion" -- I call it grand chaos. But I promised myself I would finish it, or at least as many blocks I had pieces for. It still looks unfinished to me, so might try a mottled green border an inch larger than the yellow. Then again, perhaps not. This will be a charity quilt as I just cannot bring myself to give it to someone I like.

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Ok Belfrybat, since you said so many negative things about your quilt I won't tell you that it came out wonderful and I like it a lot! I hope it makes someone's day when they receive it.

Instead of another border (not necessary, IMO) why not just use the mottled green for your binding?

I like yours better than mine, Belfrybat. I seem to favor the ones like yours that are less scrappy. I especially like your green. Mine are too chaotic for my taste and I may save them for another quilt. Even though it's not one of your favorites, I'm sure this quilt will be much loved and appreciated.

I've been sewing my blocks together -- they're quite a mess, especially this last seam, attaching the right side of the block. It's sobering to see what an inaccurate piecer I am. If I do the 2015 mystery, I intend to do lots of checking as I make units.

Tonight I reached an impasse. I had a right side that was so bad, it couldn't be salvaged. Since I'm doing a 4x4, I thought, I'll go get some of my extra units and construct another right side. I can't find those units anywhere! Where on earth could I have put them? It's not as if our house is that large. I've been through all the rooms and the basement. My sewing room is small and full, so I think I do remember deciding there was no place to keep them in there. I'm hoping that I'll wake up in the morning and remember what I did with them (I'm always finding perfect, out of the way places to put things, and then can never find them.) If they don't turn up, I'll just start from scratch.

Joe's mom: Don't think there is a quilter among us that hasn't done something similar. I'm working on a border (not the GI) that I'm coming up five blocks short. I swear I counted them when I was making them. Tore through the many piles in my sewing room, no luck. With me its also an issue of did they really exist? Good luck with the final stages of your GI!

Thank you, Emma! I did find my extra units. I had put them on my 'to be quilted' shelf, but had covered up the container with another quilt top! Onward!

Been there, done that, Joe's mom! Just the other day I couldn't find something and said to myself, "I had it in my hand not 5 minutes ago. It HAS to be here somewhere!" :D

Haven't had time to work on it lately. I still have lots of cutting to do and I'm procrastinating on that. Becoming harder to do that with my eyes and bifocals. I'll have to push through and get to the piecing part.

joe'smom, I hate it when that happens. For me it's usually paperwork and it drives me absolutely crazy. I tell myself, no more piles, put things away, file them, finish what you're doing. AAACCCKKK!!! Glad you found them. :)

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I kept thinking that I would get a better photo before posting a picture of my GI quilt top but decided to go ahead and post the picture. I finished the top at the end of February. I don't know how to rotate the photo. If someone will tell me, then I can re-post. I made changes from the original design. Instead of using the turquoise and yellow four-patch for the center, I made HST blocks sewn together using each of the main colors in the quilt - yellow, turquoise, pink and green along with a black and white dotted fabric. Rather than use the turquoise blocks for cornerstones, I made pinwheel blocks utilizing the same fabrics that I used in the center block. Then, I sashed all of my blocks using black fabric and added an additional border from the black and white dotted fabric that I utilized for the pinwheels and center blocks. Because I added sashings, my outside border had to be increased by two complete blocks on every side. My GI is 104" square.

Ladydukes I think your quilt is fantabulous congratulations on your finishing such an enormous quilt.

Ladydukes ... wow!! You made some "grand" changes to the quilt and they all turned out fantastic!!

Ladydukes, your quilt is fabulous!! Love the changes you made.

I've finished constructing my blocks!! So excited to start putting everything together.

Ladyduke that is a fabulous GI top. I really like the changes you made. Mine is still not finished but yours is inspiring.

Ladydukes , your version of the quilt is amazing! Clapping, clapping...

Finally finished my top! This is a BIG quilt. Wasn't my favorite when i first saw the reveal but it has grown on me and now I like it. I did enjoy the mystery process with every one.

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Great job, Linda!! I'd probably just be finishing too if I had opted for the large size. Your pattern shows nicely. Next time I will know to use more solids or tone on tones for my neutrals.

Linda, that's beautiful! Such pretty fabric choices.

I want to take the opportunity to thank everyone for their positive comments about my version of Grand Illusion. I have not had one person say they didn't like it - so again, THANKS!!!

Beautiful Linda. Great color choices.

Beautiful quilt Linda, congrats on getting it done!

Makes me wish I had done this one

Lilrain, the instructions are still up on Bonnie's website. It's never too late!

http://quiltville.blogspot.com/p/gra...n-mystery.html

I started on my borders yesterday. Almost there!

actually it is getting late ...if you want the instructions copy them, or print them, because they are only up for a short time and then they will be available only in book form with a couple of other quilts....Bonnie warned us in the beginning that it would be a 'window' of time that it would be available on the web.

I'm nearly there with my Grand Illusion quilt top, but am having trouble deciding on a final step, if any. First photo shows the finished top, second photo shows top with an inch strip of pink, which I had intended to use as a transition to an outer floral border, which I decided I didn't like, third photo shows the thin pink strip followed by an outer border of the second darkest pink used in the quilt, fourth photo shows a thin gold strip in place of the pink, followed by an outer border of one of the blues used in the quilt. (I'm currently thinking I'd cut an outer border at 4"; the dark pink strips shown were cut at 4 1/2".)

The options I see are: 1) leave on the thin pink border and plan on binding in that pink, 2) take off the thin pink border and plan on binding in that pink, 3) keep the thin pink border and add the dark pink (wine with hot pink lattice) outer border, 4) remove the thin pink border and add a thin gold border plus the blue outer border. Does any strike you as obviously the best choice?

To me, the quilt feels done after the pieced border. I'd bind it in the pink and not add any other borders. The plain borders after all that activity seem out of place to my eye.

I think it has enough gold and could use more pink. To me, the wide pink border says, "There, I'm done!"
You realize you will probably get as many different answers as how many responses you get. LOL It's going to be gorgeous no matter how you finish it so don't stress over it too much. But I do know how you feel.

I like picture #2 with the pink binding on the pieced border.

Thank you all three for your input! It helps so much to hear other people's perspective, even when opinions differ!

I agree unless you really need a bigger quilt

Thank you, grannyrae. I've folded up the quilt top for now. There are several ahead of it in the 'to be quilted' queue, so I guess there's no need to make an immediate decision. My backing plans are also up in the air again. As much as I like the wild aqua floral I bought, it doesn't seem right with the top. I started piecing a back with that fabric and some others, but that's not looking promising either, so it's back to searching.

It really helps to step back for awhile. Binding the quilt as designed seems by far the best choice to me now. I'm considering this toile as a backing. I'm thinking it would be airy and restful after all the activity of the top.

I really enjoyed this whole process and especially sharing it with the group!

Thanks, Jeanie!

Nice Joes mom!

That is great for a backing. I have something just like that sitting in a drawer waiting to be used. Too bad I already bought fabric for my backing. Hmmm.....

Love your quilt and love the toile joe'smom!

The toille looks perfect for backing your quilt.

Ladies what beautiful work done by all!!! I know I was supposed to post this a longtime ago but time got away from me and quilt was put in closet after I finished the binding so you know out of sight out of mind been done since the end of March I think. Anyways here it is in all its glory best pictures I could get of it.
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Christine: Beautiful and best of all done. I wish I completed things before I put them away and forgot them. My GI is sandwiched and waiting for me to quilt it. Love what you did with your quilting. More often than not I sort of echo the piecing when I do the quilting but I think your overall quilting is really the answer to the complexity of BH's design.
Where in the Pacific NW do you live?