Grand Illusion - Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilt 2014
03-05-2015, 08:20 PM
#2111
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,111
[ATTACH=CONFIG]512617[/ATTACH]
03-06-2015, 03:14 AM
#2112
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Jozefow, Poland
Posts: 4,474
I ended up hating my finished mystery quilt top.I love the colors but think it's messy looking. My husband compliments me on every thing I make until this one. He said it would look good from a distance if hanging on a wall so the pattern could be seen better. I'm quilting it now then am giving to a neice downstate but I feel guilty about it cause she is so sweet and won't say anything bad about it. I wouldn't take the time to even quilt it but had told my sister I was giving it to her daughter. I recently talked with LQS owner who said that she made the units but didn't like the final block so is not going to finish it but may change her mind later. I think I may have liked it if I used black sashings instead of the pieced ones. I saw one done like this and liked it but was too late to do mine that way.
I came to the "reveal" thinking that "wow...can't wait". When I saw it, I said to myself, "You're kidding, right?" Then I saw she wasn't kidding. I can't describe what my feelings were, but well, let's say, I went to the computer and worked on another version.
My feelings of ambivalence weren't because it was "too busy", but because I couldn't see a pattern. (It is the same reason I am not crazy about the D9P. I know tons of people like it, but for me, it looks about the same--and when I can't see pattern and I think I'm supposed it, it leaves me feeling frustrated.)
With the right colors, it is possible to see the pattern, but... This one would be one I would pass on in a book.
So, I made two. One large one - my improvisation of the original - and the original pattern made into a couch sized quilt. For both, I changed the middle blocks into a solid and for the couch sized (original pattern) one I replaced the bright green for a softer, minty green so it would fade into the background and I could see the whirligig movement better.
More or less the original: [ATTACH=CONFIG]512637[/ATTACH]
And then my variation/improvisation:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]512638[/ATTACH]
I happen to love these colors so I wasn't about to let these beautiful fabrics sit around in a UFO! I like them both now. Love? Maybe not. But I like handling them. I spent so much time on my improvisation and really enjoyed adding to it, that I really was impressed by the end result. (It surprised me, in fact.)
03-06-2015, 12:01 PM
#2115
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Join Date: May 2013
Location: Ballwin, MO
Posts: 4,230
Thanks, Krista! I love your big rhododendrons! It's such fun to see the backings along with the fronts. Everything seems to look nice with this pattern -- solids, smaller prints and large ones, I haven't yet seen one that I didn't like.
justflyingin, I think it's so commendable that you pushed through to make two beautiful quilts even though you weren't enthused by the reveal. I've had similar thoughts about whether to do other mystery quilts (this was my first) because I also have so many quilts I want to get to, and this brought things to a stop for two months (and I'm still working on it, but no longer exclusively). It's a lot of time (for a slow worker like me) to give to someone else's vision. Fortunately for me, I love everything about this quilt, from the Grand Hotel inspiration to the pattern. It's been so much fun that I wonder if I'll be able to resist participating next year. I imagine it wouldn't be nearly as much fun to wait until the reveal before deciding whether to commit.
justflyingin, I think it's so commendable that you pushed through to make two beautiful quilts even though you weren't enthused by the reveal. I've had similar thoughts about whether to do other mystery quilts (this was my first) because I also have so many quilts I want to get to, and this brought things to a stop for two months (and I'm still working on it, but no longer exclusively). It's a lot of time (for a slow worker like me) to give to someone else's vision. Fortunately for me, I love everything about this quilt, from the Grand Hotel inspiration to the pattern. It's been so much fun that I wonder if I'll be able to resist participating next year. I imagine it wouldn't be nearly as much fun to wait until the reveal before deciding whether to commit.
03-06-2015, 07:10 PM
#2116
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Rochester, Minnesota
Posts: 1,795
This could totaly change your mind
I ended up hating my finished mystery quilt top.I love the colors but think it's messy looking. My husband compliments me on every thing I make until this one. He said it would look good from a distance if hanging on a wall so the pattern could be seen better. I'm quilting it now then am giving to a neice downstate but I feel guilty about it cause she is so sweet and won't say anything bad about it. I wouldn't take the time to even quilt it but had told my sister I was giving it to her daughter. I recently talked with LQS owner who said that she made the units but didn't like the final block so is not going to finish it but may change her mind later. I think I may have liked it if I used black sashings instead of the pieced ones. I saw one done like this and liked it but was too late to do mine that way.
03-07-2015, 02:08 PM
#2117
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Olympic Pen., WA
Posts: 1,167
Justflyingin, Those are two beautiful quilts. You know, if you said I could have one and gave me my choice, I don't know which I would take. The second is really an original, and you did a fantastic job. Wow! The yellow makes a great pattern. And those arrows!! You may find a lot of people stealing that idea for a border.
Joe'smom, I agree with your comments on these big mystery quilts. I loved this one and did it mainly because of the subject and the good memories that the Grand Hotel holds for me. But it was so labor intensive it really wore me out. The main reason I do mysteries is because of the comradery and anticipation. But it does interfere with other quilting. There are only so many hours in the day. LOL
pjnesler, Thanks for posting that picture. The setting looks like it's out of a magazine.
Joe'smom, I agree with your comments on these big mystery quilts. I loved this one and did it mainly because of the subject and the good memories that the Grand Hotel holds for me. But it was so labor intensive it really wore me out. The main reason I do mysteries is because of the comradery and anticipation. But it does interfere with other quilting. There are only so many hours in the day. LOL
pjnesler, Thanks for posting that picture. The setting looks like it's out of a magazine.
03-07-2015, 02:18 PM
#2118
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 3,769
I need this quilt!
I guess I better start making this quilt!!!
i want everything just like in the picture!!!!!
03-07-2015, 08:45 PM
#2120
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Houston
Posts: 687
Justflyingin, your two versions are gorgeous! :-)
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