Bonnie Hunter Mystery Retrospective

Like so many other quilters, I am looking forward to Bonnie Hunter's Mystery quilt this year. I decided to look back at the ones I have done in the past. The dates refer to the year of the beginning of the mystery.

Allietare (2015)

 My first mystery quilt, Allietare (2015), was serendipitously in my favorite red! I was apprehensive about this one--it was my first BH mystery, and I knew there would be so many small pieces. With the wonderful instructions for each step, I wound up having no trouble at all! I changed the border a bit from Bonnie's directions. This quilt is on my bed each winter.

 

 

En Provence (2016)

The next year's mystery was En Provence (2016)--I wasn't sure about the magenta star points, but I was happy with it in the end. This was a gift to my daughter.

 

 

On Ringo Lake (2017)

 On Ringo Lake (2017) was next. I called mine the "Chocolate Lovers" edition, because my browns were printed with chocolate candies and chips. I made a change in the instructions from aqua to green. It was a Christmas gift to Mom.

 

 

Good Fortune (2018)

Good Fortune began in 2018. I subbed a yellow/gold for the original orange of the mystery fabrics. This quilt lives with my sister.

Frolic (2019)

I'm STILL using leftover units from Frolic (2019)! I seriously overestimated the number of pieces I needed. The quilt now lives with my mom.

Grassy Creek (2020)

Last year's mystery was Grassy Creek (2020). I used a blue constant instead of the suggested green--it looks like a clear October sky.

 

 

Unity (2020)

 

Not exactly a mystery, but rather a quilt-a-long from Quiltville, Unity (2020) was a bonus quilt to help quilters cope with the 2020 lockdown. It is a medallion-style quilt to which rounds were added weekly.

😷😷😷😷😷😷😷

 

 

I've done a few after-the-fact mysteries as well.

 

Old Tobacco Road (2009)

I loved choosing the colors for Old Tobacco Road (2009) from an inspiration photo. The quilt was a gift to my son and his family.

Celtic Solstice (2013)

I changed the colors a bit with my version of Celtic Solstice (2013). It is made with constant fabrics in solid colors.

Orca Bay (2011)

 Orca Bay (2011) was a pattern that intimidated me, but I took it one step at a time, and I succeeded! It is made with Christmas fabrics, and it is mine. 🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄

The colors for this year's mystery will be released around Hallowe'en, and the mystery will begin the day after Thanksgiving (USA), 26 November 2021. Information will be posted on the Quiltville blog.

Happy Quilting! 😺

 

The Dream Quilt (Again!)--Quilting in Children's Literature

As I mentioned in a previous post, there is more than one children's book entitled The Dream Quilt. Today, I'm highlighting another.

Zerner, Amy and Jessie Spicer Zerner. The Dream Quilt. Tuttle, 1994.

This could be classified as a picture book for older readers. There is quite a lot of text, but the pictures form an integral part of the story rather than simply serving as illustrations. It would be a wonderful read-aloud at bedtime since it is divided into six sections each with its own story. The stories build upon one another, but they are satisfying on their own as well.

The book is about the week that Alex spends with his Aunt Rachel in her home by the sea. He is a city child, and he learns about the differences between his urban life and the rural life at his Aunt's. On the first night, Alex is worried that he won't be able to sleep in a new place. His aunt opens a sea chest that had belonged to his great-greatgrandfather, and takes out a quilt which in her words "has been all around the world. Who knows what sights it has seen . . . You'll have a wonderful sleep tonight. It's a dream quilt, you know."

 

The Dream Quilt (back cover)

 

 And he does!

The Dream Quilt (illustration)

 

The Dream Quilt (illustration)

 

The lovely collage illustrations by Amy Zerner capture the detailed, imaginative dreams of the text, and they are fascinating to examine.

This book addresses a quilt as comfort, family heritage, and a springboard for imagination.

Happy Quilting! 😺

 

A reminder--you can find my posts on Quilts in Children's Literature by clicking "Children's Literature" in the list of labels on the right-hand pane of this blog.

NOTE: I found my books used from BetterWorldBooks.com. I can highly recommend this site. Not only do they always have free shipping, but they also contribute a book to someone in need for every book you buy. I was not compensated for this recommendation--I just love doing business with them.