I had a couple of finishes this week.

First is the latest Bonnie Hunter mystery, Old Town. I changed the colors a little, but otherwise followed her instructions.

Old Town, a Bonnie Hunter mystery 78" x 78"

Old Town (back and binding detail)

I also finished a string hourglass. No pattern on this one, I just needed to use some of my many strings!

String Hourglass 60" x 85"

String Hourglass (back and binding detail)

I'm working on a couple more. Then, I hope to get back to my Sunflower One-Block Wonder.

Happy Quilting! 😸

Quilts for Donation

 I put together a year's worth of 3.5" leaders and enders to create six quilts for donation. Each is 62" x 74".

Closer to the 2025 holiday season, I will take them to a local agency that helps children and adults with developmental disabilities. 🎄🎄🎄

Donation Quilts

 I finished a new crop of quilts for donation.

Four Donation Quilts (3@ 60' x '72" and 1 @ 60" x 78")

 

I make these using 3.5" squares as Leaders and Enders. When I get a bunch (usually a couple of times each year), I put them together, and voila!--I have quilts that I sewed between the pieces of other projects.

Here are four I put together recently. As I assembled them, it was fun to see squares from scraps of fabric I used in other quilts in the past year. The squares are arranged randomly, and I used leftover binding pieces to make scrappy bindings. I apologize for the picture quality--I took them in dappled sunshine because that's what I had! 😎

This time, I had some fabrics given to me by friends or that I had in scrap boxes to put together for the backings. It was fun to combine these things into pieces large enough to back the quilts.

Donation Quilt (backing detail)

Donation Quilt (backing detail)

Donation Quilt (backing detail)

Donation Quilt (backing detail)

I had panels, pillow panels, borders, scrap fabric, cheater cloth, even a draught excluder panel from the UK (this was actually printed on the selvage--in the US, we sometimes call them door snakes). I love jigsaw puzzles, so I had fun deciding how to fit them together, and I think the unusual backings will be a nice surprise for the recipients.

 

I donate my quilts to Abilities First--an agency that assists individuals with developmental disabilities. You can find their website HERE.

A big thanks to the friends who gave me fabrics for backing these quilts. I tried to put them to good use.

Happy Quilting! 😸

Winter Mystery--Chilhowie--Designed by Bonnie Hunter

It is that time of year again--Mystery Time. 🎉🎊🎉  Bonnie Hunter's mystery this year is entitled Chilhowie. You can find her introductory post with colors, amounts, and any special tools needed HERE.

 

I'm planning to change up the colors a bit. Instead of purple, I have burgundy; instead of orange, I'm going with yellow/gold; and Bonnie's aqua will change to green for me. I have an inspiration photo below.

Inspiration photo for Chilhowie

I don't usually pull out fabrics until they figure in the instructions--I know I have plenty of these.

 

I often work on another project alongside the mystery. This year, I think I'll do Ditch Lilies. It uses a lot of orange, so that is one reason I changed the color in the mystery. Orange is not my favorite, but it is necessary for Ditch Lilies--their orange glows in the summer sun.

 

This image is a link to the ordering page for the quilt pattern.

 

I'm looking forward to beginning this new mystery. Each week's clue will be posted on Bonnie's blog; there is no charge or sign-up required. Save the clues each week, even if you aren't making the quilt right now. After the reveal, she will take the instructions down, and the pattern will be available for purchase.

Happy Quilting! 😸

Maymont

Maymont--A Bonnie Hunter design--80" x 92"

 

Earlier this summer, I began Maymont, a design by Bonnie Hunter. That post is HERE.

This quilt is a hodge-podge of fun fabrics.

Maymont (fabric detail)

 

Maymont (fabric detail)

 

Maymont (fabric detail)

 I had so much fun re-visiting some of these fabrics! They make an overall impression, but when you look more closely there is much to find.

I backed it with a favorite floral--to me, these look like the painted roses in Alice. I was fortunate to have a binding fabric that complemented the backing--the shades of color are almost identical!

Maymont (backing and binding detail)

Unlike the original pattern, I used reds for all the cornerstones to bring a bit of control to my crazy riot of scraps.

This is a great pattern. Thanks, Bonnie!

Happy Quilting! 😸

 

 

 

 

Hearts of Hope--A Bonnie Hunter Design 🇺🇦 🇺🇦 🇺🇦

 

Hearts of Hope (55" x 68")

 

This was a sew-along pattern designed by Bonnie Hunter to show respect for the people of Ukraine. I made it in honor of my mother-in-law whose family fled the region ahead of WW2.

 

Hearts of Hope (border and binding detail)

If you have read my blog before, you know how much I love string piecing--so, you can believe that I enjoyed making this one.

Hearts of Hope (backing detail)

I used a lovely sunflower (the Ukrainian national flower) print for the back.

Hearts of Hope Pillow (18" x 18")

As usual, I had leftover blocks, so I put them together into this accent pillow. The pillow is also backed with the sunflower print.

Happy Quilting! 😺

Balloon Baby

 A new grandniece--a new quilt!

This is a bright and happy flannel D9P (quick and easy). 🎈🎈🎈

Balloon Baby 42" x 42"

Balloon Baby (back and binding detail)

I used a scrappy binding for this one, and I succeeded in my aim to use almost every bit of this fabric. I've just a few inches left; they will find their way into something scrappy in the future.

Welcome to the world, baby girl!

Happy Quilting! 😸

Big Boy Quilt

I made a quilt for one of my grand-nephews.

Here is his baby quilt.

I try to make a flannel baby quilt, then a regular cotton big-kid quilt for kids in my family. This way, when they move from a crib to a big bed, they have a quilt that will fit.

This time, I went with a string quilt. I made 4.5" HSTs with strings and a neutral background. I arranged them in a layout I saw HERE.

Here is my result.

String Squares (76" x 94")

String Squares (binding and border detail)

He likes a series of books about The Little Blue Truck. I didn't find licensed fabric for the character, but I did find blue trucks for the backing.

String Squares (backing and binding detail)

Lots and lots of scraps in this one--I hope he likes it!

Happy Quilting! 😸

 

A Start on Maymont

 Maymont is a Bonnie Hunter design. I've just started it as a new project.

Maymont by Bonnie Hunter

So far, I've only made a couple of test blocks from scraps I had lying about, but I'm sewing strips now! :)  I'm planning to make all the centers and cornerstones in red fabrics. 

More to come . . .

Test Blocks for Maymont

Happy Quilting! 😸

Rhododendron Trail Finish

 Bonnie Hunter's annual mystery this year was called Rhododendron Trail.

I stayed (mostly) with Bonnie's colors--only substituting green for aqua. This is a different quilt than my usual ones; it is much lighter in color overall, but it is nice to make something out-of-the-ordinary sometimes.

Rhody Trail (92" x 100")

Rhody Trail (border and binding detail)

Rhody Trail (backing and binding detail)

A fun project--I love Mystery Quilts!

Happy Quilting. 😸

Three Finishes

 I haven't been posting much lately, but the quiltmaking continues!

This is a flannel couch quilt. A dear friend gave me some flannels, and I added a few of my own to the mix. I backed it with a piece of fleece I had on hand that happened to be exactly the right size!

Old-Style Winter Print Flannel (60" x 71")

Old-Style Winter Print Flannel (detail)

Old-Style Winter Print Flannel (backing and binding detail)

Next up is a Hallowe'en Trip Around the World. I know it is out-of-season, but next October, I'll be ready! 🎃 I call this one Spooky Trip Around the World.

Spooky Trip Around the World (90" x 90")

Spooky Trip Around the World (edge detail)

Spooky Trip Around the World (center detail)

This third quilt is a Bonnie Hunter design called Boxy Bow Ties. For some reasons, it sits in my brain as Botox Ties! Other than string quilts, this might be the scrappiest quilt I've ever made. There is a little of everything in here. I added a few extra cornerstones in the sashing that weren't part of the original design.

Boxy Bow Ties (94" x 94")

Boxy Bow Ties (detail)

Boxy Bow Ties (detail)

Boxy Bow Ties (backing and binding detail)

I'm still working on the Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt, Rhododendron Trail, and I'm doing her Hearts of Hope quiltalong as well. I've lots of projects in the works.

Happy Quilting! 😸

It's Mystery Time Again

Every year, I look forward to Bonnie Hunter's Mystery quilt which begins the day after Thanksgiving here in the US. It is fun to quilt along with so many others from around the world.

I've completed Clues 1 and 2 of this year's mystery--Rhododendron Trail.

Rhododendron Trail (Clues 1 and 2)

 

I'm looking forward to seeing how this mystery comes together. 

If you would like to participate, it is easy! Simply visit Bonnie's blog and click on the Rhododendron Trail tab at the top. All the instructions will be posted there each Friday. There is no need to sign up anywhere, and the mystery is free. Be aware that when the mystery is done, the instructions will be removed, so save them to your computer as you go.

Happy Quilting! 😸

A Bit More Retrospection (Bonnie Hunter Designs)

As I was looking back at my Bonnie Hunter Mystery quilts (see previous post), I thought it would be interesting to remind myself of the other BH patterns I have made. I have included  Bonnie's name for the pattern and my name for individual quilts [in brackets], if they differed. The year indicated was the year that I completed the project.

Carolina Chain (2015)

Patches and Pinwheels (2015)

 

Bricks and Stepping Stones [AKA Autumn Path] (2015)

 

These were three of my first efforts. I was afraid of the small pieces, so I made the units a bit bigger than the pattern indicated.

 

 

Spiderweb [AKA Flowing Flowers] (2015)

 

This was not a BH pattern--I've done several Spiderweb-type quilts; however, the idea for the offset blocks came from Bonnie's blog as she was constructing her own version.

Random Ohio Stars (2015)

This was a favorite of mine--the little stars were just SO CUTE! 😸

 

Jamestown Landing (2016)

Jamestown Landing (in red rather than blue) was my first complex BH pattern--lots of little pieces. It took me quite a long time to make the millions of HSTs required (okay, not really millions, but it seemed like it!). Finishing this one felt like an enormous accomplishment. 

 

Pfeffernüse (2016)

This is still one of my favorites--so warm and cozy in brown and red with its flannel backing.

 

Carolina Chain (2016)

Another Carolina Chain, but this time I made it in Christmas fabrics. This is a great pattern to show off fabric prints.

 

Twirl Around (2017)

As soon as I saw this quilt pattern, I knew it would be my next project! I switched out the colors, making mine green and rust.

 

Sand Castles (2019)

This was the most fun I've ever had making a quilt. Sand Castles went together so well that I felt like an expert. I love the way it turned out.

 

Winter Blues [AKA Summer Sunshine] (2021)

When I saw the pattern for Winter Blues, nothing would do but that I make it in yellows. I don't know why--yellow isn't my favorite color, but I'm so pleased that I went with my impulse. This quilt is on my bed now, and it simply brightens my day every time I look at it! 😎

So, in looking back, I find that, including the mysteries, I have completed twenty-one Bonnie Hunter patterns! Wow--I wouldn't have believed that possible when I began. 😺

I'm not sure what my next BH project will be (other than this year's mystery), but I'm ready to make another quilt. Stay tuned!

 

Happy Quilting! 😸