Grand Illusions Shattered

    A couple of weeks ago, I took all my Grand Illusion blocks and put them up on my design wall, all except the whole border, just a couple of pieces on the the left, as my wall was not big enough. I turned my back and walked away 6 feet, turned and looked. I had to gasp for air. It was a total whirl of motion and I could feel a migraine would start if I kept looking. The wall looked like whirring food processor blades. Although I had seen photos of the quilt on the computer, almost 88" of it was overwhelming. 
   Don't get me wrong- I love Bonnie Hunter and her work. This is not any kind of slam. This was just a chaotic, whirlwind of pieces. I took off the green and neutral checkerboard and it helped somewhat. I tried a whole lot of colors in the sashing. I asked for advice from experience quilters. I put it away.
   Later on, I will take it out, probably use yellow sashing and make two comfort quilts out of it. The checkerboard blocks I will either use in a border or on a back. I have no idea what to do with the 80 border blocks yet. I am taking the no more mystery quilt vow right now.
   I did learn some precision piecing and assembly. If the quilt was smaller, I would feel better about not wasting fabric.

Yikes, it is coming to get me!

Maybe all yellow borders, leave/leave out the blue cornerstones?

Grand Illusion in the Box!

    After considerable hours of sewing (on the Singer 15-91 and Featherweight) and cutting and mild curses, all of the Grand Illusion pieces are ready for assembling. This box represents so much time. As the clues went on, I did improve in the triangle piecing and cutting. The Easy Angle ruler really did help. I think it is so much more precise that sewing the diagonals on a square and cutting in half. It took some practice. Clue 4 looks a lot better than the earlier triangles. Unfortunately, they are all going in the same quilt.
    I assembled one block to see how the other 24 will look. The only cutting yet is the 2" yellow border. I can't yet preview how the border will look. I am amazed that I am this far. I do love the colors and use of scraps.

It is all in there, the whole top

The first block laid out

Grand Illusion eeking along

Clue 3 pile

Done units, all of 1!

Pieces of Clue 2, extra HSTs

      The Grand Illusion Mystery quilt is inching along. I try to cut all the fabric for each clue as it is given on Fridays by Bonnie Hunter. I am cutting from scraps and stash, so just finding the right piece takes time and they are all not the same size to cut into. This quilt is forcing me to be really precise and to go slow. I hope it will take my skill level up at the end of all this. I have all of Clue 1 sewn. Part of Clue 2 is sewn. Part 3 has most of the strips cut I think, but only 10 out of 120 units are made. I have been printing my Christmas cards and other stuff, so I sit down for short bursts of time. It is easy to leave in place because I have a dedicated machine for this quilt.

An Illusion of a mystery

    I love Bonnie Hunter. I have learned so much about quilting from her. I met her and took a class with her in September.
I hate mysteries. I hate absolute precision piecework where you hold your breath on every seam. So, why am I doing her recent mystery, Grand Illustion?
Hmm...
   It is neat to follow along with others learning from their mistakes.
   Last year's quilt was awesome
   It is forcing me to suck up and learn to be a better skilled quilter and to have sharper eyes and hands.
   I want to see if I can do it because I would never attempt it on my own.
   I want to learn from Bonnie.
Okay, I cut out all the Clue 1 last week, sewed all the HST. I am using the easy angle ruler and loving it but I still am making piecing errors. I use a plexi sewing guide along the edge and tweezers to hold the ends of the pieces together and lots of spray starch on the pieces. 
   So I thought I was ok. I did not finish sewing the 4 patches all together. I still have HST to press open and cut off dog ears. And then yesterday's clue. Oh no, diagonals. I printed and cut out the template fussing with getting the right size and cut out a few to try it out. Made one good one and some not so good ones. So, I have to finish sewing the blocks for clue 1, cut out all Clue 2, and sew them together. I thought I was a fast piecer, but I am very humbled by my limited output. I have to keep going, I have to keep going.
   I do have stuff to finish for Christmas yet also. The Mystery may fade for a while.

All HST cut in pairs, all 280

All HST sewed

5 Clue 1 blocks and 1 Clue 2 diamond block