I had some Laurel Birch fabric left over from a baby quilt and when I saw the train pattern in a recent Quiltmania publication, I decided to make another baby quilt.  Our neighbor just had a baby in November.  I pattern called for six inch square centers in the train cars but the animals on the fabric were much smaller so I resized the blocks.  The smaller blocks made to quilt very small so I drafted the industrial cars from some coloring book pages found on the internet.  I went to add the borders and pulled out a book to find an approximation of the amount of fabric needed for the binding and decided to made a pieced border instead of the solid border.  The arrow border is simple but it had bias edges so it was a bit of a problem.  I am using this carrot fabric that was from my Becky stash for the backing.  I have tried to use if a number of times and it did not quite work.  On to sandwiching and binding.

Good Fortune Border

The border idea is from Bonnie Hunter's String Fling Cover Quilt.  I plan to add a row of half blocks on the top and bottom of the quilt so that it will serpentine.  I also have a faux batik of gold fish that will be at the four corners of the quilt.  I need 10 half blocks, some quarter blocks, and the 4 corner blocks and the top should be done.

 I decided against the fish batik and finished the corner by completing the circle with a bridge block.

 The border is complete.  Now to contemplate the quilting.

Good Fortune Update

I decided to add a top and bottom row from Bonnie Hunter's String Fling and then finish it with half blocks for a serpentine border.  Now I am contemplating the quilting.  The kites look like I can have some fun.  I want something simple stitching but enough for dealing with all the bias cuts in the strings.  Hummmm.

Bonnie Hunter Good Fortune

I have been fortunate to have been the recipient of a stash of fabric.  Colon cancer took the life of my sister-in-law but due to the generosity of my dear brother I was the recipient of the stash.  Most of it I would characterize as woven or home spun.  It was definitely Becky style.  The majority of the fabric I selected for this quilt are plaids.  I did use the paint chips to select my fabrics but now that I have sewn a few of the clues, I have noticed that my patches are not as bright and bold as the color samples even though the colors look to me to be like the paint samples.  I wonder if I am going to be disappointed in the result.  I think it may be much more subdued.  I am using orange prints because I did not have orange plaids in the stash so that will either brighten up the quilt or look like it does not belong.  That is the fun of mystery quilts.  We will see what we will see.  I remember my first log cabin quilt.  I had so much fun rearranging the blocks and was so surprised at the results.  That was great fun.  On to clue 3.  I have die cut the rectangles and the half square triangles to make the chevron blocks and the bonus blocks.  I hope my plan works.

Bonnie Hunter Five my way

 I was going to work on Clue #3 but decided to download Clue #5.  I still had my blue fabric out and about so I decided to skip to Clue #5.  I had pulled oranges from my scrap box so that was also handy just waiting for my on a book case. I was rifling through some other oranges I had previously selected and noticed my hand painted samples that I had done in a dye class from year's back.

I decided I would cut them up for Clue # 5.

There is far fewer needed of this kind then the others so I will start working on this tomorrow.  I  need some blue cut into strips and I am ready to piece.  Fun with mystery quilts.  

Bonnie Hunter's Good Fortune Mystery

I took my red and white patches to DE with me and finished the four patches for Clue #1.  Tonight I finished HST's for Clue #2.

What's next?

Gina Perkes Ruler Mastery Class

I first posted about this project the end of last year... December OMG Bonnie Hunter Mystery 2017-18  I had watched thequiltshow.com and learned about Gina Perkes Ruler Mastery Class in one of their excellent shows.  I ordered the rulers and looked forward to participating in the class. I reviewed the material and realized that the block sizes and quilt size were nearly consistent with my sister's unfinished quilt.  After deconstructing and reassembling the quilt top with a new back, I set about working through the 10 month video class.  

Here is the finished quilt.  It is about fifty inches square.  You can see the quilting better on the other side.

I have to wash out the water soluble thread that I used to baste the quilt and bury some errant threads that may appear after washing.  I should make a label to tell this quilt's story.  I am giving it back to my sister.  She and her husband have a timid black shepherd that might like it for a dog bed.  I remember when I would love making quilt tops and the only thing I knew to do with them was to tie them.  My mother taught me how to do that after she had taken a class from Eleanor Burns forty years ago or more.  This was when Eleanor was self publishing her materials.  I fell in love with log cabin quilts.  I loved moving around the blocks until I decided upon a layout.  Then I went on to Amish quilts.  All the while I would tie them.  Now I enjoy the quilting as well as the piecing.  On to my next project.  

Addendum:  

I washed the quilt and all the water soluble thread dissolved and all these really puffy spots showed up.  I understand the notion of even quilting much better after this.  This quilt needs to be blocked but that is not happening.  Maybe I get out an ironing board and steam while I look over the quilt for threads that need burying. I think I need to work center to edges or top to bottom rather than randomly here to there.  I look forward to giving it back to my sister. I learned a bunch about what not to do.  I am not a negative Nancy.  I learned I can do so much and I love quilting.