On Ringo Lake - a Flimsy Finish

 Since Bonnie Hunter is getting ready to start up her yearly mystery quilt - I thought I'd better share my top from last year's to prove I did get it done.

 I actually finished up the top early in the summer.   I designed the border to use up extra blocks that I had laying around and because I wanted the top to comfortably fit our queen size bed.  I like how it gave it a tiled look.

 I finally got around to photographing it about a month ago and now I'm finally blogging it.

 I know it will be a while before it's quilted, although I do actually have a quilting plan in place!
And as you can see - photographing a flimsy with even the slightest breeze can be a real challenge!

This year I have no plans to participate in the mystery quilt.  I will save the instructions, "just in case", but I am planning to actually do some Christmas sewing, which I usually avoid at all costs, so I know I won't have the time.  And I really should finish some other things that are laying around....

Anyway, this was a great experience and if any of you are wondering whether you should do one of Bonnie's mystery quilts - its a great learning opportunity!

On Ringo Lake - The Project Continues

 I've been working diligently towards finishing my version of On Ringo Lake by Bonnie Hunter.

Before I left for Iowa, I had one half of the top pieced.  I took it all down and cleaned it up before I left.

This past week (plus some) I've been working on getting the other half pieced.

By the end of last Sunday things looked like this.  Two halves, with one more row of sashing to piece.

Except that I ran out of pieces!  I had to go all the way back to clue #3 and make a few more.

Now I've got the top together and I'm working on figuring out borders.  This started with cutting another 200 triangles, but what's another 200 triangles when I've come so far?

 Its much too large for the design wall curtain, so I've been doing layouts on the floor.

 Helper cat.  Normally she's not out much, but I guess she couldn't resist.

This is sort of the plan.  The hardest part is figuring out to make it fit.  Then I will need to decide on a probably final border.  Hopefully a finished top by the end of the week.

Wait for me...... A Mystery Quilt Catch-up Post

Bonnie Hunter runs a mystery quilt project each year beginning on the Friday after Thanksgiving.  This year I knew I would have the time to do it.  I was ready!  I was caught up for like 3 weeks.  And then life.  Christmas, family, etc.  The last clue was released on Jan 1.  That was final instructions and reveal day.  There are many people who are already done with their quilts, you can see them all over social media.   I am here to share my progress as of Jan 4.

Oh, if you decide that you want to do the mystery quilt, too.  You can still stop by Bonnie Hunter's blog and get the clues, but they won't be up forever!

 If you are unfamiliar with how these mystery quilts are run, Bonnie gives color guides based on paint chips, because you can pick them up pretty much everywhere across the USA.

 These top two were my initial fabric pulls.

 Bonnie asks that we not share numbers or sizes.  These were clue #1.  Lovely nine patches.

 Bonnie has her own tools, or tools she prefers, she also gives "normal" cutting directions.  I was pleased to discover that my easy angle did the job.

 Pieces for clue #2 laid out.

 My first goose.  Had to make it and measure it.

 On to the rest.

 I got a little over excited cutting strips for the next clue.  Lesson learned, cut, count, then cut some more.

 Parallelograms.

 So much chain piecing.

 Pieces cut for the next clue.

 Chain piecing and pressing.

 This was the last time I was caught up.

 Things got stalled around these brown geese.  The best thing about these geese above?  They are "nearly vintage" browns I received from a dear lady at church.  Got 22 triangles out of her scraps.

 This is exactly how things looks as I'm typing this evening.
The pink on the edges is my temperature quilt that I'm also trying to finish up for 2017 while I debate about doing 2018.

This is how the fabric pull looks now.  I'm not entirely convinced that I've made a dent :0

Bonnie is a huge proponent of leaders/enders.  This is my current project.  The green squares also came from the church friend.  They were 5" pre-cut.   The cream is from a charm pack I had laying around.  Just a fun and easy 1 patch.  Ultimately destined for charity, I'm sure.


Cheers.