Category Archives: Bonnie Hunter

The Final Countdown, Task Two

January 1, 2021 1:12 am ⋅ Pam

Task Two of the Final Countdown is clean up the fabric storage and stray fabric piles. So why didn’t I post this on Wednesday? Because I was trying to decide which pile to tackle. I have 4.

Up first, primarily large backings loose on the fabric shelves. They really don’t have a home, which is why they are on top of the boxes. But those boxes are full after my buying spree when a LQS went out of business this summer. The boxes themselves are in pretty good order since I misplaced a piece of fabric after that buying spree cleaning up. All the boxes were emptied and the fabric refolded and sorted. I think all that is left to refold is the KTQ box and the 30’s reproduction box, but given they have their own boxes, there is no hurry to do that. As for the backings, maybe in the box of tops even though they don’t have tops yet?

Another obvious choice is the longarm. In the foreground is a bag of scraps which will be given to a Guild Member who makes them into pet beds for the local shelter. The bag of brights contains the fabric and blocks for the Mississippi Quilt Association BOM I’m doing. There are 2 more blocks to go. I suspect that bag will just get moved around the room to get it out of the way until the top is done. The KTQ fabrics will shipped off to my SIL for a BOM as soon as I have the first set of pattern written up. With any luck that will be next week. Looks like there are a couple of Christmas fabrics which I might be able to squeeze into the Christmas box. The pile of batiks is for one of the quilts I’m currently working on. It will get moved around until the top is finished.

What I really needed was a challenge to clear my sewing table. There’s another backing, parts and pieces of a quilt top I finished, some of the blocks for the batik quilt, and way under there is the leftover fabric from Frolic that I’m going to use to make the backing wider. It’s been sitting there for months.

Of course, what really needs work is the area in “the hole”. I’m not sure I can even identify what all is in those piles from the picture.

I think we have until January 7th to complete our tasks, so maybe I’ll make the most of this 3 day weekend and knock a few of these piles back into submission. Look for an update next week.

Easy Breezy = 89

Posted in: Easy Breezy, Final Countdown

2020 Final Countdown, Task One

December 29, 2020 7:18 pm ⋅ Pam

Shelly over at Prairie Moon Quilts has hosted the Final Countdown for many years. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve participated, but I thought I’d try it again. Maybe I will be the catalyst I need to start documenting my quilting again.

Task one – Clear off your main work surface. Yes, that is a current picture. I had a head start since part of my Christmas was a new cutting mat.

As you can see, it wasn’t too bad. The box was put back on the shelf, the bag of pieces slipped into the drawer, the rulers put away, and the pipe cleaners & snips put in a box with the rest of the wreath supplies I’ve purchased over the weekend.

This is the wreath I made this morning. I have stuff for Mardi Gras and Easter wreaths as well.

Now the next step is to finish this section of the wedding quilt. Then it will be on to making more HSTs.

Easy Breezy = 86

Posted in: Easy Breezy, Final Countdown, Mesh Wreaths, Quilts, Wedding Quilt

It’s Mystery Time

November 1, 2020 6:47 pm ⋅ Pam

It’s that time of the year. Bonnie Hunter has released the colors and yardage information for this year’s mystery quilt “Grassy Creek”. So I thought I’d review my Bonnie Hunter quilts. Over the past 12 years I’ve made nine mysteries: Orange Crush, Old Tobacco Road, Carolina Christmas, Orca Bay, En Provence, On Ringo Lake, Good Fortune, Allietare, and Frolic. In the picture above Good Fortune is not quilted, I’m not sure why I don’t have a finished picture of it. Frolic is not quilted as I need to prepare a backing.

Millennium Pyramids – Oklahoma Backroads – Sister’s Choice

Strip Twist – Texas Braid – Ocean Waves

Fun With Bricks – Playing With Jacks – Spoolin’ Around Leader/Ender Challenge

If you’ve followed by blog, you know I don’t just do her mysteries. There are a ton of free patterns on her website and she has 7 books. I’ve heard her speak 7 times (assisted with the quilts twice) and taken have 5 classes from her (Texas Braid, Blue Ridge Beauty, Carolina Chain, Garden Party, Jamestown Landing)

Happily Scrappily Irish – Scrappy Trips – Jared Takes A Wife

Nifty Thrifty – Strip Twist – Dancing Nine-Patch! (setting only)

Carolina Chain – Tumblers – Narragansett Blues!

Not included in the group pictures is Blue Ridge Beauty and Star Struck. I forgot about them until I listed out my classes. I sent these tops to a women who quilts them and gives them to a VA group.

I also have a few BH quilts in progress.

Another Strip Twist – there’s probably enough blocks for 2 quilts, Garden Party, Pineapple Blossom, Jamestown Landing, this years leader/ender project Easy Breezy, and I’m using the Dancing Nine-Patch setting on some crazy blocks.

I think these are all of my Bonnie Hunter quilts, but it doesn’t include quilts I’ve make using tips and tricks I’ve learn from her.

Posted in: Bonnie Hunter

A Test Quilt

October 5, 2020 10:55 am ⋅ Pam

So, this is my practice quilt – well about 1/4 of it. Just tons of HST and blocks. I have all the HSTs made. Half of them still need to be pressed and dog ears trimmed off. I need to cut more neutral squares. As for the practice, not only will I have something to practice my quilting on, I have discovered that I need to build the top differently to get the seams to nest together. So, this has been a great exercise.

As I’ve worked on these blocks I’ve added a few more Easy Breezy blocks. I think while I’m cutting the squares for the RWB quilt, I’ll cut squares to alternate with the Easy Breezy blocks. I have just about enough to make a toddler quilt.

Easy Breezy = 78

Posted in: Easy Breezy, wonky dishes

A Shopping Trip

August 29, 2020 5:22 pm ⋅ Pam

Hunters Quilt Mart in Centerview, Missouri is my Innova dealer. They have a great sale coming up in October – Fabricpalooza VI. By getting a bag I’ll get an extra 10% off my purchase. Additionally, every month there is a special if you wear their tshirt or bring in the bag. For August it was $2 FQs.

This morning I went and picked up the bag for this year. I hope that either my sister or I one can get down there as we are going to need another roll of batting and it will be on sale.

While I was there, I picked up the backing for Shimmer and Star Studded. A few FQ made their way into my pile as did a Villa Rosa quilt pattern.

Since I’ve been home, I’ve made a few more blocks for Shimmer. Only 22 more to go.

Easy Breezy = 62

Posted in: Easy Breezy, Shimmer, Star Studded

Shimmer HSTs

August 28, 2020 10:38 am ⋅ Pam

The HSTs have been sewn and sorted. Each pile of fabric is a block for Shimmer – less the background fabric. I did cut enough to finish a second block. I can’t wait for my Simple Folded Corners Mini ruler to come in. I’m a convert to pre-trimming the corners. My units were so much better than when I stitched on the line. I think I’m going to add a dab of glue to hold the square in place on my next block until it’s sewn.

Easy Breezy = 56

Posted in: Easy Breezy, Shimmer

No Sewing, Just Fabric Cutting

August 27, 2020 9:13 am ⋅ Pam

I am making Shimmer using the same main fabrics I used in Atomic Starburst and Baubles ‘n Beads. It started with a FQ Bundle of Radiance by Dan Morris for QT Fabrics. Here they are laid out with background I used in those two quilts.

I only used a 5 1/2″ strip from the width of the FQs, so I had a 12 1/2 x 21 piece left. Each block uses 3 fabrics plus the background. To get the scrappy look, all of pieces of a block are cut from each FQ. The pieces are separated by where they are used in the block.

The large square and rectangle are “A”, the small rectangle and squares are “B”. Not pictured here is “C” the medium squares for the HSTs. Since I didn’t have a true FQ, I opted to use the “solid” FQs (or what was left of them) for “C”. I still didn’t have enough fabric, so each of the “starburst” fabrics I used in Atomic Starburst will also be used as “C” in one block. The colors are not true in the picture below.

Needless to say, I simply cannot make any cutting mistakes. There is no more fabric. Each fabric was cut individually, as if I did make a mistake I wanted to limit it to a single fabric. Sure enough I did make mistakes – most of which I was able to recover from with no issues. But one of the fabrics I had to find another solution. I’m guessing when this unit is in the block and the top is quilted no one will notice.

I finished cutting and sorting A & B last night.

After I make the HSTs, I’ll add them to each of the block sets. But of course before I do that I need to cut the background fabric. This is what I’m using. I had 3 yards in my recent stash. I bought it for Frolic but didn’t use it.

Posted in: Atomic Star Burst, Bauble 'n Beads, Easy Breezy, Shimmer

Shimmer Begins

August 25, 2020 8:58 am ⋅ Pam

I crossed one more thing off The List and decided I didn’t need to wait to get ALL of the items done before starting Shimmer, a Cluck Cluck Sew pattern.

This will be the 3rd quilt from the Radiance bundle of FQs. After triple checking my cutting diagram, I counted my FQs and realized that I could get a twin size quilt from the remaining fabrics if I cut a pair of squares from each of the fabrics I used for the Starbursts in Atomic Starburst. So, that’s the plan.

This is going to be slow going unless I get up the gumption to cut more than one FQ at a time. The block uses chevrons, reverse chevrons, snowball corners and seam which are pressed open. All of which slow me down. But I’m confident it will be worth it in the end.

After struggling last night with the chevrons, I ordered the Simple Folded Corners Mini from the Quiltville Store. I’ve resisted ordering this, but last night I ended up trimming one of the chevron units then stitching it with a 1/4″ seam. I really liked the results and it means I don’t have to keep fiddling with my needle position going back and forth between a 1/4″ seam and stitch on the line.

Easy Breezy = 55

Posted in: Atomic Star Burst, Easy Breezy, Shimmer

Progressing on the List

August 24, 2020 12:47 am ⋅ Pam

Progress was made this past weekend on The List. Two pillowcases, 2 Flying Dutchmen blocks, and I finished Cascade with binding, a hanging sleeve and a label.

Easy Breezy = 54

Posted in: Cascade, Easy Breezy, Flying Dutchmen, pillowcase

Bauble ‘n Beads is a Top

August 23, 2020 12:03 am ⋅ Pam

In between taking calls for work, I completed my Baubles ‘n Beads top. I then made the binding for Cascade, and I make the August block for Star Studded.