Finished Quilt Tops

This weekend was very busy with finishing two quilt tops. The first one was our stitching group (The Preble County Stitchers) created and called it "The Pizza Box Challenge". In this challenge, everyone printed out the directions and color requirements for the quilt block of their choice. My choice was Churn Dash or Hole in the Barn Door. I precut 4 1/2" squares of a bright f

loral for everyone to use in the center of the block and then made two blocks as examples; all the stitchers needed to do was add the other pieces in any of the colors in the center section - Now, that would be bright pink, pale pink, orange, turquoise, yellow, and green along with white. After the boxes were exchanged, the ladies then made two blocks using the pattern and color requirements and placed them in the box. The box was returned the next meeting and given to someone else who then made two blocks. When the box was returned, there were my two original blocks and twelve more. So, I just needed some more to make it really sing. After deciding to set the blocks on point, I added sashing of bright yellow with soft green cornerstones. An outside border of the bright floral print brought the blocks together. The next quilt is a Bonnie Hunter quilt pattern called Bow-Dacious. Wow! Was it ever so much fun to make the little bow tie blocks. I got to use my 1 1/2" squares and small scraps of neutrals (mostly white and unbleached muslin). All of those scraps that I thought would be too small for anything just fit this quilt. Four of the bow tie blocks were sashed with blue and then around each of those blocks was sashed with green. A dusty pumpkin inner border and then an outer border of dark green, light green, blue, gold, and pumpkin just brought everything together. I really love making the little blocks that Bonnie designs which use the small scraps. That makes me feel that I have saved some fabric from the trash and ended up with something beautiful. Today I finished the units for clue #1 of Grand Illusion, a Bonnie Hunter winter mystery quilt. If you haven't ever tried a mystery quilt, I encourage you to do so. Bonnie makes everything so easy to understand and so much fun, especially when you get to see what other quilters are doing on their mystery quilts. Tomorrow, I'll post my progress.