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Sunday, November 25, 2018

A String Frenzy Trunk Show!

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Happy Last Sunday of November!

I feel like we are doing this String Frenzy Trunk Show thing a little bit inside-out, but it was too much to post along with Friday’s mystery post – and Thanksgiving was in the mix, and let’s face it – the books are still on a truck and haven’t arrived here yet!

So once again I am flying by the seat of my britches and shoveling this in on Sunday, so we can do our first Mystery Monday Link-Up for our Good Fortune Mystery tomorrow!

I’ve loved writing this book.  I’ve loved even more – making the quilts for this book, and I know this isn’t the end of my own love affair with string quilts.  String quilts are just the most fun I have ever had in my quilting life, and there is no stopping this string piecing train.

To get the detail photos for this post, I had to go back to my google photo albums, back to September of 2017 when I was getting the quilts ready to send off to photography for my Quilter's Date Keeper.  This book writing thing takes a LONG TIME!

And so my friend - this is what you are going to find within the pages of String Frenzy.

CrumbJumble

Crumb Jumble!

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Close up!

Crumb Jumble started as a way to use up a bath of string and crumb blocks – Many that were dark or murky in nature.  The easiest way for me to combat the darkness, is to surround them with light – and I used light sashings and border chevrons to frame the blocks and lighten the top.  You’ll have fun digging into the scraps for this one!

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Dawn’s Early Light!

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Close up!

What isn’t there to love about a patriotic quilt?  Dawn’s Early Light was first a block for one of the Quiltmaker Magazine 100 blocks by 100 designers issues, and I knew right away that I wanted to play with this in big quilt size.  This quilt is Scrap User’s System friendly, and use of my Essential Triangle Tool will have you making those triangles quickly and easily – as always – my neutral stash knows no bounds, and I threw in everything – but perhaps the most fun I had with this quilt was designing the border.

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And getting it to turn the corner just right!

Daybreak

Daybreak!

When I chose the name for this quilt – I must confess – the lyrics and tune to Barry Manilow’s song by the same name kept floating through my head. You get get your own earwork started HERE! (Thank you very much! You’re welcome!)

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Close up of Daybreak

Four-patches are my favorite patchwork unit and there are many in this quilt!  I love the aqua background on the blocks and how the aqua inner border floats the whole quilt center before being finished with yes – MORE Neutral strings!

Emerald City

Emerald City!

It’s time to pull out all of the stops with the green strings.  Two color quilts have always been a favorite – so the neutrals and the greens really get a chance to play off of each other in this stunner.

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And those neutrals are not boring at all!

Another confession – my neutral strings were reaching the level of barely nothing – so i went through old yardage, old fat-quarters and found things that would be interesting to add to the mix.  Because I use neutral strings all of the time, they can’t all come about organically – so I used my Accuquilt dies – both the 1’’ and the 1 1/2’’ size to strip down some more so I could keep string piecing – but also so I could give purpose to things that had been sitting on my shelf for far too long.

Your Essential Triangle Tool is going to get a work out for all of the many half-square triangles that appear in this quilt – but never fear, there is only 9 blocks!

Geese on a String

Geese on a String!

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Close up!

Geese on a string is inspired by an antique quilt I picked up several years back on an antiquing jaunt through North Carolina.  The fabrics in the original quilt inspired me to pull out the recycled shirt string bin and to make some wild and crazy stringy-crumby fling geese.  The rows of four-patches were not in the original quilt, but my love of them said MAKE THEM, and I obeyed!

Indigo-A-Go-Go
Indigo A Go-Go!

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Do you remember my working on this?

I shared the “re-found” indigo nine-patches and how I was making the string snow-balls in this quilt-cam post HERE!

There is a detail shot of the finished, quilted and bound quilt SOMEWHERE, but goodness knows I can’t find it between my phone and my google images. I loved using up those South African indigoes in this quilt – and can you see WHY my neutral bucket needed more enhancing??  How many yards of neutral strings did I end up using in the quilts in this book?  The world may never know…

Punkin Patch

Punkin’ Patch!

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Close up!

I’ve heard from MANY of you that you’ve waited for this book specifically for the Punkin’ Patch pattern!  I’ve loved this one too!  So much fun digging into the orange strings, and using all of those gifted grays as background.  I love how the gray/green checkerboard border looks like vines and leaves at the edge of the field.

Sand Castles

Sand Castles!

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Close up!

More four-patches!  Splashes of color – and all of those sandy-toasty darker neutrals!  At the beginning of each pattern chapter I give a description of the quilt, and info on what inspired it.  

At the last minute I was able to get a dedication to Mark in for this quilt as it was inspired by all of those lazy hazy days spent on the beach in Santa Cruz California growing up.  I would love to see this in Christmas colors – I hope someone will make one!

Serpentine Web

Serpentine Web!

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Used as the cover of String Frenzy!

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Can you tell there are two slightly different yellows?

Yes, I ran out – and went with what was the closest I could find – and unless someone points it out to you, would you even know?  Or would you even care?

I had a blast making this more modern up-do on the traditional Spider Web quilt – the scraps in this quilt tell the story of the fabrics that have come through my life over the past several decades of my passion for scraps!

SilverLInings
Silver Linings!

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Close up!

All of those grays – SO MANY GRAYS!  You were all so over the top kind when at the end of our Allietare mystery I asked for “just a strip” from your cutting tables if you had any grays from Allietare left over – because I wanted to do a gray string quilt.  This is the quilt. 

And OH, the scraps that kept coming in the mail!  And it wasn’t just “A strip in an envelope with a standard stamp.”  It was bundles and bunches and fat quarters, and shirt sleeves, and yardage and OH. MY!!  I can’t thank you enough – there will be gray for more quilts for the rest of my life.

Lesson learned – NEVER ask for just “a strip in an envelope!”  You will find yourself buried! LOL!  (In every good way possible.)

Straits of Mackinac

Straits of Mackinac!

Pronounced Mack-in-Awwww!

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Close Up!

Straits of Mackinac also started out as a simple (HA!) block idea in Quiltmaker’s 100 blocks issues.  I had just returned from teaching at the Grand Hotel Needleart Seminar and this was the colors I saw in the water – May 2016.  

I’ll be back again to teach THIS QUILT at the Grand Hotel this coming May – are you going to join me?  Not sure when registration starts, but I thought it was January.  Check their website for more info.

Aquas, blues, pushing all the way to periwinkle.  And oh, those favorite neutrals! 

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And more neutral strings as border…just YUMMY, isn’t it?

Xing

XING!

'Xing' means STAR in Chinese.

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Close up!

Little stars with crumb centers are set with alternate string blocks in a rainbow of color – like fireworks! Not a bit of yardage was harmed in the making of this quilt – it all came from crumbs, strings and strips from my Scrap User’s System

The aqua sashings are left from the Daybreak quilt you saw towards the top of this extra long post.  The little red cornerstones you can barely see? 1980s pin dot – all gone now!

The sashing was an afterthought – but when putting blocks together that have this many seams, sometimes the seam allowances just need a place to go so you don’t have to press them all back against themselves creating more bulk.  I was working from “Cabin Stash” and there was just enough.

If you have followed along the past couple of days, you know we blew through the first 500 Pre-Order copies of String Frenzy in 1 1/2 hours. 

I will be putting another 500 in the Quiltville Store for CYBER MONDAY, tomorrow.

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Hunter’s String Star PDF Pattern FREE with purchase of String Frenzy!

An $8.00 value!

And don’t forget ALL of my previous titles (Before String Frenzy) Have been dropped to the low, low price of just 19.99 each!

ALSO happening tomorrow for CYBER MONDAY – ALL Digital Patterns in the Quiltville Store will be 25% off using coupon code DIGITAL25 at purchase.

This sale will happen as tomorrow's blog post goes live.  Be watching for it!

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That INCLUDES the NEW Punkin’ Patch Table Runner Pattern!

So we’ll see you for tomorrow’s Mystery Monday Link-Up AND Cyber Monday – tomorrow, bright and early!

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Quiltville Quote of the Day!

Geese on a String quilt from String Frenzy!

I keep this mantra close at hand where it can encourage me and nudge me forward when I am in need of nudging.

Have a lovely Sunday, everyone!



48 comments:

  1. Awesome collection of String Frenzy Quilts. Life gets Frenzy at times.
    There's so many ways to use our scraps, you make it worth the time it takes to add a surprise in those blocks. Now we see where all those neutral strings and strips went! Happy Sunday!

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  2. Such a gorgeous collection of quilts Bonnie! It blows my mind and I can't decide which one I want to start with! I think I'll start with XING because I have already made the star blocks. I can't even imagine the math involved in figuring out the border on Dawn's Early Light! It's just another example of your quilting brilliance! I do hope I get one of the books tomorrow.... it reminds me of trying to be one of the lucky ones to get U2 tickets when they were released! LOL

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  3. WOW! Cant wait for my frenzy book to get here! Serpentine web is still my favorite - to me it looks like colorful rattlesnakes, lol. Then the pumpkin patch - gotta scrounge for more oranges. THANK YOU BONNIE!

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  4. Beautiful quilts - Its kinda hard to pick a favorite! I bet you had a grand time making all of those!!

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  5. This proves you are the consummate tease! Love you and your 'sparkle' plenty... remember her? Character in the Dick Tracy comix... I know eventually i'll be able to order String Frenzy to complete my Bonnie Hunter library... you are so prolific, i'm grateful many of your designs are safe in cyber space... <3 waiting for tomorrow's pre-order status, a-gain, love from Cats in Carlsbad, CA

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  6. It is a beautiful book Bonnie. Can't wait to get my hands on it.

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  7. Love the quilts in the new book. You have been busy. Can't wait to try my hand at these treasures. Thank you for sharing with us!

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  8. Bonnie, thanks for sharing pictures of the quilts in your new book! Another winner for sure. I am sincerely happy for your success. You have worked hard and deserve the applause.

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  9. Oh wow so many gorgeous quilts! They are all my favorite, but if I had to really choose one, I would choose Indigo A Go-Go!

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  10. I see several more quilts I need to make in there!

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  11. I fell in LOVE with Daybreak when I saw it in Hershey a while back. Can't wait to get the book. Do you happen to know what the aqua fabric is?

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  12. EEEEEE!!! Oh, I've been waiting for this trunk show. Bonnie. These quilts are GORGEOUS. I can't decide which one wants to be made first!

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  13. Bonnie, as beautiful as these pictures are (and they are!) the quilts were even more awe inspiring when I saw them at Quilt Odyssey in July 2017 - I’ve been eagerly awaiting this book ever since. First up are Emerald City, followed by Straits of Mackinaw. Forgot the pumpkins were included too -excited for them too! Lucky to get in on the first wave of books! Thank you for your time and talent!

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  14. Oh man I love every single quilt in your new book. Bonnie I can tell you put you whole heart into this work. I can hardly wait until this book is in my hands, only then I might be able to decide which one to make first. Lord knows I have a great supply of scraps that need to to made into quilts. Thanks a bunch Miss Bonnie Sew on my friend

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  15. Oh, my! I love them all 😊 Thank you, Bonnie. I was one of the lucky ones to get my book ordered in the first round.(and one for my mom) Blessings to you and your family.💕

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  16. Hurray!!! So excited to start working on Straits of Mackinac at the Grand Hotel Needle Arts Seminar which will be held May 5-10, 2019 on Mackinac Island in Michigan. Registration starts Dec. 4, 2018 and you can google Grand Hotel Needle Arts and you will find the info needed. You can download the registration form but it cannot be mailed before Dec. 4 or it can be emailed, faxed or hand delivered on that day. They do have a FB page which would be very helpful for anyone interested in attending. Great quilts, Bonnie!

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  17. All I can say is I LOVE your quilt designs, Bonnie! Cant wait for my copy of String Frenzy. I appreciate your talent, creativity and selfless sharing! You are an inspiration to so many of us! Have been making string blocks with my 6 and 8 year old granddaughters, who are almost as excited as I am to see your new book! God's Blessings to you and your family this Christmas season!

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  18. WOWZA...sew many awesome quilts I see from the book. Glad I was one of the first 500. Can’t wait to get my hands on it. And THANK YOU for the Hunters Strippy Star free pattern. Love your version. I maybe see a pink and green version for me someday. Now I’m off to finally start my Clue 1 of Good Fortune 👏🏻👍🏻💪🏼

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  19. I was thrilled to be able to preorder friday morning. Is there an index in the book that tells how many string blocks by color. Sometimes i just need to piece strings for no reason other than therapy or a need to deplete inventory of a certain color string. So i will ptobably make a spreadsheet of the number of size/color for each of these. Bonnie would you like a copy if i do that?

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  20. Congratulations on another book. My favourite is Sand Castles.

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  21. I am so excited to get this book- I love every single one of these quilts! Got my order in right away, so it will come my way in your first mailing batch. Wooohooo! Thank you for creating such fun patterns & quilts!

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  22. My favorite is straits of mackinac.

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  23. Love all your scrappy projects.

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  24. Wow love this book can hardly wait to put my order in but there are some other items I've been waiting for as well so will put my order in soon when those are back in stock

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  26. Ooooh, I'll have to get up early here on the west coast to get my order in before you run out! Have been waiting for this since the very first bits of Sand Castles (before it had a name) was shown on your blog.

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  27. Beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful!
    Congratulations on the release and sale of your beautiful book, Bonnie!
    God bless you!

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  28. Lovely quilts! Oh, I love that quote, too. It fits what I have done lately. I was bold enough to recently to contact a new Print on Demand fabric site and share images. I see that it would be a very good fit for me since I have done POD fabric designs and I have done some quilt making including doing some of my own designs. Writing patterns is not something I can see myself doing, but creating the images is something I can do without having to actually sew each one!

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  29. Bonnie, you never cease to amaze me! I love the quilts, they're gorgeous. Well done, my friend!

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  30. wonderful looking book going to buy soon

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  31. Beautiful beautiful quilts I’ll be like a kid in a sweet shop not knowing which to choose! Lol
    They are all so uniquely different, can’t wait to get a copy of the book.
    Have a wonderful day
    Love and quilty hugs
    Anne xxx

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  32. Love these quilts, especially Emerald City which nearly took my breath away. In my mind I saw it in blues, looking like ice castles. Any chance you might start releasing your books as eBooks for us people in other countries ??? I only ask because with the postage and horror exchange rate at the moment, buying anything from the USA at the moment is rather frightening when we see our actual total in $A. Love seeing all the colourways in your workshop photos - keep up the good work, I don't know how you fit everything that you do into a day, you're an inspiration.

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  33. I am in awe, Bonnie! Wow was the word with each quilt and all the work you put into it. Thank you so very much!

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  34. Good Monday Morning. I don't know about other folks, but for me the DIGITAL25 is not valid on my order this morning. Any suggestions?

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  35. These quilts are so inspired they make me want to cry! You are channeling my grandmother, gone now for more than 30 years, who taught me to quilt and that nothing should ever be thrown away. Now I see how to really take off with those remnants from my life of sewing. Thank you for sharing your passion with so many.

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  36. Thank you Bonnie! I'm wondering if you would consider posting one of your 500 pre-order announcements later in your day to give us west coast fans a shot? Seems like they're all sold out when I wake up, but NO Complaints! I am happy to wait however long it takes, I have plenty to keep me busy and I so appreciate everything you do for us! Thank you thank you!!!

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  37. Wow! Great patterns in the new book. I have tried to pre-order, but I guess I'm not in the right place.... Will figure it out eventually. ;) Thanks!

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  38. Bonnie, is there any chance of you doing a digital version of the book?International posting is getting very expensive and I am trying to save my patterns to my tablet and work from that.

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  39. Bonnie, thanks for the preview! I love your new book! You do incredible work and you are such a delight!

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  40. I want to make Sand Castles...NOW! LOL! I will try to be patient as I wait to get a book ordered. I've made your Spider Web, and now I know the Serpentine will have to be made as well. I also used different shades of yellow in the background of my Spider. I love how it turned out. Thank you, Bonnie, for all your hard work, and the inspiration you provide! LynneinMN

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  41. I love all these. And the book is sold out again! I must compose myself in patience. My turn will come.

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  42. LOVE that scrap of red and white fabric that in clear letters has the word "CANADA" -- on the border of that very American quilt!

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  43. I have been leader and endering 4 patches - but now there are about 3 quilts I want to make and use them in!

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  44. wow one popular book tried 3rd time to buy and sold out again Im getting on at midnight next sunday to purchase on....I want the extra pattern also. I love the red star quilt
    Love you Bonnie

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  45. What a stunning book. Bring on my next payday to buy it. I don't have much of a stash but figure I can do some swaps with people in my guild.
    I came across your site through Wendy's Quilts and More blog as I am a New Zealander. Will follow your blog now. Love the friendly and informative tone without a hard sell pitch...

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  46. I ordered the string frenzy book - does the free Hunter String Star pattern come with the book or is it a download and if it is a download, where do I find it?
    I am excited to get the book and do the free pattern.

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