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Friday, March 20, 2015

From One Grand Illusion to SEVEN!

DonnaK8
How do YOU tackle a UFO??

Take it from Donna who has sent me an email on how she has learned to “Divide and Conquer!”

The quilts you see here ALL came from the units used in our Grand Illusion Mystery!

Here are the words from Donna herself about this Divide and Conquer undertaking:

Hi Bonnie! 

When GI began, I decided to make all of the pieces while knowing I wouldn't make the full size. 

 DonnaK1

Donna’s small Grand Illusion!

When the final layout was given, I made a four patch version for me.

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Baby Quilt #1

I then went on to make six baby quilts using nearly every piece made during the various steps.  Here are the 3 made first. 

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Baby quilt #2!

These baby quilts will be donated to Sarasota Memorial Hospital NICU.  In the next email the other 4 pictures will be included. 

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Baby Quilt #3!

Thanks for the mystery project!!

Donna
What a great way to still sew along with the mystery and have the quilt go in many different ways!

Can you pick out each unit in each quilt?  Didn’t these turn out fun?

There are more:

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Baby Quilt #4!

Love this binding!!

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Baby Quilt #5

((I think she liked this binding too!!))

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Baby Quilt #6!

Each one is JUST a bit different!  I am so thrilled to see where people’s imagination leads them!  Thank you so much for sharing your photos and how you were able to do these, Donna!

We had quite a few Grand Illusion quilts during the show and share portion of last night’s lecture – and this morning’s lecture with the Green Country Quilters in Tulsa, Oklahoma as well!

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Each one turned out SO different!

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Aren’t they fun? So much motion!

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Each one is slightly different, reflecting the taste of the maker!

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I loved hearing how each one came from stash, with no fabric being purchased!

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You’d have to look very close to see that different fabrics were used by different quilters!

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There was a whole lot of Grand Illusion going on this winter in Tulsa!

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Just waiting for borders!

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Just AWESOME!

Thank you, Ladies for bringing your quilts to share at my lectures!  They are each one – just FABULOUS!

The free steps for the Grand Illusion Mystery are still available under the Grand Illusion Tab at the top of the blog.  They will stay there until June 1st, at which time they will be retired for publication.

Print your steps now and keep them all together where you can find them because I will be unable to provide you parts after retiring.

We spent the afternoon in a Boxy Stars half-day workshop ---oh, those photos will be fun to share tomorrow!  But before I send this off and head to dinner, I have one more special shout out:

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Happy Birthday, Cindy!

I hope your day was wonderful, and I hope our paths will cross at some point!  Enjoy your day!

Tonight ---I’ve got H blocks to sew on a borrowed featherweight – as soon as dinner is over, that is where you will find me!

Have a great Friday evening, everyone!


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7 comments:

  1. Anonymous7:21 PM EDT

    Bonnie I am so missing you... I have a feeling I'll never seen you again. And you have meant so much to me in my quilting world... Thank you for being true to who you are, this gives me courage to be me: Thank you for all you have taught me, This give me courage to try on. My friends who will meet you in Maine are in for a a delectable treat. Canada LOVES you. Only the faint heart gives in to the mundane... And that is not you.. Pat Hume


    Paattt@live.ca

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  2. Thank you for sharing the incredible creativity Donna provided with her Grand Illusion. Truly amazing.

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  3. Wow, Donna! What a great way to be in with all of us for the entire Grand Illusion, but still have a way to use all of those pieces in many quilts! Just perfect for those who don't need or want at the time a large quilt. Still can participate and make all of those pieces! Thanks for sharing.

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  4. I'll never look at a mystery in the same way again. What a treat to see what she did with your pattern. Bits and pieces turn into great things. Of course it helps to start with a good sharing designer.

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  5. Anonymous1:11 AM EDT

    Thank you for the birthday wishes!! This was totally a surprise to me and you have no idea how it made my day! I hope our paths will cross someday, too!! Happy Quilting! Cindy Thompson

    chrometopquilts@tvecwb.com

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  6. Thank you for sharing Donna's work and the rest of the Oklahoma Grand Illusions! I split my GIMQ into 2 twins because that worked better for me. One is a flimsy, ready to layer & quilt, the other is all pin basted. I decided to "clean up" the quilt room and have been playing too with all the left over bits and pieces. Love the layouts Donna uses! Gives me some ideas.

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  7. Don't know why I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes! All those baby quilts from the GIMQ going off to children's wards of hospitals just got to me. Why didn't I think of that?! Just such a selfless and beautiful inspiration. And she still has 'her own' little one. This was my first ever Mystery Quilt and I loved the whole process and the final quilt. It also opened my eyes to ways to access my scraps and I do hope to do a lot more to 'demolish' it in coming months!

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