While the Quilter’s Away --

While the Quilter’s away, Her quilts were on DISPLAY!

My exhibit in Hershey happened at the same time as my family reunion here in Utah.

And while I wasn’t able to be there, so many of you sent me photos so that I could share them here.

This was my first exhibit experience and I was sad to not be there to experience it, but I wouldn’t have traded family time for anything.

So thank you for keeping me in the loop!

I loved all of the comments that came with your photos, what you loved, what you couldn’t wait to make – and HOW LONG would it be before the next book is available?

Patience, my friends – there are enough UFOs to keep you busy for a while, including our new Checkerboard Rails Leader & Ender Challenge as well as our next Quiltville Mystery (which is only 4 months away!)

I wish I could have been a fly on the wall!

I know you are anxious to see the quilts for the new book, so I’ll start with those.  Please remember that these photos are taken in show lighting and colors may appear darker than they really are in real life.

Emerald City.

How green can you go?

I love finding traditional block elements that can bedazzle by the simple addition of string piecing within the unit. Any large unpieced area where one piece of fabric is cut to shape can be greatly enhanced by the simple addition of string piecing.

In Emerald City, I have combined string pieced units with traditional patchwork elements such as half square triangles, rectangles and squares.

The range of neutrals used in the background of the quilt from white to cream to beige to tan play just as important a role as the colored main design elements.

Emerald City Quilt designed, pieced, and digitally long-arm quilted by Bonnie K Hunter
Quilt size: 83” X 83”

Day Break

4 patches are a staple of my Leader & Ender parts department. I can’t live without Leaders & Enders sewn at the end of each line of chain piecing, and I can readily attest to the fact that “If you build the units, the quilt will come!”

When a 4-patch challenge was raised by American Patchwork & Quilting magazine, I was on board with a collection of ready-made 4 -patches just waiting for the right project.

This quilt has extra special meaning to me as the aqua setting fabric was inherited when my mother-in-law passed away on Christmas Morning, 1983. It took until 2016 for me to finally decide to use it.
Daybreak quilt designed, pieced and digitally long-arm quilted by Bonnie K Hunter.

Quilt size: 73” X 83”

Silver Linings

This quilt could be entitled “I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends!” At the tail end of our Allietare Mystery, I was having a bit of a tough time and had put out on the blog that I was looking for “grey strings” for a project. My intention was that those who were cleaning up from their own Allietare quilts would slip a couple of leftover grey strips or strings into a regular envelope and mail them to me with a regular stamp.

I was not prepared for the windfall of blessings that came my way from all across the country and around the globe. In fact, it wasn’t just strings or strips that found their way to me in North Carolina – it was fat quarters, half yards, recycled clothing pieces, strips, strings, squares, rectangles, and everything in between. This global love filled 2 laundry baskets and I am still sewing from it today.

I dedicate “Silver Linings” to those who lifted me through the gift of fabric when my heart needed it the most!

Silver Linings Quilt designed, pieced and digitally long-arm quilted by Bonnie K Hunter
Quilt size: 84” X 84”

Xing

Xing is the Chinese word for STAR.

The shape and configuration of stars within patchwork are many and oh, so varied! Stars are also a favorite of many, and I am right there in their midst. I love a star quilt design!

The stars in Xing started out their life as a way to use up the many small crumb blocks I had made left lying forgotten in a bag in the depths of a cupboard. Using them as star centers was the easy part. Setting the blocks after they were made became the challenge.

Small string blocks became the alternate, and I used the rest of the aqua sold from “Daybreak” as sashing.

Xing just fits everything that is going on in this quilt!

Xing quilt designed, pieced and digitally long-arm quilted by Bonnie K Hunter
Quilt Size: 73” X 82”

Serpentine Web

String Spider Web quilts are traditional by description, but modern in interpretation!
While playing with the very traditional blocks, I found I got a completely different appearance when I set the blocks vertically, dropping every other row by half to create the serpentine effect.
Just give me a bucket of strings and a foundation and I’ll piece myself into complete and utter scrappy oblivion and have the best time while doing it!
Serpentine Web quilt designed, pieced and digitally long-arm quilted by Bonnie K Hunter
Quilt Size: 74” X 85”

Geese on a String

Inspired by an antique quilt purchased in Greensboro, North Carolina, Geese on a string uses leftover bits, strings, strips and chunks from de-constructed clothing.

I love working with recycled fabrics. There is something elemental about taking a garment apart, returning it back to “fabric” and refashioning the pieces to become a quilt. It’s as if the fabrics tell a story of sorts.

Geese on a string uses purchased solid yardage in conjunction with the recycled fabric giving it an instantly vintage yet timeless appeal.

Geese on a String quilt designed, pieced and digitally long-arm quilted by Bonnie K Hunter
Quilt size: 70” X 80”

Dawn’s Early Light

Over the past 7 years (can it be that long already?) I have been honored to participate in Quiltmaker Magazine’s 100 blocks by 100 designers, a bi-annual special issue. As often happens for me, designing a single block for a magazine often leads to seeing what I can do with it as far as layout goes were it to become a “real” quilt. Oh boy!

This one held so many bells and whistles for me as it is an asymmetrical block.

And it includes string piecing! What could be better?

Dawn’s Early Light quilt designed, pieced and digitally long-arm quilted by Bonnie K Hunter
Quilt size: 87” X 87”

Straits of Mackinac

The Straits of Mackinac is a series of narrow waterways in the U.S. state of Michigan, between Michigan's Lower and Upper Peninsulas. The main strait flows under the Mackinac Bridge and connects two of the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.

Every year in May, the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island hosts a fabulous Needle Art Seminar and I’ve been lucky enough to teach there twice. It has become my favorite place on earth by far.
The main block for Straits of Mackinac was featured in volume 14 of Quiltmaker Magazine’s 100 blocks by 100 designers and after making just one block knew instantly that I had to keep sewing until I had enough for a full quilt.

String piecing is by far my favorite quilting style, and my overflowing string bins know no bounds, and that’s a very good thing!

Straits of Mackinac Quilt designed, pieced, and digitally long-arm quilted by Bonnie K Hunter.
Quilt Size: 94” X 94”

Sand Castles on the far right is also destined for the new book.

After finishing the Daybreak quilt, I discovered that there were MORE 4-patches still at hand.  In fact, they seem to multiply overnight, and I quickly dreamed up another block to put them to good use.

My goal was to use the “sandy, toasty & tan” strings – the ones that have been left in the dust since more current black-on-whites, modern neutrals and contemporary low volume fabrics had captured my fancy.  I love how the colored blocks chain across this much warmer-than-white string background. Includes fabrics from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s to current as well as recycled pieces from shirts and other clothing.

Sand Castles quilt designed, pieced, and digitally long-arm quilted by Bonnie K Hunter

Quilt Size: 80” X 80”

Other tried and true favorites also made an appearance as well as several of our past mysteries!

Grand Illusion, Allietare & En Provence!

Easy Street from MORE Adventures with Leaders & Enders

Orca Bay and Roll Roll Cotton Boll from String Fling!

Garlic Knots & H is for Happy!

Day Lilies from String Fling!

My thanks to those who came to enjoy the show!

I’m here in Brigham City, Utah –ready to start my first workshop day of 5 for the Utah State Quilters Guild, and It’s almost time for me to hit the door and get over to our workshop location.

Quiltville Quote of the Day!

The one thing I’ve battled through this whole journey is fear.  But the more I push through it, the more I realize that I CAN do it!

Don't let fear rule your life! Show it who's boss!

Have a great Tuesday, everyone!

Follow me on Instagram!
Follow my Quiltville Page on Facebook for more fun!
Join our sister group, Quiltville's Open Studio on Facebook, a place to Sew, Share & Grow!!