I am working away on clue 3 of Bonnie Hunter's Grand Illusion mystery quilt. This week we are making a kind of double four patch block. There is a lot of speculation flying around cyberspace as to the function of these blocks in the final quilt. I have heard several people mention that they think the blocks will be in the border. Bonnie likes pieced sashing, however, so that is definitely also a possibility, I prefer just to go with the flow, make the blocks, and wait and see where everything fits in with the final reveal.
Bonnie warned us to make a practice strip and double check the finished size to ensure proper sized blocks - much like making a swatch when knitting to check your gauge (which I always hate to do). I did it this time and lo and behold I wasn't as accurate as I thought. So I made a couple of minor adjustments to my seam width to get the blocks to come out to the right size, which is 6.5" x 3.5" unfinished. To see everyone's progress, click here.
I haven't gotten as far along as I would have liked. Friday I couldn't sew at all because it was my mother's 92nd birthday and I wanted to spend some time with her. Our guild Christmas party was Friday evening and that required some last minute preparations on my part as program chair. And I can't honestly say what happened on Saturday, although I did manage to get 36 blocks finished (120 are needed), which is as far as I have gotten. Today, between grocery shopping, cookie dough making, skyping with a friend in Germany, Christmas letter writing, and card addressing - not to mention making acorn squash soup for dinner - the day just flew by without one minute for sewing. I'll get there by Friday, though. just have to have a couple of days uninterrupted.
THURSDAY EVENING UPDATE: ALL 120 BLOCKS OF CLUE #3 ARE DONE!! Ready for clue #4.
Not such a great photo, but this is one tray of Springerle cookies from my efforts today. For those of you not familiar with this southern German specialty, it is an old style cookie, anise flavored and imprinted with wooden molds. You can't really see that very well in the photograph. They have to dry overnight and in the morning they will be baked in a low oven (275-300 degrees). The cookies will spring up (hence the name) in a certain way. I will post another photo after they are baked. My brother-in-law, whose grandmother was of German descent, loves them as I do. He will get the majority of what I make, as all but six will go to him as a Christmas present.
They are particularly good with a cup of strong tea. I have molds that I bought while a student in Germany 40 years ago and a good friend gifted me her mother's wooden molds after her mother's death. You can still buy the molds today, of course, but as the good ones are still hand carved, they are pricey. Here's a link to some really spectacular ones: the Springerle Baker.
Last, but certainly not least, welcome aboard to Rhoda and Carla, new followers. I am also finding new and interesting blogs to follow through Bonnie's Monday Mystery Link-ups!
Your blocks looks great and those cookies......yummy!
ReplyDeleteThanks,, Connie!
DeleteYour blocks look good, I have no idea where it will all go, I usually don't even try to guess anymore!
ReplyDeleteYep, no point in burning up the brain cells trying to figure it out. Bonnie is pretty good at keeping us guessing. I don't think anyone has ever figured it out ahead of time.
DeleteL.O.V.E. Springerle. They take me back into my grandmother's kitchen where we children warmed ourselves with steaming herbal tea, iced Pfeffernüsse and Springerle after an afternoon of sledging and playing in the snow. Thank you for bringing back precious memories!
ReplyDeleteI didn't learn to eat Pfeffernuesse or Lebkuchen as a child, and since I really don't care for them all that much, I don't make them I never has Springerle as a child, either, but I do harbor a fondness for all things anise or licorice flavored. My friend's mother made Zimtsterne (cinnamon stars) at Christmas, which I dearly loved. Alas, despite my reputation as something of a good baker, the trick with these eludes me.
DeleteI agree with Andee and not put one moment of energy into trying to second guess what Miss Bonnie has in store for each of the components. I am also thankful Kevin the Quilter is keeping track of the number of pieces we are cutting. I just love the fact that we are all in this together. You 2 x 4's look great and so do those Springerles.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful....I never try to guess or play with the units...I like a surprise....Cookies look scrumptious.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteThe two by fours look great and so do the cookies :)
ReplyDeleteThe cookies were baked this morning and are securely packed away until Christmas!
DeleteBeautiful green units, and interesting cookies. I haven't heard of these ones before. One learns all sorts of interesting things on the link-up!
ReplyDeleteVireya, the Springerle are southern German cookies. I ran into a guy from Berlin this week at my local Christmas tree lot. He hadn't heard of them either!
Deletethis mystery quilt seems to have hundreds of blocks in it can`t wait to see it complete. Happy birthday to your Mum too
ReplyDeleteYes, hundreds of blocks. An thousands of pieces. I look to my friend, Kevin the Quilter, for the count. He likes to keep track.
DeleteGreat to carry on the Cookie Traditions. I'm hoping for the Gift of a Block Clue to be assembled for Christmas week. I'm still working on clues 1 & 2 with a lot of others.
ReplyDeleteI have enough to play if she gives me my wish.
Mary, I wouldn't hold my breath for the reveal to occur before Christmas. These mystery quilts by Bonnie tend to go on until the New Year. Of course, she could prove me wrong, too.
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