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Friday, January 4, 2013

Easy Peasy Easy Street Progress

If you listen closely, you can hear sewing machines humming this week, all around the world.........as people piece together Bonnie Hunter's latest mystery quilt, Easy Street.  


My version is a Christmas fabrics quilt and I have had such fun with these squares - moving them around, mixing them up.  Here's the latest version on my design wall:
Here are the changes I've made (so far):

(1) I decided to skip the on-point version and make it a straight setting, with 5 blocks across and 5 blocks down.  I did this because I like the on-point look, and with this quilt, it looks on-point when it is done with straight rows.  Also, I wanted to make the quilt a little smaller, and when it is done in 5x5 blocks, before a border is added, it is 75"x 75".  Plus that also meant I could then skip Step 7 (setting triangles and corners) completely, always a good thing.  Bonnie's layout before borders is bigger (84" x 84").

(2) I changed block A center to give it a square within a square look.  Before the reveal came out, I was playing with the squares, and I liked this look, and decided to use it.

(3) I used the piece Bonnie calls a fat turkey in Block B instead of in Block A.  Since I had already changed block A, and had the fat turkeys to use, I put them into block B.

(4) I added some peppermint candy fabric into the white spaces, as my neutral in the mystery was all the same white fabric, and I thought there was too much white without adding something there.  

(5) Now I am playing with the four patches, to decide whether I like the "X" design throughout the quilt to be more subtle as on left side, or more bold, as on the right side.

So after all these changes, it doesn't look very much like the other Easy Street quilts, but I am having a great time with it.

Do you like the four patches layout on the left side of the picture, or the right? 



I also play around with changing the center 3" square in all the blocks.  Here's another picture with candy cane centers:






So I'm ready for Design Wall Monday, as I have my entire design wall filled with this mystery quilt, which I've named "Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy". 




36 comments:

rcp said...

I like it a lot!!! Very pretty!

Pam in KC said...

I love it!

Diane said...

I love your layout! Hard to decide, though, which block arrangement I like better. They both look great! From a distance I like the right side better, but close up I like the left. Tough decision...

Anonymous said...

I love your layout as well! For what it's worth, I like the four patches on the left...for me, it creates a stronger diagonal for my eye to follow.

traditional_quilter said...

I love your colors. Your quilt is going to be beautiful! Both your layouts look great. I can't wait to see your finished quilt. Out of all the easy street quilts and blocks I have seen. Yours is my favorite. Great job!!!

Anonymous said...

Way to go! I like the right side as it gives a stronger diagonal, but both are beautiful.

Grit said...

Its looks so beautiful.
Liebe Grüße Grit

Janet said...

I think it looks marvelous!! I love your version!

Kerry said...

Love the look of your version. I think I like the right side of your setting- a finer diagonal look. Great going.

Frances Meredith said...

I like the right side.

antique quilter said...

looks wonderful love the right side, more graphic!
great version and fun fabrics, great job!
kathie

janbland said...

It's a tough call, but I think I like the right side.

Nann said...

What a great color combination! I really like it.

TLC said...

It looks great Judy! I see you used some of that peppermint fabric from the quilt you were working on at the Dear Jane Retreat too. Sweet!

Kathy ... aka Nana said...

I don't think you cold go wrong either way, but I have to give a nod to the right side. Either way, I love what you've done ... gives an on-point look without the setting triangles/corners. Beautiful quilt!

Elaine said...

Love your Christmas version! I am still plodding along on step 8!
I also love the candy cane fabric!

Missie of Traditional Primitives said...

OMG! Easy Peasy? Lol...not for me! It's beautifuL. I am an appliqué gal, so this block would be very difficult for me. I love that you are playing with the block settings to make it look different...I like your layout on the right side best! Keep up the good work!

sao said...

I think it is beautiful....isn't it amazing how a few changes can make it look so different!

CONGRATS on a great quilt!

sao in Midlothian, VA

Missie of Traditional Primitives said...

But as I look again, I like the left side too, so you better make two! haha!

Anonymous said...

wowzer! love the dark side on the left.....beautiful regardless which one you pice

BettyK said...

I can't decide which side I like the best. The left seems lighter the right darker. But you can't go wrong with either. Big help I am.
Betty

Theresa said...

Great work! Definitely the right side for me. I looks more put together/organized.

lisa0116 said...

WOWSER! LOVE IT! You have definitely made it your own and it's gorgeous either way. The right hand side looks more on point than the left hand side of my computer screen. Both sides look amazing and I can't decide which I like best..but..thought you should know that the one appears more on point than the other. Fantastic job you did. Wish you would right up your own tutorial on what you did. Lisa in Georgia

Anonymous said...

I really like what you did with this quilt! It's hard for me to do a mystery quilt - I"m a more random kind of placement gal. Personally, I like the right side and the solid red centers rather than the candy canes. But this is your quilt - not mine - so you get to pick whichever fabric you like best! Either way, you did an awesome job.

Deb@asimplelifequilts said...

I love your layout and fabrics used. Wonderful!

Kindred Quilts said...

Both versions are great but I like the right side just a bit more!

Quiltingfool said...

Really beautiful either way you go. It seems more together on the right side, but the left is lovely. It's going to be up to you - just let us know.

The Calico Quilter said...

I absolutely LOVE your quilt ideas! I especially like the version on the right side. I played around with the block components too but chickened out and made Bonnie's version (partly because I have changed the design before on her mysteries and thought I should follow her instructions for once!). This makes a wonderful Christmas quilt - do I dare steal your idea? Would you mind? What a great job you did.

Cyn said...

Great! Love your color scheme.

QueenB said...

love the RHS as you look at the photo. The candy cane fabric looks great.

Sarah Craig said...

That's beautiful, Judy! The first one I've seen nearly finished! Whoop whoop!!

Leeann said...

I love the right hand side one and think I will do this too, it's more graphic, just the way I like my quilts to the be
:-D

Lori said...

I like it so much! Your changes are well thought out!!

Debra @ Life is a Stitch said...

beautiful!!! love your color/fabric choices!! Hard to decide about layout of the blocks...I love them both - guessing you'll have to make another and use BOTH the layouts! :) See yours so close to finished makes me want to break my decree of not starting another project until some UFOs are done!
Thanks for sharing.

Kat said...

Love it! It looks awesome. I like the more subtle 4x4 Xs as on the right side of the picture and I like the solid red (rather than candy cane)centers. Well done!!

LesQuilts said...

I think this is awesome! I love all the changes you made!
Take care, Leslie