Grand Illusion + Design Wall Monday

My single post will have to cover two link-ups again this week.  I'm happy to say that I am again completely caught up on the latest clue.  Aren't weekends fun when you can pretty much devote most of the time to a quilty project?  

Here's the link-up destinations, and then I'll leave you with photos and their comments.

Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt @ Quiltville     and    

Design Wall Monday @ Patchwork Times

Neutrals.  I struggle with neutrals.  Adding neutrals with designs vs tone-on-tone is what I struggle with.  It's a new concept for me, but Bonnie Hunter uses it a lot...she makes me think outside of the box.  I chose to do the option of starting this second clue using rectangles to which squares would be added ultimately giving that bonus triangle-square.  There were two other methods given. 

Bonnie's method for marking the squares, which I typically don't do, but decided I WOULD do this time for better accuracy, was to make a template.  Initially I taped that blue triangle to my ruler, but found it annoying and realizing I had blue painter's tape at hand, decided to try my own way and, as you can see, I put the blue tape just at the edges of where that template had been taped.  I was then able to draw the line for the bonus triangle-square and then draw a diagonal line to fit the clue's requirement.

My pile with the pink squares sewn on and the bonus triangle-squares already cut off.  The blacks were then added to the other end and likewise trimmed.

The pile of pink and neutral bonus triangle-squares.

Oh! This is intermission.  I had to run to the store for some barley to make beef-barley soup and these jumped off the shelf and into my cart.  Have you tried these yet?  They're good; they appease my potato chip addiction, I will buy them again, but I think I still prefer either plain or sour cream & onion, and can you believe someone won $1,000,000 as a prize for coming up with this flavor?  I'll admit to just a little envy.

What's this?  Two completed blocks from Friday's clue #2.  Fun!  and I'm utterly clueless still as to how these will play together with the blocks from clue #1.  Not enough information yet, and that's what will keep us anxious for the next clue!  We have yet to cut into those greens, and there's still a whole lot of yellow, neutral, black, turquoise and pink awaiting further instructions.

I love some of these choices for neutrals more than others, some are just plain fun, others are just filling in the blanks.

Can you handle just one more picture of the bonus triangle-squares?  The blacks are mixed into this pile too.  I've not pressed them open yet, and as wobbly as my seams can sometimes be, I will have to check each and every one of them and maybe even sliver trim.  Bonnie says they should all be the same size, but I know how my 'thread or two' off widths can skew those sizes.