Jenn, my first BH MQ was Grand Illusion and I had the same reaction you did. It was SO busy and all the scraps made it even more so. I finished it and gave it as a gift to someone who would appreciate it but wasn't sure I would do another. However, I love the excitement of the clues each week and wondering what the final reveal will look like so I've made one each year since. I just control the fabrics more. Some years I've used one background fab and a single fabric for another color; some years I've used yardage for all the colors. I've been much happier with the end result. Now that you've done one, you know what works for you and what you don't like, so you may want to give it one more chance.