SuzSLO

This afternoon, I finished washing and pressing my fabric, at least the fabric that I already have. I have some more being shipped to me that won’t be arriving until Saturday. I think I may need more of my “grey” as I only have about 10 fabrics and I think more options will work better since I believe the “grey” is going to be stripped pieced as an option. I’m probably fine if I don’t strip piece.

First year in a long time that I’m not traveling for Thanksgiving, so it’s nice to have something to look forward to.

DebLuvsQuiltng

Those of you who use fabric from stash, multi fabrics for each color, do you use some of each color set each week, or do you use a different color each week? I struggle with scrappy but wanted to try this year.

toverly

DebLuvsQuilting, I try to use many fabrics of the same hue each time. Since it's coming from my stash, it's hard for me to estimate just how much yardage I have. By using multiple fabrics, if I have to add a little later on, it doesn't show, it just blends in.

sewingpup

sometimes, I just let the size of the scrap fabric decide for me what specific fabric to use in the color group of the clue. So I start with the smaller fabrics and cut into the bigger ones as I run out. After all, this is supposed to be a "scrap" quilt so that is what I use up first. However, as it goes along, I may start cutting from a number of different ones to keep the scrappy look. for example on one of the previous mysteries.....I only had 5 different fabrics left, so I cut some from each for the clue, but the pieces in the quilt are usually so small, it probably doesn't matter much.

Iceblossom

Debs, there is no one way to scrap quilt, especially when using actual scraps. It has taken me years to develop my own "rules for random" both by experience and by book learning. Book-wise, it's old (1985 -- although it was brand new when I first saw it) and we no longer use the construction techniques but the book Scrap Quilts by Judy Martin changed my quilting career, it was the first time I had ever seen scrap quilts I liked. For techniques in dealing with scraps, Karla Alexander in her Stack the Deck books (especially book 1) explains/shows a "shuffling" technique that is similar to what I do.
https://www.amazon.com/Stack-Deck-Cr.../dp/1564774341

The way Bonnie does the mysteries, we don't always know whether one week will interconnect with another one, they may or may not. I prefer to approach my colors so that red is red and blue is blue (or whatever we are using) so it doesn't really matter what we choose. But I also try to balance them out across the quilt so instead of going from the top down in my fabrics and using up all of one piece before I start on the next, I look at the fabric and think something like "well, I've got 10 fabrics and need 58 pieces so I'll just cut 6 of each to start and then take out two randomly. Sometimes that might mean I'm using up all of a particular scrap, and sometimes that is just half a strip of yardage...

But as for me, we haven't started yet and I'm officially behind! This has been a tough year even without Covid and I just haven't been very productive. So I'm behind on my Frolic UFO and I'm behind on my fabric selections. Last year I was all ready to cut at this point. In addition, I have a couple hours worth of errand tomorrow too.

But -- I'll have things cleaned up by tonight since we aren't doing anything else around here and even if I'm not thrilled with what fabrics I grab, again, that's the point of scrappy sort of. I'm sure I'll be able to deal with whatever Clue 1 is before Clue 2 comes out. Maybe

joe'smom

DebLuvsQuilting, I figure that the big factor in the question of how many fabrics to use per clue is -- how many clues will use a particular color? And of course, we don't know. So if I save half of my golds to use in the second gold clue, and there turns out to be only one clue that uses gold, I've missed out on using half of my gold fabrics. The one place I have felt fairly safe using only a limited number of fabrics per clue is with the neutrals, because I've never known a Bonnie quilt not to use neutrals in several clues. I think the same would go for the gray this year.

Then there is the question of how many times a color will be used in a single block. Ideally, I hope not to repeat fabrics in a block, so say there is a unit in the block that uses gold, and that unit repeats eight times in the block, I'd want at least that number of golds. But again, we don't know. I've found that using a different group of neutrals for different clues helps not to repeat the same neutrals within a block, since often more than one unit in the block has used neutrals.

I'm thinking I will probably try to incorporate a little of each of my fabrics of each color group in each clue, other than the gray (and neutral if I weren't going with a constant). I'll probably divide my grays into several groups that I think go well together, to use in different clues.

pinkflowers

Just saying "hi" to everyone! I'm excited about the first clue tomorrow - although I'll be getting a late start because I MUST MUST finish my son's Zelda quilt first. Almost done!

I love this year's colors, and I really I think I can make it without any new purchase of fabrics, so that's a good thing!

Have a fun mystery season everyone!!

Harper61

Hello Everyone!

It's interesting to read some of the post from experienced MQ participants and 1st timers like myself.
Since I'm working from home now, I thought this might be a good time for me to try one of Bonnies MQ's.
I have beginner/intermediate skills, but I am a little intimidated by all of the points in her quilts. I quilt mostly squares and curved piecing. I think I will make muslins first, because I am not great at cutting and I hate wasting fabric. :-) I purchased her suggested rulers, so I hope that helps.
Looking forward to the project, and hope I keep my whining to a minimum.

Stitches23

First clue is up!!

I'm a little late starching and ironing my fabric (although already picked out) but I'm working on it as I have time. This maybe a one clue at a time process for me. Anyway, excited to get started. It will feel good to be sewing again.

SusieQOH

Since we cancelled our trip I'm home this year. Going to the site now!