Bonnie Hunter 2023-24 Mystery -- Indigo Way
 

It's one of my favorite quilting times of the year -- The Bonnie Hunter Winter Mystery Quilt project for 2023-2024. Welcome to all, whether first time, multiple year participants and especially to the lurkers and those that watch but aren't doing the project. I hope you all will share your projects, pictures and questions. For me a big part of this is the sharing :) I can't tell you how much it means to me and inspires me to see all the different variations.

What it is: Bonnie Hunter, a nationally known quilt artist shares a mystery project each year with sewing/cutting starting on Black Friday, the day after (US) Thanksgiving which this year is Friday, November 24, 2023. There will be (usually) weekly clues on Fridays that generally end sometime around January - February. This is a gift from Bonnie to the rest of us, while the mystery is going on the clues are free. After the mystery period you can still buy the pattern presented in a non-mystery format.

There is no swapping or mailing. Nothing to join. You can subscribe to Bonnie's email newsletter if you wish or just visit the site. We will provide the clue links here, but they will go to Quiltville.

Bonnie's Quiltville Website:
https://quiltville.blogspot.com/2023/

Mystery Specific Link:
https://quiltville.blogspot.com/2023...roduction.html

Our first clue is a month to think about fabric and get ready. We have paint chip numbers as a handy guide to help our color section, but when you look at the pictures she provides of the fabrics she selected, it is a general suggestion.

Rules: Bonnie asks very little of us, but we are guests in her project so we try to observe her requests. As she is the ultimate person responsible we are asked NOT to share numbers, measurements, or "spoilers" for people who really enjoy the mystery aspect. She will post any corrections needed on the website. It can be frustrating to be looking for something simple and easy like what Accuquilt die is/can be used -- but if Bonnie isn't telling we shouldn't either! We are able and willing to point each other to key points in the directions. Counts should be avoided because they can be used as spoilers or might have an error (that is, it is better to say something like "I got about half my units done today" as opposed to "16 out of 34 done"). While we love seeing each other's fabric selections and work in progress, we should avoid showing what we we think is the final layout before that is released. Besides, she usually puts in some things to preserve the mystery for as long as possible. She also asks that we don't take all the paint chips from our local stores. I think we can handle that.

What to expect: I think Bonnie gives us very clear directions, and often multiple ways to achieve the end results (which can be slightly confusing). But, if you've never done a roughly queen sized project before, this might not be the perfect way to start -- or maybe it will be the impetus you need! I'd say higher than beginner skills are needed, finished measurements often have pieces around 1" square and the overall design comes out best if precise. Her projects are typically very scrap oriented and often use small amounts that can be very random, sometimes she will have us match or make some identical units. To help prevent frustration, it is important to read and understand the directions, and that is part of what we are for on the boards, a support and encouragement group.

Not everyone is suited to mystery projects. I completely understand. Some people want to see the end result before they commit either time or money buying fabric. Bonnie will usually have suggestions on making fewer blocks for a smaller project. Speaking of fabric, there are many options available. I try to use all actual scraps/stash in colors close to what Bonnie recommends, I know I am getting really low on some color families and maybe will have to buy some fabric this year... A number of shops (on-line and local if you are lucky) will sell bundles, either for the entire project or specific color groups. It is a great time to use fat quarters. Some people use yardage of one fabric per color required. Some people will do marvelous things completely changing the palette to suit themselves or other challenges like using all solids or all 30s prints or whatever they wish.

To go along in "real time" as the clues are released can be quite a lot of sewing. Bonnie will usually have at least one light week for catch up, and if you can clear some time most clues can be completed reasonably in a day if your fabric/sewing space is ready. For me at this point of my life and this time of year, I have low demand on my time and energy and being winter it is nice to have something to do inside. Plus I have a dedicated sewing space and don't need to take down/put up equipment every day. There is just no way I could have kept up when I was a young single working mother or if I had a more active/larger family with more holiday commitments. I do recommend printing out the instructions and doing at least a couple of units per week if you can. One thing I can say, my quilting organizational skills and supplies have very much increased since I started doing these!

As "host" I see my biggest participation as being a cheerleader and in reminding everyone that this is their own project. They will all be wonderful and amazingly both the same yet different and we can get through the long slogs and we all make mistakes at some point. There are a lot of Bonnie Hunter UFOs (mystery or otherwise) out there and that's ok. Again, your project and your time schedule -- we are doing this for fun. I will try to be quick on posting each clue link or if there is a correction, but if any of you come on before me -- feel free to post! You never know when my power might be out or real life has come to take me away from the computer or the sewing machine but I promise to keep up until the end. If you are more of a lurker, I can guarantee if you have questions someone else does to so go ahead and post but if you'd rather send a private message that works too.

Let's have some fun and cut up some fabric! I missed Chilhowie last year because I was packed up to move, and don't have the Rhododendron project quilted yet but I am ready to warm up my sewing machine and my cutting for this year!

Iceblossom, thank you for hosting this year!

I did not follow Bonnie on her blog as she talked about her trips, or I might have had an inkling about the colors. I was thinking we might have some green this year, since the last two quilts had no green.

I'm not anticipating sewing along, but I did shop my stash for fabrics (such fun), and will print out the clues and follow everyone's progress. I had a large amount of a light gray with white print to use up, so that is my designated neutral.

edit: Try to ignore that green up in the right corner. I was thinking of doing the green instead of the light blue, but I couldn't get the values right. Having the gray rather than white neutrals made things a bit more complicated.

I'm looking forward to lurking! This thread has been such an encouraging place over the last couple of years as I've got back into quilting and it's always so much fun to see how different everybody's project turns out to be. Joe'smom - you're quick out of the starting blocks - I haven't even made it to Quiltville yet! I'd better go take a peek. :-)

I'm all in! Thank you, Ice Blossom, for hosting this year. Perfect explanation of the rules of the game. I think this year will be a great sew along. So many Veterans quilts are made in these colors. I will probably make all the units but two smaller quilts for gifting. The estimated yardage amount indicates it will be a big quilt. Or at least a lot of seams.

Woohoo! The clue has been released, this thread is up and it looks like I won't have to buy fabric for this year. I know I am very low on the aqua tones Bonnie has been using for the last few projects and they are not going to be an issue. Nor will most of us need paint chips this year, anyone yet planning on other colors than red, white and (2) blues??

Joesmom -- great fabrics! I am looking forward to pulling fabrics later today. I will be going scrappy with the blues, might use just one red or one neutral, have to see what I have. I rather like the unifying effect of a single fabric in scrappy projects but don't think I have the yardage needed for a single piece.

Even for those of us who do intend to sew along, I think printing out the clues is a very good idea. For the first time that I've been doing these, I have a color printer which will make a lot of steps easier... now if I can find my hole punch!

Gemm -- glad to have you lurk. You often have good advice and insight and you are fun to have.

Toverly -- the projects usually turn out to be about queen sized and yes -- have a lot of seams!

I'm not fully moved into my house or my sewing room yet. Yesterday as a cold snap moved across the central states, our furnace (which we had serviced and was working) quietly shut down. Probably unfair of me to think it is anyway connected in my husband trying to set the thermostat for daytime and nighttime temperatures. Anyway, Chuck the furnace guy lives just a mile or so away and will be here soon so the interior temp will hopefully be above 50 in the next couple of hours. If not, definitely a good day to move around totes of fabric looking for the blue, red,and neutrals.

I am also finishing up on Christmas themed string quilt but right now it is too cold to sit and sew. Don't know if I will have that top together by Black Friday but I'm gonna try!!

I know for a fact I won't be joining in as I'm having my second knee replaced on Nov 8 and it took me over a month (maybe longer) to get in my sewing room the last one. However I will print the clues and follow the thread. I like the colors this year but I don't always like how my quilts turn out.
Iceblossom, thanks for hosting this!

I'm sure I will be joining in again this year. I have just started a Roman shade for my daughter's front door, so I can't even start to look for fabric until it is done. No distractions! I will probably make a half size as I have for the last few years. Just don't need another large quilt but it is fun to sew along with others and I think I learn something every year. Increase accuracy for sure. Full disclosure- have yet to quilt the last two, plus a couple of other quilts, non-Bonnie. Thanks, Iceblossom for hosting!

Thanks Iceblossom for starting this thread. I am a true lurker and admirer of those who take this on live. I will collect the pattern and sew it one day. I do love the colors for this one so might jump in at any time. Happy sewing everyone.

Good morning everyone. Thank-you IB for hosting this this year. We have a Nice 39F temperature now. Nice day to organize my sewing room in anticipation of the sewing beginning.

I’m undecided if I will be using winter colors (what I call January colors). 1st idea: dark blue or purple, if I don’t use purple for the blue, use purple for the red color. white-cream colors, then add a tourques thin border to go with the final border. Or… Dark brown ( a piece I just adore), light to light-medium browns, cream(s) for background, orange for red. The good news I do not have to go shopping. All fabric from stash. Once I decide better I will post my choices and decide the week before sew time. Now back to organizing my sewing room.

Hooray for Chuck the furnace guy! He got us heat again, plus it's warming back up again for the next few days.

I didn't get any sewing or fabric pulling done but today I will find the solids tote, I might have a big enough piece of red but will probably use a variety of prints. I know I have enough blues, both dark and light, just have to find them. And this morning in a moment of weakness, I did order one of the neutral packs from Bonnie's suggested store. That should be plenty mixed in with what I moved.

Last month I did have to buy a some greens for my Christmas string quilt, that was the first fabric I've bought in almost 2 years. It was all on sale and I had a strict $20 budget. This package was the first fabric in truly years that I've bought at full price... I am done with the sticker shock but I do sympathize for people without excessive yardage already at home. I did give away a LOT of stuff when I moved but justified that I moved a lot of fabric on the current cost of yardage. I really compared the idea of paying the moving costs (both physical and financial) and ultimately decided that I am just not constitutionally equipped for the idea of spending large amounts of cash on fabric -- I am perfectly happy to buy large amounts of fabric, just not the price to pay.

I agree Ice Blossom. Fabric prices are getting out of my comfort zone too. I have been using up fabric instead of purchasing. I find that I need neutrals most of all. I am so excited about starting this quilt. With it being three almost equal colors and white. I went out today and purchase the lighter shade of blue. Everything else Ole Miss colors. (red/blue) So one more Ole Miss quilt in the making for me.

Following to see all the colour replacements....hoping to have enough time to join in the fun🌷💫

I am hoping Happylab or someone explores different color ways. I am pretty certain this year that I just have so much dark and light blue yardage that it won't be me. But I did find a large piece of a rather lovely more cinnamon brown than red with a creamy gold design that could be awesome with slightly changed colors (especially going more cream/tan in the neutrals).

I was able to spend some time going through the stash yesterday, both for the mystery and to look for some things for my new sewing group. One of the members is looking for some "French" fabric, I know I did have some Paris in pink from a couple of years ago when I was collecting travel fabrics but I don't think that made the move. I think I have some wine themed fabric that may have French vintage names and grapes. Don't think it is French enough but I did find a great true red background with small black poodles in sort of a 50s style, I've kept that out if I use red prints for the mystery quilt.

I did find my solids box but no single red piece large enough for the mystery. If I feel secure enough, I might be able to use them in sets or in centers, but I am concerned about if a true red is touching a more orange- or blue-red.

Today I will be going back to the stash looking for reds to audition. I've found a couple of reds that are probably a bit short of what is needed that I would really like to use as a single fabric, will measure to double check. I've found one print that would work and is big enough, and of course, I have enough scraps to go that direction. I am leaning towards using one print or the multiple solid reds.

Hey all,
I'll be lurking and printing the clues, but won't be working on it until after the New Year. Looking forward to seeing what everyone is doing. Thanks for hosting Iceblossom!

Rob

Hi everyone! This will be my 14th Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt! Last year I only made half the blocks, and by adding an additional one, I had a nice size lap quilt. I just don't need any more large quilts!!! Out of the 13 I have completed, I still have four I need to quilt. So I will be doing only half of the blocks this time as well.

On top of this, I am scheduled for another partial knee replacement in early December. It is for my left knee, so I should be able to sew after a couple of weeks. That will put me behind, but I am okay with that! It will be fun to be part of this group!

I have missed the Mystery Train Rides, and Farmer's Wife Quilt alongs we use to go on too!!

Here is a photo of the fabrics I have pulled out of my stash for Indigo Way:

I'll be joining in this year, but haven't had time to pull fabrics - maybe this weekend. Probably won't align with BH's colors but I won't know until I shop my stash. It will be interesting to see Bonnie's design this year. Her colors remind me more of an American colorway - red, white, and blue. Looking forward to sewing with everyone. This group really makes the BH mysteries fun.
JeanieG - love your navy print.
Iceblossom - thanks for hosting!

You have some very pretty light blues there, JeanieG.

Those fabrics Bonnie shows in the intro are so intricate. I'm very curious as to what she has up her sleeve this year!

Here's my stack of red solids and the leading single piece of red print which tends to the orange side a bit but is sufficient yardage. It is a Hoffman with a light gold tracking that is very soft. I know some people don't like metallics and that some can be scratchy -- not an issue with this piece. I don't know why the close-up picture didn't take, will try again later. The design is made up of parasols but they are not very obvious and are roughly quarter sized.

I am leaning towards the mixed red solids, but have some reservations about if the different reds will touch. I will have to make a guess with the first couple of clues before I commit fully one way or the other -- or if I put together the red prints for a third option.

I have quite the stack of indigo/dark navy pulled. Haven't started with the light blues yet but I found the tote! I also found the missing Bah Humbug! white script on red background I wanted to use in my Christmas string project before it was too late to incorporate it into the top. That will be my sewing today/this weekend, want to get the triangles of that done to take to group on Tuesday to trim and remove the paper foundation.

I was going back and forth on whether I wanted to take on a new project right now, and decided I’d wait for the colour reveal to decide if I wanted to participate.
Well I have plenty of fabric in all the right colours, so I tentatively decided I’d join in.
But now I’m thinking more about the rulers. I’m really not interested in investing in new rulers right now. So I’ll wait for the clues, see if I can reasonably make it with rulers I already have, and work on it at the end. Not the funnest way to do this, but I gotta have a LITTLE BIT of discipline!

I'm with JeanieG - I love the parasol fabric! :-)

I also agree with Stitches23 - the colours feel very RWB/American patriotic which doesn't really resonate for me. I wasn't planning on doing the mystery quilt but if I did I think I'd try to find a different colour palette as well.

Oh my goodness! Blue!!! I have so much scrap blue in all shades I am totally doing this mystery this year. This will be my 3rd mystery, I think. Grassy Creek and Chilhowie were fun though I didn’t use Chilhowie colors. I have already pulled my fabrics. I have a variety of red solids in differing shades (slight shade differences). I do a lot of neutral scrappy backgrounds so I have a bunches. I’m set.. I don’t have her rulers so we’ll see how her instructions turn out. Likely do only half size….big enough to meet QOV guidelines.. we’ll see!

Thank you, IB, for hosting. Looking forward to hanging out with you’all this year again!

Good luck, Susie and Jeanie, with your knee surgeries!! Sending healing vibes and praying for surgeon steady and competent hands!!!

Joesmom and IB…. I like your early fabric pulls so far. Just like any BH mystery, it evolves as we go!

Teen -- I think my range of solid reds is closer to yours than my previous picture showed. I think my pictures are being washed out a bit by the flash, need to try some settings.

Today's picture shows some of the indigo/dark navy fabrics next to the parasol fabric. Is interesting how things work out, the large piece of indigo with the beige flowery burst shapes looks much lighter to me than in real life. But the smaller print works fine with the others even being the same colors. One of the advantages of using a camera for feedback, I'll have to take it under advisement... (Using black and white photos can also help a lot in determining value as opposed to color in stacks of fabric)

For those concerned about the red, white and (2) blues theme looking too patriotic, my guess is it will be more like the pieces she shows with the red square in a square design contained by the blue. By yardage we have twice as much blue as the red, and almost as much neutral as blue. I'm expecting something very tiled in appearance. By the way, I really like that Silk Path quilt she recently released (the brown one at the top of the clue/blog).

With all my projects, there is usually something I would do differently if I did it again. With mystery quilts especially, there are good justifications on waiting to see the reveal and choosing your fabrics when you know more.

Bonnie mentions having a navy "focal fabric" to go along with the other navy fabrics. Hers is about xxx yard (see her instructions) so that may be something we need to consider when we pull our fabrics.

I haven't done a Bonnie mystery in a while but I have been following along the mystery threads. So I started to pull fabric for this one. Blues, reds and neutrals, I should be able to pull it all from my stash. I have pulled out some of my Japanese Indigo fabric as well as some other navy and medium blues, along with red fabric. I rarely use solids so I picked out some favorite reds. I'll either go with one red fabric or just do scrappy reds, haven't decided yet.

Print out
 

Has anyone else tried to print out the introduction/clue one on Bonnie‘s blog. When I have tried, I’ll get a screen telling me to download a new PDF program to be able to print it out. This has never happened before on Bonnie’s blog and so I am a little leery of doing it. I wonder if downloading this program is safe. I always download all the clues and put them printed in a folder. All help is appreciated.

Terry, I didn't notice anything special when I printed out my copy. I'd be leery too! I try to keep up with stuff but I don't have the correct app to open up supplemental text for my audio books either, think I'm using a basic adobe reader option but not sure.

Here's the link I used from the Intro --
https://quiltville.com/pdf/IndigoWay_Intro_full.pdf

Maybe see if it still has the prompt for you.

Wow -- that was fast. Today the fat eighths I ordered for neutrals came! One picture shows mostly the eighths, the other shows some of the neutrals I already pulled. I've mostly been pulling the light blues today but got all excited when something (other than bills) arrived in the mail!

Terry in the ADK, my advice is, never click on anything that pops up!

I have seen that pop up regarding downloading a new pdf program, just ignore it. I think it is just one of those pop-ups that appear in the middle of things.

Terry -- here's something to try, can you find any PDFs in your File Explorer, maybe in your download files?? You can do a search with *.PDF in your Search box (if you use Windows), look for something on your computer and not on the internet.

Try opening one of them without the internet open -- some malware and such can be pretty invasive and could be set to just the action, in which case I'd do some basic virus scans and such.

Adobe now makes you pay for a number of features that used to be free, but I would trust this link for a fresh install --
https://get.adobe.com/reader/

So we are getting closer to Black Friday, about 2 weeks for us pre-planners to select our choices. I'm going back and forth on my light blues -- should they be brighter and more medium? or lighter and more ashen?? Maybe tomorrow I can get pictures or make a decision. And then there is always the possibility that when I see the first clue I start over again from the beginning.

Is anyone planning on using one fabric for each of the color groups? I've been having some fun when I find large pieces of fabric and figuring out where they could be used and what would go with them -- usually I am like one piece short for a full quilt (mostly the neutral choice). Maybe I should show a few of those partial sets... I am trying not to explode my totes of fabric but it happens :p

Good morning everyone. I am going with Ole Miss logo fabric with a navy background, solid red, solid light blue and solid white. I'm hoping I won't miss the scrappy look. Normally I like blender fabrics so the solids are a change for me. Debating about making another set of colors also.

I thought the duller blues didn't complement the bright red, so I stuck with the brighter ones. Although the paint chip of the light blue looks quite bright (I don't actually have the chips this year), Bonnie's choices were paler. I'd say, use what looks best to you.

I went walking on Saturday, fell and cracked or bruised my ribs. I've regained significant mobility since then, so it seems like it must not be too bad. Did have some X-rays done today just to be sure.

Ouch! I took a tumble this year and ended up having X-rays and CT's. Seems they do everything when you are on a blood thinner. Anyway I spent about 6 hours in the ER. Nothing was broken.....until...I had a scan about two months later for another reason... Report read...recently fractured ribs....two of them. Yep, it was sore when I changed positions. Ribs feel fine now.

Thank you all for helping me be able to print out the introduction. I apparently didn’t go far enough to find the Printer Friendly highlighted spot. Once again you all came to my aid.
After looking carefully at the printed pages, I think this quilt may look good with less busy prints, more tone on tone and grunge. So, that’s what I am going for as I do a half size. What do you all think?

Terry in the ADK, I don't think you can go wrong with less busy prints with any Bonnie quilt Her patterns always end up looking intricate because of the number of pieces, so I think they have the greatest clarity when done with solids and tonals.

I'd love to hear your reasoning if you care to share. It looks like Bonnie's navies and neutrals are very busy this year. Can't wait to see what she has come up with.

Terry -- glad you got your PDF issues straightened out. I think when I post the links I will use the PDF friendly version. There is no content difference between the internet screen and PDF version, just some layout stuff.

As Joe's Mom said, Bonnie's designs are typically pretty busy and sometimes less is more. I think it will be great as you envision it. I think I use too many fabrics and should limit myself to maybe 6-8 per color group but I am trying to use up small scraps and 10" squares and other such things...

In past years I've often thought the all solids or one fabric per color quilts were usually very successful. This year Toverly is planning on combining both those options in their project, with one print and the rest solids. For a couple decades now we've been using "reads as solids" and personally, I really like the crispness that solids bring to a project but I also like the softer grungy/tone on tone look.

For those of you who have been hurting yourselves -- Ouch! Stop that! We need you in quilting or at least commenting shape :)

Today I have been keeping company with the hubby upstairs while trimming the Christmas string project I'm trying to get done or at least to a good holding point before Black Friday. I am all trimmed and mostly all paper peeled. Tomorrow is soon enough to be downstairs still obsessing over the light blues!

Thanks to IceBlossum for hosting this year! I just moved. With my quilting stuff mostly packed since August, Bonnie’s Winter Mystery has not been on my mind. Just downloaded the Intro and read through this thread. I am likely to be a lurker as my quilting stuff was first to be packed and last to be unpacked. All my fabric is still wrapped up in plastic wrap! Can’t wait to see the progress you are all making from week to week.