Holly, your colors look great, but I'd put that one in the lower right corner in with your neutrals, instead. Everything else is perfect.

Oh how I LOVE Fraew's batiks! Drool-worthy....

Here are my crazy 4 patches, so far. They are crazy, but they are neutrals.

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Some more twosies ready to be joined:
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I like crazy! They look great!

It is fun to see everyone's fabrics. Here is a link to another combination that I think is really cool. http://susansquiltcreations.blogspot...uilt-2016.html

I love your crazy 4-patches, sewbizgirl! I'm so curious as to how these will be used in the quilt.

I'm still sub-cutting my strips; should be able to start sewing today (and, hopefully, twirling!).

sewbizgirl, your crazy 4 patches are awesome!!!! Can't wait to see them in your quilt.

Love those crazy 4 patches too and I also love those batiks. I'm hoping mine aren't too white.

Love that link, gorgeous new color way.

I've been on the fabric wagon since 2001. If I ever fall off the wagon I hope it is near a shop with nothing but neutrals :)
I never get tired of looking at everyone's take.

I'm doing 1/4 size this year, made 60 4 patches

holly8611 - Your fabric selection looks so much like mine! I even see some of the fabric you have is the same as mine...including that fuchsia constant! And, you added a batik-how daring and fun! I may have to do the same. I am low on purples in regular cotton, but I know I have some purple batiks I can pull. Something in me twitches when I think of mixing the fabrics like that.....but this may be an opportunity to peek out of that closed box/comfort zone!

I have to try to figure out how to post photos better....

How funny that we have the same constant! I admit the quilt shop I went to for the magenta didn't have many options but I really like the one I found. I'm excited to see how it is used with all these neutral four patches.

Holly, I agree with SewBizGirl - the light one in the bottom right corner is too light but would work great with the neutrals. I like the other two for the dark purple. I really want that magenta! I am having trouble finding one I am happy with.

Enjoying seeing everyone's fabric choices and all the 4-patches. I thought I would be farther ahead than I am. I know, I know - it isn't a race but I just thought I would be whipping through those easy-peasy 4-patches and I would be done in no time, but it hasn't been the case. Guess I better quit "oohing and awing" over everyones' fabric choices and 4-patches and get to it. Happy 4-patch sewing, everyone!

My neutral drama may be over. I think this fabric set will be my neutrals, who would have thought a simple black / white would be so difficult. My fabric stores are so limited guess I'm going to have to bite the bullet and do more online fabric shopping. I am also thinking about adding or changing to my yellow (white) w/ the cat fabric. Not finished w/ the 4 patches but here is a look of how it's coming.

KalamaQuilts, Congratulations! I'm impressed. I wish I had that fortitude! When I want to sew something to keep for myself, I usually buy a little of this and that on sale. Most of my fabric was given to me, and I love to sew to share it or donate it on account of that.

Kassaundra, Your cat fabrics are darling! I have some of that circle gray fabric, and I like it a lot. Your quilt is certainly going to be unique! :-)

Kassaundra, those 4-patches look fantastic! I think the plain white pops better than the cats.

Do you have an orts jar this time?

Ready for clue 2! I have about 120 crazy 4-patches ready for my half sized quilt.

Really like your blackish 4 patches, Kass... with your other fabrics they are perfect. Love all the cat fabrics too.

Has anyone figured how many (what percentage) units we should make for say a lap size. I seem to recall BH said make half for a smaller one but what is smaller?

Half the units should be safe. You can always make adjustments later.

Being a bystander just got too much for me! All I could think about was joining in the fun, so I will be making a half size:) I'm trying to make it on a buget, so every fabric is from my stash. I'll be using greens/ light teal in place of the purples, a red wine color for the green, a buttery yellow for the yellow and a black and pink floral for the constant. And I found a really pretty neutral for my two-toned 4-patches, which I hope to finish today. I hope I have enough of the constant! I really don't want to buy a special ruler, so I was wondering if any of you veteran mystery-makers know if Bonnie will have suggestions for alternitive methods for the triangles, like the magic 8 method?

So glad you're joining in, NZQuilter! I've done two mysteries before this, and each time, Bonnie has given instructions for those not using the recommended rulers.

Thanks for the heads up!
 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]562972[/ATTACH]Thanks so much for the hint about making a copy of the clues before February 1st. I've decided to try the mystery quilt this year. It will definitely be the largest one I've ever done but I look forward to the challenge. I have my neutral fabrics cut but now I have to work with my daughter for time on the sewing machine.

I saw the quilt dimensions a few weeks ago but can't seem to find them again. Anyone? Thank you!

Thx Jeanie!

Ah, so even a half sized is going to be pretty big. I'm hoping to get something like 60x60 out of half the squares... we'll see.

Love your butterfly fabric, ddtrina. That's going to be one beautiful quilt.

Well, I guess you can count me IN on this mystery quilt.
I just broke down and purchased the fabric, which should arrive within two days.
Guess I'll be real busy this weekend sewing four-patches!

I'm hope for about the same. I'm making a few extras because I will probably add to it in some form, like make it 50x70" or something.

I've been dithering about joining this one. Since moving to my apartment I've not done a lot of quilting as I no longer have a dedicated area. Every time I try to do a project it looks like an explosion has taken place in a fabric store! I envy people who can sew neatly. However, since I have a huge stash I really need to pare down, I've decided to deal with the mess and go for it. Someone earlier posted a different colourway I liked better than Bonnie's, so under the guise of imitation being the best form of flattery, I'm going with blues instead of purple and deep red instead of magenta. I tried to find a neutral with some movement in it since I'm only doing one fabric per colour. I hope this one works.
ETA: the colours are richer than the pic shows - the flash washed the colours out somewhat.
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Welcome to our group. It's going to be a fun few weeks working on this mystery quilt.

Bonnie will provide finished and unfinished unit sizes for each of the clues. She will show a method using the specialty rulers. If not using the rulers, you can use any other method you are aware of that will give you a unit that measures the same as the size that she provides in each clue. She also said she would be providing templates for some of the units also that can be used in place of a specialty ruler.

Good to see you. Yes--go for it--a mess is a small price to pay for the pleasure of making a quilt. I live in a very small house, so I understand. Great fabrics!

So happy to see more quilter's joining the fun! Belfrybat, I like your color choices. If you could take a look at my dining room you would run. I have fabric all over the place, my sewing cabinet is open and ready (taking up more space), Ironing board set up on counter....and I don't care! Just so happy to be doing this mystery and so glad you are joining in.

Same here in a small home so understand the no room to hide the mess situation.

Well, I had another neutral in my stash that I like, so instead of a one color neutral I decided on Bonnie's alternate suggestion of two fabrics for all the four patches. Just getting started on them but here is what they look like. And I found it much easier to spin the centers than I thought. My first new skill on this quilt!!
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Thanks to everyone for sharing pictures and advice.

This is my first Bonnie Hunter mystery. I decided I wanted to see if she gave a definition of neutrals and was happy to find info on her thoughts of what neutrals looked like to her. I also paid close attention to the fact that I should be putting the floppy side of the seam through the machine first. I usually try to do this but after reading this info from Bonnie, I watched how I fed them through. I still had a few that didn't want to swirl properly but I'm satisfied with getting almost all to swirl. :)

I have 223 4 patches. I don't plan to make a quilt her size but figured I could use the leftovers for a different project. I am thinking either two quilts about 40 by 45" or a quilt about 60 by 80" like someone else mentioned.

Connie

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Ok, I'm gonna start in the shallow end of this pool and try half of Bonnie's large size. It is very difficult to be a lurker on this thread. No one to tell you all the slots are filled! So you have drawn me in. Only until I see if I can keep up. Everyone's 4 patches are wonderful but my ADD brain doesn't do scrappy without a fight. So I went with structured scrappy. Hope to finish my fours on Friday before I look at the next clue. Ha, I'll probably be checking it at 645am. :p

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Not 100% with my magenta but I have enough of this to make the Statue of Liberty a bath robe so thought I'd see if it would work so I could deplete my supply down to a bathrobe for me, maybe!?!?!

Retired teacher, love your 4-patches---great selection of neutrals! Last year was my first BH mystery, so you are in good company.

GramE, love your colors and glad someone else is doing the "just 2 neutral" four patches too! I think your magenta will provide just the right pop of color! Love your bathrobe analogy!!

so glad there are so many of us joining in this year!! I have 4 quilts going right now, so will probably be dragging up the rear of this group!!

Jeanne S, I just finished my third Boom in 5 months, I have more UFO's than Area 51!

LOL!! I'm gonna have to remember that one! :D

GramE, I am swooning over your neutrals. So gorgeous!

I successfully twirled today! Thanks to everyone who explained and encouraged!