Bonnie Hunter Winter Mystery 2021/2022 - Rhododendron Trail
 

It's time for the Bonnie Hunter Winter Mystery project for this year! This year's mystery is called "Rhododendron Trail" and the color/yardage has been released so we can start our planning. The actual cutting and sewing begins on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving, this year is Nov 26). Clues/directions are released mostly weekly with a queen sized finished top being the goal sometime around January-February.

Here's the first clue:
https://quiltville.blogspot.com/2021...e-mystery.html

You don't need to join anything to do the mystery, but you will need to go look/download/print the clues. As the clues are released they will be updated in this thread, but I do recommend a link to the site as well, as well as printing hard copies.
https://quiltville.com/index.html

Bonnie asks that those of us who post do not spoil the mystery for others. That includes posting actual numbers and counts of things, including measurements, as well as spoilers in terms of final layout. It's fine to say "I got half my blocks done today" but not "16 out of 34". While we can share other construction techniques (be careful of cutting mats and rulers and such in photos), she takes great care in her own directions and tutorials -- they are indeed very good and deserve to be recognized as hers. While there can be confusion from time to time, the answers we seek are there, and besides, the way the internet works traffic to her site is good. It can be frustrating to come here and need a simple answer like "3.5" instead of a link to the clue and description of where the information can be found but we are guests to Bonnie's mystery party and we are going to try and play by the rules.

Mystery projects are not for everyone. If you choose to do it in "real time" there is quite a bit of sewing each week. Twenty-some years ago there is no way I had the time as a single working mother during the holiday season... Now it gives me something nice to do at home during a slow time of the year instead of scurrying about during the bleakest part of winter! I like to sew a bit every day, usually Bonnie's mystery keeps me going during the duration. Writing up this post made me realize that I enjoy the sew-along aspects more than the mystery. I'm always fascinated by what everyone is doing with their projects and how they are the same yet so different.

The projects are large and do require quite a bit of fabric, I would feel differently about it if I had to go out and buy all the yardage. She does give recommendations on making half the number of units to make a smaller project. Bonnie's normal style is quite scrappy, this is a great time to use up little bits and pieces and fat quarters and such.

Likewise. it is hard to commit when you don't know whether or not whether you are going to like it. Bonnie's style is not my style, nor are her construction techniques but she has style and people love her projects. I have all the rest of the year to work in my style, and I'm actually finding it rather freeing to give over the design decisions to someone else, and that the few times I really am not so happy with my fabric decisions or whatever -- hey, it's a mystery and some things are going to happen for good and for bad. Plus any scrappy project, things happen but when you step back they are usually just fine.

Some people prefer to watch the mystery as it happens and then decide whether or not to make the project. Non-participants and lurkers are welcome posters too. Personally, I enjoy the push of doing it real time as well as having some surprises in the design. Honestly, 2020 was a hard year for me in many ways. I had a bit of a breakdown at the end of the year and I didn't finish in real time but I was able to complete it on a slower time line, not everyone is first to be done https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/smile.png

While we are being truthful, there are a lot of Bonnie Hunter UFOs out there, mystery or otherwise. It happens for all sorts of reasons. We are here in quilting fellowship for encouragement and support and hopes of completed quilts. So welcome! Whether it is back (this will be my third in a row) or for your first mystery/first Bonnie Hunter, or just for the quilt party. Bonnie Hunter (on her site) as well as our participants here always have awesome stuff to share.


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Will it be OK to ask about converting the cutting directions to which Accuquilt die can be used when Bonnie posts the weekly assignment?

She specifically states that it will give too much information away.

I always look forward to these mysteries. Thanks for hosting Iceblossom.

I'm on the fence. Most of my favorite quilts are BH quilts, but I really don't care for this year's colors. While I've changed out colors before, from one to all, I'm just not feeling it this year. At the same time, if I don't play along, I know I'll miss it, lol. And this year I definitely have more time than I've had in the past, a I am retired AND we will not have any family with us for the holidays this year.

Basically, what I'm saying is, I'm going to do it but in different colors, to be determined, lol!

I love Bonnie herself. Constantly enthusiastic, creative honest... But that said I don't think I can handle one of her mysteries. I love watching them unfold and cheering others on. Lood guck my friends!

Quilted Twins is carrying a fabric bundle with all the colors. https://www.quiltedtwins.com/shop/c/...-x60431222.htm .

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Thanks for organizing this. I have done the mysteries a few years in a row, and I, too, enjoy the quilt along aspects. I love this year's colors and look forward to seeing how things go for you all! I'm going to sit on the sidelines a while and see how I progress with the UFOs I'm working on.

I am looking forward to the next clue. I like how I can use up my scraps with her quilts. It is fun to see how everyone's quilt progresses on these pages. I use my accuquilt cutter as much as I can.

I’m in!
I think I can use mostly fabric from my stash, but to be honest, I have yet to look. My Official Fabric Sorting Area (that is, the floor outside my fabric filled closet) is currently buried under FMQ practice sandwiches and my FMQ sampler quilt.
I should finish quilting the project that was my leader/ender for Grassy Creek in a few days. That will clear both physical and mental space to look at my fabrics. I have 2 baby/toddler quilts to do by February, so I may prep the fabric to use those as this year’s leader/enders. And I have that FMQ sampler and a small whole cloth to finish by mid-December.
So, of course I’m ready to tackle the next BH mystery!