Thanks for getting us started!

Can someone tell me simply what the mystery quilt involves. I have never done or participated in something like this. It does sound interesting but all of you know what you are talking about. Thanks

In any mystery quilt you never know what the final result will be until you already have it cut and many of the units stitched together. Bonnies are not simple, but are usually two blocks combined that make a flow through pattern.

Some are very simple, where you might just end up with 12 churn dashes or whatever block pattern then just sew them together. Those might be done over a day or three. Bonnies starts stitching the end of November, you get a clue every Friday, and it ends when she shows the reveal of her finished quilt. A few times they have gone into mid January, last few years they've ended on New Years day.

a Google image search for Bonnie's mystery quilts gives you an idea of what we've made in the past.
https://www.google.com/search?q=bonn...w=1364&bih=611
Bonnie is a scrappy quilter so if she is using a dark blue as one of the colors she will be using 20+ dark blues.
You can use just one blue, your choice. Or change the colors completely.

in the first or second post of this thread you'll have the link to her site with the fabric amounts needs.

NZquilter, I hope it works out that you can join in! I think what Bonnie said was that she'd be away during one of the clues, and that clue would probably be easier because she wouldn't be here to field questions.

I lucked out with the palette this year, as I could not be spending a lot on fabric and dark blues are my most plentiful group.

I suppose it's just as well that I did not have the chips this year, as I then would likely be disappointed with my subdued versions of the colors. This is the closest I've ever come to doing a Bonnie mystery from stash. I've ordered a few pieces of aqua and a constant green (I hope it works out; you never know when choosing by computer). My medium blues are very muted (except for that batik scrap), so I hope that won't be a problem. Do you think I should remove those two darker reds?

Bonnie will post one clue per week, starting on Black Friday. A clue consists of detailed directions for making a unit. There hasn't been anything overly difficult in the years I've been doing the mystery; I would say the challenge of Bonnie's quilts is in the number of something we're required to make, as her quilts tend to have lots of small pieces. Not everyone can keep up with the mystery schedule, and that's fine. We all finish at our own pace. Bonnie suggests that if you haven't finished one week's clue, go on to the next with everyone else so you can get the hang of making the unit.

It's such fun to share progress and see everyone's units. Bonnie also has a Facebook page, 'Quiltville's Open Studio,' where the sharing goes on.

Last night I reread Bonnie’s opening post and she mentioned that this quilt could be done with single fabrics in each color. My stash realistically gets me halfway to enough fabric so I need to buy. I am starting to contemplate making it out of one fabric that I love in each shade. She also mentions using a very pale pink in the background which I would possibly prefer.

Mumto2, I made last year's out of blender fabrics and loved the look. It was the first time I actually purchased fabrics for the Mystery. The only place it threw me off was one color, orange. Bonnie required strings being made out of several oranges and I just cut one rectangle in one color. The look was great but oh, the extra orange fabric I had left over. Luckily, I live in FL where orange is everywhere.

I will be taking that class too! I’m taking the classes on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and can’t wait!

Quilted Twins has a kit for the entire quilt online, as does one etsy store. But my stash has enough. Some 2” strips, some 2.5” strips, some 10” squares, and some pieces under 1/4 yard. Ya think I just might have too much fabric? Might need a little more green; we will see.

mopec, we also share fabric choices trade tips or alternate construction. About midDec, people start guessing how the final quilt will look. It is a lot of fun.

That makes three of us QBoarders in BH's Ship classes. We must do lunch! I'm local and I know where all the quilt shops are in the area. Search on this board for "Legendary Tour". Its a write up of QV and my tour of 13 shops.

Since I already take Parkinsons meds and have cut off a good portion of my left index finger with a rotary cutter, I will be cutting everything on the accuquilt. I hope she will tell me which die I need. She did make a comment that if she were to reveal the accuquilt die to be used for the mystery, it would give it away. I'm not really safe with a secret, but I sure hope I already have the die.