Those of you who have done the mystery quilts before, what sort of information can we expect with the first clue? Could you describe what your first clue consisted of last time around?

The suspense is a killer, isn't it? Once the first clue is laid down, it's exciting, and the action doesn't stop. The first clue usually uses a couple of the colors, and Bonnie gives cutting and assembly directions for one little piece. Gets your feet wet. As she says, just do what you can, but do some of each step at least so you are up to date, and can play along at the end. Sometimes that works for me, other times I just can't. In fact, one of the times, my procrastination played a big part in my changing my colors altogether! Most of all, have fun (and no whining)!

Joe'smom, I am now confused about your deliberations on colors.
I think the colors you chose are all great, but what is this about proportions? Won't BH tell us what color to put where in each piece?
Does this have to do with how much dark vs light shade of each color? Or how much white is in the print?

I'm still piling up fabrics (going for lollipop shades and 'grape' instead of black.) but now I'm sure I'm missing something!

The proportions are based on Bonnie's recommendations for how many yards of each color we'll need. That gives a little bit of a clue how prominent each color will be in the finished quilt.

I don't have a fabric stash, except for a few fat quarters, so I ordered black (for this and another project) on a flash sale today. But I put the beginning date in my phone (black Friday, I'll start the next day), and 2 dates before the end date. I job travel some years. My black has a bit of dark blue in it. But a grape color would also be pretty. I might go with more purple, as opposed to pure turquoise. I'll see what I can find at the shop.

I'll be visiting the quilt shop near me, and watch the sales for the rest. pink? hmm...I wonder how a coral would look, or a lavender colored pink would look? I've only made one quilt, and the one I'm working on now. I hope I've got enough experience.

I also need to get the 6 1/2 inch angled ruler.

If the top is 88x88 or 7,744 sq inches why call for 13 yards (19,656 sq in) of material? Would these requirements include the back?

wow the mystery deepens......and IF it includes the back......would the back be black, black and white......wooo,wooo only the shadow (err, Bonnie) knows

If I wait till I'm paid again next Friday, I could do the entire quilt, except the black and neutral in Joel Dewberry...there we go, a designer scrappy quilt.

I wondered that too, seemed even w/ seam allowance and small pieces to be a very excessive amount of fabric.

It does seem like a lot, but if you think about it, the seam allowances do eat up a bunch of fabric. For example, a 2.5 inch square of fabric is 6.25 square inches (2.5 times 2.5). It finishes out at 2 inches in the quilt, which is 4 square inches (2 times 2). That's only 64% of the fabric you started with. And since Bonnie tends to use fairly small pieces, the seam allowances will acccount for a lot of fabric. Hope that helps!

SueSew, don't worry, you're not missing anything. When I put up my wheel of strips, I used one of each color, and then started again, one of each color going around the wheel. Then I was whining (!) that I didn't like the black, and didn't like my yellow. peaceandjoy pointed out that going by Bonnie's intro information, there was more white (neutral) than anything else in the quilt (calls for 3 yds), then next in prominence were the black, pink, and blue, followed by smaller amounts of the yellow and green. So I re-did my strip wheel using most white, next most black, pink and blue, and less yellow and green. It was just an effort to see how the colors all looked together, rather than separated into color groups.

Rhondals, I'm so glad you'll be joining in. Which Joel Dewberry line were you thinking of? That's an interesting idea!

Are Bonnie's quilts straight forward, or difficult? They look gorgeous on the website.

The True colors Hawthorne collection.

I seem to be a fabric snob. Also a yarn snob. Kind of a textile snob all around. it's the Embroidery Guild that made me this way....argh a scrap? Who made that scrap?

So, like I do my aida cloth, I kind of organized it as Hoffman, Kaufman, Dewberry, Liberty of London, Fabric Traditions, etc. But I don't have much of a stash. That is how it's organized.

I have never done one of her mystery quilts or even read the directions for one - does she have directions for a pieced back also??? Or, are we on our own for the backs????

Yikes... so many questions! You do realize that any answers given to these questions are pure speculation? Nobody knows what's coming, except that it will probably be beautiful like all Bonnie Hunter quilts. Wait and see!

I, for one, am thrilled that it starts on Black Friday. I'm boycotting all shopping on that day (hate mobs) so it will give me something fun to do instead! Yay.

Bonnie's instructions are very straight forward and easy to follow. She tends to work in 3-1/2" squares (or at least did on the last 3 mysteries), but can have up to 6 pieces of fabric per square.
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I've not seen her give instructions for a pieced back. But she does include the border in her instructions.

That is very nice.

My son wants me to get in line at Bass Pro Shop on Thanksgiving so we can get hand guns...really? He is 23, and already has one, but wants another. And I want one...but standing in line on Thanksgiving for it? Can we get them before that? I love Black Friday, it's so much fun...then I'll come home and work for a while so my next check isn't too short. I work from home, unless I job travel or audit medical charts at local clinics.

On Saturday I'll begin the quilt. Sundays are football days, but I do needlework then until the game starts. I can't do needlework or sewing during the football game.

Thanks Joes Mom! Now my fabric problems are solved!

Rhondal, those Joel Dewberries are amazing - Should be a lot of fun to see it come together!

I am not phased by 3 1/2" squares but would prefer NOT to do it in bits and pieces. Once I get my head around a block construction visually and I can make the blocks accurately, I prefer to do it all at once, or my consistency drops dramatically. I have a terrible time doing something the same way twice!!! LOL This is going to be a lot of fun!!!

I will be out of town with my sons football team over the TGiving weekend. Part of me wants to bring my MQ fabric and cutting tools... I doubt I'll have time to atually use them though. Yes- I'm that crazy! :)

There's a quilt shop shop hop this weekend, so I might be able to do some of Dewberry, and the rest see what's available.

I have my fabrics picked, ironed and ready for the first clue! Very excited to be participing again!
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Your fabrics look great, Tweety.

did anyone else just watch Jeopardy and notice that Pat's shirt was the yellow and Vanna's dress was the aqua​ ?

Did anyone win a trip to Mackinac? :D

Your fabrics look great. Still need to starch and iron mine.

oops...I meant wheel of fortune ...................oh, well, senior moment

Joe's Mom: What a difference your modifications made to your color wheel. The colors look great together!

I love what you chose. I don't have a fabric stash. But your colors are perfect.

On the question of neutrals, do you think if you aren't using a large variety of neutrals, you should stick to just one? I'm currently looking for a neutral to use throughout the quilt, to replace my numerous black and white prints, something that would add a little more interest than my current neutrals that read as white. Suppose I find two I like, or three. Would it look strange to use a small number like two or three, rather than sticking with just one? I hope my question is clear. If you're going with a variety of neutrals, how big a variety do you think it needs to be?

This is always my dilema with scrappy quilts. In my opinion, you need more than 2-3 to make it scrappy and not risk it looking unbalanced. Personally I'd want 5-10. I did my first BH mystery (Orca Bay) scrappy. But I only had I think 5 (maybe 6) black/white prints. And I felt stuck - it was difficult to spread the fabrics out so I didn't have a clump all the same together. Rather than 2-3, I'd stick with one if you don't want to go all-out scrappy.

Ah, but that's the beauty of Bonnie's mystery. You will do ALL of one block part at once. So, for example in the Celtic Solstice quilt that someone posted a photo of, all of the those green/yellow pieces were made in the same step. And then you never needed to make another chevron (thank goodness! :) )

The trick is to not get scared when Bonnie says 'cut 200 2.5" squares'. This is why I do half-size quilts LOL

That's why I also do half-size quilts. :)

You can google the Valspar paint company and find all these colour chips on line. We don't have Lowe's here and I didn't feel like driving an hour to a shop that carries that paint brand. Just in case anyone else is interested in looking at them this way.

Thanks so much for this input! It looks like I have just enough non-black neutrals I can use if I don't find a single fabric I want to use throughout.

Take it with you. Gives you something to do in your hotel room. I take projects all the time on travel but usually by myself.

oh, Kristakz, tell me there is an 'extra' zero there......really 20, right not that other number

I'm afraid the number will be more like 200 than 20. Bonnie likes to work with lots of small pieces. But as Kristakz suggests, you can always do a half or quarter size quilt.

The Mystery I did, that is not finished yet only had 600 2" hst's.

ok, good to know, wrapping my mind around this.......sure that some will be chain pieced,,,,the trick there is to not run out of bobbin thread !