Carrie: So right, what a great line of fabric to put in the mystery. It continues the story that Bonnie started.

Boy this count down to the start is really slow!!!!!!! lol but I have put the binding on 3 quilts so far,still have a few to go.Also making some table runners for Christmas gifts.Jo

Here are my fabric choices. Bonnie's colors are right up my alley, so almost 100% of this was from stash. I did order the yellow. I didn't go with exactly the same shades as the paint chips, but stayed pretty close. I'm excited to get started!

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Colorfulom I love all your fabrics, they are awesome!

Colorfulom, I love your fabric choices. You have a nice variety of shades and prints in all the fabrics. Can't wait to see your progress.

Colorfolum, nice selection of fabrics. There are a couple in your aqua section that have white backgrounds. Depending on the size of the pieces used may show up as your neutral instead of the aqua.

Lovely yellow. That is what I am missing and trying not to buy fabric as my stash is overrunning several rooms.

Beautiful fabrics, colorfulom! That yellow is fab!

Great collection of fabrics!

Yes, it's too long to wait! Are we going to be sick of these colors by the time we start? :)

Wish I had kept looking for a yellow that I like as much as yours, colorfulom. Too late now, I can't buy more fabric. I did last year's mystery from my stash, not this year!

I have an extra yellow and turquoise/aqua paint chip if anyone needs them. (Couldn't get the pink or green.) PM me if you want them. Thanks!

Here are my fabric choices. I was on the fence about doing this mystery until I remembered a bunch of fat quarter bundles I got at Tuesday Morning a while back. The blues and greens were perfect. Then I found the yellow and a few pinks, plus more greens and blues and I was in. I was thinking of doing all plain black and plain white but then found all these blacks. Still don't know about the neutrals. I wanted to pull mostly from my stash but don't have many neutrals that I like with this mix. At this point it's still a work in progress. Might just have to dig a little deeper.

QuiltsRfun....is that a Husqvarna I see in the picture???? :) I have a Sapphire 945 myself. ;)

Yes, it's the 935. Do you FMQ with yours?

I have in the past yes, but nothing huge. I still have 'training wheels' on :)

Lovely fabrics! I am loving these pics of everyone's choice of fabrics, and imagining what their quilt might look like.

quiltsRfun, I'm so glad you found fabrics that will work. I'm fascinated when I hear about people 'finding' things in their stash. My stash is pretty small and all out where I can see it. I don't think I could cope with stash I couldn't see at a glance. But my shelves are all filled to the max, so I have no idea what I will do with the next fabric I buy, lol.

Joe'smom, my stash isn't very big either. I had to supplement the green, pink and blue with a couple of fat quarters each. But the majority is stash. I'm trying to not buy a lot more fabric and find projects for all those impulse purchases so this mystery helped. But I do allow myself a few "fillers" when it contributes to the cause. Although it might just be a sneaky way to go fabric shopping. ;)

Senior Moment?
 

I'm still learning, too. And for the record, my machine is an 870 not a 935. How I ever made a mistake like that I'll never know.

This is my first mystery quilt as well. Instead of going scrappy, I bought batiks at the Houston quilt show. I just need black and neutral and I'm good to go! I wish she had given cutting instructions so we could be all ready to go!

I have just stumbled on to Bonnie Hunter. Should you do one of her other quilts before trying the mystery quilt?

I have never done a mystery quilt before so am a little nervous.

Thanks for any insights.

I have settled on my fabrics, for the most part. I had some pinks and blues in my stash, hardly any bright green or black. My stash pinks tended to be somewhat warmer than the color card, so I went with this warmer version of the pink.

I had trouble choosing a yellow. I decided I needed to see smaller pieces, so I prepared my fabrics for cutting and worked with the scraps I had left over after I'd straightened all the edges. My fabric stacks are quite flat now (being folded for cutting), so I photographed the scraps instead.

With the scraps on the wall, it was easy to see which yellow worked best. I also realized I had a lot of toned down fabrics that looked terrible, so I got rid of those.

It was surprising to me how the fabrics looked all together. When I'd had the scraps separated by color, it all seemed so bright. With the fabrics together, it does not look as bright to me. I decided only my white neutrals were working. If things start looking too cluttered, I may switch to white on white fabrics for the neutrals.

I like the palette better without the black. Actually, on the circle photo, I vastly prefer the side without the yellow (ran out of strips). Does this mean I have the wrong yellow, or that I don't like yellow with black? I feel as though I need a brighter, stronger, more orange yellow, but I have been striking out when ordering on line, and I haven't found anything appropriate at my usual stomping grounds.

Maybe use mid-grays for the black? But that would most likely mess up the pattern. I don't care for the darker grays. A deep purple might be the best alternative to black. I will probably stick with black in the end.

Joe'smom, I love it.

joe'smom, I love the shades you are using! Is the yellow the one we had messaged about? I think it has more white in it than mine (there were several prints in the line), but the same color. If you can find something a bit more vibrant, try that.

Also, remember than there will be more black and white than color, as well as that aqua (your blue) and pink than yellow or green.

Your way of auditioning fabrics is brilliant! I am going to try to remember that. In the circle, the bottom half does have more of the white, but also more of the yellow. Try increasing the pinks and blues while decreasing the yellow.
Estimated yardages: Neutrals 3 yds; Black, 2 1/4 yds; Pink, 2 yds; Aqua (blue), 2 1/3 yds; Yellow, 1 5/8 yds (without binding); and Green, 1 1/2 yds. Try rearranging the scrap pieces closer to that ratio and see what you think.

I don't generally care for a black background. Or maybe I do. Calico Gals in Syracuse is doing a block of the month (pattern is free if you subscribe to their e-mail); the background is black and the fabrics are solids - which I also do not like... But it is stunning http://www.snapretail.com/retailer/T...onsumer/616393 Maybe I DO like black and solids, lol. Alternatively, I do think a deep purple or dark navy would work.

OK - hope this is not a stupid question but can someone please post the number of the color swatch cards for this Mystery Quilt. I see the page on Bonnies blog but can't make out the numbers on the cards. If they're posted somewhere else on the blog I haven't come across them. I sent a few pm's to folks from this thread but haven't gotten any responses yet. Thanks for any help with this.

craftyone27, did you click on the link in the first post, and then click on 'Introduction'? Bonnie gives all the information, plus the inspirational hotel photos. The yellow card is 2008-1, lightest shade; green is 6005-10, darkest shade; blue is 5008-10, 2 lightest shades; pink is 1003-1, 2 darkest shades.

peaceandjoy, yes, that is the yellow we discussed. Thank you for reminding me about the proportions! I will try some adjustments.

Download the Introduction and you'll find them. Although I had to read carefully because they're included in the text rather than being listed all together. Don't have my cards right now or I'd just give you the numbers.

And I see Joe'mom beat me to it.

Yellow - 2008-1A 1B 1C Teal - 5008 - 10A 10B 10C Pink - 1003 - 1A 1B 1C Green - 6005 - 10A 10B 10C Hope this helps.

It's a Sew Steady and I love it. I'd like it better if it was on a table with a cutout so it's all one level but this works for now. The advantage to this setup is that I can keep my scissors, pins, seam ripper, etc. under the Sew Steady and out of the way.

Everyone, your colors are fabulous!!

BerninaGirl, I think you can jump right in with the mystery - all of Bonnie's quilts are scrappy, but none seem to be especially difficult. This will be my first BH quilt too!

I hope that you join the fun, BerninaGirl. Bonnie' s instructions are very clear and she includes lots of photos. There is nothing really hard about her quilts - maybe more pieces than what you've done before. Trust us...you will expand your piecing skills, color choices, or simply increase the number of pieces as I've mentioned, but you will definitely do something new or step out of the box! :-) And, you will end up with an absolutely beautiful quilt that you will be very proud of!

Bonnie has a few of her older mysteries on her homepage. Take a look at those to get a feel for how they work.

I can hardly wait!

Berina Girl: You definitely don't have to do one before you do a mystery. She really does do a great job with her instructions and if something isn't clear just ask. There is always someone that has an answer. Don't be afraid, trust me, you'll have a great time. The best part is at the end you'll have a quilt you will be proud of.
Joe'sMom: I wonder what a brighter yellow would do to your layout. Love how you audition your colors.

LOL...here's one better... I was wrong too...mine is an 875.

Well now I don't feel quite so foolish. :)

I'm going to attempt this.

Joe's mom - thanks for sharing your fabric auditioning method. That is a useful tip I will add to my skillbox. LOL I need to work on getting my neutrals, otherwise, I feel ready, sort of...

I think adjusting the color proportions made a big difference. It doesn't seem as weighed down by the black. I used three white to two black, blue and pink, to one green and yellow. I think the yellow looks warmer and richer in the midst of more white, than in the photo I posted earlier. I also took out the neutral whites with black, and used quieter ones; they don't add any interest, at least from photo distance. I think what I might do is look for one fabric to use as a neutral throughout, one that will add some interest without adding black. If nothing turns up, I think I will be fine using the neutrals I have assembled.

The pictures here are: 1)The circle I posted earlier, 2) The circle with the proportions adjusted, the black and whites removed and with two of the dotted yellow on the right and one slightly deeper yellow on the left, 3) The same photo, but with all the yellows being the slightly deeper one, 4) The same but with a much brighter yellow. I feel content with the yellow dot at this point.

peaceandjoy, I also admire black with brights, yet never feel inclined to do one. Maybe someday!

Thank you, everyone, for your comments and input!