YukonViv

Anael, hi! Too bad that there isn't an overseas connection but you know what I found? Hamels is a local shop here in Canada and they are able to sign up people with online access only! If you choose your own fabrics you just have to wait to get the clue in the mail every month (it's only a few sheets of paper). It is a thought if you wanted to join us!

http://store.hamelsfabrics.com/store...&Item_ID=75517

Here in the Yukon we will be getting our clues on the second saturday of every month. I believe QuiltE's shop gets theirs sooner so there wouldn't be that much of delay in getting the mail.

I'm so stoked to see how this turns out, it's the special anniversary quilt so it should be fun.

Anael

Thanks Vivian. I had a look but either way you get fabric and that's not what I want. Besides when they have to send the instructions and fabric every month it will cost me a fortune Maybe there's no other way? I never participated in a mystery so I have no idea.

QuiltE

Anael ... you don't have to take the fabric option for the BCS Mysteries. It's the "safe" route as you know the designer has picked the fabric. I didn't use their fabric this past year. And plan to shop my stash again this coming year too. YukViv has chosen fabrics away from the set fabrics too.

That's part of the fun of the mystery ... to see how everyone's different choices come together in a pattern. Yes a risk, but with this designer, she does a wonderful job of guiding you to your fabric choices when you want to do your own thing, so the risk is minimized.

I bet we could arrange for the patterns to be scanned and emailed to you. So please just give YukViv and I the signal and we'll get it all sorted out and be quilting along with you!!

Please? Pretty Please?

(The Lazy Lap size is 77x77" and the Queen is 111x111". Mine will be the lap size, though that makes it pretty much a Twin, I think?)

Anael

I would love to quilt with you both When does it start? I hope not right now as I'm not able to cut fabric due to a wrist injury. This will be the first time I'm doing a mystery! I've seen the last one you made and it's gorgeous so I hope this one will too. I think I'm going to make the lap size too, that's big enough for me and my kitty

QuiltE

Anael ... here's the first one I did from this designer
[ATTACH=CONFIG]363475[/ATTACH]
And here's a link to her site ... http://www.bordercreekstation.com/index.html

I'm not sure of the dates with my LQS yet ... haven't been there yet to "officially" sign up. The shop is closed Monday's so I can't check with her yet.
The clues come once a month, once it gets started. And just like PC ... there's no rush, you just do it at your own speed!!!

We'll get it all sorted out, Anael ... and there'll be at least three of us doing it together ... and perhaps more??

Closer to the time, I'll start a new thread and see if we can rally more to join us this year!

Anael

Oh QuiltE, that's a gorgeous quilt! Tell me, how do you decide what colors to use with a mystery? Did you make this one with Christmas fabrics?

QuiltE

Thank you!!!!!!!

No it wasn't Christmas colours ... it was done a little different than the regular mysteries. Each month we were given a strip of fabric 3x22" and had to put it into the assigned block. You could use a little of it or a lot or all. Then you chose from your stash ... and/or the fabrics you'd already used in the previous blocks. I learned a lot about mixing and matching colours from that quilt. Still haven't got it all together, though came a long way on it. Oh .. just remembered, we had three colour choices to do that quilt ... the one above was the "darks", the one below were the "jewel tones" where all the fabrics we got were batiks. I gave it as a wedding gift ...
[ATTACH=CONFIG]363478[/ATTACH]

How do you choose the fabrics? ... she gives you the info. For example, this is something like what it said for last yr eg. Fabric #1 ... you will see lots of this fabric, make sure it's something you really like
Fabric #2 ... this one will contrast well with #1, and will bring a "pop" to the quilt.
Fabric #3 ... a medium colour to blend with the other two.
And of course, quantities.

What happens is, you will be told what to cut and what to make. You are then told to label them as A, B, C etc and put them in a baggie. A later step may say take 6 of the 12 A blocks and sew them to 6 of the 24 C blocks to make H. Get the idea?

.... and as you go thru each of the steps, you will "think" what it's going to be ... and usually it is not! Take a look at the steps in this thread, and you;ll see how they developed.

And don't let this scare you ... her instructions are very well written and it all comes together very easily!!

Anael

It's a good thing I don't have to choose between those two quilts because I would have wanted them both! The batik one is gorgeous too!

I get the idea and I guess we have to cut all fabrics according to instructions before sewing the first two pieces together? I'm not good at that......cutting first LOL. So I have to shop for fabrics I guess, either in my limited stash or at the LQS. It's a good thing the Day Care Centre gave me a gift card, that will help.
It might also teach me there are other background colors besides WOW. I love WOW and it's such a 'save' color

QuiltE

Actually I don't remember doing a lot of cutting up front. More so as we do each step. Of course, this time round perhaps not ... don't know til I see what it says.

The first clue ... will be the one that tells us the fabric quantities and how to choose the fabric.
Then the 2nd will be when we really get to work!

And if you have goodies in your stash ... just use them!

So hang tight on the shopping for now ... though take a look at the site and you can get a good look at the fabrics that she has chosen. Then you could compare that to YukViv's selection, and it'll give you an idea as to what you might want to head towards.

When I did this year's we had to have larger pieces, being there were only three fabrics, so it was hard to find fabrics in my stash that worked together. Had several pairs, and each I had to purchase the 3rd. This year with the number of fabrics, it'll be smaller quantities needed, so I'm hoping I can do it all for free!!!!

Anael

That would suit me, not cutting up front! I don't think I have 9 coordinating fabrics in my stash. I will have a look tomorrow as it's too dark already to have a proper look. I love YukViv's selection! I have a gorgeous batik I've been saving for a project and some coordinating fabrics but I need to look if I can find more in my stash that will go with those fabrics. Otherwise a trip to the shop is due but I'll wait till the first clue is given.