Stitches23

IceBlossom - you're backing is really cool. I love the bright colors and the print. I think a colorful and/or printed backing is so much more interesting than a plain one and I love how you're matching it to the top. That's thinking ahead. You quilt is going to look great!

TX325

I’m in! I’m going with green/coral/raisin instead of the pink/yellow/garnet. It’s my 2nd mystery. Looking forward to it!
Iceblossom- l really like your brights/stripes!

Iceblossom

TX325 -- ooo, I like raisin as a color!

Thanks to all for the positive comments on my pieced back. After collecting fabric for decades I have made a commitment to myself to use my stash whenever possible. There is nothing wrong with collecting fabric and I used to be very productive, but I decided that not only did I not need any more fabric, I actually wanted less... but I still love it all and I do buy when the need/mood arrives.

When I saw the paint chips this year, I instantly thought of the pink circle fabric and I had been thinking all year that I'd really like to use up some solids if I could. I couldn't think of anything I had in my stash that would have worked with the Grassy Creek/Silver Linings, so I bought the extra wide back. For Frolic I had a fun funky thrift store fabric that was exactly the right colors, and then Bonnie had us make extra units to preserve the mystery (many of us were not happy!), I had nothing else to use them for so I stuck them on the back..

As I say, I like to sew a bit each day. For the next week until the mystery begins I'm going to work on playing with fabric -- or at least that's what I call putting things away/cleaning up because it sounds so much better as play than clean up!

Terry in the ADK

I can’t believe that you have nothing to finish, no UFOs. I have so many half done projects I have no business starting a new one in eight days but oh well you got to do what you Gotta do!

Iceblossom

We each have our own approach and definitions for this "quilting" we do

I do have a couple of "works in progress" but nothing that would be completed between now and then, and all of which would require a lot of mess making and not so much cleaning up. One is my Barn quilt and I really need to sit down and do some paper piecing for practice. Last time I tried to get the hard blocks out of the way first, this time I have a donation quilt planned of paper pieced pandas to do first and then I'll start on the easy blocks for my project and work up to those tiny little hummingbirds... The other is more of a possibility, some vintage cross stitched blocks I got at the thrift store, I cut sashing for it and consider it more of a kit than a UFO. I do have a couple of projects (in addition to the pandas) that are planned, but I don't consider them as being either a UFO or WIP until fabric is cut. Collected is not yet a project -- but Rhododendron Trail is an official project because of the back and binding!

I'm pretty good about one project at a time, some times I will have two so I have a portable project for group/sewing with friends, and then my at home project. I used to be big on the finish the quilt entirely -- including quilting and gifting before starting the next one. Yeah, that was like 30-40 years ago! Then I started thinking of tops as completed projects that just weren't quite quilts yet. I think it is ok to want to spend my quilting time doing what I want to do the most -- and that is planning and piecing, not so much quilting. But I've amassed three tubs of tops and they are becoming a storage problem which is starting to motivate me a bit more in terms of quilting over piecing.

Sadly, I don't really transition well between piecing and quilting. I have to be motivated to be quilting and prefer to leave the settings (and needles and threads and such) as they are until the project is done.

tallchick

Welcome aboard! I loveeeeeee the fabrics you chose and I am looking forward to seeing how they all come together. I am totally on the fence about the colors, so it is a good thing I am just watching and waiting for the reveal.

Mumto2

I am also waiting......I finished off the projects I really wanted to have done and am looking for a week long project. I have many, which is the issue! My fabric bundle arrived.....not as thrilled as anticipated but I have what I need and may leave it alone. I will decide when I start making the blocks if I need more depth. It’s basically all the same shade of yellows, pinks, and creams. I do have some stash for those colors.

Iceblossom

I haven't done all that much cleaning and straightening but I've done some and I'm ready and waiting for Friday!! As part of the preparation I've sent some things from the cutting area out of the house, always a good feeling to share the joy and see the space.

Fabrics are prewashed, the back and binding made -- I'm ahead of the project for now but I'll know I'll have some trying to keep up in weeks ahead of me.

I got out my large container of clips and such. I've always been pretty good on my organizational skills, but Bonnie always make me use/practice those skills. I've found those little colored clips to be awesome, I also still use my super huge dollar store clips, laundry pins, safety pins, plastic bags, boxes and all sorts of stuff in my large container

Sherryquilts

I'm in! I always have a good time making the mystery quilt and I have finished the last 7(or 8) mysteries before the next one started - although Grassy Creek (last year's mystery) - I got done binding it on October 30th at 1:30am at a retreat because I wanted to be done before she sent out the colors for this year - I had 4 hours to spare! I use the colors she chose, mostly because she does a great job of picking colors, and usually not something I would choose. If someone is hesitating to join in because they think it will be too complex, she does a wonderful job of breaking down the clues into parts that are easy for all levels of skill, and in addition she gives great instruction - i.e. she doesn't say 'make 100 half square triangles', she gives a couple of different ways to make them and encourages you to make sure they are the correct size and if they aren't, she tells you how to correct the reason they aren't. Let the fun begin!!

sewingpup

I am trying to get my quilting space cleaned up enough for the first clue! Yikes...yesterday I spent all day going through two boxes of fabric either gathered for the mystery I did not do last year or left over from past mystery's. two boxes down and at least 6 more to go through filled will scraps and left overs and unstarted UFO's. So much for my stash organization project. The Larger fabric pieces I pulled from the two boxes and refolded for my shelves have now taken up all available space. Next stash deposit area, the attic. Well I have to move some finished quilts and left over batting up there so might as well haul some more fabric. OK...no more fabric for me. Did I hear someone say Accuquilt was having a sale today????