KalamaQuilts

This will be my fourth year. I was iffy when I heard it would be easier, I like complicated, but they are such a great way to use up a lot of fabric without worrying about if this will match that. The colors you do choose (or follow her suggestion) you use everything you've got. All your bright greens or all your reds, etc. It all looks great when finished.

Her mysteries are a world apart from the ordinary ones.

Included below is last years, Orca Bay, my choice of colors

and the colors I've chosen for this year, Yellows for brights, Rusts for mediums, and Spruce Green for darks.
There is also a 'constant' which is one color and sort of pulls things together, and background which this year is airy black prints on white.

The clues are revealed weekly (starting the 23rd this year I think)
The first week is always lots of cutting
There are generally 8-9 weeks of clues.

Everything you need to know is in the clues, although sometimes I think people don't read them and I wouldn't recommend it for the faint hearted or beginner. LOTS of small pieces, lots of triangles, etc.

There is a yahoo list
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/quiltvillechat/
exceptionally busy and no off topic during mystery, but off topic is sort of ok the rest of the year.
Hope to see you there.

BellaBoo

I have made two of Bonnie's Mysteries, both beautiful but so time consuming. If she said this was easy, meaning less small pieces then I'll give it a try. I have some lime green I didn't know what to do with and the colors are just what my youngest niece loves. So I'm in!

kristakz

Yep, she said 2 1/2 or 2" strips are the smallest pieces you need this year. No strings. No crumbs. I'm in!! Love her colours, so I hit the LQS sale yesterday (talk about good timing) and stocked up - on everything except black on white. I was planning to use just plain cream/white, but I'm having second thoughts and may just have to drop by for day 2 of the sale, to see if they put any black/white on the table.
I did orca bay last year - and as others have said, I loved it but it was a TON of work. I ended up making a smaller version, so this year I'm going to only cut/sew half of what she says, then I can always add more later if I want the bigger size.

KalamaQuilts, I love your Orca bay colours (mine were purple and orange/yellow). Is your dark green going to blend with the dark print on the left? Other than that question, I love the colours you have chosen this year.

KalamaQuilts

The two fabrics on the left (image above) were auditioning for the gray constant. After thinking about it overnight, i pulled them both and replaced it with a light green. Looks great with all three fabrics.

I've been working strictly from stash since going on the fabric wagon in 2001.
Looks like Red will be the main choice for next years mystery I'm running out of color options, but ye ha, it is wonderful to shop from stash, and I've saved a fortune staying out of fabric shops.

I Really admire Bonnie for blazing her own path against the mentality of buy buy buy

JJean

I am a huge Bonnie H. fan. Bonnie's directions are great and the quilt will be gorgeous. Be warned that the pieces will be small. I have the one from 2 years ago to complete. I started it with the idea of doing a twin and my husband loved it so much that he insisted that I make it a queen. I lost steam on it. I have it all pieced and ready to put the "chunks" together. Bonnie is wonderful. Some nights when she's home (she teaches a lot) she has a quilt-cam. You can watch her quilt! It's on her website. There are lots of wonderful free scrappy quilt patterns there too.

Nelco

I may jump in on this one also. Or print all the clues and work on it at my time. I will need to do some shopping as my fabric stash is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO low.

karenpatrick

I will be doing this one and I think I can do it in her colors without going shopping. You know, if you have to shop, you get beaten by a fat quarter!

kathbug

I have never done a mystery quilt being new at making quilts it makes me nervous not being able to see how it will all go together. I my just print it all and do it after I can see it all together . Sounds like fun though!

janbland

I'm in for this one. I didn't have those colors in my stash so I went shopping at fabric.com. I thought about using other colors but DH saw the Jamestown Landing quilt in the bright colors and thought it was so pretty. This will be "out of the box" for me.

skjack

Yes I am going to do this one. I don't have purples so will use oranges and use blues for turquoise, I was surprised I had the lime greens. will need few more black on whites. just need to decide on the constant grey either use something else or buy grey....