QuiltingLawyer

Here's my reflection on this year's mystery.... Many people do this mystery every year and it follows the same course each year. So this year she decided to drastically change how you build the units. This allows for way more mystery because you have no idea what is going on.

The problem that I'm having is that it is really confusing. This clue in particular is super confusing. I'm going to have to read through it several times to make sure I'm doing it right. And keeping track of the way everything is pressed so it nests together correctly is really overwhelming. It may just be that my life right now has me overwhelmed and that is clouding my judgment, but this is a lot to keep track of and separated and pressed and fiddly.

I'm very excited for the reveal and know that I'm going to love it because I love my colors and fabrics. It's just a little overwhelming and I'm spending more time cutting and double checking directions and organizing and counting then actually sewing.

SusieQOH

I am overwhelmed right now.
I didn't realize it was going so fast. I thought her mysteries were over several months. (This is my first)
I spent all last evening trimming my blocks for clue 5. Yikes!!!!!!!!

QuiltingLawyer

I knew it was just over the holidays typically ending the beginning of January. This is the first time I've done one in real time. Usually I wait until the reveal and then decide if I want to make it. I feel like she's never focused so much on how things are cut and pressed though. It's kind of anxiety inducing. Like if you press something wrong it's not going to fit into the quilt right. That is very stressful to me as a Type A personality.

KalamaQuilts

the pressing is just a learning curve, you don't have to do it that way. And many times she doesn't specify so it won't matter. But when she does, it is so units nest when assembling. Please don't stress, take want you want and leave the rest.

She does it over the holidays for those of us that don't have holidays, or are alone, or whatever. The first year I did it (2011) I did it because I started 75 days of radiation for breast cancer on Dec. 1. It kept my mind occupied and whatever else, I'll always love her for that.

I'm cleaning out my files readying for a laptop change over and found this. When I had my mother here with dementia, my Rob defied his boss who told him he'd be fired for taking a day off, and he sat with mother and I was able to go to a Bonnie class in Portland. She sat with me at lunch and we had the nicest visit. I look old and tired because I was, I could hardly get through my days and nights. It was the kindest gift he has ever given me and there have been many. 2014

Iceblossom

It took a little bit of digesting for me to get it... but we will have about 2/3rds turned into pinwheels, the remainders will be HST and there are some cut but not sewn HST combinations.

Edit: I've overdyed the pink fabrics, one last wash and then dryer. Used up the last of my vinegar I bought at Costco, nice to get that jug out of the way. I'm trying to keep on task with my combo units and not get distracted by the red issue but too late!

I was thinking that maybe next year I'd do the mystery her way as a very good lesson on pressing to the side. I still prefer my open pressing but I'd be more likely to join more block exchanges if I did what was expected and this would be a good way to do it. Her explanations have been terrific for the side pressing.

Also wanted to credit you accurate sewists! I used to be very good and sniffed at what I called "fabric wasteful" techniques but then I started my slice and dice and trim techniques partly because of my vision issues. After a couple of decades, it's the way I work now cutting large, using squares for small triangles, things like that. My speed is much faster, my accuracy actually better once trimmed, and the waste really isn't that bad, sure an extra half inch per unit or whatever adds up, but typically only adds one extra row of cutting.

In my normal quilting it is extremely rare anymore that I cut anything smaller than 2.5" so these are small but not tiny pieces for me.

Belfrybat

I'm a tad confused about the dog ears as well, so since I make mine the magic 8 method, I'm just not going to trim them off except the ones going into the pinwheels. That way I'll have two dog ears and will trim whichever needs to be gone during the assembly. The only thing I do know is I really need to pay attention to the direction of the pinwheels. My second Bonnie mystery, I had the pinwheels spinning in the opposite direction and it really made a difference in that quilt. But with a huge amount made, I decided to just spin in two different directions.
BTW, has anyone considered what a pain this is going to be to assemble? Yikes!

SusieQOH

Kalama, for all you went through I'd say you looked wonderful! What a nice photo and a nice post.
I don't feel so bad right now. It seems I'm not the only one a bit overwhelmed. It doesn't take much
to get me in that state haha

joe'smom

In a sense you had it right SusieQ, because many of us do make the quilt over several months. We get the techniques for the clues down during the mystery weeks, and then finish at our own pace. Bonnie recommends, if you're not done with one clue when the next comes out, put the previous one aside so you can get in on the question period for the new clue. This goes along with her recommendation of making at least a dozen of each clue during that week. That way you get familiar with it and learn the pitfalls.

If you think of it as having until next November (when the next mystery comes out) to finish the quilt, maybe it will not seem so overwhelming.

KalamaQ, thank you for sharing that lovely photo!

SusieQOH

joe's mom- I didn't know that! Thanks for posting. Now I feel a whole lot better! I thought the reveal was soon!!!
Oops- read it too fast! haha

Sandra-P

I am feeling so much better after reading some of the posts here. I thought to myself, " What is going on with my brain and why am I having such a hard time with this?" I consider myself to be intermediate in quilting, I have several quilts finished and some have been a challenge but these instructions are really confusing to me. I am still not getting how many are pinwheels, how many are just HSTs and how many are combos. I guess I will just do some up and make more as I go. I already have half of clue 6 finished and trimmed. I will also try to go to her blog or other places she said to go to. The more the better for me to try to understand.