CindyA

I think solids would work very nicely. When the top is done you could do a lot with the quilting if you need or want to.

For newbies: I followed Bonnie's suggestion to do as much as you can each week when the clue is released for that week. The next week, when the next clue is released, just put the first week aside and move on to the second clue. Keep doing that as each clue is released. At least then you will be keeping up with what she's talking about and you'll have a little bit done of each step. So when she gets towards the end and you are starting to assemble the blocks you can see what the block(s) look like.

To keep myself organized (and it worked even though I'm not a naturally organized person) I kept each week in plastic bags. I happened to have the zipper kind that curtains or linens come in and used those. When I put aside an unfinished week (in order to move on to the next clue) I wrote myself a couple of notes and stuck it in the bag with the fabric to help me remember where to pick up again at a later date. Example: "have completed cutting all 2" squares and have sewn 30 out of the 45 four patches. Need to sew 15 more four patches to finish this clue."

It was a fun project and Bonnie has said this won't be as intense as last year - so I think this will be a great year to try it!!

kristakz

I pulled my fabric for this quilt. This will be my 4th (? or 3rd) Bonnie mystery - started with Orca Bay, and I've done them all since them. I don't do scrappy (although based on my scrap bins I really need to start), but I managed to find fabric in my stash for each of her colours. I was going to switch the colours, but when I pulled them I loved the way my fabrics looked together, so I'm going to forge ahead with these. I have never done a full size Bonnie quilt - I usually end up making about 1/2 the blocks.

This time, that's my plan going in. I don't need another 88x88" quilt, but a nice lap would be perfect. Hopefully that will also correct the fact that my yellow is an ombre - so I'll only use 1/2 the fabric to try to keep it looking like a single shade. And I have 2 turquoise fabrics that work, but only 1/2 the requirement for each of them.

SunlitenSmiles

HI, again, planning on not doing full size here but even 44x88 is bigger than I need so for 44 x 44 do I just need 1/4 of the number of each step.....that feels like fuzzy math......have planned on doing half of each step and may just do that anyway (maybe I will end up with two 44 x 44 or..... a quilt and a doll quilt....Mystery, right )

kristakz

Fuzzy math, as you said. 1/4 is a good place to start, but you should expect to need more of some units, and fewer of others, depending on the layout. And you won't know exactly what you need until the very end. Remember you'll need a lot more than 1/4 of the border units (and you never know what's a border until the end).

Last time I made 1/2 the units I had a couple extra of one block, and had to make 2 or 3 more of another. But that's partly becuase when I do "1/2 of the units" I cut about half the strips for each set and make as many units as that will do. So if Bonnie called for 45 2" squares, for example, I would simply cut 1 strip and get 20 2" squares out of it, for my intial set of blocks. I figure I have less waste that way, and no partial strips to carry around for the length of the mystery.

SusanSusan33

I was going to shoot for 44x66? Lap sized I hope... I'm a total newbie to mystery quilts...

joe'smom

Cindy, thank you for those hints. Making reminder notes sounds like an excellent idea!

MartiMorga

There are so many good - ideas and advice - here that I think I will start this as well. I doubt I will make the quilt 88x88, but like some of you a nice lap quilt would be nice. If as I do this, I decide it is just what the Dr. ordered, then I will work on making it bigger. I know one thing, between BH and all of you, I am going to learn a lot! Love the idea of plastic bags (I too cannot throw away those zippered bags from sheets, pillows, blankets, etc.) and adding notes. I have used these in the past but just shoved everything in there and can't figure half of my mess out, lol.

SunlitenSmiles

ok so here is my plan (Thank You, by the way, Kristakz) so I will plan to make whatever is called for in about 1/2 the WOF pieces to be cut and then reserve the remaining fabric (in the same zip bag, TY Cindy) rather than having it escape into the dark reaches of the stash. Then in theory with the instructions and the blocks and the remaining fabric.........................I think I have a plan......yea ! Thank You.

SueSew

I certainly don't need an 88x88 quilt that I haven't even decided if I like the pattern and have no one to give it to anyway. At my age, life is short and you don't waste time! It sounds like an amusing way to do quilting, but from the previous posts it is unclear whether you have to make a full-size quilt to get all of the blocks you need for a half-size quilt.

Do you think it might be fun to join with another person and each make half the blocks? That way we don't waste the material or the time. It would require trading fabrics and might get confusing. But at least we would each get a quilt of a reasonable size. Maybe one or two blocks short?

I have never done one of these, and I am not willing to do a quilt twice bigger than what I need as I have better things to do.

Ideas?

kristakz

Bonnie says this in her introduction for this quilt: "I will only be providing directions for ONE SIZE of quilt. If you want it smaller, make 1/2 the units. If you want it bigger –wait until we are done and add an extra row. " I think making 1/2 is definitely safe - you aren't going to have a pile of one kind of blocks leftover. But you may need to fill it out with a few extras.

That said, doing it with a friend would be great fun, I think.