A Little bit of Frolicking happened

     I know,  I wasn't going to start on Bonnie Hunter's 2019 - 2020 mystery,  "Frolic".      But I must need a 12 step program for mystery quilts.   After the reveal a week ago,  I could not let go of the idea of trying it with more of a 2 color twist.    "What if?" ,  "How about?" ,and "I wonder..."  occupied my thoughts over and over.   

      So,  I decided to jump in.  First,  I went to my EQ software to give the layout a rectangular rather than square finish.  18 rather than 25 full pinwheel blocks will give me  a finish of 65" x 86"  rather than 86" x 86".

      Bonnie has asked that we not post EQ layouts of the quilt blocks,  so as not to give away proportions of her pattern which will go on sale later this winter.   The pattern is FREE until she removes it from her blog sometime in February.  I played with the basic block sizes until I was close to what I think will be a good size for me.  

    Once I figured out how many of each block type I needed: full blocks,  half blocks for setting on point and the corner blocks,  I started to cut the fabrics I had pulled.   My goal was to cut all I needed as a kit, so I can take it with me to retreat in March and use parts as leaders and enders  during my sewing times in the next couple of months. 

     I'm a color renegade and rarely stick with the original colors in a mystery.   This is no exception.   I used raspberry last year,  and my supply is limited.  With my stash reduction plan purchasing more raspberry at this time didn't make sense, since I have so many other scrumptious colors in my stash.  

     I settled on a two color scheme of browns, and light teals or aquas with a touch of butterscotch and a creamy pale yellow as my neutral.   This was my thought process:   a)  I had about 6 yards of this background fabric in my stash which has been aging to a wonderful vintage.  b)  I had a bunch of strips leftover from previous projects in both sizes needed of browns.   c)  I had several of the teal / aqua fabrics that I did not use for a previous project.  (I believe they were from "Grand Illusion",  a previous Bonnie mystery that I didn't start.) d)  I also had a few yards of a darling little gingham looking print that is the butterscotch.  

     It took me about  9 hours over 3 days to get all the components cut.  I started with the components needing the larger strip size,  and using as many of the strips I already had,  I only needed to cut from my yardage about a dozen different browns to add to my variety and existing strips.  Win!  Very little yardage was used...  Loss!  The stack of browns is still just as tall as it used to be.... 

     The light teals and aquas were in a variety of yardage pieces and fat quarters.  I had to make strips for this color,  but as I was cutting the larger strips  I also planned ahead and cut one  or two of the smaller strips to use for the smaller components.  I used some of all the pieces that were in the color range that I have.  result?  I still have a stack of aquas nearly as tall as previously.  How does that happen?   I cut for days!   

      After all that cutting,  I am now left with a fewer brown strips,  but I now have a stack of aqua strips in both colors to put into my strip bins....  

Oh,  and I have this little bin full of pieces too small to put into my scrap savers users  system.  These will go into my pet cushion bag.  

As I cut,  I place pet cushion scraps in one bin,  and "crumbs" in another. This is the pet cushion bin. 

Nothing larger than 3/4" here  ( those went into the crumb bin to be used in projects)  More on crumbs later.  

  I also use the pieces at the ends of strips that won't make a full component,  but that can be trimmed to 2 1/2" squares,  2" squares, and 1 1/2" squares  and trim to those sizes to be stored for later use.  In previous mysteries I have used these pieces in clues.  Unfortunately, I did not have enough of either color to use for any of my clues this time.  

      I had to see how my fabrics are going to play together so stitched up clue #1 

Clue #1  Aquas and Browns

To get the variety you see above,  I cut my original strips in about 8 - 10" lengths, mixing them up as I went using the aquas with a variety of 4 different browns.  

Clues 6 and 7 Progress

     I'm happy to say, that i am completely up to date with all clues today.    I'm linking to Bonnie Hunter's mystery link up    click here to check out what everyone else is up to .  

Bonnie dropped clue # 7 as an additional clue this week,  and I was able to stitch it all after returning from our New Years celebration on the Oregon Coast yesterday.   

Clue 6 was more string blocks!  I love stitching these. 

Here is a picture of my string bag of neutrals... before starting.  When i opened it, it nearly exploded.   

I pressed several different strips and placed them in a basket to pull from as I worked.  The basket is full,  and my string bag is still busting at the seams.  These things multiply! 

I got all of my neutral string units stitched and trimmed.   I love the variety of prints in these.  They tell a story of their own.  Kind of like a visual archeological journey through my fabric stash. 

     Clue 6 completely done!  Yahoo!  Although I was sort of sad to see that my count  told me I was done... yet I still have so many strings to use up. 

     I then went to work on clue # 7   This clue got us started piecing some of our earlier units together.   One of our assignments was to stitch some of our clue #1 units together into  16 patches.  

     The other part of clue # 7 was stitching units from clue #2 together.  Just when I think I see a pattern,  the numbers just don't work out the way I think they should. LOL 

     Clue # 8 is out tomorrow and I'm anxiously awaiting to see what Bonnie has in store for us next.  

While I was waiting for clue # 6 to come out last week,  I reached for an old unfinished project that I started in a class in 2010.  Judy Niemeyer taught a class at our quilt show that year,  and I still hadn't finished my table runner.   I had seriously forgotten where I was in the process.   Turns out that I had all the small paper pieced points done!  Yahoo! I did need to locate the rest of my background fabric which had long ago been mixed in with my batiks.  Thankfully, I hadn't used it on another project!    

Judy Niemeyer's pattern:  One for All Seasons is the pattern.    I had wanted to do one with rounded flying geese,  but she had sold out of that one in class.  

This is the pattern link:  

About 2 hours of putting the smaller units together, and I had the finished top for this tablerunner.    Just needs to be quilted now.  It's on my 2019 UFO list. 

Good Fortune Mystery Clue # 4

     I am linking this post to the Linky party for Bonnie Hunter's mystery. 

      Click here to check out everyone's progress

     Clue # 4 of Bonnie Hunter's Good Fortune Mystery is string piecing!   I love string piecing for many reasons.  

     First, it is like Zen to just pick a string and stitch it to the one already stitched in place.  

    Second,  it's done with thin pieces that would otherwise be unused by most of us.   For me, my strings are generally the narrow strips that I cut to even off a piece of fabric before measuring concise strips.  They may be wonky and  have some frayed edges.  Sometimes, strings are the last amount left on a cut of fabric that is too narrow to be used in block components.  

     Third, the variety and texture found in string blocks can span decades of time and  many genres of fabrics such as novelty prints, tone on tone textures, geometric, floral, solids, reproduction and modern.  

     I sorted my pinkish strings to find the ones that were in the shades of pinks that I had already picked for my color palette.    The basket is full of my choices.   I didn't have as many strings in my string stash that were in this color range,  so  I added by cutting the first cut off of my  pressed pinks that may be used later.    

 I only wish I had needed to make more!    Here are some of my blocks: 

     There is a lot of history in these prints.  Some have been lurking in my stash for 10 years or more.  Others are newer additions,  and some are even one-off strings that have been gifted to me by other quilters.  

     I can't wait to see what clue # 5 has in store for us this week. 

      In other quilty pursuits this last week,  I am nearly finished with clue 3.  I have 30 units left to trim and press and then I'll be done!   Yeah!  I also finished stitching the clue 1 and clue 2 pieces that I had cut to use as leaders and enders.    I need to cut and prep more of each clue, but I am over the 1/2 way on clue 1  and about 75% done with clue 2.  Progress at any pace is progress, right?  

     I've been working on Jamestown Landing as my main project, and have webbed 3 of 5 columns for the center of the top.    Had to stitch more Half-Square triangles into the Broken Dishes blocks before webbing the rest.  Those are now stitched and ready to press.  

    I also took the time to stitch some Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers pillow cases for a gift exchange this week.  They stitch up quickly and I had the fabric prepped and left over from  when I helped my students make pillow cases 2 years ago at school.  That was a really fun project that involved more of my male students than females.  They really enjoyed using the machines. 

    One of my biggest accomplishments this week was hemming a pair of jeans for my hubby!  Somehow, mending is not at the top of my list of things to do for fun,  but occasionally it's necessity. 

I also made 4 little cosmetic size bags from a mini charm square pack that was given to me as a challenge last year at Christmas by a quilting sister.  The snag was that we were each to use the charm pack before this Christmas.   Well,  dinner was last night, so I waited until 3 days before the deadline to get started.    It was serendipity that the charm pack was a shabby chic Paris type of print,  and that I had participated in a rose fabric swap several years ago, and just happened to have batting scraps,  some fabric that would coordinate and  even zippers here at home.  SCORE!  

Good Fortune Mystery Clue #3

     It is week three of Bonnie Hunter's  "Good Fortune Mystery".   I'm linking up to Bonnie's Linky Party here:   Linky party week 3

Warm Winter Wishes Quilt  

     I did get "Warm Winter Wishes" quilted this last week.  I love the way it turned out.  This was quilt #10 that I've moved from the  "to be Quilted" pile to the "done".  I still have at least 10 in that pile, but I had promised myself that  I would not work on piecing anything else until I had finished 10 of those  "tops waiting for some quilty love".    It feels so good to reach this milestone.  

    So having reached the completion of #10,  I am able to bring out the next chapters....  I've been working on "Jamestown Landing" in greens rather than blues,  a Bonnie Hunter quilt for nearly 2 years now, a leaders and enders to get the mountain of 840 half square triangles done.    My plan of attack is to work on Jamestown landing, while doing the current mystery, "Good Fortune" as leaders and enders.   

This is the final batch! 

My project box....  string pieces done.... 

Getting started on the Triangles  

This is Jamestown Landing in Blues... 

This one isn't mine,  but it's the same color... greens and neutrals 

     Mystery Progress?   I am about 60% done with Clue #1   10% done with clue #2  and 40% done with clue #3.   All pieces are cut for both clues 2 and 3.  I'm working clue #1 from the little squares in my Scrap Users System rather than from strip sets.  

Clue #3   First Test blocks 

   I posted my color choices here.... Click here for blog post

   

Good Fortune Mystery Step 2

     I'm still working on that list of UFO;s.   Got my guild obligations done for the month.  Now I'm working on quilting, the 10th of the 10 tops i promised myself I was going to finish before delving into Good Fortune  with earnst. 

     I did spend some time last week checking my strip bins and  ironing and stacking my fabrics that I plan to use when I get to that point.  (Hey, I had the iron on. LOL.)   

     I got another 5% of step one done as Leaders and Enders... over the last week,  and I couldn't help myself from cutting some triangles when I discovered some strips that were already cut in the colors I'm using.   I still had the iron out, along with the spray starch, and cut what I could for step 2.  I stitched up a handful, (about 5%) and pressed them to check my accuracy.   They will also be used as Leaders and Enders as I work on Jamestown Landing when I'm done with the quilting foot. 

My steps 1 and step 2 playing together for a brief moment.

This is "Warm Winter Wishes".    It is quilt number 10 that I'm finishing.   This was a Row Robin on the internet with my Quilting Sisters.    I chose the theme,  and did the applique row with the houses,  the checkerboard rows, and the piano key borders.    The other rows were done by members of the group.  

     I also pieced and attached the borders to the following QOV I was working on on our Sew Day.   Some other sewists completed the center portion,  but I was assigned the borders.   I struggled with the crowded space I was using, and decided to bring it home and finish it in a day, rather than over the next 5 months.      The pattern is called "Hurrah"  by Minnick and Simspon.  

I am linking up to Bonnie Hunter's Linky party for step 2.   Bonnie's Linky Party Week 2

On Ringo Lake Week 5 update

I am all caught up!    I'm loving this project.  It was exactly what I needed for therapy.   My colors are coming together nicely,  if I have a wish for what color is up next it would be more of Bonnie's aquas,  or my reds.  

I am linking up to Bonnie's Linky party for the week at Week 5 Linky Party

Here is clue #1  - Darling little nine patches

Here is clue #2 -  Flying Geese! 

Clue #3 -  Diamonds in Squares...  Going in opposite directions... 

Clue #4 - Some winged squares....  

 And finally...  clue #5  - Another gaggle of Flying geese. 

Up to this point,  I have cut entirely out of my scrap drawers, and scrap saver system....  The only yardage I have cut into was 4 fat quarters of the lighter blue that I purchased for this project and 2 pieces of lighter blue yardage.   I also had to re-supply my white on whites from stash yardage for the flying geese wings for clue 5.     It is amazing how having that variety of strips and pieces in your scrap system allows for such a wide variety!  Thank you Bonnie for giving us this valuable information on your website and Blog.   

Bonnie Hunter's 2017 Mystery, On Ringo Lake week 2

I'm linking to Bonnie's Linky party for Clue #2.  Week 2 Linky Party   I'm just about half way through the weekly clue.  It's going quicker than I had anticipated.   I have a busy week ahead of me, and not sure if I'll get around to an evening post later this week.  

Check out Bonnie's blog for instructions... its not too late to join in the fun!  

I love flying geese!  I've cut all my pieces using the Easy Angle and Companion Angle rulers.. using from my 2" strips of blue and white on whites.  I've exhausted the colors I'm using in both colors,  and actually went out and purchased about 5 fat quarters to add to my blue variety.  Since I'm doing this as a quilt of valor,  I'm trying to stay away from prints that are floral or kid's prints....   Looks like this value of blues is one area I can look for more variety when I find good deals out there, especially prints that have a variety of textures.  

The picture is with my step one in the middle of the geese.
  

Bonnie Hunter's 2017 Mystery On Ringo Lake Clue #1 complete

I couldn't resist!   When clue one went live on Black Friday last week,  I fell in love with those cute little nine patch blocks... 

I had originally decided that I was going to sit it out, and finish some UFO's,  but that was my reasoning the last 3 years, and my UFOs are still here, lurking in corners and under tables... LOL   

I decided to do this year's mystery in red, white and blues... and with any luck, I'll have a Quilt of Valor to give to someone special when  it's done.  

Here are my blocks for clue #1 all trimmed and ready to be stitched into something fantastic! 

It's still not too late to join in the fun.   Go visit Bonnie Hunter's Blog...  click on the tab that says "On Ringo Lake". There you will find the  introduction which gives fabric information... and Clue #1 with the instructions for week 1.    On Ringo Lake Mystery Link

I'm linking to the Monday Linky party    so go here to see what everyone else has been up to! 
Monday Linky party for Clue #1