Bonnie Hunter Mystery (Good Fortune)--post 1(Clues 1-4)

Fabrics selected for the project

For at least the last five years, I've thought about joining in on the Bonnie Hunter mystery. This year, it is Good Fortune which was influenced after her trip to China. Each year, I got hung up on choosing the fabric. This year, I decided that I would change my thought process of "This picking fabric is so hard--it is impossible!" to "I will have all the fabrics I need in my stash and it will be fun!"

Bonnie releases the first clue on Black Friday and then each Friday until the holiday, there is a new clue. After Christmas, the clues come as they come as even the delivery of them and how many clues there will be are all part of the mystery!!!

Part way through clue #1

So her followers are ready for the first clue, around the end of October, she releases the fabric amounts and a list of colors. I like that she use paint chips as her color palette for all her followers to see and to access. Changing my thought process enabled me to choose fabrics that were close to her her paint chips and it was a fairly easy process. Actually, dare I share these next words--the choosing process was actually FUN!

I'll admit, I may not have enough yardage. I hope I'll have enough precuts in my scrap saving system that I follow of Bonnie's to fill in the gaps! If not, I could. . .gasp. . .purchase some fabric! The not pictured bag of neutrals are parts that I've picked up from the guild free table. I added one fat quarter to the mix.  Again, if I need more neutral fabrics, I can cut some yardage from the stash!

Bleeding before the treatment

When she released her first clue, I was busy with Black Friday shopping with my oldest daughter, Amanda. It is an annual event that I look forward to each year.  Bob, my husband, and I also attended a college football game--the Civil War for our state. (Our team lost by a landslide.) Sewing didn't happen until Sunday.

After the treatment

Bonnie suggests that you try to do at least half of the clue each week so you will know all of the steps. I'm going to try to do at least that much and if I can complete a clue in a week, I'll pat myself on the back!

I'm inserting a side note: This is a free mystery and anyone can join in at any time. Bonnie asks that unit numbers and sizes not be listed so I will do my best to honor her request. If you want to participate, know that the link isn't for always. She will take it down and gives advance notice of this happening.

Water and color catcher during the process

For the first clue, we were to make a bunch of four patches with the red and neutral fabrics. Luckily, I had about half of the neutral fabrics either cut into the correct size square or cut into the correct sized strips. I had about a quarter of the "paint chip" red fabrics in the right sizes in my scrape saving system.

So I started stitching. Stitching this step went fairly fast. I had stitched about a third of the four patches when I spilled some water on a four patch. The batik I was using bled. This batik fabric is in my Ruffled Roses top. I did prewash it so I was sick to see this. I reviewed my options:
--*I could remove that square which would mean I would need to purchase some fabric to take its place. Removing the many squares would take time.
--*I could try rewashing the square in Synthrapol. I decided I would try the synthrapol treatment. It worked. So I rinsed all the squares. I also rinsed the chunk again and any strips that I had cut. I used Shout Color Catchers.

HSTs finished for clue #2

It was shocking to see how much red was in the water.  The color catchers came out a beautiful hue of pink. Two red squares in a four patch had a bit of bleeding on them after treatment; but, not enough to be super obvious.

I don't know what I will do about that fabric in the skinny border of the Ruffled Roses project. At least, I have a heads up about that fabric.

After about 15 hours of stitching I finished the first clue. Had I cut my fabrics from strips, it would have been faster. I had the right sized squares in my scrap neutral and red scrap bags so I used those first. I like the extra variety that I had using the bits!

Clue #3--Chevrons and more HSTs

I finished the first clue the same day as Bonnie released the second clue. For this clue, we made a lot of blue half square triangles. (HST)

After the red fabric incident. I re-washed the blue fabrics. One fabric bled a bit; so I treated that one with Retayne because it was a print fabric and not a batik. I cut 2 1/2 inch strips from my scrap neutral bag. It is surprising how quickly I've depleted the contents of that bag!  I spent about 10 hours on this step. I used about five blue prints in this step, the value is about the same so it resembles one fabric.

For the third clue, we stitched chevrons using the green fabric. From the bonus triangles, we stitched more HSTs. The seam allowances are skinny; but, it is great to be able to use all of the fabric. Miss K helped me sew a few. She kept asking me questions like:

Clue #4--Orange strings

--How do I stitch the blocks together?
--What kind of design do they make?
--What was the quilt going to look like?
--What was the quilt story going to be?

She thinks I'm crazy to stitch when I don't know what it is going to look like. She sees no "fun" in this mystery!!!!

Miss K sorted the remaining neutral scraps. She wanted to know where the rest of the fabric from the bag went and was surprised how much fabric it took to make the backgrounds in all the previous blocks! She pulled out a piece of fabric that was a sewn sleeve and she asked how I was going to use it. I showed her how to rip out the stitches. She ironed the sleeve and then I rotary cut strips and squares out of it. She thought that the person who left the bag on the free table had really left a treasure. I told her that it is only a treasure if you USE it!

Segments ready for use!

For the fourth clue, we string pieced a bunch of orange units. I didn't have many orange fabrics. At the December guild meeting, someone left a bunch of neutral and orange scraps on the free table so I loaded up! It was a serendipitous moment!!!

Some chunks were close to a fat quarter size. There were about a dozen 2 1/2 inch strips that were about 12 inches long. The scraps were great to add to this quilt project. I did have a few strings in my string bag that I retrieved to add to the mix. After I had pieced the orange units, I spritzed a bit of Mary Ellen's Best Press on each before I cut the units to size. After I stripped off the paper, I decided the Best Press was a good choice.

Although, I had finished the third clue before receiving the fourth clue, I had stitched less than a third of the units needed before Bonnie released the fifth clue. It is all a process and as long as I'm making progress, I'm happy. I am pleased that I'm staying close to being caught up with this project!!