Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt 2020 “Frolic” Fabric Pull

I may have gotten swept along into the frenzy of Bonnie Hunter’s new Mystery quilt, Frolic. It’s a pretty casual commitment at this point–all I’ve done is run to Lowe’s to pick up the requisite paint chips and invested a few blissful moments pulling fabric from my stash.

I’ve often felt (and complained about) the fact that while I like my stash–it doesn’t work together very well and frankly, I don’t use it like I should.

This year’s colors for the mystery quilt are so…ME–so it should be no surprise that I didn’t have too many problems pulling together fabric that coordinates with the paint chips.

At this point, I’m not at all sure I have enough of the various colors, but it’s close enough to get started. Bonnie is all about scrappy, but she decided to use one single fabric for the spring green, to tie it all together. I couldn’t believe it, but I happened to have a half yard cut of a spring green ombre fabric! So exciting! It was like finding a little bit of treasure.

I’m thrilled to be able to use some fabric that I love, but haven’t found a use for. Based on Bonnie’s fabric pull, I think I’m going to find that when it’s scrappy enough, fabrics don’t have to “go together” perfectly to look fabulous in the finished quilt.

For the uninitiated, Bonnie does a mystery quilt every year starting around Thanksgiving and running right through the holidays. She picks a color scheme (which you are not bound to, of course), and selects paint chips so that others can have an easy way to select fabric for it as well. She releases new clues each week and you don’t know what the quilt is going to look like until you put it all together at the end. Fun, right?

I’ve been collecting advice on participating in this worldwide sew-along and here are a few tidbits:

• Start by making only half the number of units called for
• Read the directions carefully (more than once) BEFORE you start cutting!
• Print out or save all the clues as you go–they eventually get taken down
• Make sure that you sew with a scant 1/4″ seam
• Take your time and don’t worry about getting behind
• Try to do at least a few of the units each week
• Always have a lovely beverage by your side (this one is easy for me!)

I think I can handle that! No promises that I will complete it during the holidays, but I will save those clues for the future.

How about you? Are you in? Let me know if you have any more advice. Have you pulled your fabric yet? Are you using stash or buying one of the many curated bundles?

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