It’s the 12 hour countdown until our first clue goes live!
This photo is of a lovely flowering Hawthorne tree, also known as a May tree for the month in which it blooms in Ireland, usually May through June. The blooming of this tree was leading up to the Summer Solstice, and here we are working our way toward its opposite, ,the winter one coming up.
I have had excited emails and messages about our first Celtic Solstice clue going live tomorrow---
And I love the suggestions of things that people are doing to get ready:
These are in no particular order –but folks are thinking this through!
- Clean and oil machine, and put in a new needle
- wind several bobbins
- clean off cutting table or work area
- place a new blade in your rotary cutter
- locate favorite scissors, thread snips and seam ripper and place them by machine
- empty trash cans
- clean sewing area
- plan for favorite music to sew by or movies to watch ---choose something you know well so you don’t have to stop to actually WATCH!
- plan easy meals – left overs and crock pot are great friends
- light a nice smelling candle for room aroma therapy
- prepare a binder with page protectors for each step, and put pages where they belong when printed so none are lost
- Label zip-lock baggies with part #’s so that you remember which parts are which clue when it comes time to assemble blocks
- GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP!
And no matter how much you want to push yourself to get as much done as you can – please take breaks! Get out and take a 15 minute walk if you can…or stretch…or even take a nap. Listen to your body and don’t push it all the way to hurt. Pace yourself.
Did I miss anything? If you can think of anything that helps your mystery quilt season work better for you, please share it in the comments section below!
Have fun!
Oh, and as a sneak preview…look how much is left to finish on this binding! It will be done in the next hour – my goal is to have this quilt completely finished before bed tonight. I think I’m going to make it!
Maybe 18” or so to go!!
It’s almost CELTIC SOLSTICE TIME!!
32 comments:
I can't wait!! I have no business starting another quilt - but it's a "Bonnie mystery" so I have to. Can't say no to that. Have all my fabrics in a box and ready to go. I think I'll go to bed now so I'll sleep away the remaining hours and it'll go faster! :)
7am est is 2am New Zealand! So I'm going to bed early and getting up in time for the first Celtic Solstice post so I can start along with everyone else! Hubby thinks I'm mad but he understands the need to Quilt. See you at 7am/2am !
I'm only using 4 fabrics this year, plus 1 neutral so I took about 1/2 yard off each fabric and pressed and starched them so they are ready to cut. The only thing I have left to do is the rotary cutter blade, but I'm trimming some paper piecing tonight with the old one.
Oh, and I blinged up the two sewing machines I have set up, wowzer!
Thanks Bonnie!
Sharyn in Kalama
Some fabulous tips there...
Oh I am not as keen as Bev in NZ even though I live down under and it would be an EARLY morning start too.....
What about the 1/4" inch measurement on your machine.
I forgot to do that part for last year mystery and my 4 patches were not the right size.
Thanks Bonnie,
Carole Y. from Canada
I finally got into my stash to pull my fabrics - doing a little different colorway (Blue, Green, Orange and Pink) as I decided to use only what I have on hand. Unfortunately, I won't even be able to look at the first post until late tomorrow evening and not begin cutting until Saturday morning - ACK!!
I wasn't planning on doing this mystery as I have two boy scout quilts to finish for Christmas. But it's feeling a little like Christmas Eve around here! The anticipation is building. I will be watching and taking notes.
I have no idea what this involves as I have never done a mystery quilt before...I may lurk from from the lilac bushes so I know what I'll need to participate next year :-)
This will be my first Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt. I have admired Orca Bay & Easy Street at one of my quilting groups, and have been very excited since finding out about Celtic Solstice. I wish I could devote 24/7 to this project, buy family and work makes that impossible. I might be able to work in 2/5! Happy Thanksgiving, Bonnie & all quilters in the USA!
At the Thanksgiving table today, I explained to the family that we are all starting together in the morning from all over the world. They thought this was soooo cool.. first question of course.. what are you going to do with another quilt??
My tri-recs rulers haven't come in yet, so I hope we don't need them for the first step. I can't wait!!!
Looking forward to seeing your fabrics Sharyn :)
I feel like a little kid I am so giddy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I drove all the way back home tonight from my parent's home 2 hours away so I could be here when the first clue goes live! YEEEEEHAW!
I hope to get my Tri rec and easy angle ruler in the states on Tuesday. Going on my first trip shopping in the United States. Sourced out a few shops near the Fashion outlet in Niagara Falls New York, hope I can find them. Haven't seen any in Ontario Canada. This is my first mystery quilt, fabric ready , hope I have enough of each color. Thanks Bonnie. Wendy Bradley Alliston , Ontario
Looking forward to seeing the Mystery as it unfurls. Hopefully, will not have a problem printing off each part. Will they be in a PDF format that we can save to our computers or do they have to be printed off as we go?
Thanks Bonnie for what looks to be another exciting Mystery.
Terri at the Drake's Nest in Palm Bay, FL
I wasn't going to venture out on Black Friday, but my printer has crapped out on me, so I have to go to the office to print out the first set of instructions for Celtic Solstice! I simply must!
This will be my first Bonnie Mystery and I'm looking forward to it! Bonnie, you are coming to our guild in MO, September of 2015, maybe I'll have this finished to show then!! LOL
i like background :D
Along with all the rest here, I'm eager for morning to come bringing the first clue of this much anticipated mystery. I wonder if you ever imagined all the excitement you would create...just thinking about the hundreds...no, make that the thousands of us quilters out there who will all be sitting at our computers in less than 8 hours...probably hyperventilating (heh heh) as our printers are churning out the first clue...and the masses of us cutting, stitching, pressing in unison all around the globe...it just boggles MY mind...I'm sure yours as well. Thank you Dear Bonnie!
Check list done fabric ready to go. Out early in the morning so I will be back to start my FIRST MYSTERY QUILT. Found your first 100 Blocks book bought it and it is now on its way to me. Can't wait to look through it. Happy thanksgiving to you and your family.
My first with Bonnie and looking forward to it!
Yippee! Will head uptown to the library where I have internet access, then back home to hook up to my printer and print out my hard copies so I can get my rotary cutter rolling through the fabrics. Have gone totally out of the box this time! Background will be assorted black on blacks, then bright greens, bright yellow/golds, bright red/orange, and lush purples. Like a kid in a candy store, couldn't choose just a few fabrics in each color. but about 20 or more of each! Morning can't get here soon enough! Thanks Bonnie for providing these fun quilts.
I'm away from home so, like last year I will have to wait until I get home to start playing along. I think I will take a look tomorrow morning and maybe visit a quilt shop here to add a fabric or two to the mix. I'm excited.
For Easy Street, last year's mystery, Bonnie provided a PDF file and printer friendly version.
I'm afraid there too much on my plate to sew along, but I will watch (and save the files) as the clues get posted. Looking forward to watching it unfold!
Up early . . . I was dreaming of Thanksgiving leftovers bubbling away in the crockpot. So excited about cutting, I worked on my cream and brown Scrap Users System drawer last night.. Got it done. Bring on the first clue!!! Hugs, Allison
Michele, if you don't do any sewing, do print out ALL the instructions for future use.
Keep smiling,
Lyn S.
one more thing to stock up on before starting--bottled water, or your beverage of choice close by your sewing machine/cutting board. That way you can take little hydration breaks between sewing or cutting steps. it's really easy to forget this step, but your body will thank you for it.
Susan, make some time for yourself. Before retiring, I held down a full time job, Navy Reserves, family, and Lions Club, all of which took 99% of my time...but that 1% belonged to me, and I quilted.
Keep smiling,
Lyn in the USA.
Lyn, I do make time for myself. I quilt every Wednesday from 4:30 - 8 PM with a group. I quilt every 3rd Monday from noon - 6 PM with another group, and I go to two 3 day retreats every year with a few quilting friends. And instead of watching TV, I piece and quilt! I also have a long arm to finish my quilts. My family is well aware of my passion!
Hi have just decided to take part but where do I find requirements list please???
My 1st ever mystery but of course it's going to be a B.H. one!! Love the excitement from the comments. Ready,set,go. Thanks for all your help and encouragement.
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