The annual Quiltville mystery is starting at the end of the month (click here to see the intro and fabric requirements). The fabric selection process is always the most challenging step. Some years I have followed the recommended colours (Easy Street and Allietare) and some years I went right off the rails (Orca Bay, Double Delight, and Carolina Crossroads). If you are a beginning quilter, I would recommend following Bonnie's fabric choices exactly as outlined. But if you're an experienced quilter and have a stash you want to use up, have some fun and pick your own colours. I love all of my Bonnie mystery quilts and I know that whatever fabric I am inspired to use, I will have lots of fun AND her patterns will produce a great quilt.
I did discover in making Grand Illusion that I do not enjoy sewing quilts using yardage. In my heart I am a scrap quilter, so I don't like to use 1 yellow fabric when I could incorporate 10 different yellows! More = more fun!
Bonnie said: "Let your quilt make a statement that is as uniquely you as your own handwriting is."
Dark blue will be the purple, lighter blue will be the lilac, green is the green, pink is the magenta, and I can't decide whether the orange or the yellow will be the yellow. The yellow looks like it might blend too much with the neutrals. But the orange might compete with the magenta?
What are your thoughts?!?
Are you playing along with the mystery this year?
I love the line of fabrics that you have chosen.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the yellow might be too similar to the neutrals; better to go with the orange. You are going to end up with a very bright, cheery quilt!
I like your colors too! Maybe you could use the magenta for Bonnie's yellows and the orange for Bonnie's magenta? I am thinking Bonnie's magenta is going to be the strongest color in the quilt....and your oranges seem to be the strongest in your group of colors.
ReplyDeleteI would remove each of the piles, take a photo and the compare them. See which photo you like the best. Definitely the one with the orange will be brighter.
ReplyDeletethis is why I do not do mystery quilts!! I can never pick out the fabrics and in the end I do not pick right -- good luck
ReplyDeleteI am going to be strong and not be drawn in to the mystery this time. I have a couple of quilts to finish for presents for some of the grandkids for Christmas. Selfishly, I wish Bonnie would start these in the New Year since, as a longarmer, this is always my busy time. I always say, "not this year", but usually I can't resist!
ReplyDeleteGreat to see your fabric selection. I reaaly want to join in this year, but I don't think I will have time to keep up. There is still time ....
ReplyDeleteI think you are brave to make mystery quilts. I used to participate in them, but then I ended up with quilts I hated because my fabrics weren't right. I don't want to go out and buy fabric for a mystery quilt but my scrappy quilts just didn't blend right. I download the patterns and save them until after the reveal. Then I can move forward and like the finished quilt. Blessings, Gretchen villacrestfarm@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI am playing along this year. My local quilt store was having an inventory sale this week, which was a good thing. I am following along with Bonnie's colours and really needed more purples and magenta.I like the yellow over your orange. I don't think they will be too light with your neutrals. I agree the orange might not play well with the pink.
ReplyDeleteI think I will play along this year as the color palette has many of my favorites. My last Bonnie mystery was Celtic Solstice (I did tweak the colors in that one), but the last two were way to busy for me and I skipped them. I have lots of magenta so I think I will go scrappy with it instead of using one fabric.
ReplyDeleteI think I will play along this year as the color palette has many of my favorites. My last Bonnie mystery was Celtic Solstice (I did tweak the colors in that one), but the last two were way to busy for me and I skipped them. I have lots of magenta so I think I will go scrappy with it instead of using one fabric.
ReplyDeleteI'm playing along, but have to get home to my stash before I can pick final colors.
ReplyDeleteI'm going with golds instead of yellows, which should help differentiate them from the neutrals. And replacing the green with blue and the magenta with orange, because I can't resist a chance to use both purple and orange in a quilt! (My favorite colors!)
I'm sure it will be beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI plan to do a half-size quilt in patriotic fabrics or shades of autumn. Haven't been stash diving yet, but will do that in the coming days. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteYes, no, yes, no, right now, I'm in! I think your clear bright colours will look great! Bonnie did say the yellows should show up against the neutrals, but I also think you want good contrast between the yellows and greens. I think the oranges won't stand out enough, so I would stick with yellow. Your neutrals look nice and light, so I think it will work!
ReplyDeleteBonnie said the Darkest Pink would be pre-dominant. I'd lose the Orange. The rest look great together. Orange always SCREAMS in a Quilt to me. 2 more weeks! YEA!!!
ReplyDeletelove your colors!
ReplyDeleteVery fun color selection. I'd leave the orange. I agree the yellows might not contrast well with your neutrals, unless you decided to use gray or black as your neutral. Black would really make all those colors pop.
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough, I have picked a modified palette which is more similar to yours than Bonnie's. I made Easy Street in 30's repros, Grand Illusion in Christmas fabrics, and Allietare in Bonnie's colours except that I substituted aqua for the gold. Although I love the mysteries and Bonnie's teaching, I much preferred going my own way with the colours, so I am going to do that again this year.
ReplyDelete