Really the mystery continues, even after the reveal!

Bonnie Hunter's 2019 Mystery Quilt "Frolic"...

I am so enamored with it all!!

I am so happy I gave-in to the urge to join in on this fantastic quilting adventure this year.

I did resist. I mean, I already have many projects to continue. The release was the day after Thanksgiving, like it is every year, which just happened to be two days after we moved into our new house.  I really didn't have time or room to start another project.

Curiosity got the better of me.  My quilting friend Judy's enthusiasm was contagious! And I had a quick look at Bonnie Hunter's blog Quiltville's Quips & Snips!!

A quick click on the "Frolic Mystery" tab had me well on my way down the rabbit hole.

The second sentence started with "Texas Wildflowers" and I was completely hooked.

Also, I was setting up my sewing room and was able to pull from my stash as I was taking it out of the boxes to put on the shelves. So convenient!!

I was making my way through the clues slowly but surely. I didn't mind being so far behind those that had started right at the release. I actually liked the lack of pressure to complete the clue before the next one posted. Until clue #4...

it seemed to take F.O.R.EVERRrr...

I think clue #8 was posted when I finally finished #4.

Then clue #5 was short and sweet. And I started #6...

...just in time for clue #9 - "The Reveal" post!!

I read the posting and everything came around full circle!

The whole mystery was so clever!

I am in awe of Ms. Bonnie Hunter.

I am amazed at how much effort she put into giving us this mystery (free for a limited time, I think I read she will be taking it down and making it into a digital download for purchase on Feb 15. But don't wait until the last minute if you want it free!! Go to her blog - Quiltville's Quips & Snips and look for the Frolic Mystery tab!)

 I have been sewing since my feet could reach the pedal from the chair.

I took my first quilting class in 1990.  That's 30 years of quilting!

I have always taken a pattern and converted it to techniques I know work for me.

This time, I followed the instructions, word for word.

I think for the first time EVER, ALL my seams matched up!

I didn't have to ease-in anywhere.

Seams nested where they were supposed to.

That's 64 pieces in this block and they all lined up perfectly!!

 I love my second block even better than the first!

The colors are not captured very well with my phone camera. They are more vibrant than I am seeing on my computer.

I can't wait to see how they all turn out. Each one a little different because I went as scrappy as I could.

really I didn't do too bad. I made it all the way to clue #6 out of 9! 

The reveal was perfect timing for me...

I am more of a whole block maker than a make all the pieces first then make the blocks kind of piecer. 

The next block is laid out on the design board, ready for piecing. I have company visiting this weekend. I'll have to be sure to sneak to my room here and there, whenever possible, to stitch a seam or two.

I can barely stand it. Now the mystery is "what will the next block look like?!"

I want to see this one put together and the next one laid out!

I can't wait, I can't wait, I can't wait!!!

music to my ears

Here's a gentle reminder to clean your machine...

But before you have to clean, learn your machine.  

Listen to it while you're stitching.

Become familiar with the sound of the needle passing through the fabric.

Take note of how the feed dogs move the fabric. Feel it.

Listen to the song your machine sings.

My machine hums, the needle passing thru the fabric is like a melody.

I am the conductor. I signal the downbeat by dropping the presser foot.

My foot taps the beat/tempo on the power pedal.

The song is the colorful chain of pieces sewn together falling behind my machine.

All combined it's sweet soothing music to my soul....

... until I start hearing a "cluck, cluck, cluck..."

it's really "ka-clunk, ka-clunk, ka-clunk..."

This is after I had been ignoring that the seams have started to be slightly off.  The difference is enough to mess up the perfect 2.5" HSTs I've been stitching for weeks! Err to the wrong side. Meaning it's making a bigger seam. Resulting in a half square triangle that's too small, so not even a quick trim can fix it!

I had also been ignoring that the stitching line was feeling thicker than usual.  I tried swapping to a finer thread. Still the stitching was chunky.

A thought echoed in my brain, "It's suggested to clean your machine with every bobbin change."

oh my! I think I had reloaded the bobbin 3 or 4 times since the last good cleaning!

Yep, this chunk of lint was from underneath the bobbin case!

It wasn't a chunk like that. It was a thin layer across the bottom and up the sides of the bobbin case holder. But it was enough to throw the entire performance off.

My machine does not require oiling. I checked the manual (once again) to make sure this is correct.

I finished cleaning, swiping the brush behind and around the bobbin case holder. I dusted out the feed dogs, replaced the bobbin case, and put everything back together.

Once again, I started stitching,

the dropped presser foot signaled the downbeat...

"hummmm..."

the music is so sweet.

It's my symphony! 🎵♪♩
My machine and I could be composing a masterpiece!! 😉😁

Finally! Clue #4 is completed!

Yesterday I had wanted to get clue #4 of the Bonnie Hunter mystery completed.

Instead however, my Sweets had a different project for us to work on.

When we moved into this house, a few pieces of furniture were left behind by the contractor.

Sweets decided she wanted this console for her bedroom, but only if she was allowed to paint it.

And that's exactly what we did. We went to Lowe's for the paint. The paint guy there suggested an enamel paint for the satin finish. We love it! It's rolls on so smoothly! I am 100% satisfied and am tempted to find more furniture to paint up!

Three coats of paint completely covered the previous color. But you can still tell the direction of the grain. I find that so amazing. (I haven't painted furniture in many many years.) LOL I am stoked by how easy this has been!

In this picture, she's still on the first coat.

Painting the detailed lattice was the biggest effort. That was the only part I helped her with.

Yesterday was two coats, Today was the third, Tomorrow we'll put the mirrors back into the doors and move it upstairs into her room.  Maybe I'll get a snap shot of the finished project.

While painting took all day, I did return back to my sewing room after dinner and got the rest of the HSTs all stitched up.  I had to stop at that point. The pressing and clipping of dog-ears would have to wait for another day.

Today, Bonnie posted Frolic's part 9 (the reveal) She also reminded us that all the clues will be removed on Feb 15th. So if you want the pattern while it's free, you better go get it!! Frolic Mystery

.... I was still working on #4! (I also just realized she's been calling them "parts" not "clues".  Same, same, I say 😋)

Tonight, as I write this blog update, I am happy to say....

Clue #4 did not break me!

It's FINALLY completed!!

... with each set in its own bag as suggested! Yay me!! 😆

I think the reveal came at perfect timing for me.

The whole thing about a mystery quilt is that you don't know how the pieces are going to fit together in the end. It's hoping that you picked good colors that will blend just right. Precise piecing is a must because you don't want to chance cutting points off. 

Of course, I've been reading the clues as they've been posted. The biggest hint I saw was cutting the fabrics in sets, keeping colors together, and still I was no where near to "solving" the mystery with each clue.

As I've been working along and reading ahead, I am struck with how ingenious this mystery is. What effort must have been put into it. I bow to Ms. Bonnie Hunter. "Well done!!" 

Then I saw the reveal. I saw what it's all leading up to and I am blown away!

I saw the reveal, and I am compelled to continue.

I saw the reveal, and I want my Frolic quilt completely finished so I can say, "Yes, I made that!"

I am well into the cutting of Clue #5.