Want to Make a Quilt with 50,000 Friends?
If you’re a quilter and you’re online, you’re likely aware of the recent kickoff of the annual Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt.
I always enjoy the Quiltville Mystery, even when I don’t participate.
My Carolina Crossroads, from the Quiltville Mystery for 2007
I’ve done Bonnie’s mystery quilt twice. In 2007 we were given Carolina Crossroads and in 2010, Roll Roll Cotton Boll.
My Roll Roll Cotton Boll from the 2010 Quiltville Mystery
Those quilts are both finished. I took a few years off but this year I’m doing the mystery quilt again.
I’ve been thinking about why this event appeals to me and tens of thousands of other quilters around the country and yes, even the world.
- The Camaraderie: It’s energizing to be part of something big! Quilting is mostly a solitary pursuit. To know that so many others are making the same thing really revs my engine. People greatly anticipate this mystery every year, and the excitement is contagious.
- FOMO: Along with camaraderie, there’s FOMO, a new acronym that stands for “fear of missing out.” It sprang up over the past few years as social media has grown and become an important part of many people’s lives. Constantly seeing what “everyone” else is doing can make you feel anxious. Don’t laugh—psychologists are seeing more people about conditions related to online behavior all the time.
Four Patches from this year’s mystery quilt
- The Success: Bonnie Hunter is an experienced designer with dozens of original quilt designs under her belt. It’s practically guaranteed that this quilt will be another winner.
- The Challenge: It’s a tall order to make hundreds of units in stages and have them all fit together perfectly at the end. You have to cut and sew accurately, and that sharpens your skills.
- The Education: I always learn something new. When I made Bonnie’s Roll, Roll Cotton Boll, I hadn’t ever tried string piecing. I fell in love with it and have enjoyed using the technique many times since.
Triangle-squares from this year’s mystery quilt
The last point, of learning something new, may be the most important for me. As I look at my quilts from past mysteries, I can see which parts stretched me and what I learned in the process.
Detail of Roll Roll Cotton Boll
I was learning to combine fabrics in new ways when I made Roll Roll Cotton Boll. In the photo above, do you see how different the pinks are from each other? There’s a salmon pink, a terracotta, a purplish pink and a dark shade that’s nearly red. I went out on a limb by using them all, and the quilt is better for it.
Detail of Roll Roll Cotton Boll
I also learned a lot about combining light fabrics to create interesting background areas. This was the first time I’d done that.
Detail of Roll Roll Cotton Boll
I loved the effect so much that I’ve used it again and again. I couldn’t have made Fowl Play if I hadn’t learned to combine light fabrics in this way. This quilt was published in the July/August issue of Modern Patchwork, my first time in that title.
Fowl Play, designed and pieced by Diane Harris, quilted by Julie Lechner
So if you’d like to make a quilt with tens of thousands of other people around the world (and cure FOMO forever), visit Quiltville.com for step-by-step instructions to create your own Good Fortune. There’s a Facebook group where you can connect with other Quiltville fans, too.
And thank you, Bonnie Hunter, for contributing this to the world of quilting.
Thousands of people are loving it.
Tags: Bonnie Hunter, mystery quilts, quilting 101
Quilter Kathy
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I’m totally loving it!
Gotta get going on my sewing for step #4!
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Leslie Schmidt
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I so agree with you, Diane. This is my 4th Bonnie mystery, and I really feel as though I have learned a lot and stretched myself. This is the first one I have done that uses string piecing, which I also had never done before. It’s lots of fun. I had always used Bonnie’s color schemes, mostly because I liked them. This year, though, I decided to go with jewel tones instead of the primary colors, and I changed the orange to purple. How radical ! I surprised myself.
I love your previous mystery quilts, especially Roll Roll Cotton Boll. That’s one I would like to do myself.
I consider myself an intermediate quilter, but I get a real sense of accomplishment when I participate in Bonnie’s mysteries.
Thanks for your fun blog.
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LeeAnn
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Can I just “like” your blog? I love reading what you have been doing and you are so encouraging to others! Thanks Diane!
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Diane Harris
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You’re so sweet. Thank you! 🙂
Julie
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I’ve joined in on the mystery quilt. FOMO…that is a good one. But also great way to push some of us lurkers on board. My fear was missing out on some fun technique and color play! I pushed myself out of the park on mixing oranges and can’t wait to see how this one all comes together! I love your perspective Diane and enjoy reading your blog. Happy Quilting!
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