Celtic Solstice Clue #5 - Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt

It is Friday and the clue is released.  I am up at 6 to check it out and then back to bed for a couple more hours of sleep.  It feels so good to be caught up though.  I get to cut today and am hopeful to knock this clue out in no time.

We are making a "bird in the air" block.  At least that is what the ladies in the Facebook group are calling it.  I, however, have absolutely no idea.  I will just do as I am told.  The best thing about it is that we already have a start as we are using the half square triangles made in step 3 and just building on them.  Yay!  So glad I have that step finished.


Let's get cutting -- I need 244 pairs of neutral triangles.  I love the Easy Angle ruler and have these cut from 2" strips in absolutely no time.  I think it takes me longer to sort them by fabric than it does to cut them.  I separate into rights and lefts and also by pattern.  Yes, I am doing this quilt as scrappy, but I have to control it a certain amount or I will end up with squares that have the same fabric repeated in them.

Once this is finished it is time to sew!  I attach all of one side first and create my strings.  I am following the orange in this block.  All of my orange/yellow squares are sorted by the orange pattern and it is my guide as I sew.  I go through all of one pattern while rotating through the neutrals.

Now it is time to put the other "wing" on.  I repeat the same step as before, only watching so that I don't duplicate my neutrals on any one unit.  I am liking how these are turning out and they are surprisingly easy.  Woohoo.  I may even meet my goal of having these done this weekend.

I think they turn out WONDERFUL!  I am loving the cheery colors so very much.

A new day and a new color as it is time for the blue -- I grab my 3 1/2" strips and soon have triangles ready to attach.  They are once again sorted by pattern and I will again be following the orange and rotating through the blues.  It takes up a lot of space near my machine and looks like a mess, but it works for me.

As I am adding the blue triangles, I read about several people online that are having problems with their corners being eaten by the machine.  Here is what I do:  one the blue is place, I flip the piece over and sew on the neutral side (so that I can make sure not to chop off points on the yellow).  I butt the piece right up to where the blunt blue edge is (see picture above for shape of blue) and sew.  The overlaps the points with the previous unit, but as these are just disposable dog ears, it is not an issue.  I took this picture for you and Mister laughed and told me that I should have at least blown the fabric lint off first.  Always the photographer.

Everything goes so nice --- I have them done before noon on today (Sunday)!  Woot woot!  I cannot believe it.  Now I can let this mystery go for the next few days and focus on my classes.  I am taking Bonnie Hunter classes the next three days -- one each day.  I am not cut or ready for them at all.  The rest of today will be spent cutting for them.  First up tomorrow:  another mystery quilt and I LOVE the fabric we are using.  So very excited.  See you again for clue 6 next weekend.

Piece count so far:   Step 1:  1,140 required (although I made extra blocks)
                                Step 2:  1,464 required (again, I made extra blocks)
                                Step 3:     976 required (yep, you know it -- extra of both units)
                                Step 4:  1,200 required (")
                                Step 5:     732 required (obviously you know me by now)
Total:  5,512 at this point.

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