Looking Back

Hi to All My Quilting Friends,

I don't know just how 2011 got away from me so quickly, but I sure know what I've been doing for the last month and a half!  Every spare nanosecond has found me in my sewing room working away on Bonnie Hunter's Orca Bay Mystery Quilt.  I took Bonnie's advice:  even if I did not finish all of each step, I would move on to the next step when it came out, at least to sample the construction of the newest units.

Because of that, I actually have something to post that looks like Orca Bay.

These are not all sewn together, but are mocked-up on my design wall.  I love this mystery!

I have to admit to a really dingbat of a mistake when I started making the Ohio star blocks.  I made two or three light Ohio stars and they came out fine.  Then I made the dark ones EXACTLY like the light ones (except dark, of course).  I did not read Bonnie's instructions very carefully (or maybe you could call me the dyslexic quilter).

I made four of these before I realized that my hourglass units were turned the wrong way!

So I pondered my options:

• Unsew them and fix them.
• Send them to the orphan block  drawer.  After all, they may not be Ohio stars, but they are sort of interesting.
• Use them for back art on Orca Bay.

I decided to piece them into the back when I get there (kicking the can down the road is so popular these days).  I made the additional 16 hourglass units that I now needed for this option and all is well.

I have enjoyed so much joining in on Monday morning with all you fabulous quilters on Bonnie's Link-Up.  It has been a true joy to see what you all have done with this design!

Thank you, Bonnie, from the bottom of my heart, for this lovely quilt design.  Yes, all the small pieces are worth it.  The many steps are all worth it.  And the suspense is definitely worth it!