7th Annual Quiltville Mystery Kickoff: Frolic Edition!

The 7th Annual Quiltville Mystery Kickoff Party happened on Saturday in Chandler, Arizona! Our group has grown from the original five who met on Black Friday eight years ago and brainstormed the idea of having an official party each year to inviting close to 50 people!  This year 24 were able to come and some were new so more quilty friends were made and plans to get together and find each other on facebook took place.  SEW much fun!  As always, there was cake (and this year things are spelled right!) and plenty of food too.

Kathy is taking the selfie this year so we can get everyone in the picture--24 all together this year, one had to come super late and missed the picture.  You may notice one man in our picture this year--this is Limbania's husband Mark.  We invited him to come on down around noon for pictures and a special something.  His wife Limbania was part of our group from the very first party and lost her battle with breast cancer a few months ago.  She was a sweet spirit and loved all things Bonnie!  She had several unfinished mysteries and several ladies are now finishing them.  I was the lucky one who wound up with Good Fortune (by accident it was mislabeled "On Ringo Lake") and decided to finish it up in time for the party!  My friend Andi Williams saw I was finishing it on facebook and graciously volunteered to quilt it for me before the party!  We then gifted this quilt back to Mark for his oldest daughter who is fourteen.  Limbania had hand dyed the fabric in this and it was precious to her so I knew it was meant to be for her daughter to have a one day wedding quilt just as my daughter got one this year.  Good Fortune is the perfect name for a wedding quilt!

Andee, Mark and Andi with Limbania Quiltz' Good Fortune

 Bonnie always says she does this mystery quilt during the busy holiday season to help keep those who may be alone or sad due to loss or whatever.  The clues give us something else to look forward to and new friends to share our love of quilting with.  I love how our quilting community came to Mark's aid to organize and sell Limbania's things, finish them off etc.  I know she is looking down on us all.  She has forever touched us and made us better for it.

 As always, the party favors were labels for the back of the quilt.  I try to get my signed by Bonnie each year to make it even more special. Victoria brought door prizes this year three lucky winners (the oldest, the one who came from the farthest away, and the one with the closest birthday) won!  Turns out it was Victoria's actual birthday and she brought the gifts!  It was nice celebrating it with her!

Marguerite, Laura, Andee, Deone, Kathy, Sheila, Mark in for Limbania, Kathy, Jill, Celeste, Betsy and Tina

Becky arrived after pictures but hers is a flimsy too! 

That makes thirteen Good Fortune tops/quilts to show off this year!  Beats our previous record of twelve.  We had everything from traditional Bonnie colors to Halloween!    Sew much fun to see all the variations of this one.  If somehow you missed doing the mystery with us you can still purchase the pattern here!  Of course people brought other Bonnie quilts and we shared them too!

Pretty sure this is the first time I have completed the clue while at the party!  I normally cannot get it done and host at the same time.  Since this was an easy clue and I pulled the right size strips from my scrap savers system (thanks SEW much Bonnie for sharing yours--it works so well) that I was half way there before I started!  The card in the middle was a thank you from everyone to Kathy and I for hosting every year (we got chocolate too) and I was astonished to see that BJ found a card that has my color choices on it!  Love it!

Marguerite always surprises me with a fun gift each year.  She made me this gnome!  I collect gnomes and had just seen some that looked like this and made a note to buy one...this one is cuter and makes me smile!  Thanks Marguerite!

Me with my Good Fortune--my daughter is already asking if she can have her wedding gift back yet!

Hannah and Jeremy with their wedding quilt last summer!

If you want to see the entire parade of mystery quilts click here! and you can see them all!  I have made every  one and several of them more than once. I love Bonnie's mystery quilts and have become a much better quilter from all her tips and tricks and clear directions with lots of pictures!  Thank you Bonnie for sharing your life and love of quilting with us!

5th Annual Quitville Mystery Kick Off in Chandler, Arizona!

We had 18 people at our 5th Annual Quiltville Mystery Kickoff party in Chandler, Arizona this year.  If you want to attend next year and will be in the area, let me know.  We invite people until the seats are filled!  One day we are hoping to have Quiltville Co-Moderator Irene (and her mom) and maybe one day Bonnie Hunter herself (she has to eventually be visiting family on Thanksgiving weekend right?).  Well, we can dream!

Some of our regulars were out of town or working but were with us in spirit!  One of my new Quiltville Cruise friends, Cynthia, came in all the way from Vegas!  Well she has family here and had the holiday with them but I am sure our party was the draw, wink!  I think another gal drove in from Buckeye! 

 Kelli could not stay but stopped in to bring us GOBS of scraps to pick though!  She is the current president for AZ Blankets for Kids and she invited us all to join in their next sewing session.  I have not gone in awhile and need to get back there!  Thanks Kelli for the scraps and all you do for the kids in Arizona!

 

Barb with En Provence

 A few gals had already gifted En Provence so their quilts are not in our picture, and Barb had to leave before picture time but we got one of her alone.  My favorite part of this get together is seeing all  of Bonnie Hunter's magnificent designs in different colors up close.  Each one is its own masterpiece!  I somehow you missed out on getting this pattern for free last year here is where you can get it instantly

Phyllis Marguerite, Laura, Andee (me), Jennifer, Celeste, Andi, Heather and Charlotte!

 Some of us doing duck lips some of us not so much!

 Here is my En Provence.  Love how it came out!  You cannot go wrong with a Bonnie quilt!

Close up of my quilting done by Ros

This year we got a shot of the backings and the labels.  Everyone oohed and awed over the fabrics chosen.  Each attendee is gifted a label made simply with your picture in MS Word.  I just add in designed by Bonnie Hunter, made by blank and info about the party and year.  SEW much fun.

Close up of my autographed label!

 
 Here is the whole crew minus Kathy who was taking the picture,  and Barb and Kelli who left before we got this far.  Left to right starting at the top:  Laura, Marguerite, Andee (me), Jennifer, Celeste, Andi, Heather, and Ros.  Second row:  Marlene, Limbania, Tina, Jill, Cynthia, Charlotte, Fran and Phyllis.

 This is the first year Kathy did not complete her quilt top in time for our next Kickoff party.  She did get her very first block together and is looking forward to finishing this up soon!  Here's hoping she keeps up (with my help) this year!

So to make that happen, Kathy and I are tag teaming on her quilt which will be gifted to my baby brother Sam and his fiance Ashley.  We are doing it in her colors and keeping her posted of our progress.  Makes it extra fun!  I am also doing a Packer colored quilt.  

We managed to complete both clue ones before bed!  

Thank you Bonnie for this gift, I have made every mystery (some more than once) and look forward to it every year.  I even have a tab on my blog devoted to the mystery quilts and another one with a Quiltville Parade of quilts!  Linking up with Quiltville for clue one's Monday Link Up soon!  Looking forward to clue two of On Ringo Lake!

Fourth Annual Quiltville Mystery Kickoff Party--En Provence!

 Kathy and I hosted the fourth annual Quiltville Mystery Kickoff Party last Friday to celebrate the start of Bonnie Hunter's En Provence Mystery!  This is something we look forward to every year.  We invite anyone and everyone who is into Quiltville.  Every year we make a few new friends and get to know others more.  This year our newbie attendees were Susan, Heather, Jill, Fran and Evelyn I believe. 

 We always order a cake and this year I tasted it--delicious.  We send home the leftovers so that is all I get!

Kathy, Marguerite, Laura, BJ, Barb, Kathy, Celeste, Jill, Heather, Susan, Evelyn, Jen, Ann, Bonnie, Terri, Fran and me (Andee)

 We take pictures after lunch.  This year we did not have a handy hubby to take pictures so after we did some missing me or missing Kathy we decided to do a selfie shot so we could get everyone in!  Later on Becky stopped by but she was not in the pictures.  We had a nice turnout this year despite the fact that a few of our regulars were out of town and unable to be there. 

 Nine of us brought completed Allietare's to show off. Another gal had hers done but had already gifted it--Celeste I think.  I know a few of those who could not attend also had them done (Ros and ???)...not bad ladies!

 Of course I had to show off my copper mug/ocean inspired Allietare!  This is my first scallop and I LOVE the look of it.

Ann was in charge of organizing donations and drawings  for door prizes this year.  It was really fun to draw a person or two every hour.  We had about eight winners and we got rid of a few kits, books and rulers that we did not need in the process.  I did not win, but Kathy did so she is sharing her kit with me.  WHOOT.  THANK YOU ANN!  I made paint chip party favor Christmas ornaments.  All the mystery colors on one chip. 

Kathy, Kathy, Marguerite, Andee (me), Laura, Barb, Evelyn, Bonnie and Fran

 Kelli could not make it, but we did duck lips in her honor as it is now a tradition!  So proud of all the gals that get this mystery done in time for our party.  I think it comes off the back burner and gets done for some folks at the last minute, but hey it gets it done! 

 Ros also could not make it and she usually helps share the cost and the hard work of making the labels.  She was willing to do them for us and we could mail them but Barb offered to teach me on her Canon printer.  SO EASY!  I learned something new, everyone got a label (and I have a few leftover if a few of my regulars who were there in spirit want one) and I bought myself a new printer so now I can make them for every quilt I do if I like.  So this was party favor number two.  THANKS BARB!

Five years ago Kathy, Kathy, Becky, Barb and I got together on black Friday to sew at Kathy's house.  We gabbed of our love of Bonnie as we all started the Easy Street Mystery (Becky just bought her border fabric to finish that one up yesterday!)  It was that small group sewing day that led to our actually throwing the first Quiltville Mystery Kickoff Party the following year.  We kicked off Celtic Solstice at a fun shop Jan owned.  Later the shop closed and Jan and hubby moved to Minnesota.  We had our party in the community room of our police station for the next two years.  This year due to a last minute conflict (and a long story) we wound up at the police substation.  When we arrived it was locked with a note it was closed due to the holiday (despite our last minute reservation--thanks Barb).  After ten crazy minutes the police chief said we could use the room anyway but we had to figure out letting people in the locked door.  THANKS to Dr. KATHY for volunteering to put her text number on the door and for running out every time someone needed to come in! 

Our group has grown every year and we now have forty two people who want to be invited each year!  Of course because it is right at the Thanksgiving Holiday not everyone can always make it, but the group keeps growing.  I guess when we have too many for our room there will need to be two locations, lol.  I love these ladies and enjoy meeting new friends and seeing everyone's fabrics and completed quilts.  A big shout out and thank you to the generous Bonnie Hunter for doing this for us every year!

 Kathy insisted we do a cutters up picture for Bonnie too!  I did not get pictures of anyone's four patches and barely put three together myself.  I do have lots of twosies.  I spent most of my time enjoying the people and plan to sew like a made woman this afternoon so I don't feel behind!

So here are the parades from the past three years (we did not do a parade the first year) and I look forward to clue two and the next parade!
Thank you to everyone who attended, who brought food and donation prizes and especially to those who helped with set up or clean up.  It really makes it a great day for all of us.  Fellow Quiltvillians, you are all dear to my heart!
**Edit** Well I managed to get clue one done today.  It has been a whirlwind of a weekend and quilting did not get the priority I wanted it to, but I got it done!  I spent some time learning how to spin the seams for the first time and I finally get it!  That Bonnie teaches me at least one new thing each mystery!  I almost think I enjoyed slowing down and spinning the seams, almost. 

I am looking forward to linking up with Quiltville in the morning before work!  If you are new to my blog and are interested in seeing my Quiltville obsession please check out my Quiltville Parade! I have made every mystery and plenty more. 

Allietare! Linking up with Bonnie!

 Bonnie has asked us to get to know each other in our linkys so in case you are new to my blog I shall introduce myself!  I am Andee in AZ otherwise known as Angela.  I love Quiltville quilts and all things Bonnie!  I found Bonnie when I first really got into quilting through her blog and then her yahoo group while they were working on Carolina Crossroads. I fell in love with mystery quilts though I was new to quilting.  I truly learned most all I know from reading Bonnie's blog and doing her mystery quilts.  I have made them all and have a parade here if you are interested in seeing all my Quiltville quilts.
I finally met Bonnie in January of 2013--she facebooked me and invited me to breakfast.  If I was not her number one fan before that, I was after (you can be her *other* number one fan!).  She is one of a kind and in addition to her generous nature and quilting knowledge, she is an all around great gal for me to look up to.  I love how she has fun and eats yummy food yet gets in her steps and does healthy too!  She has influenced me in more ways than she knows!
Since then I have taken several workshops with her and went on the Caribbean cruise this past Spring.  I am one of her Open Studio moderators on facebook and am still inspired by her everyday!  Four years ago, in 2012, five of us got together at one of our houses on Black Friday and started sewing Celtic Solstice.  The idea of a mystery Kickoff  Party was born.  The following year we had an official party with 12 people, last year with 24 and this year 14 (though about 30 wanted to come, it didn't work out for many).  Our favorite part of the get together is sharing our completed quilts from the year before.  For the procrastinators in our group this is a real motivator!

I love seeing how very different each quilt is!

This past summer my family met up in Rocky Point for a week of sun and sand.  It was my first time on a private beach.  My brother made Kathy and I Moscow Mules and we enjoyed them while the sun set.  This memory has stayed with me as one of those perfect moments in life that we don't get enough of.  When I was trying to decide how to change up the colors I realized I wanted to use copper and turquoise and sand along with my neutrals and I figured brown (or sunset yellow) would round it out.  So here are my fabric choices though my scraps aren't pulled yet.  I pull them as I find out what size strips Bonnie is having us use so it will be scrappier than this in the end.  All my fabrics came from stash, but I do need to order more or a different sand fabric as the biggest chunk I have is too dark--I should get on that in case that comes up in clue two!

Here I am sewing away at the Kickoff Party!

This year I managed to socialize and finish clue one all the day of the party!   Feels good to be caught up and ready for clue two!

Linking up with Bonnie at Quiltville and hoping to get to visit and comment on each of your linky's each week too!

Third Annual Quiltville Mystery Kickoff in Chandler!

 Today was the Third Annual Quiltville Mystery Kickoff!  We started working on Allietare and took a break to take pictures of all of our Grand Illusions that we managed to complete from last year!  Almost everyone in attendance had one done to share!

 Here are all of us who hope to have a quilt cape to share next year!

 This year Ros and BJ brought the cake.  I had a few bites, it was good!

 BJ gifted each person who came with the cutest tiny mushroom pin!  Seriously does it get any cuter than that?

 Ros made the labels and took on most of the cost of that this year--so appreciated it!  They turned out fabulous and I meant to get a picture of everyone's label from last year's quilt but I forgot.  I was hoping to see them all on there but no idea if they made it on all of them or not.  BJ mentioned she could not find hers--in case she forgets she zipped this year's into her sewing case on wheels in a pocket she never goes in.

 Kelli was unable to make it this year, but we did our duck lips pose in honor of her anyway!

 Kathy's hubby was sweet enough to do our group photos so everyone could get in them this year.

Laura and Marguerite are mother and daughter and were in Italy with Bonnie when this year's quilt was hatched--here they are with their completed Grand Illusions!
The day flew by and we had a nice potluck.  Lots of fun and laughter and friendships strengthened.  I am so thankful for each of these gals and for our shared love of all things Quiltville!
Here is my clue one completed!