Dipping my toe in Orca Bay!

I don't do mysteries--so why is this post about two of them? I only began following blogs about a year ago, and I was frequently running into references to Bonnie's mysteries, so I knew they were legend. But I don't do mysteries. Period. You may recall my angst last year over Bonnie's Floribunda quilt. In my "Open letter to Bonnie" I mentioned the knots I would get in my stomach when she alluded to her upcoming mystery. All of her mystery quilts have been amazing, but I DON'T DO MYSTERIES!!
As Bonnie began this mystery I was struck by the photo of Orca Bay that inspired her colors. It made me think of the purplish-orange sunsets over the Rocky Mountains that I see from my home. As she posted the different parts each week I would try to envision them in those colors. I looked at some of the links on her blog and would occasionally see these colors, but not in the shades I imagined. Once the reveal took place I knew I would buy her next book with this pattern and eventually make this quilt in my colors. Why? I don't know. Unless quilting for my grandchildren, I seldom use bright colors. I love orange and purple in my quilts, but not together, and usually in the more muted shades. But this quilt in these colors kept haunting me.
As I was reading posts of other bloggers' progress on Orca Bay over the past few weeks I saw where Kathy had chosen to use a solid piece of fabric in place of the string blocks (I also struggle with wanting to do a bazillion string blocks), and to make half the units for a smaller quilt. Smart woman, that Kathy. But I liked the movement the string blocks give to this quilt. Maybe I could do something like that--but use striped fabric in place of the strings to mimic the movement. Still, I was going to wait for the book to come out. I had plenty to do right now.
The final straw was when I walked past the men's shirts in the thrift store this week and there was a purple striped shirt and a coral-peachy plaid. I was sunk. Everything in this quilt is from men's shirts I bought that day. I was going to call the quilt "Sunset over the Rockies" but maybe "Sunset over the Men's Department" would be more appropriate. My quilt isn't really scrappy--you try and find more than one striped purple or peachy-coral shirt in a thrift store men's department. I'm just thrilled to have what I have.
Only the two blocks are made so far. I had to get the purple and orange parts completely cut to see how many blocks I would be able to make. It will probably be a twin size quilt. I'm working now to catch up on the HSTs and QSTs.

So, as Bonnie said when she learned that I had joined in, I succumbed! But it wasn't a mystery when I did, so I still don't do mysteries!!
Neither was this a mystery anymore when I finally got the Temecula 12 Days of Christmas blocks made. I started them last night after the twelfth block was shown. I am setting them a little differently than suggested, and I'm still playing with the border possibilities. This was a fun little project. If you haven't looked into this, they are leaving it up forever, so jump on it any time. Each block finishes at 3", so it doesn't take much fabric. I just pulled out my basket of CW scraps and made all of the blocks without cutting into yardage. Not so lucky on the borders.

So I still don't do mysteries. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!

Janet O.