Garden Party Clue 1 - Bonnie Hunter - Plano Mystery Quilt

Well, well, well.  We've got another Quilt-A-Long going in the Facebook group.  This time I pulled out a UFO from January 3rd of 2015 and you can find the original, rather vague, post HERE.  I am trying very hard to stay on the UFO track again this year and feel that this is a good way to start.

Since I originally took this class as a mystery, we are able to do the QAL as a mystery too.  Woohoo.  Clue one is out and it's time for me to get going.  Yes, I do have quite a few blocks finished but am a long way from being done.  That means I have to prep as well.  I'm at retreat with all my beautiful jewel tone batiks already in strips.  So what do I do?  Well, dang --- I cut all the little squares and bricks I will need.  For some reason, the entire STRIP process went right out of my head.  I actually think about it AFTER all the parts are cut.  Oh well.  It will work this way too.  Time to sew.

As I sew the first two pieces together, I start making a stack of their partner pieces.  By the time I have been through 80 sets of 4 or 320 units (remember, I already have a few blocks finished), I have a lovely, brightly colored, slightly leaning tower.

Next step - ironing.  I just sit and stare at the stack before heading over to the board.  Without a doubt, I know that I will be over there for almost an hour.  I guess I can't put it off forever.

As I press the units open, I cut them in groups of four and stack them neatly so that they are ready to go.  The most important thing for me is to keep them in the order they were sewn in so that I don't have to hunt down their matches for the next part.

As soon as they are all pressed and stacked in order, I get the matching parts and start sewing again.  It's only 320, I keep telling myself.

Another trip to the ironing board and I have clue 1 finished.  Whew.