Mystery Quilt Archives : Indiana Quilter 40

The Mystery Quilt Continues

Mystery clip art — Source: Bing clip art

I decided to do the mystery quilt that Bonnie Hunter put out on her blog during late November 2020. My goal was to complete each part as the directions came out every week. Real life put out some bumps and I am behind, so the mystery quilt continues…..

If you missed my previous post on this mystery quilt, please go here. In that post, I showed photos as I completed making parts 1 – 6.

I am not going to give details or sizes because you should to go to Bonnie’s website to get the complete directions. At some point this design will be put into a PDF pattern she will sell.

Fall color leaves — Source: Bing clip art

And the mystery quilt continues…..

Now I am in part 7 which is putting the components from the previous parts into blocks and sashing to complete the top for making the Grassy Creek Mystery Quilt.

The Main Blocks:

The first step in this part was making these Ohio Star blocks to be the center of the main blocks.

Ohio Stars for the center of the mystery quilt blocks.

Then adding the triangle components to the sides.

So the center block is complete. There is still the sashing and secondary blocks to make from the parts.

The sashing:

Sewing the gray strips together to make the sashing was easy but to me the most time consuming part of the entire process. For part 7 the red rectangles were added to each long end.

The final components to put together are the remaining flying geese blocks, HST, and red rectangles into a secondary block. This is where I am as of this morning – still needing to add the yellow and gray HST:

When I committed to doing this mystery quilt, I involved another quilter who had never done anything by Bonnie Hunter or a mystery quilt. She was not sure about it but was willing. Her top has been completed for 3 weeks because she had way too much fun using scraps and piecing an unknown design.

That being said, for those of us who get bogged down in a design, someone else just flies through it and is done. Usually other quilters say that I am the one flying through the piecing of a quilt top – not this time.

So….just keep at your project, enjoy, and complete. I have not given up or allowed myself to work on another quilt top. This one will not be a UFO.

AM I READY FOR A MYSTERY QUILT?

"It's a mystery" clip art — Source: Bing clip art

I fully intended to do a totally different topic for this week’s post. However, I got distracted by a call to a quilting buddy and now I am looking at a mystery quilt idea. Am I ready for a mystery quilt?

Current mystery quilt thoughts:

My quilting buddy does mystery quilts on an annual basis. She was all excited about this new mystery quilt that Bonnie Hunter is doing for 2020. So of course I had to look at it as well.

I am not a big fan of mystery quilts. “Why?” you ask. Because I am very visual and I like to see what I am making. Guess that takes all the mystery out of it right? Yep, I am being a party pooper for sure.

I have done a few mystery quilts in the past. Like this one in 2009. Then there was this one in 2006.

After looking at the design and the colors I am going to give this one a try. I love autumn colors and this one is very much autumn colors: red-orange, orange, gold, green (bright?), gray, and neutrals.

Colorful fall leaves in mystery quilt suggested colors. — Source: Bing clip art

I think there is enough in my fabric stash that I won’t have to actually purchase much, if any fabrics. I am trying very hard not to buy any extra fabrics this year, but to use what is already on my sewing room shelves and in the scrap bins.

Choosing fabrics:

I set the timer for 20 minutes and picked these fabrics from the stash. If I am not careful I will overthink any given task. Surprisingly, I did not even open the scrap bins!

I am happy with the fabric choices. Am I ready for a mystery quilt? I feel inspired by the colors and am sure willing to try the Grassy Creek mystery quilt by Bonnie Hunter.

The directions say she will be taking down the free pattern and turning it into a PDF pattern to sell on Feb. 12. I will change the links below after she posts the pattern for sale.

Mystery quilts are way out of my comfort zone. However, trying and learning new things is how to expand my (and your) horizons.

Learn and have fun:

Quilters, as 2020 finally winds down and we look forward to a brand new year, let’s try something new. Maybe it will be a mystery quilt or a new technique. Maybe how to use a new gadget. It might even be a fabric that does not match anything in your stash. Expand your quilting horizons.

And most of all – have a fun time with your quilting obsession.

Part 1 Update on 12/9/20:

All my Part 1 pieces are sewn and ironed. For details, please see the mystery quilt directions here.

Part 1 of the mystery quilt is complete. — Part 1 complete

Part 2 Update on 2/13/2021:

I left this part for the last one to assemble, but it is finished today. I am excited to start putting the pieces together for the top.

Mystery Quilt - part 2 — Part 2 complete

Part 3 Update on 12/24/2020:

All the pieces for Part 3 are sewn and ironed. For details, please see the mystery quilt directions here.

Mystery quilt part 3 complete. — Part 3 complete

Part 4 Update on 12/28/2020:

I completed the part 4 of the mystery quilt. See here for details on sizes and amount.

Mystery quilt part 4 is done. — Completed part 4 blocks

Part 5 update on 1/4/2021:

I am almost keeping up!! Here is part 5 complete. I am loving the fall colors. I have run out of gray fabric. Gray has never been a color I use much of, but this mystery quilt uses a lot of it.

Here are the directions for part 5.

Part 6 update 01/31/2021:

These strips took me way longer than normal – work has been crazy and it has really slowed down my quilting time.

Mystery quilt - part 6 - with corner triangles sewn on.

Here are the directions for part 6.

PLEASE NOTE:
ALL PHOTOS AND WRITTEN CONTENT ARE THE PROPERTY OF INDIANAQUILTER40 UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

PLEASE NOTE:
ALL PHOTOS AND WRITTEN CONTENT ARE MY OWN UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

MAINE MYSTERY QUILT 2009

The Maine Mystery 2009 quilt was just a fun project to be part of. I have friends in a quilt guild in Maine and this was their mystery quilt project for 2009. I was able to purchase the pattern book on amazon. It is from a book named “Minnesota Hot Dish” https://www.amazon.com/Minnesota-Dish-Atkinson-Designs-ATK-902/dp/B000GKKXTM/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Minnesota+hot+dish+quilt+book&qid=1571932601&s=books&sr=1-1

It’s so easy to do the same style of quilts in the same colors or fabric designs which is why I push myself out of my own comfort zone periodically and do something I have not done in the quilt realm. It’s so easy to get stagnant and I want to learn new things – even in quilting.

I rarely do mystery quilts because I am very visual and want to see how the top looks when it is finished. Which apparently takes all the fun out of it…..

I passed the pattern to another quilter when the top was finished. However, I do remember that it was all squares and rectangles which went together easily.

Fabrics…

There was a vendor for several years at the national quilt show in Paducah, KY https://www.paducah.travel/quilting/aqs-quiltweek-paducah/ that carried beautiful French fabrics. I bought small quantities each year. I had no idea what to do with them but they were so beautiful.

The background is a navy solid cotton I had on hand in my stash. The difference in how the navy feels and how the French fabric feels is very noticeable.

The paisley border fabric is also from the same vendor of French fabrics https://www.french-nc.com/shop/Fabrics/French-Fabrics/Printed-Cotton-Fabric-Provence-and-other.htm.

Another close-up of border and quilting design.

I cut out and machine pieced the top during January to May of 2009.

It was machine quilted in June of 2009 by RLM. The small vine and flower design looks wonderful and really works well with the fabrics.

The backing is a piece of blue and yellow striped cotton print from my stash that coordinates with the blue and yellow fabrics in the top.

Maine Mystery Quilt 2009 - backing of blue and yellow fabric

Here is the finished Maine Mystery Quilt 2009. The current quilt size is 44″ x 60″ which is perfect for display or snuggling under while reading or watching TV.

And for you…

I just want to encourage other quilters to try a new pattern or new color combination a quilt. Be adventurous once in a while with your quilt making.

Tag: Mystery Quilt

The Mystery Quilt Continues

And the mystery quilt continues…..

The sashing:

AM I READY FOR A MYSTERY QUILT?

Current mystery quilt thoughts:

Choosing fabrics:

Learn and have fun:

Part 1 Update on 12/9/20:

Part 2 Update on 2/13/2021:

Part 3 Update on 12/24/2020:

Part 4 Update on 12/28/2020:

Part 5 update on 1/4/2021:

Part 6 update 01/31/2021:

MAINE MYSTERY QUILT 2009

Fabrics…

And for you…

PLEASE NOTE:
ALL PHOTOS AND WRITTEN CONTENT ARE MY OWN UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

And the mystery quilt continues…..

The sashing:

Current mystery quilt thoughts:

Choosing fabrics:

Learn and have fun:

Part 1 Update on 12/9/20:

Part 2 Update on 2/13/2021:

Part 3 Update on 12/24/2020:

Part 4 Update on 12/28/2020:

Part 5 update on 1/4/2021:

Part 6 update 01/31/2021:

Fabrics…

And for you…

PLEASE NOTE: ALL PHOTOS AND WRITTEN CONTENT ARE MY OWN UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

PLEASE NOTE:
ALL PHOTOS AND WRITTEN CONTENT ARE MY OWN UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.