Hmmmm...I can't decide on A and B, too. My blocks look kind of dull when I lay them on a cream or light. Am thinking of using a dark brown or blue for the sashing to make the 9-patches pop more and try light colored stars. I may have to sleep on this. :-)

OMG - blue, sleeveless, the first maternity dress I made and my first attemt at smocking. LOL small world

Finally got my 9-patches done, also got the 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 rectangles cut also. Here is the picture of my 12 - 9 patches. I also posted a picture of my A & B plue one other. Not sure if I want the white or black to be the stars......any input would be helpful.

the white is a white on white with sunflowers, Or the tan swirls.

How can you say you're not scrappy? Are they not scraps from the current quilt? Yes. So, you're scrappy...love the pallette. I still have to start mine...life's getting in the way right now. :(

Running a little behind, (life happens) but will catch up. Just a few more pieces to cut then off to the sewing room. This if my first mystery quilt, but I have done a scrappy quilt before. Did a scrappy log cabin for my oldest grandson for high school graduation. If this one works out, it may be graduation quilt for youngest grandson who graduates in 2014. Thanks for letting me participate. Have not ridden a train since 1949 when my Grandmother and I went from Texas panhandle to California to visit her family. This ride should be fun.

when did this mystery train ride start Judy???
Debbie

Well I missed the train as it pulled out of the station....but am determined to make up for lost time. I saw this thread earlier today and believe it or not now have all of the 4.5" squares cut for the nine patch blocks. I'm doing the large size and I think all of my fabs are different! Whew...been doing some scrambling here today ....as I want all of the blocks to have a common theme. Every block is either a floral or has leaves on it...anything that grows out of the ground works. This is my first mystery quilt and my first (almost) uncontrolled scrappy! I'll post pics when I get some of the blocks put together. What an adventure this will be! I may have to catch a plane and meet you as the train pulls into the final destination! :) or if that doesn't work I'll be waiting for you when you arrive safely home!

Judy.............Thank you so much for the information that I had asked for. I know that I can figure it out, without any trouble!! :D This is going to be a beautiful little quilt, I LOVE it!! :D I haven't been able to start the new clue today, but hopefully tomorrow. Judy, you are a "Genius" at putting these Mystery projects together for all of us to enjoy.
:D :D :D :D

I have just put together a yummy "Creme' Brule French Toast casserole" in the fridge for over night. It will be in the dining car in the morning Hot & ready to eat!! Enjoy everyone.
:D :D :D :D

Oh SulaBug that sounds like heaven itself! Would you consider sending me that recipe?

Here is my first block put together [ATTACH=CONFIG]386158[/ATTACH]

I've gone with blue & yellow because they don't appear in my 9P's . I've got every thing cut out and will work at the blocks through the week. I think I'm getting addicted to mystery quilts :p especially Judy's! TY Judy.

I could not stop till it was together, I love this quilt. I am thinking that I want to make it bigger, like maybe a queen?? Not sure if that is possible but I figure it can't hurt to try. The other one I started is purely scrappy, but it will be a small.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]386167[/ATTACH]
I am now wondering about the next clue. But I love it exactly the way it is also! Great Job Judy, my favorite of all the train rides so far, you just keep getting better and better!

The camera does not do it justice, and my hubby was the one who suggested I put the dark center in the stars, he thought it looked better than the lighter, I have lots of my A & B fabric so it should be easy to enlarge it!

Wow! Very nice Marytoddliz! Looks great already :)

Geeze Marytoddliz, are the days longer than 24 hours out in California? Can't believe you got that done already! Very pretty - purple is just about my favorite color. So if you do make it a queen, I could give it a very nice home. well, enough begging - gotta go cut my "b" fabric.

debquilts - started on 1/29 and yesterday was the second clue so you are not behind.

chigger - wow, you are really moving along quickly

sula - you're welcome, and breakfast this morning smells heavenly

quilt addiction and marytodd - wowsers!

Marytoddliz I love yours. I love anything purple. I am surprised there isn't more purple in my stash. I am using all fabric that was given to me in this quilt. It is mostly fall colors which are not my usual colors. I can't post pictures since I can't find the link cable for my camera. I put it away when I cleaned up for Christmas. I wonder where away is. I think I have found something that will work for A and B. NOt exactly what I had in mind but I refuse to buy anything for this. There was one fabric I used that I wanted to use for the stars but I can't find any more of it. Cindy I love your creme swirl fabric.
I spent all day yesterday at several LQS. Today I need to finish taking down the tree and other Christmas stuff. Then I need to quilt 2 table runners before I finish my mystery. I am doing some machine embroidery on the table runners. I decided to use metallic thread. NOt a good idea. It keeps breaking. I used silver on one and thing went pretty well. I am using the same brand of thread in gold on the other one and it keeps breaking. I finally said some bad words and walked away at midnight before things got ugly.
I made a fruit salad to go with the creme brule french toast. Since it is the New Year we all have to try to stick with our resolutions to eat more healthy. Besides I love fruit. Would love the recipe for the french toast.

Judy, I would love the directions for using 4 inch patches also. I have a few boxes of that size that were cut by other people.

I have my 4 1/2 inch patches made into squares. I'm still trying to decide on fabrics a and b.

The sun is shining in Minnesota and we are to have temps in the 30's for a few days.

Connie

Very interesting... I have not heard of this... but excellent idea.. I know of someone who when making a king quilt she made it in two twins and put large buttons down the center to connect them..

[QUOTE=meanmom;5766185]Marytoddliz
I am doing some machine embroidery on the table runners. I decided to use metallic thread. NOt a good idea. It keeps breakingQUOTE]
I found that if you use a needle for metallic thread it helps. And a high quality metallic thread works best too. Hate to be a neigh-sayer but the S---- brand breaks a lot on me, especially the gold.

I think you will see what you need to do when you get the next and final clue. I can post those suggestions after I finish this mystery, would that be okay?

Sounds like you are going to have a great time!

Good morning--this is my first mystery quilt--and I also have my girlfriend working on it..I also have a great desire to organize my scraps...but it seemed way easier to let loose and grab them from a bag when I don't know what the final
result will be. My granddaughter was over last week and said she wanted a quilt made from all the colors I had in my sewing room---so guess what---this will be for her!! WHOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO

I'm going to try to post a picture from this new phone. Hope it works!

Judy,

Super! This is so much fun since it is my first mystery quilt.

Thanks.

Connie

Qusssum, I really like your purlpe and yellow. That is going to look good.

Meanmom, thanks. Smocking sounds like fun. I have two granddaughter under the age of two. I have thought about learning to smock. Need to find the time and courage. :)

Quiltaddiction, like the blue and yellow.

marytoddliz, your is coming out great. Purple is one of my favorite colors.

Paulswalia, I agree with VickiM, it's a scrapy. :) I do like the colors.

WOW! Judy, you are leading us to a beautiful end. Love the direction we are going.

After auditioning three different colors for color B I think I have a winner. My color A is going to be part scrappy and part a constant color. Off to the sewing room I go to have some fun. :)

judy, when we get done with our 6 (12) blocks or we suppose to have sashing around the outside edges? to be ready for the next clue? thx

I think we make 17 flying geese but I think I counted 24 in Mary's top. What am I doing wrong?

*

smocking was always most accurate for me on (woven) gingham and dotted swiss (the real kind not the printed kind)

never mind
I figured it out
mine is the smaller one

Finished cutting A and B last night. Started sewing on Clue 2 and I am loving this quilt. This is my first mystery and it is great fun. Back to the ole sewing machine. Want to be ready for Clue 3.

When you do your 6 or 12 blocks, you will have the blocks with the additional pieces shown in postion, placed around the two sides, shown in the photo, sewn onto the blocks. I forgot to take a pix of what was all sewn together. There will be no additional sashing added.

Do you remember the iron-on transfers, with just the dots that you ironed on to whatever you wanted to smock? Make it whatever size you wanted.
That was how I did my first smocked yoke on the maternity dress. Then I felt confident enough to go to the woven gingham and count the dots.

All our first-time mystery quilters seems to be enjoying themselves, so glad to hear all the positive comments.

Thanks you, everyone, for the votes of confidence you send. Makes all the work worthwhile. And this one was a doozy with all the options I tried to give you. LOL But I always feel that if you are going to put fabric and effort into a project, you should be given a little guidence so you are pleased with your quilt. That's the reason I never participated in a mysteries -- seemed a lot of fabric if I was going to hate the result.

Here's my Part 2!

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...93c0911716.jpg

I'm not sure if I like or don't like the gold and purple. On the one hand, it gives the quilt something of an old-timey look with the mustard-yellow of the gold and the swirls in it, but on the other hand they might have been a little strong for this quilt. Also there's a sort of three-dimensional thing going on here as the 9-patches seem almost to be floating on the background of crosses. It's sort of neat, and does draw attention from the craziness of all the novelties in the 9-patches. Okay, I think I do like it!

Can't wait to see where we're going with the remaining rectangles and small squares! Guess I can relax until next weekend. :)

Thanks for the mystery! It's been a lot of fun, and always gotta love scrappy quilts + stashbusting!

--Q

I am finally completely caught up with both clues. I had fun deciding on what I wanted my fabric A to be. I knew I wanted fabric B to be the black tone on tone. I finally decided to us a pale marbled moda for Fabric A. I like the way it is turning out.

There is on of all 12 blocks, they still need to be sewn together in rows, but that wont take me too long. And a close up.

Thanks for any input......

Quossum, I love your quilt top, it is beautiful. I really like the A& B fabric you picked, they look great together, and with your blocks.

I have to admit the reason I got mine done so fast is I had help. My hubby is my partner and he helps. He does a lot of the pressing and cutting.

Judy, I love your Mysteries, they are wonderful, and every single time I learn some very helpful tips. I am leaving tomorrow and wanted my top done so I can bring it with me so I can do step 3 from my Mom's

Createfourpaws, I love it! that black and white is awesome! beautiful!

it is actually not a white, it is a pale green with pale pink and yellows throughout. I can take a close up of the fabric before it was cut. I still have some left. I have included a picture before it was cut apart.

WOW! looks like many are doing the larger one. i may decide to go bigger as well once i get A&B sewn on.