Mystery quilt help please
 

I have been asked to organise a mystery quilt for our guild next year, one clue for each month, but I have no idea how to or where I can find such a thing. Have any of you kind Ladies and Gentleman, have some ideas that could point me in the right direction

Thank you

I know there are many mystery quilts on the internet, but I think that if you selected or designed a quilt with two different blocks and a pieced border, you could probably organize a clue/task each month. Do you need 12 months? Most of the mystery quilts that I have participated in were somewhat limited in scope. No one wants to invest the time and money into something they may not even like. You could do something like a medallion quilt with several borders...Just my thoughts

I have been the chair person in my guild for the mystery quilt for about 4 years now and I always find my patterns on the internet. I always run my mystery quilt from October thru April. This gives the guild members a chance to sign up in September and work through it until the last clue in April. Then it gives the members from April until June to get it pieced, if they haven't been working on it from October thru April, quilted, a binding and a label. Sometimes they only get the top done and that is ok too, they can still show it at our June banquet. I like to see the different ways the quilt can look with the different choices. If you would like a few hints, send me a message and I'd be happy to share one of the patterns.

I would echo the other comment...you will get much better participation if you plan a project that everyone can participate in...the whole mystery quilt thing sounds good but then they start wanting you to spend money on supplies that you have no idea how are going to be used or how many other colors, tones, shades, etc., you will need... it makes people drop out by the droves.... just my 2 cents...i hope the project turns out well whatever you decide...

I'm currently working through an ongoing mystery quilt from a guild somewhere in NY but I don't attend that guild but it's quite easy.

http://quiltschenectady.org/?page_id=851

that's the current mystery but they have a few other mystery quilts there as well. You could also check out Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilts, they look like fun too and I might do double delight, if I don't peak at the last clue :P

If it's a well run Mystery Quilt, it will tell you upfront what all the requirements are for the supplies, fabrics and any extras.

Has your Guild done this before? If so, speak with those who have coordinated the previous ones and get their advice from the previous experiences.

If not ... then blaze your own path! There are LOTS of Mystery Quilts on the web. Let Google be your friend. Also, there are pattern books that your LQS could guide you to. There's some great Mystery Quilts out there .... and there's some that are nothing special.

Consider your membership in selecting the pattern .... will it be at a level your members would feel comfort, yet some challenge? Is the finished design pleasing? Are the members wanting a stash buster? a scrap user? willing to purchase all new fabrics? etc.

My recommendation to you would be to make the Mystery Quilt yourself first, right thru to completion, BEFORE you decide that it's the one! Better for you to discover that the instructions do not make sense, or have mistakes, than to circulate and have your Guild-friends lost, confused and discouraged, sending it to the UFO pile. The first one you try out, may be a winner .... or you may then decide to switch to a different pattern. If so, then be sure to make it too, to check it's appropriateness.

Thank you every one for your suggestions, I have got 3 that I think will be great now I just have to get busy and make up 3 quilts
with the ecconomy the way it is at the moment I think a scrap mystery will be the way to go
As always this is a great group of very helpful folk

Someone just posted a New Year's Day Mystery quilt (a 1-day quilt) - http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...t-t170717.html I like the idea because it's all in my stash. If you look around Merry Mayhem's website, there are mystery quilts to purchase for guilds - and the price is reasonable ($8 for most), AND avoids copyright issues. I like the sound of so many of their mystery quilts ...! And several are one-day projects - which can be attractive for a single workshop.