A mystery quilt is one where you get the general directions to start, say the fabric requirements. You choose your own fabrics based on the design requirements, such as lights med and dark that go with a focus fabric. You gather each in the required amounts and then on clue day, you get the 1st set of instructions. Using your fabric choices, you follow the directions (clues) one by one until you have a completed top. Follow this link to Blue Skies, it is an up and coming Mystery Quilt that I am designing and hosting here on the board in April.

Kathleen--I absolutely agree! I want to do a mystery quilt and enjoy it, but on the one I have done, I had a terrible time picking out fabric--what scale should it be--should the colors contrast, etc?

OH then you will love Blue Skies! It is a light and a dark and a bunch of mediums all in the same color! How easy is that??! :thumbup:
Click on this link and then book mark the thread, I think you will enjoy this mystery! Blue Skies

sharon i have enjoyed the two that i have done so far and of course i am working on the mccall's 3-part mystery quilt also. some of my fears with mystery quilts though is i am not a traditional pattern lover (star blocks, log cabins, etc) so i think that i may get involved in one that is centered around traditional patterns and i know i will not like it.

if it is an established site that is hosting a mystery quilt, i check them out to see what other mystery quilts they have done before and if they are traditional settings or patterns, i opt out. so far, i am having fun though but the first hint i get during a mystery quilt that it's traditional, i am baling big time.:)

rainbow are you working with us on the mccalls mystery quilt? i hope so.

fabriclovr you sure are taking the opportunity for promo spots for your upcoming quilt projects. what a way to self promote.:) all roads lead to blue skies.

well I love all your quilts they are beautiful but i always have so many i want to do i am afraid to go for something i might not like

Fabriclovr, I love love love your quilt. Looks Celtic. Sure wish I had know about that one. So please tell me where do you find the mystery quilts at please? Is this pattern still available?

your quilt is lovely i just finished the bonnie hunter quilt from last ywar her myersty one called roll roll cotton boil i do a lot of them off te computer

Love the super bowel quilt! Yes i enjoy the mystery quilts. some are better than others, but fun the same.

Did one at a shop in Knoxville when I first started quilting. I picked the primary fabric and the instructor picked the rest of the fabric. Instructor had all the pieces cut of and sorted in a colored bag and asked that we not 'look' ahead so we only knew what the additional fabrics were as we reached that step in the lock construction. Had a good time and it was beautiful. I did not pay attention to the finished size (which was maybe 72X72). After construction, I sent it to a LAQ and then decided to 'grow' it into a queen size. When finished, I was very pleased, but could never have increased the size without the help at the shop.
Best part as a beginner, it took the choice of colors,fabric out of my hands (which I really dither over) and all pieces were cut for me!!

All of these are gorgeous and the surprise comes at the end.

ok, here is my New Years Day one....y'all have already seen it, but for newbies :)
and I am in for the one in april but will use greens as I do not have blues

ok cannot get it to post today

What I've learned about mysteries. I've done a few and most of them turn out great. I did a couple and not impressed. So, what I do now is check the site hosting the mystery (to see if they have done previous ones). If their previous quilts are "my" idea of pretty, I might go ahead with it. If it seems too simple (for me that is) or not my taste, I pass. This way I'm not disappointed and feel like I wasted fabric.

I recently discovered Bonnie Hunter and am still working on her Orca Bay Mystery. Very detailed (I like a challenge) but when I saw the finished quilt, I was blown away and can't wait to finish mine. I did check her site and liked what I saw so knew the quilt would be beautiful.

I have done several Mystery quilts over the last 10 years. I also am doing the 3 part mystery in the McCalls Magazine. Can't wait to get the last step. I already have steps 1 and 2 completed. I'm moving on to scrap quilts now, because I have several large boxes of scraps.

I have started one, but did not finish it at the retreat. It is on my WIP list.

I'm doing my first one now, from the AQS magazine... it's called "rainbow rotini" Seemed like it would be fun, and I took it as a challenge to use up some stuff from my stash, and not to buy anything (however, I miscalculated on one fabric, and did have to go buy something to match ... the best laid plans ....)

I'm not sure I like the process here tho, cuz it's done over 3 issues, and won't be finished until JULY!!! I don't really like having a project partially done, except for when I put something aside while I decide on the next step -- like what to use for a border, or how to quilt it. I don't have any UFOs other than that. Guess I"m a little obsessive that way -- once I start something, I like to finish it. So this Mystery Quilt process from a magazine may drive me nuts ...

I'm doing a BOM Mystery Quilt from Fat Quarters. Each block is harder than the first. I had to skip one block because it had 81 pieces and I knew when I got done with it, it would be no where near 12 1/2". They send me a package with all the fabric for the block and the pattern. I like this one. I'm also doing a couple of others from different stores where they are pre-packaged and sent to me each month and am not liking the fabric. I didn't know anything about the Super Bowl Mystery Quilt. I am thinking about doing the McCall's one though. I do many BOMs and they are always a mystery because I don't know what it is going to look like in the end. But I would like to pick my own fabric. I am doing a BOM mystery quilt at Craftsy that is free and it's taped and she's showing how easy each block is. This one I got to choose my own fabric. I really like this Craftsy.com one the best. If you go to the site, click on quilting and you'll see the free one. She's does two blocks a month and she's on month 2. Started in January. You can start from the beginning. You have to have so many FQs to begin with and a main color also. The blocks look hard, but she is the bomb at showing you how to make them really easy.

Yes, I've done two. At the LQS, someone said they just collected all the instructions and then did it at the end. Which might be a plan. I enjoyed them but, due to cost of fabric I don't think this year I'll do it. Last year's fabric cost me a bundle - but I was working then. Both were Debbie Caffrey projects and last year she came to our unveiling and did some talks, etc. My favorite of the two is called Pieceful Times" probably because I like that fabric better!

I'm planning to do one but at this time can't use my right hand until the hand is healed completely. i'm going nuts waiting to start something. I even copied the mystery crochet from bernat i did one before and loved it. i have some fabric cut out for a quilt have some cut out and I'm noy supposed to be typing I am using the left hand it just takes to long to keep fixing. have fun ladies i'll say bye for now. Sue

Beautiful quilt-love the colours.

I gave up a family vacation because I had already signed up for a mystery quilt seminar by Billie Lauder. I had seen her on several tv quilting shows and really liked her. The instructions prior to the class were pretty clear and many of the pieces were to be cut prior to the class. There were about 25-35 members of my quilt guild in attendence. We were pretty much left on our own as Ms Lauder sat in the back of the room surrrounded by all of her products and her primary interest was in selling them. When I saw her finished quilt I was so disappointed I never would have taken her class had I seen it beforehand. She said that she had just used what she had lying around and it showed. It was made of ugly federal blue and gray. I decided to make mine in just a child's size which turned out very cute in different colored and sized dots. I won't pay for a class again but might do a free one on the internet.

Luico, that is really terrible. I would not have been impressed either.

I am also doing the McCalls mystery quilt. Using the reds. This is the first one I have ever done and having fun with it. Already for step three. Only problem is I will always have to use color catcher, because nothing I have done stops the red from oneof the fabrics, but I love it so much I will put up with it. LOL....How about pictures when we are done.

karate lady have you tried using white vinegar to rinse/wash your reds in? i use it in the wash & rinse water for my reds and it seems to help. why is it that reds alway seem to run?

with so many of us doing the mc calls quilt I hope we can all put up pictures when we are done.

yes. slowed it a bit but not completely. Oh well. I will buy a BIG box of catchers. LOL.....
and it is a good excuse to keep it. giggle....

I love the idea of a mystery quilt. I found one for a friend and I to do. I thought it would be a great way for us to get together. I intended to print out each month at a time to work through it. She wanted them all, so I printed them for her, and she promptly showed me how she had completed so many of them. I told her over and over I did not want to see what the next blocks were. She pretty much "forced" me to see them by showing the ones she had completed. The last time we got together she had them all done and said she would show me her completed top the next day. Again, I told her I do NOT want to see it.

I set my blocks aside, and will complete them in my own time, still intending to see the "surprise".

Oh, wait, this isn't about me...... lol. Yes, I think mystery blocks are fun!

there are a few pictures up in the mccalls mystery thread of participates progress through step 2. i have no progress but as soon as i do i know that i will post pics.

Wow, I would have been really disappointed as well, especially if I had to pay for it. I would have never expected to hear that all she did was sit in the back of the room. A teacher is supposed to do just that, teach! Even if it is a mystery, you should always be walking around answering questions and talking to the people that have paid to be there.

Although I can't walk around and talk to everyone, I can talk to you via this board when we do a mystery and if you anyone has a question, it is more than likely that others will have the same questions. With me being able to answer one, I answer all. Does that make since? Please don't let one bad experience turn you off from mystery quilts, they are fun to do if you like puzzles and quilts at the same time.

I am hosting another one April 14&15 here on the board called Blue Skies and I expect to have a large turn out, so it should be a lot of fun and a great way to celebrate the end of tax season! Click on over to the link or the link in my sig line and read all about it. Hope to see you then!

She did answer a few questions either from the very few walk-arounds she did or from her seat. The one thing I got from her is her suggestion that we go to the Dollar Store and buy a package of eyebrow razors to use in unsewing seams.

I didn't know you could get eyebrow razors at the dollar store ... will have to check that out , thanks for the tip

I am working on my 4th one at this time. Have given 2 of them away and have the first one on our bed at this time. The one I am working on now is SW colors and will eventully go on our bed as well. It is what Hubby wanted. Hope he likes it as he has no idea I am making it.

I have not done one and they sound like fun, but I just can't seem to get behind one. I started one of Bonnie Hunters mystery quilt, but lost interest. I guess I need to know where I am going to really keep motivated. And she had you cut triangle to piece hst instead of my usual method and I really didn't like sewing them that way.

I also love them. It gives me a reason to use some of the material I 'just had to have'. I try to do as many as I can manage.

No, do not have the time. Do not have the inclination either. Here is the biggie, do not have the Patience.

i didnt know that either but they are $1 at the hair supply places also. i will check on this next time i am in the dollar store.

Actually, I think they are probably sold at any store in that price range. I bought them at the 99 cent store but I think they are only in a few western states. They usually blow out pretty fast and I am guilty of buying 10 packages to give one razor to every member of my quilting class.

I did the Aboutquilting.com mystery quilts two years in a row now. I do like doing them. [ATTACH=CONFIG]313821[/ATTACH]This is how it turned out. I learned a new sashing technique that was fun. Learned a bit more about dealing with pastels. yes, I am addicted to them. I am thinking of joining the one on the board that is coming up in April. Worse yet, i get addicted to doing challenges and contests.

is your quilt from the 2012 about.com mystery challenge? i was thinking about doing theirs also but i wasnt particularly fond of the one from last year so i passed. i do however like your quilt. if it is their current mystey quilt project, i will go take a look at it.