Mystery Quilts
 

I've been thinking about doing a mystery quilt. But, I'm afraid that I might not like it when its done. How many of you have ever participated in doing a Mystery quilt? And, did it work out alright? Were you happy you did it? Was it fun? Will it be worth my time and money to invest in something that I don't know what I'm getting in to? Please share pictures if you have any of some that you have done.

I've made two and both turned out very nice. One, I gave my DGD for her wedding so the colors were by her choice and the second was claimed by my other DGD as her own. Color choice is important. My friend made one and she hated her fabric choices and didn't like her quilt at all. Good luck and I think you'll have a good time.

That's what I'm doing. I also kitted up my fabric for her mystery last year but haven't even started it yet. I used different colors than Bonnie and seeing the finished quilt I made a few adjustments in my colors. I'm doing the same this year for the same reason. Also because I have too many baby quilts that need to be finished by early next year so can't commit to another project. But a mystery quilt is fun to follow even if you don't participate.

I've done some Mystery Quilts that I've been very pleased ... and some that were horrors!

My experiences have been that some do an incredible job of explaining what is the "right" fabric choices. Whereas some ruin the experience by not being able to give good guidance for that step. As a result, I've found that for those I ended up not being pleased, as the project did not come together at all.

Similarly, how well are the instructions written up? or if taking it IRL, the ability of the group leader to guide you through the stitching stage, to keep it enjoyable.

For sure, there is an element of risk in doing any Mystery Quilt. Will you like the overall design? Will you choose fabrics that play well together in what you make? What one person likes and thinks makes a great quilt, you may not like.

What you might want to do, is to check with others who have done a Mystery before via the same person (IRL or virtually) and find out how pleased/displeased they were. Ask to see the quilts (as you have here) that they have made. That will give you a good read as to how your experience might be.

I participated in one, and the end result wasn't a quilt top I would have chosen to make. I suggest you either do as suggested previously, and just collect the steps, so you can decide at the end if you want to make the top or not. If you'd rather make the top as the steps are revealed, for the surprise/fun part of it, I'd suggest first researching the designer's past mystery projects to see if you like those. Usually there are photos available of their past mystery quilt project results. That way you can get a fair idea of whether or not you tend to like that particular host's choices.

I have done Bonnie Hunter's and one from Eric Homemade site...both did a fantastic job with instructions

Bonnie Hunter's Mystery quilts are fun. Very scrappy too. Great way to use up stash. Complex looking quilts made very easy.

Many designers create mystery quilt projects as a way to have the pattern tested for errors, etc. i dont want to be a guinea pig with the price of fabric these days.

I've made two that I really like and one not so much. If you have a chance to preview fabrics, that will help. If not, then it's a chance. I did one that I got to choose fabrics (all from my stash) and I can't wait to finish. I love the quilt and the way it looks.

I started one .... I abandoned it partially through it... I knew I was not going to like the finished quilt.. so I did not want to spend any more time or fabric.

I love Bonnie Hunter. I am going to try her mystery quilt. Iam so new to quilting. I have a lot of different blocks that I have tried. I did make a sisters choice small quilt. I was so proud of it. My oldest daughter just thinks it is so beautiful, she has put it in her old pie safe. it does look very nice. you know quilting keeps my mind busy and and my hands.
Boy I have cut up a bunch of fabric I know I waste alot buttttttt I am trying as long as it looks ok to me I have fun with it maybe I will be ok I have lots of scraps if you know what I mean everyone have a real nice day and be blessed I will try to put on a picture of MY quilt I got so excited I did not put a border on itand did very little quilting which I am also learning.

hope this is ok my little sister choice quilt my first quilt scraps and old cut up shirs[ATTACH=CONFIG]445027[/ATTACH]

My LQS does mystery quilts and supposedly - according to them - part of the fun is seeing how people's quilts look so different from each other because of the fabric choices. Great, I guess, if you have the time and energy, but I agree with QuiltE on wanting the fabric choices set up for success.

And I would wait to see what the final product would look like before spending my time on it, never mind my money!

Good luck!

I can't imagine doing a mystery quilt I'm too picky about colors and pattern

This is a true scrappy quilt that reminds me of the old days! Great job!

It can be a wonderful experience or so-so. If you can talk to anyone who has done a mystery before with this teacher/group. However, if it is not expensive and you can use mostly your stash you might consider it just for the comraderie of sewing with a group of friends or making new ones.

Sophia: I am not going to copy your photo again, but just wanted to say: WOW WOW WOW! I love your quilt! Am I correct that this was the very first quilt you ever made? Wow again!

Anita

very cute.

Ditto here on the Bonnie Hunter mystery...I believe it starts on Nov. 29th.... I've made several and all in all am happy with them...one turned out to be a dud...but a finished quilt is never a waste of time. I'm also doing Linda Thielfoldt's Stashbuster mystery BOM....you can find it at the Quilted Goose blog. I'm a huge fan of Linda's...she is absolutely one of the nicest people on the planet and her quilting is the best I've seen.

...oh...and I've done 3 of Judy Laquidara's mystery quilts. They are lots of fun but kind of fast-paced. And they are all found in Judy's archives at patchwork times blogspot so if you get behind you can always catch up---the first two I did had already ended but are in the archives step by step so it was like I was "on time".

Years ago, I did Gems in the Rough on another board; it was designed by Merry Meyhem. Relatively easy, big chunky pieces, which I neither love nor hate.

Now I do Bonnie Hunter's every year. Sometimes I use her palette (Carolina Christmas), other times I don't. The last couple she has suggested bright colors, which I do not have in my crayon box. Last year, I did Easy Street in browns and reds with aqua accents. It's my avatar pic. This year, I am using fall colors and will call it Autumnal Solstice. There is a thread in the links forum; I think I posted my fabrics there.

I think if you are following a designer whose patterns you generally like, you will be all set. If you don't have that info, start breaking down what you do have.

If a mystery is a day long (as in the about.com site), chances are it's going to be easy with big pieces. Look at how much fabric you'll be using. When Bonnie put her colors out last year, one color called for significantly less yardage - so I knew that would be my "accent" color, with the two other colors that I was using (prefer and have more of in my stash) beign the main fabrics. At LQS, I'll asl for some of the first cutting measurements. It's more often than not big, chunky pieces - so I know I won't care for it.


Waiting until it's over to start isn't necessarily a bad idea - but then it's not a mystery!

I just finished one this weekend and posted it over at pictures. I've have two I liked a lot, one I haven't finished putting the blocks together yet one that needs to be backed an quilted and one I did in miniature - I took the square of all the measurements. TI liked that one mini, but not the full size ones.

My idea of a great mystery quilt is:
Is it complicated?
Is there something new to be learned?
Will it stretch me as a quilter?
Is it complicated? If it has pieces 3" or bigger I'm not interested.
Is it complicated? Did I say that already? :)

That is WHY I have never done one.......

http://www.persimmonquilts.com/QOVMysteryHomePg.html

Here is a site FULL of mystery quilts all ready reveled. I have done several.

I've done two mystery quilts, both by Border Creek Station.

Something to keep in mind, we didn't do blocks, we did portions of blocks, so until the final installation, we still had no clue what the quilt was going to look like. It's a lot of fun if you are willing to give up control. Border Creek Station works really hard on making a good looking quilt and then figuring out how to turn it into a puzzle to keep the mystery till the very end. Plus they give us fun recipes to try throughout the run of the quilt.

Our local shop participates so we meet once a month to review last month's installment and pick up our new one. Keeps everyone excited to see how the different fabrics work.

The first time I did the mystery quilt I used on of the recommended fabrics. It's the blue and cream one below.
The second time (just finished it!) I chose my own fabrics as so much more was needed and I love how it turned out. Our reveal party got postponed to this Saturday and I think I'm the only brown/orange girl there.
I didn't join Border Creek Station's current mystery (just starting) b/c my extra money was committed elsewhere (darn kids!!!) so I'll be missing out but next year I'll be back I'm sure.

I love doing mystery quilts -- they teach you a great deal about tone and value - Two of my favorite quilts were mystery quilts!!

YukonViv - LOVE your quilt, great choice of fabrics and beautifully done. Hope you will post a pic when it is quilted.

I don't do mystery quilts. I have a lot of severe chronic pain, so the time I have to quilt is very little. I have to know what I am making,because my quilting time is short. I don't want to waste my quilting time on a pattern I don't like.And to be honest, I don't use many patterns, I like to design my own. So,no, I don't make mystery quilts, but, if things were different and I wasn't in so much pain, I just might try one. Have fun if you do decide to make one.

I enjoy doing mystery quilts- only completed 3 so far. My daughter, who lives out of state, enjoys quilting so for her Christmas gift I give the fabric for the New Year's Day Mystery Quilt on the internet. She comes home for the holiday and we get to spend a day fabric shopping. She returns to Iowa and on Jan 1 we quilt together via Skype and enjoy the day. The first one I did was not the greatest but going into my to be donated box for someone in need. I figure I enjoyed the project and someone and need can benefit! Everyone wins.

I have only done one true mystery quilt, but I was very pleased with the results. The instructions clearly said to choose three fabrics that I liked and to make sure there was a light, medium, and dark. Like I said, I was very pleased. In fact, I liked the quilt so much that I bought two books of patterns for mystery quilts. Of course, then the end results weren't surprises to me, but I really like the fabric choice instructions and they have helped me select fabrics on my own now.

I did jokingly say that I can never really visualize how a quilt will turn out, so every quilt is a mystery to me. It is only partly a joke. :) The design wall in my head has never really engaged yet, but I am always hopeful that it will soon.

Dina

I've found that you can spend a lot of time and money and not care for the finished product. Look at 50 quilt patterns and decide if any one of them were a mystery quilt - would you be happy. It's taking a chance.

The only one I've done did not end up being a block I would have chosen, but it was a lot of fun to follow through with the process. It made a great donation quilt. I have also created a mystery quilt similar to a block I do really like. I've sent the clues via email and taught it in a class. Everyone seemed to really like the results. One friend has made it twice and won at quilt shows. That was even more fun for me.

The only mystery quilts I have done are from Paintmejudy here on this board. She has done several sizes and one table runner. Check them out by searching "Mystery Train Ride". Judy will be starting a new one in January. Can't wait.

I've done it twice. The first one was at least two years ago. I got it together and did not like it. Took it all apart and replaced two of the fabrics. I'm still quilting it. Getting there. The second one was a few months ago on Craftsy. I did not feel the design was worth the price. It was a very simple design, and I don't know how the woman who ran the mystery quilt could say it is an original design, but be that as it may, fool me once, fool on you; fool me twice, fool on me. No more mystery quilts unless it's inexpensive and I use all solid fabrics.

Last year I did my first mystery quilt. I did Bonnie Hunter's Easy Street, loved making it and the stunning result. This year her mystery colors are "crayon" colors and I have about depleted my stash of those in my Project Linus tops. Also, I follow her blog and I keep seeing "my" quilt! I can't help but wonder about all these same looking quilts floating around 50 to 100 years or so down the road. Bonnie will live on for sure and that's not a bad thing. She's the real deal. BUT, I want what I do to be a bit different and have been especially drawn to those Easy Streets that have varied the colors. I admire those courageous quilters so much. (Can you tell I don't feel comfortable with color choices?)

Because of the short days which I hate, the timing of Bonnie's mysteries is especially perfect and keeps my spirits up during the gray part of the year. I am pretty much a stay-on-the-path quilter and not very adventurous. This year I am debating over changing the colors and keeping up as I did last year or waiting until the reveal to start. Having a deadline really, really helped me. With that realization, I am giving myself a deadline of this Friday to explore my stash and try to get my reluctant head around choosing a different palate for this year's quilt or just not do it until the reveal. My fear is that if I wait, I won't do it at all and my Easy Street Quilt will mock me!

I am grateful to #1piecemaker for starting this thread. It is giving me the kick in the tush I needed to get me off the fence. My advice is try at least one from a designer you love and do your best to keep up. You won't get a true idea of how mystery quilting fits with you until you do.

I'm glad I started this thread too. I have seen some beautiful quilts and heard a lot of varied responses. I have learned some things too. I might just give it a whirl.

Go to Bonnie Hunters Quiltville and look at her past mystery quilts. Several are still listed there. Are they something you would like? Also here on QB Paintmejudy will be starting a mystery quilt first of the year. She calls them mystery quilt train ride. Here is the link to the newest thread. http://www.quiltingboard.com/blocks-...p-t215243.html

I'll admit I only consider doing them after they are no longer a mystery -- that is, after all the clues have been issued and I can see the final product. Not so much a mystery -- eh? But at least I know whether to invest my time in it.