Jingle

Like some other members I would want to know what it would look like ahead of time.

caspharm

I agree that you have to be somewhat willing to go out of your comfort zone. I like mystery quilts, because it can be a challenge. I have done several with my LQS, I have finished a few, which I liked (I select my own fabrics) and a few are UFOs, mainly because I have fallen behind for whatever reason life interfered (LOL).

That said, I have also run one for my quilt club last year and it was pretty popular. I am about to start another one this year. I do try to find ones that fall in between adventurous beginner and intermediate, so that most people will try it.

Teen

Doing my first one today and it's a scrappy...that's why I decided to do it. If I don't care for it enough to keep or gift, I can always donate. I'm getting rid of scraps ....that's a good thing. I lurked during the recent Bh mystery and didn't really care for BH design for me personally but the quilts were lovely...and some of the quilters produced their version, colors, finishes, and they were amazing. In future, of not scrappy, I'll write steps down and decide after the reveal.

pennycandy

I'm also like to know ahead before I make a quilt. For two years I observed everyone's progress on the Bonnie Hunter mystery quilts. It was fun to watch. I took a leap of faith the following year after Bonnie posted the colors. The best part was the camaraderie and learning new skills. I did like the quilt and don't regret doing the mystery.

But.....I also learned that for me, scrappy is too busy for Bonnie's patterns. I would have been happier with one constant fabric for each color. I will still follow the mystery but will download the directions. I won't make a commitment to do the quilt until after seeing the finished quilt.

P-BurgKay

I did the Mystery Train Ride on this site last year, and thinking about doing it again this year.

Terry in the ADK

I love mystery quilts! Normally I am a control freak so I like how they put me out of my comfort zone. i have done at least 4 of Bonnie Hunter's,some I liked, others not so much. My favorite kind are the ones where you come with much of the cutting done and you get it done ( or mostly done) by the end of the workshop. We have done several at our quilting Bees meeting in Tupper Lake, NY and I did one at the Vermont Quilt Festive. In fact I even taught one last year. What fun to watch everyone guess and then change their minds as to what it would be.
The main draw back is knowing what fabric to choose. When I taught , I offered to help them select their fabric to increase their chances of liking the finished product. Bonnie Hunter does that with her paint chip idea.
Relax and just go for it!

jmoore

Same here. I have only done two of Bonnie Hunter’s but several of Judy’s Mystery Train here on the QB. I enjoy seeing what others are doing as much doing my own quilt and sometimes there are teaching moments...

illinois

How do I find the Mystery Quilt that was to have started yesterday? I see the link posted here but there are no instructions--just more like an announcement to get out the scraps and a bit of background.

joe'smom

One year I noticed a thread for the Bonnie Hunter mystery (at that time, the thread was still in the 'Main' forum, or I probably would have missed it). I didn't click on it, because I wasn't interested in making a mystery quilt. But then I noticed how quickly the thread was growing with page after page, so I started reading it and got caught up in the fun and excitement. Now I make them each year, because it is such fun. They are also responsible for making me a much better piecer. I think I would never skip a Bonnie mystery now, because I always learn so much doing her quilts, that even a disappointing outcome would still be worth it. It's like taking a free quilting class.

SusieQOH

Illinois- go to page 5 toward the bottom of the page.