It's been awhile since I did a mystery quilt for the group. This one, or two, will be a very fast, very simple design... not complex at all, based on solid colors, or possibly small prints. I think you could do it nicely with Aunt Gracie's or equivalent, but I like the brighter effect of solids.
I will be posting it as a basic 48" square design, to which 6" borders will be added, but that will be on your own. I will include instructions for modifying the pattern into a rectangular, rather than square design.
Instructions for color selection and fabric amounts will be based on doing TWO of these, which can be a pair, or quilted back to back... Of course, you can do one... we'll never know. Once the quilt top itself, which is, as I said, extremely easy and fast, is done, you will add some decoration to it in the form of very simple free form applique, using the fusible applique technique. When you get done, you will have two nice living room or den lap quilts that will knock folks socks off! I'm looking at this project as a good way to entice the real beginners into a simple quilt project, exposing them to both the mystery quilt concept and to simple appliqué
For fabric purchasing, fat quarters will work fine for all but one color, but it will take two of each... or not, if you are only doing one quilt top. However, I think you will find they're like potato chips... it's hard to do just one. This whole thing is very, very uncritical. Unfortuantely, that won't become amazingly clear till you're almost done :^) You'll understand a lot better when you study the color chart, which will be step one. . You can use my colors or ones you prefer, the key is that you must have a variety of colors in a family that will go together... not clash.This design won't readily accept a pure scrap approach and still come out with the same effect
This design came from two needlepoints Ann did, based on wine bottle labels... how's that for esoteric? None of the wine info is included, so I don't think we're in copyright danger.I have to share a funny... I spent a fairly difficult morning scanning and then separating the colors from her work to make the color chart for this project. I found some very subtle differences between the two pieces and told her that I would have to wait for her to come up and look at my screen so I would know that I was really seeing differences, some were so close. Her response was that she ran out of some colors of yarn and made substitutes... it really didn't matter! Well, duh...
I have given some thought to how to post this project. I have done mysteries one step at a time, and I have done them by posting the whole thing and trusting folks to go one step at a time. In this instance, I am working from Ann's needlepoints. I haven't made the quilts myself. I am going to go out and buy the fabric and make it step by step and record andpost the steps as I go. Some of you have been through this sort of approach with me before, and you know that that means that as I have problems and solve them, I'll share them with you. Although, really, this project should be so simple I don't see where problems should develop. It's a simple, bright, joyful quilt and should be a simple, joyful project.
I had originally posted these instructions in a series of cascading links, i.e. when you finished Step One, the link to Step Two was as the bottom. This seemed to confuse folks, so I am reorganizing it with all of the links posted right here, each one activated as it is ready. To do the project as a mystery quilt, simply go through the steps without looking ahead. (Note: Due to my eye problems, I am going to provide a picture of the finished, decorated quilt top. I don't think I'll be able to do the instructions for the decoration for a little while...)
Link to Unit Three of Quilt Top
Link to Unit Four of Quilt Top
Link to Pictures of Ann's Needlepoint
Link to Instructions for Making the Decorative Appliques
Now, a funny thing happened on the way to this project. I discovered that from it I could build a discussion of the basic design concept that would let participants learn how to design their own fun and easy quilts. In order to maximize that training opportunity, I decided not to provide specific instructions for the second quilt top, but rather to offer an explanation of this design concept and challenge particants to design their own "Part 2".
Link to Discussion of Design of Variable Rectangle Quilts
Link to Display of Finished Projects