This was the first Mystery Quilt for almost everyone in the class, but they did a good job with fabric selection, which can be quite a task with an unknown pattern!
They got their first clue and went right to work.
It's always fun to see how people get their next clues...do they march triumphantly up front? Or do they quietly edge to the clue baskets, not wanting anyone to know they are getting ahead of the group?
It's always fun to see how people get their next clues...do they march triumphantly up front? Or do they quietly edge to the clue baskets, not wanting anyone to know they are getting ahead of the group?
It doesn't matter in my class, because there is No Competition!
Everyone gets a prize, and there is a nice bowl of chocolates and mints right by the clues...a little reward or incentive, if you need one.
Candy is in a fabric bowl, of course! Made from a home-dec fabric I had for years, just awaiting the right project!Organization is the key to "mystery quilting"! The fabrics have to be labeled (it could be easy to mistake B for D!), all the sewn parts need to be pinned together until needed again, and the clues are best kept in order, too.
It is delightful to see the fabric choices, and strips cut before class really help to speed things up.
This pattern needed only 5" and 2.5" strips.
In the process of designing a personalized Mystery Quilt, I go through a lot of options...thank goodness for EQ6! It does not do the designing, but it does let me look at a lot of different value and setting combinations, after I have the basic pattern idea.
For the class, I often choose based on what will be easier to get done, but I love to share all the variations that the pattern can be made into!
For the class, I often choose based on what will be easier to get done, but I love to share all the variations that the pattern can be made into!
Get those creative juices flowing!
Her's the finished quilt, along with lots of variations printed out and posted:
Even slanting the diagonal design to the left or right can be an important choice!
Because I know many quilters don't care to invest in a lot of fabric for something they have not seen, and everyone likes to feel their work is amounting to something sooner than later, I have started adding a wall-hanging size to my Personalized Mystery Quilt classes
It's like getting an extra pattern, because the wall hanging is the same block(s) but often in a different arrangement.
It's like getting an extra pattern, because the wall hanging is the same block(s) but often in a different arrangement.
Just because the EQ6 block shows a seam, it doesn't mean it ends up in the final design! This is why good instructions are a must for any pattern.In fact, I even had several variations on the wall hanging! I just don't know when to stop, and so I bring it all along to share.
There is a simple "secret" to art and creativity:
The more you look, the more you can see.
The more you can see, the more you can do!
Yes, the "doing" part is where things often bog down, but if you can see it in your mind, you can find a way to make it happen. Don't be afraid to ask for help! That's what teachers are for...and all your many friends, both nearby and connected by the wonderful World Wide Web!
It must be fun to be in one of your classes. I really like the design you have made up.
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