2015 Mystery Quilt - Step 1

This first step of the mystery quilt will get your blocks for it prepared.

1. Using your background fabric cut the following:
            3 squares that are 12.5" in size
            3 squares that are 15.5" in size

2. Using a single fabric add a line that goes across at least 4 of the 6 squares in any direction.
      Note: If you decide to piece the fabric int0  a diagonal direction on the 15.5" squares, you may want to cut the background fabric a little larger so that you have room to square the block up afterwards.

3. Using either of the neutral fabrics, add a border to at least 2 of the sides of the 12.5" blocks in order to bring the size to 15.5".

Some possibilities for adding borders include those I've shown below.   How many others can you find to bring your blocks up to 15.5" unfinished?   Remember you can do anything you want with the borders for the blocks, all the same or all different it is your choice.

4. Square all blocks to 15.5" unfinished.

Set aside till the next clue.

2015 Mystery Quilt Fabric Clarification

I had someone ask me by what I meant by "dark neutral" and "Med-Light neutral" fabrics.

The picture to the right shows the basic range of fabrics that I've chosen.   The chevron fabric at the bottom right is focus fabric and is what i used to pull all of the other colors from.

The two fabrics that I'm using as my 'neutrals' are shown in the picture below.   The green is my "Dark Neutral" and the pink is my "Medium Neutral".  

In this quilt, your neutrals can be any colors that you want them to be.   You do not have to limit yourself to something in the cream - brown range unless that is what you really want to use.  Feel free to think outside of the box in terms of color!

In addition, if you don't want to use small scale prints like I am using, feel free to use large scale prints in the mystery.   I wouldn't use extra-large prints, but medium to large prints should work.

And if you want to use a print for the background instead of something like a white-on-white, that could also lend itself to an interesting quilt!

New Mystery Quilt Starting Next Week

Because I don't have my next BOM designed yet, but still am mulling over ideas for it I decided to start this year off with a mystery quilt.   I'll be posting more 

For those that know me really well, they know that my quilt designing/creating normally doesn't fall into a free-form, modern kind of style.  But everyone once in a while I like to challenge myself to do something different.   The mystery quilt came about as a result of research that I was doing on the internet looking for instant challenges that I could use in my engineering classes with the kids as I teach.    The one I found was written for an art class, but it gave me the basis for challenging myself to growing in my freedom of design, especially in a non-geometric type basis.

The Basis of this Mystery Quilt -

1. Each step of the mystery will be given every two weeks.  First steps will be posted on 1/11/15.

2. Each step of the mystery will specify something to be added to the quilt, but it will not specify how it is to be added or what size to be added.  You will be able to use whatever method you want to use - piecing (hand or machine), applique (hand, machine, fusible), etc.   

3. There will be 6 steps in the mystery quilt, not counting the border and finishing of it.

4, The Goal of this mystery quilt is to grow your free-form design skills  without stressing about it,

5. Remember in this mystery there is no "right answer" for what your quilt will end up looking like.  Each quilt is meant to be the creators own personal creation and no two quilts will look alike!

6. I will post pics of what I do before each following step is posted, but I won't post them with the instructions because I want to give everyone a chance to bring their inner designer to the forefront of their process.

Finished Size of Quilt - without borders the quilt will be 30" by 45".  Borders will bring it up lap quilt size.   I will be posting what I do for borders (after I figure that out....lol....) but you'll also be able to do whatever you want to do for the borders as well.

Fabrics required for the quilt - 

Background fabric (a tone-on-tone, solid, small scale print or neutral) - 1 1/2 yards

     Note: You want this to be something that the other fabrics will show up against instead of blending into.

Dark "Neutral" - Should work well with the background fabric - 1/2 yd

Light to Medium "Neutral" - Also needs to work well with the background fabric - 1/2 yard

Coordinating Fabrics - 6 different fabrics or colors, you'll be able to use scraps to FQ's for these.

Border fabric - the border for this has not been decided on yet, so I don't have measurements for this at the current time.

The fabrics that I'm using in the quilt this time are shown to the right.  My color inspiration came from the chevron print that I found out in Arizona at Christmas time.   I still need to pull a darker green as well, but haven't done that yet.  

I will be using my inspiration fabric in the quilt as well, and then most likely in the eventual border as well.

The greens and the two smaller pinks are from my scraps, the other three pinks are yardage.  

My background fabrics are two different white-on-white prints that I had here.    (Surprised?   What can I say, I like multi-fabric quilts....lol.)

So are you game to work the mystery quilt with me?  Leave me a comment and let me know - I'd love to hear from you!

Gratitudes:

1. It's a new year and so far no repeat of last years major snow storm!

2. I have a job to go back to tomorrow as school starts up.   Something I don't take for granted.

2014-2014 BOM Final Patterns Posted

My vacation has been good for one thing - I've been able to finish writing the final three patterns needed to finish the BOM quilt for this year.  The patterns give instructions for making the alternate border blocks (all out of background fabric), the sashing strips, and the assembly of the quilt top.

My finished quilt top is shown in the picture below.

You can get to the patterns by clicking on this link - http://thequiltedsnail.com, then clicking on the link for the 2013-14 BOM and scrolling down to the bottom of the page.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to let me know.

And I'd love to see pic of your finished quilts!

Happy New Year!

Sewing again............

Meds are working good enough that I actually felt like sewing last nite.  Finished up the swap block for this month and the final Christmas gift for Phx.  

Don't know how much more time I'll have to sew this week with it being finals week, but I'm looking forward to being able to do at least a bit of planning and computer work for my next submission during Christmas Break.

Gratitudes:
1. Meds that are helping get rid of the sinus infection

2. Only 4 more school days till vacation!

Block 13 for the Block of the Month is here!

My best laid plans went astray as these things so often do.   Between the madness that is inherent for teachers the last three weeks of school, my body also decided it was time for the bronchitis/sinus infection I've been fighting the last 3 months to flare up this past weekend.   I'm now finally starting to feel better and am starting to get stuff done again.

This months block is named "Spinning Tops".   It reminds of of the old-fashioned tops that I used to play with as a kid, esp. as they looked when they collided against each other.

You can download the pattern from here: My website by clicking here.

I hope you enjoy making it.

Still to come are the patterns for the remaining sashing sections and the border sections.   All of these will be made with your background fabric.   And the final assembly instructions.

I'm still working getting the instructions completed, but am hoping to get them done before the end of the year.   If I don't it'll be right after the first of the year.

Gratitudes:

1. Christmas vacation is coming!

2. Parents who bless me with awesome gifts like a trip home for the holidays.