Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Mystery Quilts

I am a mystery quilt junkie! Where many do not like doing a mystery, I receive great satisfaction from them. To date I have done 20 mystery quilts. I love reading a good book but I can’t wait for the ending. I always read the last chapter right after the first. I need to know how it ends. With mystery quilts I don’t seem to have this problem. I love watching the quilt top unfold into a finished pattern. I like seeing how my color choices come together. Very seldom do I buy fabric specifically for a mystery quilt. I usually pull from my stash. This makes me use up some of the large quantities of fabric I have already purchased. Only once have I ever ripped out and replaced the fabric. I have found that these quilts make great charity quilts. When you need a gift they are easier to part with. So, the next few days I am going to share a few of my mystery quilts. The good, the bad and the downright ugly! I think I will start out with what I consider the good so that you will tune back in tomorrow.

This blue and white 4 block is one of my all-time favorite quilts. It is one of the few mysteries I actually went out and purchased fabric for. It was in a quilt magazine that at the time was published quarterly. This made it slow going. I have a passion for both 2 color and 4 block quilts. I was absolutely thrilled with the results.

I really liked the Bow-tie mystery results also. We did this at a guild retreat. At the time I was not overjoyed with my choice of green background, but this quilt has grown on me. I use it in our living room as a throw (it is actually a queen size). I purchased the border fabric after the center was pieced together. It helped pull it all together.
Tune in tomorrow and I will show you one of those “what was I thinking?” quilts.

9 comments:

Kairle Oaks said...

I think the green background on your bow tie quilt looks quite charming. I look forward to seeing more mysteries unfold.
Kairle

Cher said...

fun- I have done a few mystery quilts...but lost interest over recent years-I have a friend that is a mystery quilt junkie too!
the blue and white one would be my favorite too..it came out gorgeous!

antique quilter said...

Love your two mystery quilts.
I would love to make that blue and white quilt, as I love 4 block quilts too! also love graphic quilts and this one sure is graphic. do you remember what magazine it was in, I just may have it.

Finn said...

Really great mystery quilts Laura, love your white trash puppy too!! Such a cutie!
I've not had very good luck with mysteries. The ones I've made would have been better left unsolved, I think..LOL. But the two you have shown today are great!!

Tonya Ricucci said...

Yeah, the blue and white quilt is a stunner - very graphic. Is it on display? I love some of the old two color quilts too: blue and white or red and white.

Carolyn said...

Beautiful quilts..especially the blue one. I'd be pleased with that too! Can't wait to see more...

The Calico Cat said...

Thanks for the mystery quilt show!

I love your bow tie mystery!

Quilts And Pieces said...

Yup I'm always scared of mysteries, but I do do them! But I LOVE the blue and white one! WOW! That one is ME!

Mary Johnson said...

Wow, I love both of them. I've never done a mystery before. I tend to like to have all my instructions at one time. Even the Quilt for an Hour patterns that Judy does - I do after she's done posting them.