The Mystery Quilt

The Mystery Quilt

For centuries women have been cutting small pieces of good fabric from worn out clothing and sewing them together, transforming them into a story book of love in the form of a quilt. Today quilting has become an art form and gourmet quilters are very selective, choosing new and sometimes pricey fabrics. Still, every quilt contains a bit of mystery entwined in the reason for making it, in the choosing of fabrics in muted tones or bright colors, and in the choosing of a pattern from a vast array of block designs with names like Underground Railroad, Broken Dishes or Lost Ships. Aside from adding new fabrics to her stash, there is nothing a seasoned quilter enjoys more than sharing her craft with a novice quilter. The making of a mystery quilt is a fun way to accomplish this goal.

A mystery quilt is one in which the finished design is known only to the person initiating the project, while the person doing the actual sewing, can only guess at the outcome. A mystery quilt is often a project between two friends, one with a desire to teach and share, and another with a willingness to learn. The teacher chooses a pattern compatible with the skill level of the person the project is being shared with, and selects fabrics appropriate to the design.

The mystery begins with the student receiving an unexpected package in the mail containing an invitation to make a quilt, instructions for making a single set of blocks and the fabrics needed to complete them. The student must then decide if they are up to such an undertaking.

The purpose of a mystery quilt is to give the novice quilter practice, and awareness of techniques which make construction easier. Small wall hangings or table runners with no more than four block designs make good mystery quilt projects, allowing completion in a short amount of time.

Upon completion of the first set of blocks, the novice quilter notifies the sender that they are ready for the next installment. This process works quite well until the exuberance and curiosity of the quilting partner causes the sender to scramble to keep pace, especially if the sender is making a duplicate of the quilt at the same time.

With the completion of block assembly, instructions for layout of the blocks are sent to the novice quilter along with suggestions for borders surrounding the quilt top as a whole. With the completion of the quilt top, the novice quilter may now choose the batting, backing fabric, and binding for their quilt. The next step is to baste the three layers of the quilt (top, batting, and backing) together, followed by hand or machine stitching, or hand tying. The final step is to attach the binding, a folded strip of fabric that encases the raw edges of the quilt. Upon final completion, the quilting partner may want to send a photo of the finished quilt to the sender.

As with any quilting project, the rules can change with the genius of the quilters involved. An alternative method of mystery quilting that allows the sharing of the project with more than two participants, is for the sender to give a set of different block instructions to each participant with a completion due date. When each participant has notified the sender of completion, the sender then organizes a quilting bee where all come together to organize the layout and join the blocks. This team concept is enjoyable when making a surprise wedding quilt for one of the participants who are unaware of the fact that they are working on something for themselves. It is also a fun way of sharing a charitable donation project.

A mystery quilt is more than colorful pieces of fabric in a fascinating design. It is also a process, a joining of creative minds. The true mystery of a mystery quilt is the way it bonds those participating in friendship and creates a lasting memory that will be cherished for generations.

Glossary of Quilting Terms

Backing
______ The bottom layer of a finished quilt.
Batting
______A soft filling between the patchwork top and the backing.
Binding_
_____ A narrow strip of folded fabric that covers the raw edges of a quilt after it is quilted (stitched)
Block
________Small pieces of fabric squares and or triangles sewn together resulting in a large square.
Block Set
_____ A group of blocks bearing the same design
Quilt Top
_____The upper layer of a quilt sandwich, it can be patchwork, appliquéd or whole cloth.
Quilting designs are marked for stitching on the top.
Sashing
_______ Strips of fabric sewn between blocks or used as borders around the entire quilt top.