It’s Wednesday, which means it’s another bingo call day!!
Today’s bingo prompt is:
Post about your favorite quilting tool or technique
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Calling all Mystery Lovers!
Have you been interested in doing a mystery quilt, but not wanted to fully commit the time and resources when you don’t even know if you’ll like the final design? Or, maybe you’ve wanted to just dip a toe and see if mystery quilts are for you.
Either way, I’ve come across a fun option - a mini mystery!
Mystery Five-O is offering a one day mini mystery quilt - The Starlight Mini Mystery! It is free to join and will be hosted by various quilt shops through their Facebook pages. The pattern clues will be released hourly on May 31st. You just need 6 fat quarters and at the end, you’ll have a 21" x 21" mini quilt. You can use your own stash, or you can pick up a curated fat quarter bundle from participating shops!
If you follow the link above, you can find a listing of all the participating shops. I learned about this mini mystery through Bear Creek Quilting Company (ironically, the reason I’m on their mailing list is because I purchased a curated bundle of fabric for a mystery quilt I did a few years ago).
Here is a link to the Bear Creek curated bundles and another link to their Mini Mystery Quilt Page.
Information has not yet been released on what to consider when choosing your own fabrics (I think that might be coming this Saturday), but from what I’ve seen of the curated bundles, there appears to be a featured print fabric and five coordinating blenders. Sounds like a fun way to use up some stash!
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One of the quilt stores I was planning to visit this weekend is on the list! I hope it is a small shop where I can actually talk to the owners and find out more about them, their store, classes, groups, etc. I just joined their FB page. Thanks for sharing!
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Ooh, those are my kind of weekend plans! I hope you have a great time and find the quilt shop to be just right for you!
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I’m supposed to do two more strips of fabric, but I’m not feeling one of the ones I picked. Plus I kinda want more of the center focal fabric to match mom’s kitchen. So I measured and cut squares, then bisected them (half one way, half the other direction, so the plants will all be sitting upright in their respective corners). Even though I measured carefully, and added what I thought was the right seam allowance, it seems I miscalculated, and when stitched and flipped, the triangles are a bit shy of the designated edges.
Here’s a closeup of what I mean.
I have more fabric and can cut more triangles, but since it’s a Quilt-As-You-Go project, I’m worried that if I try to pick out the stitches on this one, it will make a mess of the backing fabric. I think I’m just going to go with what I have. Maybe trim them down an extra 1/16”, and trust the binding to cover any gap.
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That’s exactly what I’d do. In my opinion, you’re so close that it’s not worth all the effort of ripping each corner and starting over again. Besides, even if you fix the measurements and get it perfect on the other 6 placemats, nobody is ever going to notice that one is 1/8 of an inch smaller.
Those corner squares were a great way of bringing in more of that focal fabric!
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I agree with @AudiobookLover …but be careful that you are not cutting off your light green point . You might have to do an 1/8th inch seam so there will be a tiny dip towards the center and then adjust the foldover binding. But seriously, no one is going to notice…it is a busy enough print and it is beautiful!
When I did the six placemats for my sister, I did the binding backwards on one of them. I was going to rip it all out, but then I realized that my sister would not even notice it. She mostly only uses two anyway for her and her husband to eat on their ocean view balcony…who is going to notice backward binding when you have a great view! 
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I just ordered my bundle and will pick it up when I go to the store! I also got a few offers to quilt at people’s homes from the FB page, but not sure I am comfortable with that yet.
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Ooh, how exciting that you’ve ordered a bundle! I can’t wait to see your fabric choices!
You got me thinking about fabric and what I have that might work and all of a sudden it hit me! I picked up some fat quarters when I went to a quilt show earlier this year, so I have just the thing for the focal fabric!
Now, to decide whether to use the cream or the green…
I’ve only done one mystery quilt, but I really liked the community aspect of it. I was part of a Facebook group for the quilt. Everybody shared their progress along the way and the members of the group were all so supportive. It was also really neat seeing the different variations of quilts made with the same fabric kits. It sounds like the people on your FB page are planning on having mini mystery quilting parties, which is pretty neat too!
I am going to come up with a plan of action (which will pretty much consist of fun toys) to keep LittleBookLover occupied on the day of the mystery. A happy little boy, will equal a happy quilting mama 
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Either one of those would be perfect! The one I joined had one bundle that looks a lot like the green one…the other fat quarters are blenders to coordinate, which makes it pretty easy.
I went for a blues/purple colorway in a galaxy/space sort of theme. When I go pick up my bundle, I’ll post a picture.
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I could not resist your description, so I found your quilt shop and took a look (lucky for me there’s only one quilt shop listed in your state ). I love the Meadowland option!! Is that the one you ordered?
Forget building my own! I just placed an order for the Meadowlands Mystery Bundle!
I was looking forward to the mystery quilt before, but now my excitement factor has increased with the placement of my order!
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YES!!! That is the only one participating that is close to me. We picked the same bundle!
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How perfect that the only participating shop in the entire state happens to be one that’s near to you! Also, great fabric choice 
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Ooooh, I would love to play along with the Mini Mystery, but I’ll be in NH that day. I’m bringing Ada to visit my parents for a week. (Seriously, what am I thinking, taking a solo trip with an extremely active toddler?!?! Send help!)
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Actually, the top and bottom light green points are supposed to be cut off, as per the printed batting and the example photo. Here’s the one on the packaging.
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oh—how pretty and just up my alley…what is the pattern? I tend to cut off points a lot, but not on purpose! ha
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June Taylor Quilt As You Go Placemat in “Casablanca”. I got the kit for 50% off (+ 20% more because it was an online order) at Joann’s, pre closing announcement. Mom gave me the black focal fabric. She bought all they had to do curtains for her kitchen a couple years back, but I picked up the greens and purple to add some extra color.
https://www.amazon.com/June-Tailor-Inc-Finished-placemat/dp/B0711ZV5QH
They also offer a matching table runner kit. It’s pretty simple, and if I wasn’t trying to making them while a toddler refuses to sleep, I’d probably have finished them days ago.
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I’m making some scrappy place mats to go under my cat’s water bowls, to soak up any splashes when I put the bowls down. I’ve finished the tops now, and they are going to be much prettier than the current ones which are a flannel washcloth and a tea towel.
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Grat odea. Our Oskar is a very messy eater and we need something under his bowl at all times. These are so fun and bright.
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Thank you. I’m using Pin Cut Sew’s round potholder instructions , but going to use an old towel for wadding, rather than the insulbright. But it’s probably also very logical if you know how to make quilty stuff 
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