Patterns By Jen: Mystery Quilt

Last year I was the designer for the Minnesota Quilters Mystery Quilt.

I had the chance to go to Duluth, MN for the Minnesota Quilt Show and was able to see some beautiful finishes. Not everyone who finished entered their quilt, but those that I've seen have been just as fabulous as the ones I'm going to share.

In Minnesota you will often hear people say they are "headed north" for the weekend. It's a chance to get away from the city and immerse yourself in lake life, forest life, calm life. It just smells different "Up North."

My design started off as it usually does, on graph paper. Flying Geese were the main units for this quilt and played a big part in the overall design. As always the Half Square Triangle Units were included, they are kind of my thing and since we were "headed north" where you can see the stars soooooo clearly, star blocks also had to be included. "Minnesota nice" also meant one of those star blocks had to be the Friendship Star.

When you look through the pictures you will see that many quilters designed their own centers. I loved seeing the ingenuity of these crafters. The center of the original quilt needed to be changed after it had already been designed, pieced and quilted. It was thought to look like swastikas. While they weren't at all the same, we didn't want anyone to misinterpret them and be hurt.

In the interest of making it as easy as possible to change, fabric requirements and instructions had already been finalized after all, I ripped out the quilting of just the center, took it out, and rearranged the Flying Geese. While not what I envisioned for the center, it feels a little Charlie Brown like 😂, I appreciate the thought that goes into these challenges and everyone's own interpretations.

To put the center back in I sewed 3 sides back in by machine and then hand stitched the last side in. Once done with that, I did my best to quilt the center following what had previously been quilted. It was a challenge, that I won, and I'm pretty proud of the finish.

Mystery Quilt Tips

Not everyone enjoys a mystery quilt along. Confession, I'm one of those people. It's hard to use fabric for a quilt you can't see. So how to make it more enjoyable, with more success?

1) Check out the designer. Are their designs something you would like to make? If you are a more modern quilter you may not like a traditional finish and vice versa. The challenge can be fun though, so don't turn it down for this reason. Stretching yourself can lead to many beautiful finishes. Just go into it knowing you may need to change it up a bit, or gift it to someone who's style aligns with design.

2) Take the designers color suggestions to heart. Especially if you are new to quilting. The designer knows the quilt layout and knows what will work best. Trust them. If you can, do the mystery with a friend and/or group and you can all pull fabrics together. A second (or third) set of eyes can be helpful. I have a blog post with tips for choosing fabrics for a mystery quilt. You can read it here.

3) Read through the instructions for the month before starting. There may be a new technique you haven't tried and you may want to watch a how to video to understand it. There may be a way to combine some of the cutting instructions if you are a more seasoned quilter. If you like to make a unit using a different technique than the one used in the instructions this will give you a chance to figure out your cutting steps.

4) Don't be afraid to try a new technique. You may find you like it even more than your old one. I often hear "I've always done it this way." and there is something to be said for that. The quilting world offers so many different styles and techniques and it's a good idea to stretch yourself every now and then.

5) Remember. The designer has given you a piece of themselves. They are also human. There may be mistakes, you may not like the way they have written the instructions, you may be intimidated by a new technique or way of writing. These are all very valid frustrations, but kindness and a gentle tongue go a long way in making the mystery quilt along a success for all.

Head North Finishes

I have a few pictures of finished Head North quilts. Unfortunately, I lost all of my photos when I had a phone issue. Not cool man. I have a new phone, but unfortunately I wasn't able to recover the photos I took. My mom had grabbed a few, if you don't see your photo here it's just because I lost it. Feel free to send me a picture of yours if you want me to include. it.

Thank you Mom for sharing your pictures and making a mystery quilt. Your Bohemian take on this design is so pretty.

I love the soft blues and greens in this finish. It takes me to twilight on the lake.

Proof that I did actually take pictures. 😂

A red, white and blue version is always a stand out.

This pieced center is SO perfect for this quilt.

A look at the set up at the MN Quilt Show in Duluth, MN.

Such fun colors in this quilt and you know I love a great pinwheel!

The background fabric this quilter chose is a fabulous backdrop to her blocks.

I love that she added wider border to encase her work.

This one was so pretty in person because you could see how well the colors played off the background.

I love the story behind this finish. This quilter started the mystery and then life happened, as it often does. Instead of throwing in the towel she used what she had already made and turned it into this fabulous piece.

Another beautiful red, white and blue quilt.

I hope you enjoyed this look at the 2023 Minnesota Quilters Mystery Quilt. It was a fun adventure for me as a designer and hopefully for the quilters as well.