The Great Summer holiday mystery

The Summer Mystery has now finished and the instructions have been removed. However I have left the tutorial here for you as there are a lot of good tips and tricks in the last 10 posts – just use the category to find all posts. You can now download the full pattern as a working Quizzle from here.

Get your machines out girls and start raiding that stash.

This is the first post in a step by step mystery quilt project from Hugs 'n Kisses over the summer holiday break. Join with me as I take you step by step through a simple traditional quilt making process. You will finish with a quilt with a finished size of 65 “x 65” (165cm X 165cm) - a nice lap quilt size.

This will be a great way for new or beginner quilters to work along with me, learning some new tips and skills whilst sharing your journey with everyone else in blogland... of course more experienced quilters are also welcome to join in and I shall highlight just the important bits for you so you don't have to scroll through all the extras.

If you are fairly new to quilting or extending yourself from simple stitcheries to quilting then you may want to sign up for a free 6 part e-book which is a quilters bible, lots of tips, information and instructions about quilting, applique, fabric choice, sizes, cutting etc etc... you can sign up here

Now if you don't like mysteries, couldn't wait til Christmas to open your pressies, can't wait until the final instalment to see your end product then you can download the pattern here right now.... you can even play with the colours and see how your fabrics will look before taking that first cut..... BUT don't spoil your fun unless you really have to... you can always download the pattern and play at the end....

You have a week to gather the supplies below: I will post the first instructions next Monday so you have plenty of time to prepare, share this link with your friends so they can all join  you, get some family meals in the freezer, stock up on snacks and get sewing room organised...after the first instalment I will post as I have time, every few days or more so subscribe to the feed, bookmark the blog, add to bloglines, whatever you need to do so as not to miss out. Once we are finished all the instructions will be removed so you need to keep up as best you can. The download link will still be available.

requirements:

• 1 ⅔  yd (1.6m) light background fabric (FABRIC A)
•   1 ½  yd (1.4m) med/dk feature fabric - this could be a large floral or conversational fabric (FABRIC B)
•   1 ¼  yds (1.2m) Darkish fabric - needs to contrast with background fabric well (FABRIC C)
•   ½  yd (50cm) medium fabric (FABRIC D)
•    ⅔  yd (60cm) Dark contrast fabric (FABRIC E)

•    4 yd (3.6m) backing fabric
•    70” x 70”  (1.8m X 1.8m) batting
•    Cotton thread to blend for piecing - cream or mid grey colour is good
•    Machine quilting thread to match
•    Pencil, quilters ruler, cutter & mat - If you are starting out a good beginners kit is a 6 1/2" x 24" ruler, a 45mm rotary cutter and a medium sized cutting mat

Now for a mystery it is very hard to choose fabrics sight unseen so here are a few tips:

you could use five different colours all of the same value - eg all brights

you could choose five fabrics of one colour but with different values eg. pale blue, blue/white stripe, garter blue, navy blue, pale blue/navy blue spot... when you put them together you can easily see the contrast between them.

you could choose several colours with lights, mediums and darks included.

The most important thing is that you can see contrasts between the fabrics so that the design will show up.

These are the fabrics I am using and I purchased them from here. They are all from the 'Ava Rose' Range by Free Spirit Fabrics. Lovely summery colours.

1 ⅔  yd (1.6m) light background fabric (FABRIC A)

1 ½  yd (1.4m) med/dk feature fabric (FABRIC B)

1 ¼  yds (1.2m) Darkish fabric (FABRIC C)

½  yd (50cm) medium fabric (FABRIC D)

⅔  yd (60cm) Dark contrast fabric (FABRIC E)

So off you go and start preparing. Put the badge on your blog, (don't forget to link it back to here), spread the word, tell all your friends to pop in and join in so as not to miss out... we are going to have some holiday fun..

hugs, Helen

Comments

[resorts]

You shared summer holidays crafts is really beautiful.It is optimum use of vacation.It can improves kid's skill and talent.

[Cheap Ugg Boots]

Good for good is natural, good for evil is manly.

[buy viagra]

Beautiful products, my mother is also in to making those things, I will send the link to your site, maybe you have things in common that be helpful for both.

[Nell Ward]

Ooohhh! This looks so pretty - love the choice of fabrics too. Would love to join in but I have told myself I am not to start any new projects until I make a dint in my UFOs (and I am about to piece the quilt from the gathering!) Happy quilting - is this an annual event? Maybe I can aim to join you next year?

[Vickie]

ahh I can't resssssist any longer I'm in,have been throwing fabric around past 2 hours and am settled now..ready to start cutting and sewing...thanks for doing this Cheers Vickie

[simplychicquilts.blogspot.com]

Hi Helen, Please sign me up for The Mystery, my first !! looking forward to it, I love your fabrics, hmmm I have some of those in my Holy Fabric stash.! Pamelaj

[Pam]

hello Helen....
Please sign me up for your summer holiday....it is winter here, but getting some nice summery fabs together will do this cold chick some good

[Maike]

Hi Helen,
thank you so much for your lovely desinges, I would love to sew your mystery. So i am in...i just put your label on my blog and hope that a lot of friends will sew with me.
Greetings from the Netherlands
MAike

[Linda]

oh this sounds wonderful Helen THANK YOU so much this is just the kick I need to FINALLY start a quilt after years of being too scared to do it!!!! This is wonderful

[wholesale novelty toys]

Hey,
I'm really looking forward to this, Helen. I'll try not to have a look at the pattern. Your fabrics are a great choice!!

[eliana arruda]

hola Helen,gostaria de participar deste projeto,com todas voces.Beijos Brasileiros.

[Ingrid]

Hola! Te escribo desde Venezuela.
My english is no so good, but I'll try: I'm a beguinner, but I'm in. Let's see how much I learn. Kisses to you too. Bye.

[Krist Van Os]

I'm in - I'm not going to peek but it's going to be very hard not too. thanks

[diane]

I am going to do this. It is my first mystery quilt. Thanks

[Janine Lawrence]

I love mystery quilts. So I will not peek.

[mony caracheo]

hola soy mony I love the idea of a salt mystery So I would like to participate I hope that this writing as well as I do through the translator and I said greetings

[Danielle]

I'm in! I've been to the fabric store and then banned myself from visiting for several months. Not really into florals, so I have found a strawberry print which will work quite well. I'm really looking forward to this!

[Satu]

Hi Helen,
although here in Finland is frosty weather (over -10 C),the summer with mysteries is always interesting. I'll try to not peek... it's quite difficult to resist... I'm IN TOO!

[Joy]

Hi Helen!
This sounds like great fun! My 12y/o dd and I are going to join in. We chose fabrics today, and I will post about them on my blog soon. And I will not peek.... although it is very tempting!
lv,
Joy

[Marta]

Hi Helen!
I will upload now the button with your blog and the Great Summer Holiday Mistery (here it is winter though hehe...).
I just ordered the fabrics too...
Thanks for organizing this, you are great... I hope I can keep up the rythm
Love from Spain

Marta

[Carla]

Seria muy interesante participar.
Tengo poca experiencia con el patchwork, pero me gustaria intentarlo
Muchas gracias!!

[Jane]

Hi, I would love to try this, found you on Hooked on Needles. I will post your button too! thank you

[Dzintra Ingrid]

Thank you for this Helen...so very generous of you!!!

[DAWNI]

Once again how generous of you Helen. Now this is tempting .

[sharon-nz]

Ok this looks like fun, my first quilt ever and I promise not to peek....... best go and get some material

[Sarah]

Hi Helen,

I am IN! Hope to visit Crows today t get my fabric - so exciting. Now I HAVE to get Oliver's quilt done by end of weekend so I can focus on this.

[Kin]

I'm no good at mysteries, but I won't peek at the pattern.

I don't have much of a stash anymore though - darn it. I suppose that means I need to go to a fabric shop? Ah well another reason to visit.

[Heike]

Hi Helen,
I like mysteries and I'm lokking forward to do this one.
Kind regards Heike

[cindy rangel]

I've got you linked. Hopefully I can get it done

[Dee]

I'm so excited by this. I've never done a mystery quilt before. I'm going to try not to spoil the fun for myself. We'll see how long that will last...lol. D.:=)

[Erika Richan]

wow I love the colors you have. I am excited to fing out the design thank you for this treat

[Mary Grace McNamara]

Helen, this looks like fun! I hope you don't mind that I have written a post including information about your mystery quilt which will be published tomorrow morning. I think my readers would be interested in your project. Love your fabric picks too...so bright and cheerful!

Thanks,
MGM

[amanda Ryan]

Even though it's the depths of winter here in the UK - the temperature hasn't gone above freezing for several days, and not forecast to for a while yet - I'll be joining in. If I can find some warm, summery colours perhaps I can fool myself. I'm going to try not to peek, but who knows.

[Teresa]

Count me in. I am very excited about participating in a project you are sponsoring. I am currently stitching the NPNT blocks, a little at a time, and just love your designs and fabrics. I will be looking for my fabrics today. Thank you for sponsoring this.

[simone de klerk]

I'm really looking forward to this, Helen. I'll try not to have a look at the pattern. Your fabrics are a great choice!

[Wendy]

I'm in but I haven't peeked at the pattern!

[jag1030@bigpond.com]

ha ha helen, i don't think there would be many of us who could resist taking a look at the pattern! i couldn't help myself. it's gorgeous!
thanks so much for offering this BOM!
julie

[Jo in TAS]

Love the bright fabrics you've chosen!