Category Archives: Mystery Quilts

Quilt Studio Cleaning

January 12, 2026 8:24 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅ Pam

It’s an ongoing battle to keep the mountains of fabric beat back. Between multiple on-going projects and the desire or need to move to the next project, stuff gets piled on my tables. Honestly, I’m not sure when I last saw the surface of that far table. It’s supposed to be be my cutting table. But instead of speeding ahead into my next project I started working on the tables. I have a deadline — Sunday. My sister will be here for 2 week sharing the space with me.

On the near left corner is fabric which needs to make it into one of my FQ bins. I’m stacking it because I’m sure there is more and my fabric bins are stuffed. I may need to shuffle fabric to get it all put away. On the stool in front of the far table is yardage. Honestly I’m not sure there’s room in the cabinet, but I can’t put it in there without more comic book boards, so I gave in and ordered them. They should be here sometime today.

As I’ve been cleaning up the scraps I’ve added them to my strips bins — selvedges, strings, 1 1/2″, 2″ and 2 1/2″ strips. Only the very top layer is new and there is more on the table. In fact I counted 5 bags and bins of scrap fabric. There’s one on the floor by the table, a bag on the table and 3 bins under my longarm. Maybe after I get through a couple more of my UFOs I’ll do a scrap quilt.

This is the next quilt I plan to finish. It is the 2nd version of the 2025 Brandon Quilters Mystery Quilt. I want to put in sashing and cornerstones. But first I have to finish the cleaning.

Posted in: Chain of Blossoms, cleaning, mystery quilts, scraps

Catching Up

September 9, 2025 8:51 am ⋅ Pam

The time simply has gotten away from me. Between work, quilting and filling in at my friend’s shop, blogging has fallen to the bottom of the list of things to do. First up, the August Stash Report.

The Stash Report

Fabric Added Since Last Report: 13.759 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 194.442 yards

Fabric Used Since Last Report: 32.67 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 147.139 yards

Net Fabric Stash: 47.303 yards

So did I meet the the August Goals? Some of them.

- Finish Cascades. It just needs the borders before it can be quilted. – It still needs borders.
- Keep up with the KTQ A Vintage Sampler Quilt Quilt along. I’m currently 2 blocks behind. Looking at the schedule we should finish the top by the end of the month. – Quilted!
- Monterrey Medallions. I’d like to get the blocks made for this quilt. – In progress.
- Sheryl. I just need to sew the binding strips together and get this one bound. – Still waiting
- Auction Quilt Top. It’s a bad picture, but I need to rip out what little quilting I’ve done. – Still needs ripping
- Shop Samples. Yes there are two quilts in the picture and I want them done by Monday! Guess what I’m doing first? – Accomplished!
- There is a customer quilt on the frame. I should get it done tonight – I don’t think there are any thunderstorms expected. – Accomplished!
- Decoupage fabric to glass for a friend. – Accomplished!
- Prepare the mystery quilt clues (the next one is due Monday!) – Accomplished!

This is my Vintage Christmas Sampler by Kansas Troubles Quilters. I caught up, got the borders on and even got it quilted over the long weekend. It was promptly put in the stack to be bound and I started Monterrey Medallions. There are 4 different blocks in this quilt – the center star, Woodpile, Floating Stars and Jacob’s Ladder blocks. The floating stars are up next.

So what’s on the agenda for September?

Finishing instructions for the guild Mystery Quilt
Finish customer quilt which is on the frame
Borders and quilt Cascade
Finish and quilt Monterrey Medallions
Quilt Ruby’s Vintage Christmas Sampler
Mini Bow Tucks
Kit Clara
20 Zipper Bags (take to retreat)
Rip out quilting from Auction Quilt
Kandy Korn Kitty Top (take to retreat)
Assemble Riviana (take to retreat)
Bind Vintage Christmas Sampler
Bind Sheryl

I’m thinking some of this is not going to get done this month.

Posted in: A Vintage Christmas Sampler, Auction Quilt Top, Bags, Clara, goals, Kandy Korn Kitty, Machine Quilting, Mini Bow Tucks, Monterry Medallion, monthly goals, mystery quilts, Rivanna, Sheryl, Stash Busting Report

What I’m Working On this Week

July 11, 2025 8:41 am ⋅ Pam

I did not do my What I’m Working on Wednesday post as I had nothing new to show and Wednesday evening was spent installing spice racks. I bought the Vertical Spice racks I’ve seen on my Facebook feed — but not before actually going to the home office while I was in Minnesota. I probably would have bought them on the spot had I not decided the week before I left for the trip that I wanted to lower the shelf so my original measurements were all wrong.

When I got home, I pulled all the spices out of the cabinet, as well as bringing in the last box from the sunroom. Turns out I have duplicates of some of the spices. I combined bottles where I could and pulled the duplicates out. They now live in the bottom of the utensil pull out. The plan was to get what I needed for the bottom shelf first. I ended up putting the larger slide on the 2nd shelf. I failed to consider the angle of the door in my calculations, so the wide slide out didn’t fit. I haven’t decided if I’m going to get more slides or not.

For my segue to quilting, I offer these napkins. The plan was to have 6. However, it’s been a couple of years since I made any and I simply couldn’t remember how they were done, as a result the first one ended up smaller. After I took this picture and had them put away, I found the 5th large napkins. For future reference, I washed the fabric first, then cut the back/binding square at 13 1/2″ square — essentially 1/3 the width of the fabric. The contrast was cut at 9 1/2″ square. Cutting the inside 4″ smaller allows for a 1-inch border.

Last night I finished block 1 of the 2025 Brandon Quilters Mystery Quilt. I have 2 weeks to get the next set of instructions written.

Finally, I’m still working on A Vintage Christmas Sampler. I started working on the Tall Trees last night. I have 2 or 3 small trees to do, then it will be on to the Candy Canes.

Posted in: A Vintage Christmas Sampler, Chain of Blossoms, designwall, goals, House, mystery quilts, Napkins

A Busy Weekend – Stash Report, a Finish, and This Week’s Goals

February 11, 2025 3:22 pm ⋅ Pam

This past weekend was jam packed. Friday I was waiting on a package and finishing the binding on a quilt before driving to Hattiesburg to the MQA meeting. Saturday after the meeting, I headed home and stopped at Ritzy Quilting. Sunday I went back to Hattiesburg as I left something at the hotel. When I got home I watched “my team” get soundly defeated in the big game. Monday, I cleaned and cooked as I hosted Bunco. So, let’s start with the Stash Report which I planned to post on Friday.

Stash Report

I cut out more of the Little Laura Notebooks and as of Friday, no new fabric added to my stash.

Fabric Added Since Last Report: 0 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 1 yards

Fabric Used Since Last Report: 1.25 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 7.875 yards

Net Fabric Stash: -6.875 yard

A Finish!

This is another variation of the 2024 Brandon Quilters Block of the Month. I call this one Framed. All I needed to do was bind and label it. It’s on my Brandon Quilters UFO list, MQA UFO List, and 2 other online UFO lists.

Started 2/4/24
Finished 2/7/25
74″ x 92″
Glide 40wt in Magic Mint
Fresco Feathers
Legacy 80/20 batting
Made for the program “Got Blocks? Now What?”

Weekly Goals

Last week there were 3 goals

Get Framed bound – DONE
I have 10 more notebook covers prepped.
Living on Cornbread — I need to go pick up another layer cake on Friday. – Picked it up Saturday.

As expected all I got done on the Living on Cornbread was picking up the layer cake on my way home from the MQA meeting. The extra trip to Hattiesburg kept me from the sewing machine Sunday before the game.

Goals for the Week of 2/10/2025

Finish the notebook covers.
Bind the BQ 2024 BOM Blue Waters
Quilt Cindy’s Pizza Box Quilt
Prep Clues 4 & 5 of the BQ 2025 Mystery Quilt
Make 10 sets of corners for Living on Cornbread
Bind Illusions

Looking at this it seems like a lot – tonight I have to finish the newsletter for Quilters By Hearts Desire, so I can’t really get started until tomorrow. But there’s nothing on my calendar for this weekend. I want to get as much done as I can, as I’m not certain when my brother will be here.

Posted in: 2024 Brandon Quilter, 2025 Brandon Quilters UFO, Framed, Illusions, Lauras Little Notebook, Living on Cornbread, Longarm, mystery quilts, Stash Busting Report

2024 Starts

February 2, 2025 11:56 am ⋅ Pam

I’m happy to report that most of the projects I started in 2024 were completed last year or in January 2025. These are the ones which are still unfinished.

First up is Multiplicity. Diane Knott spoke at a guild event and taught this class the next day back in April. I was late to the class — it seems like I was working that morning, then after we got going I didn’t like my fabric selection — I didn’t have enough lighter colors. When I got home I pulled additional fabric from my batik stash, but didn’t get anything done since I shortly left for my trip to Scotland and came back work on multiple quilts for a couple of programs I was giving later in the year. This project finally was boxed up and put on the shelf. It’s not on this year’s list but maybe I’ll have to pull it out for next year.

The top 2 quilts are from my program “Got Blocks? Now What?” where I discussed different settings to use when you have a stack of blocks — in these case blocks from a Block of the Month. The bottom one is Illusions from a 3-yard book, made bigger. The BOM quilts were quilted in August and the Illusions quilted in November. They are all waiting to be bound and are on my 2025 UFO Goals list.

At the Brandon Quilters Auction in November, I picked up this top. I have the backing and want to get it quilted this year.

Also started were 2 versions of the Brandon Quilters 2025 Mystery Quilt. For obvious reasons I’m not posting any photos.

If I don’t get too distracted, one of these will rollover onto the 2026 UFO list.

Posted in: 2024 Brandon Quilter, Blue Waters, Framed, goals, Illusions, Multiplicity, mystery quilts

Progress, a Finish and a Start

April 3, 2022 12:01 am ⋅ Pam

There was plenty of machine time Saturday.

Progress: Catching up on the Brandon Quilters 2022 Mystery Quilt – Starflower. Monday we’ll get the finishing instructions.

A Finish: The Mississippi Quilt Association 2020 Block of the Month. I waited until Saturday to stitch the binding down as I had to order a walking foot for my Singer Genie. Formal portrait to come soon. At the moment it’s in the dryer.

A Start: I found more of string blocks from the auction in 2018. These were separated because they were slightly smaller. I’m trimming to them to 6-1/2″. I have just enough that with a 1″ sashing I can set them on point and get a twin size quilt.

Up next, is the binding on the Crazy Quilt.

Posted in: 2022 Brandon Quilters UFO, MQA BOM 2020, mystery quilts, Starflower

3280 Units

January 13, 2017 12:59 pm ⋅ Pam

allEPParts

It’s taken 7 weeks, but all of the parts for En Provence, the Bonnie Hunter Mystery, (instructions are still available until the end of the month HERE) are completed and trimmed, including the extra neutral 4-patches to enlarge the quilt.

ep2blocks

I’ve even have completed 2 blocks with sashing!

I’m not a big fan of ‘webbing’ quilt tops — it get’s too unwieldy for me. But I tried it for this 6 x 6 block. Other than one piece being turned wrong it worked out pretty well.

beforeweb

I see now why I had one piece turned wrong in my first block — it was wrong on the flannel board. The first time I pressed after the entire block was sewn together. For the second block I pressed the seams for each row before sewing the rows together and I think the block went together better.

Now that the units are made, this is going together quickly. Who knows, I might end up with a quilt top before the month is out — but I really need to stop and quilt the Disappearing 9-patch this weekend. There is the thread of ice, which may mean we will lose power. So, maybe I’ll keep working on En Provence until that happens, then work on the DP9 — the plan is to quilt it on the treadle.

Posted in: En Provence, mystery quilts

What’s On My Design Wall – En Provence – Final Link Up

January 9, 2017 8:19 am ⋅ Pam

enprovencecompletedunits

Today is the final link up for the Bonnie Hunter’s Free En Provence Mystery Quilt. The pattern is still available HERE until the end of the month.

I had great hopes of finishing the top, or at least getting all of the units completed, but this cold/crud that showed up after Christmas has kept me sitting at the sewing machine for very long. The picture above is all of the units I’ve completed — except for the ones up on the design wall.

Once the reveal was made, I finished cutting the fabric for the remaining units. I stitch some on each unit, then press, and trim. Up next are the parts for 10 hourglass units, 10 hour glasses and 10 4-patches.

enprovencenextunits

I still have the hourglass units from the last batch left to trim.

enprovenceunits2trim

In theory this keeps me from sitting for hours, getting tired of just trimming and keeps the quilt moving forward. I have a few more rounds to go.

enprovenceunitswaiting

In the meantime, I’ve put up some of the pieces on the design wall, along with my border fabric. I’d like the quilt to fit my king size mattress, so I need to have the quilt finish around 95″ x 106″ without a pillow tuck. Needless to say the final layout is up in the air. enprovenceonthewall

Making the quilt 5 x 5 blocks then adding the nutcracker fabric brings the quilt size up to 117″ square, which is really larger than I’d like. On the other hand this might work:

borderdrawing

This design will require another 124 neutral 4-patches and the quilt will finish at 106″ square, which will allow for a pillow tuck. As much as I’d like to push through and finish the top, I need to quilt the Blue Disappearing 9-Patch before the end of the month. Once I stitch up what I currently have cut, I’ll box it up, along with nutcracker, blue and neutral fabrics for a decision later in the year.

Check out the Mystery Link Up and Design Wall Monday.

Posted in: Bonnie Hunter, designwall, En Provence, mystery quilts

What’s On My Design Wall – En Provence Edition Part 5

December 26, 2016 11:07 am ⋅ Pam

clue5 Part five of Bonnie Hunter’s annual mystery quilt came out late Thursday night. It’s still not too late to join. The instructions can be found HERE.

Even with the hustle and bustle surrounding Christmas, I finished the clue – admittedly early Monday morning – but it’s the first clue I’ve finished between the release of the instructions and the link-up.

More progress was made on clue # 1. If I’ve counted correctly, I have enough pairs of 2-patches to complete the clue. I’ve been sewing a single pair of 2-patches into a 4-patch as my leader/ender.

clue1week5

I sewed 8 of the half square triangle units followed by 20 dark/light green (remember my colors have been swapped out) 2-patches for Clue # 3 then got up to press and trim.

clue3week5

So now, I have Clues # 2, #4, and #5 complete.

clue2done

part4 I don’t go back to work until Wednesday, so I have 2 more days to sew. I have 2 projects I need to work on — getting last year’s mystery off the design wall and quilting a top that I finished in January. Who knows which one I’ll work on this week.

In the meantime, I’m linking up to Design Wall Monday and the Mystery Link-up.

Posted in: Bonnie Hunter, designwall, En Provence, mystery quilts

What’s on My Design Wall – En Provence Edition Part 4

December 19, 2016 1:19 pm ⋅ Pam

clue2done Part ~~three~~ four of Bonnie Hunter’s annual mystery quilt came out on Friday. It’s not too late to join. The instructions can be found HERE.

No, the first picture is not of part 4, but rather the completed Clue # 2! I swapped the magenta out and used royal blue for my Christmas colored quilt. That’s not to say that I didn’t make progress on Clue # 4.

img_20161216_152436

Friday evening all I got done was cutting Clue # 4. That’s the dark green in the picture above. I’m subbing dark and light green for purple and lavender. When I took this picture I thought the pile of neutral squares was short compared to the greens, but since I had already stitched a few 2-patches as my leader and enders, I thought that explained the difference. It wasn’t until I had the 2-patches paired up that I realized I don’t have enough neutral squares cut.

week4part1