Last Step for the Mystery Quilt this Year
Some of you may have already noticed that the final step of our Mystery Quilt has been posted on the Mystery Quilt page—thank you for your patience! I apologize for the delay in getting it out to you. With our town’s Independence Day celebration now officially wrapped up for 2025, I’m finally able to shift gears and return to my sewing room.
Like many of you, I’m playing catch-up with my growing list of UFOs (unfinished objects), and this mystery quilt is at the top of the list! I’m eager to get it loaded onto the quilting machine and bring it across the finish line. I hope you’re just as excited to see your quilts come together—I can’t wait to see your final creations!
Mystery Quilt Layout
I always get so excited when it’s finally time to see the quilt come together—once all the blocks and sashings were finished, I couldn’t wait to lay everything out. There I was, crawling around on the floor, carefully arranging each piece, when my two pups decided it was the perfect moment for a round of zoomies! Needless to say, I had to wait until they ran out of steam before attempting the layout again. Quilting with dogs definitely adds a bit of unpredictability to the process!
My pups have a real talent for finding the coziest spot in the house—which just so happens to be whatever quilt project I’m in the middle of working on! The moment I step away, even for a second, they make themselves right at home on the very blocks I’m trying to piece together. It’s like they think every work-in-progress is just a new dog bed made especially for them. Quilting with furry helpers definitely keeps things interesting—and thank goodness mine are non-shedders.
Quilt Center – Definitely Needs the Borders
Once I had all the blocks and sashings sewn together, it became clear—this quilt definitely needed the borders added. The center looked beautiful on its own, but it felt like it was asking for that extra finishing touch to really bring everything together.
There are times when I complete the quilt top and decide that borders aren’t necessary. Sometimes, the design feels complete as is, and a bold binding is all that’s needed to frame it. But not this time. This quilt called for borders to truly shine and feel balanced. It’s always interesting how each project seems to have a personality of its own—and this one insisted on just a little more attention before calling it done.
Pieced Border
The pieced border, framed by two simple solid borders, really brings this quilt to life and gives it a beautifully finished look. The combination adds just the right amount of detail without overwhelming the design—it’s the perfect balance of structure and style.
Just a little tip: if you’d like to make your quilt a bit larger, consider adding an extra wide outer border after the pieced section. It’s an easy way to increase the size without altering the overall layout. This tweak gives you a little more room for quilting designs and adds a lovely frame to highlight all your hard work. Feel free to get creative here—use a bold print, a subtle tone-on-tone, or even a textured solid to really make it your own!
I added a quick picture and will upload a better one once I get a couple of things taken care of here.
Mystery Quilt Complete
Thank you so much for being a part of the Quilting with Tamara 2025 Mystery Quilt journey! It’s been such a joy to share this creative adventure with you, and I’ve loved seeing your progress and enthusiasm throughout each step of the process.
As we wrap up this year’s mystery quilt, just a friendly reminder: be sure to download and save all the step-by-step instructions soon, as they’ll be leaving the website shortly. I don’t want you to miss out on anything—especially if you’re still finishing up or planning to start later.
I can’t wait to see how your quilts come together, and I truly hope you enjoyed the mystery, the challenge, and the fun of quilting along with the community. Stay tuned for future projects—and as always, happy quilting!
If you are looking for a project to do, check out some of the other pages on the website. You will find a variety of scrappy patterns here.
If you are searching for quilt blocks to create a sampler quilt, check out this link.
Finally, if you want to stay informed, Sign up with your email below or join the Facebook page: Quilting with Tamara. Please be sure to answer the questions.
Until next time.
