WELCOME TO THE WRITER’S COTTAGE
Make sure you’ve downloaded, saved and printed your Matchmaker Guide so you don’t lose access to this page.
We cannot resend the guide once you’ve downloaded it.
Everything you’ll need is on this page—you won’t be receiving any additional emails.
Bill and Weeks will guide you in your role as a writer’s assistant this Modern Mystery Quiltalong. Matchmaker will be one part romance, one part improvisational piecing, one part precision piecing, five parts color study, and ten parts fun. You’ll create a one-of-a-kind 39″ x 56″ lap quilt, 56″ x 77″ napping quilt (which is what we’re making), or 98″ x 99″ queen variation. All details for this quiltalong, including links to download the six individual assignments and view their supporting videos, will be posted here at this secret location known as the “The Writer’s Cottage” according to the schedule below. This is a private page, please do not share links to this page, the pattern or videos.
VIRTUAL EXHIBITION
We love featuring the work you’ve done in our Virtual Exhibitions. Submissions for the Matchmaker Virtual Exhibition are now open. Click the button below for more information and to submit a photo of your quilt. The exhibition will open January 19th.
UPDATES
We aim to get everything right, but if we catch any errors, we’ll post corrections here.
Installment 2— the first page was updated. Step 1 of light and dark should say All strips, not All three strips. Steps 3 should refer to 4″, not 3 1/2″ strips. You can download the revised Installment 2 pdf here, or from the Installment 2 download button in the schedule above.
We’ve updated Installment 4 to accurately reflect the number of Antonio/Henry/Friendship blocks. Download the update here We listed the queen size incorrectly. If you are using 2 of our Matchmaker bundles, it will make an 82″x99″ queen. We will also provide a layout to make the 98″x99″ size originally listed which will require an additional fat eighth of each fabric. Please contact us if you have any concerns at sales@staging.modernquiltstudio.com.
FABRIC SELECTION and REQUIREMENTS
Matchmaker is a stash-friendly quiltalong which requires three groups of fabric—lights, mediums and darks. We’ve curated a starter bundle of solids consisting of 31 fat quarters from the Benartex Superior Solids line. One bundle combined with 2 yards of a contrasting background fabric for sashing and binding makes the pieced napping quilt top. Two bundles combined with 3 yards of a contrasting background fabric makes the pieced queen. Detailed requirements are below.
Watch the preview video for detailed fabric-selection advice before choosing your fabrics. The bundle is ideal but not required. Small-scale prints and solids can work. This pattern doesn’t lend itself to large-scale or high-contrast prints. No two quilts will be identical, even for those using the Matchmaker Starter Bundle.
Napping size fabric requirements (56″ × 77″ finished size)
One Matchmaker Starter Bundle contains 31 Fat Quarters, enough fabric for the napping size when combined with 2 yards of contrasting fabric for the sashing and binding. We recommend:
-
- 30 or more different fat quarters or 1/4 -yard cuts of small-scale prints or solids (10 light, 10 medium and 10 dark)
- 2 yards of contrasting fabric to be used for both the sashing and binding. This needs to be distinctly different from the colors in your selection of 30 fabrics. If you are using the Matchmaker Starter Bundle, you can use the same fabric as any one of the fat quarters in the bundle and simply omit that fat quarter from the pieced top. You’ll still have enough fabric without that one fat quarter.
- We recommend either a dark or a light contrasting background such as Dark Blue, Espresso, Eggplant, Khaki or Putty from Benartex’s Superior Solids line
- 4 yards backing fabric
- 60″ × 81″ batting
Queen size fabric requirements (82″ × 99″ finished size)(can be made 98×99 with an additional fat eighth of each fabric, options for both layouts will be provided)
Two Matchmaker Starter Bundles contains enough fabric for the queen size when combined with 3 yards of contrasting fabric for the sashing and binding. For the queen, we recommend:
-
- 60 or more different fat quarters or 1/4 -yard cuts of small-scale prints or solids (20 light, 20 medium and 20 dark)
- 3 yards of contrasting fabric to be used for both the sashing and binding. This needs to be distinctly different from the colors in your selection of 60 fabrics. If you are using the Matchmaker Starter Bundles, you can use the same fabric as any one of the fat quarters in the bundle and simply omit those fat quarters from the pieced top. You’ll still have enough fabric without those.
- We recommend either a dark or a light contrasting background such as Dark Blue, Espresso, Eggplant or Khaki from Benartex’s Superior Solids line
- 8–9 yards backing fabric depending on how you piece your backing
- 102″ × 103″ batting
Lap size fabric requirements (39″ × 56″ finished size)
We recommend:
-
- 15 or more different fat quarters or 1/4 -yard cuts of small-scale prints or solids (5 light, 5 medium and 5 dark)
- 1 3/4 yards of contrasting fabric to be used for both the sashing and binding. This needs to be distinctly different from the colors in your selection of 15 fabrics.
- We recommend either a dark or a light contrasting background such as Dark Blue, Espresso, Eggplant or Khaki from Benartex’s Superior Solids line
- 1 3/4 yards backing fabric
- 43″ × 60″ batting
The Big Reveal — Your Innkeepers Bill and Weeks will reveal their completed quilt in the Assignment 6 video and on social media. Participants are welcome to share their finished quilts and work in progress on the Modern Quilt Studio Patterns and Fabrics Facebook page and on their personal social media accounts at any time. We ask that you include in your posts that the project is part of the Matchmaker Modern Mystery Quiltalong.
SUPPORT AND COMMUNITY
The Modern Quilt Studio Patterns and Fabrics group on Facebook includes more than 23,000 members from six continents. This positive, highly skilled group is a great resource for sharing progress, asking for second opinions and general good fun. Although participation in this group is optional, many participants in past quiltalongs tell us that the group added so much fun to the quiltalong.
SPOTIFY PLAYLIST
POP-UP SHOP
Want to commemorate the quiltalong with a T-shirt, Sweatshirt or mug? We’ve got you covered with our pop-up store. All items are created and shipped by outside vendors. Your transaction will be with Printify, not with Modern Quilt Studio. Please direct any questions about orders or products to Printify at support@printify.me
