Mystery Medallion Quilt Pattern

By Janet Wickell

Quilting Expert

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Make a Mystery Medallion Quilt

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Mystery Medallion Quilt. Photo Credit: © Janet Wickell

Mystery Quilt Pattern

Falling Leaves is a mystery medallion quilt pattern. The pattern is complete now, so skip ahead to see all of the instructions before you begin or take it one page at a time to keep the results a mystery.

The Mystery Medallion quilt is an easy pattern that can be sewn in one of two sizes:

A 45-inches square wallhanging, or
A miniature quilt that finishes at 22-1/2-inches square

Let's look at the center medallion first, and think about fabric choices.

The finished quilt has just two more fabrics than you see here, both mottled greens, similar in color and color value but one with a slightly larger print than the other.

Start by playing around with five fabrics, sorting them into groups you think will work well together and considering how they will contrast. Choose:

a dark neutral (shown as brown)
two lights (examples will be green)
a medium-dark warm (shown as deep rust)
a light to medium warm background (shown as lighter fabric with shades of rust).

If you have small yardages, choose more than five fabrics, because the pattern is suitable for a scrap quilt.

Quilting Fabrics & Other Materials

Wallhanging

Dark Neutral (brown): 1-1/2 yard
Light Warm Background (light shades of rust): 1-1/4 yard
Dark Warm (rust): 1 yard
Light Cool (green): 3/8 yard
Medium Cool (green): 3/4 yard

Miniature Quilt

Dark Neutral (brown): 7/8 yard
Warm Background (light shades of rust): 3/4 yard
Dark Warm (rust): 5/8 yard
Light Cool (green): 1/4 yard
Medium Cool (green): 1/2 yard

Backing

Binding

Move on to page 2 for a look at the first border that surrounds the medallion block.

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Center Medallion & First Pieced Border

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Mystery Medallion Quilt. Photo Credit: © Janet Wickell

Here's a peek at the first pieced border surrounding the mystery quilt's center medallion. Look at the fabrics you've chosen. Can you visualize how they'll look with this portion of the layout?

Center Medallion Block Cutting Chart

Wallhanging Cutting Chart

Dark Warm (rust):

(1) 6-1/2" x 6-1/2" square
(2) 6-7/8" x 6-7/8" squares, each cut in half once diagonally

Light Background

(2) 5-1/8" x 5-1/8" squares, each cut in half once diagonally

(6) 3-7/8" x 3-7/8" squares

Dark Neutral (brown)

(6) 3-7/8" x 3-7/8" squares
(4) 3-1/2" x 6-1/2" rectangles

Miniature Quilt Cutting Chart

Dark Warm (rust):

(1) 3-1/2" x 3-1/2" square
(2) 3-7/8" x 3-7/8" squares, each cut in half once diagonally

Light Background

(2) 3" x 3" squares, each cut in half once diagonally
(6) 2-3/8" x 2-3/8" squares^**

Dark Neutral (brown)

(6) 2-3/8" x 2-3/8" squares^**
(4) 2" x 3-1/2" rectangles

^**Used to make quick-pieced half-square triangle units. I often cut oversize squares and then trim the finished units back to their correct size after assembly, aligning the diagonal seam with the ruler's 45-degree line to ensure block halves are identical.

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Assemble the Mystery Quilt's Center Medallion

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Make the Falling Leaves Center Medallion. Photo Credit: © Janet Wickell

Make the Medallion Center

Center and sew the four background triangles to each side of the center square. (Fold pieces to find midpoints and match, or crop 1/4" off of triangle ends)
Press seams towards the triangles.
Center and sew the four rust triangles to the unit from step 1. Press seams towards the triangles.
Pair a dark square with a light square. Use the sandwich method to create two half-square triangle units from the pair. Repeat to assemble a total of 12 units (completed units will measure 3-1/2" square for the wallhanging and 2" square for the miniature quilt).

Group components as shown. Sew together to complete the block. Press adjoining seams in opposite directions where possible.

First Border Units

Look back at page 2 for a glimpse of the mystery medallion quilt's first border, made from half-square triangle units in green and rust.

Wallhanging:

Warm dark (rust):

(14) 3-7/8" x 3-7/8" squares

Cool Light (green):

(14) 3-7/8" x 3-7/8" squares

Miniature Quilt:

Warm dark (rust):

(14) 2-3/8" x 2-3/8" squares

Cool Light (green):

(14) 2-3/8" x 2-3/8" squares

Pair each light green square with a rust square. Use the sandwich method to make a total of (28) half-square triangle units from the pairs (completed units will measure 3-1/2" square for the wallhanging and 2" square for the miniature quilt).

The border is illustrated on page 2, but don't sew the half-square triangle units to your center medallion just yet (wait until you can see a link to page 4).

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Sew Borders to the Mystery Medallion Quilt

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A few options for the first border of your mystery quilt. Photo Credit: © Janet Wickell

Sew the First Two Borders

The Mystery Medallion quilt's first pieced border is made by sewing 28 half-square triangle units around the center block. The suggested layout is shown on page 3 and repeated in the upper left drawing on this page.

Feel free to experiment with the layout. I've included two other possibilities for the units -- play with arrangements and you'll discover more. Any layout you choose will work just fine with the next border.

Once you're satisfied with the design, sew all units (except the corners) in the top row side by side, and then sew all units (except the corners) in the bottom row side by side. Press, taking care not to stretch the row.
Sew the remaining units along each side into vertical rows. Press, again taking care not to stretch. Sew a row to each side, matching seam intersections carefully.
Sew the top and bottom rows to the center, matching seam intersections carefully.
Sew the side rows to the quilt. Press.

The wallhanging's center should measure 24-1/2" square; the mini's, 12-1/2" square. If you're off just a bit, the next border will square it up. If the center is off a bunch, use my squaring up methods to deal with it before you sew the border.

Sew a Plain Border to the Quilt

Sew a dark neutral (brown) border around the medallion. Instead of measuring the unit's size, we'll use pieces cut to match the size the center should be at this stage (to make the next pieced border a breeze).

Wallhanging

Top/Bottom: (2) 2-1/2" x 24-1/2"

Sides: (2) 2-1/2" x 28-1/2"

Miniature Quilt

Top/Bottom: (2) 1-1/2" x 12-1/2"
Sides: (2) 1-1/2" x 14-1/2"

Add the Border

More About Borders

Fold a top/bottom border in half crosswise and crease. Match its midpoint and ends to the top of the medallion, easing to fit where necessary. Sew the border to the medallion. Press allowance towards border.
Repeat to sew the bottom border.
Repeat to sew each side border.

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Sew the Third Border to the Mystery Medallion Quilt

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Add a patchwork border to the quilt. Photo Credit: © Janet Wickell

The next border is a bit more involved, and the suggested patchwork is foundation-pieced. I can already hear the grumbles from everyone who is not a fan of that technique, so I'll offer a couple of options.

Read foundation piecing basics if this technique is new to you -- I won't repeat all instructions in this pattern. It might also be helpful to read through the instructions for a paper pieced Log Cabin block (make a test Log Cabin, just for fun).

Download the Foundation Templates - PDF.

Quilt Border Options

I've added an illustration for the next border, made with 4" (finished size) foundation pieced quilt blocks (left) in three colors. Sewing brown corners on the block results in little "v" indents where the patches meet the border.

On the right is an alternative border, made up of four-patch units (pattern on page 7) made from the background fabric and the darker green fabric. You can use any 4" (finished) blocks in the border.

4" Blocks on the Quilting Site:

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Make the Foundation Pieced Border

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Assemble the Foundation Pieced Quilt Blocks. Some fabrics are shown as transparent to give a view of the template beneath. Photo Credit: © Janet Wickell

Foundation Pieced Border

Read foundation piecing basics if this is new to you.

Cutting

Cut only enough pieces for one block. Adjust patch sizes as necessary to suit your foundation piecing sewing style.

Wallhanging

Medium Green:

(32) 2" squares
(64) 2-3/8" squares, cut in half once diagonally

Background:

(64) 2" squares, cut in half once diagonally
1-1/4" wide strips, cut selvage to selvage; total length will depend on your sewing style.

Dark Brown:

(64) 2-1/4" squares, cut in half once diagonally

Miniature

Medium Green:

(32) 1-1/4" squares
(64) 1-5/8" squares, cut in half once diagonally

Background:

(64) 1-1/2" squares, cut in half once diagonally
7/8" wide strips, cut selvage to selvage; total length will depend on your sewing style.

Dark Brown:

(64) 1-5/8" squares, cut in half once diagonally

Make a Quilt Block

Make 32 templates.
Center a green square right side up on the foundation center, on the reverse side of the foundation.
Align a background triangle right side down on one edge of the square. Turn the foundation over. Sew on the line separating the two patches.
Flip the triangle right side up; edges should overlap the lines beneath that form its final shape. Trim back the seam allowance to just under 1/4" to reduce bulk.
Working around the center, sew three more triangles in the same way (some people like to sew opposites instead of moving in a circular motion).
Use the same method to sew four green triangles around the center.

Align a background strip right side down along a green edge; ends must overlap the outermost foundation line. Sew, check placement and trim seam. Sew three more.
Sew brown triangles to the corner slots. When flipped right side up, edges should overlap the outer perimeter of the template.
Press and trim through all layers on the outermost template line.
Make 31 additional blocks.

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Alternative Four Patch Border

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Mystery Quilt Alternative Border

Here's an alternative four-patch border to replace the border on page 6. It goes together more quickly than the foundation pieced border does, and is a good option for those of you who simply don't like the foundation technique.

Four-Patch Cutting Chart

Wallhanging

Green Fabric and Light Background Fabric

Cut (4) 2-1/2" wide strips of each fabric from selvage to selvage

You may need an extra short strip of each if long strips do not have a usable length of 42" after squaring up.

Miniature Quilt Green Fabric and Light Background Fabric

Cut (2) 1-1/2" wide strips of each fabric from selvage to selvage
Cut (2) 1-1/2" x 10" strips of each fabric

Assemble the Four-Patch Quilt Blocks

Sew a green strip lengthwise to a background strip of the same length. Press seam allowance towards the green strip.
Square up one end of the strip set and then cut as many segments from it as possible.
- Wallhanging: cut 2-1/2" segments
- Miniature: cut 1-1/2" segments
Make additional strip sets from remaining fabric. Cut a total of 64 segments.
Arrange two segments as shown, with like-fabrics diagonal from each other. Sew together. Press seam in either direction or fan it out from the middle, pressing one half to one side and the other half to the opposite side.
Make a total of 32 four-patch quilt blocks.

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Finish the Mystery Medallion Quilt

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Finish the Mystery Medallion Quilt

We're almost finished with the mystery quilt. Add the pieced border first.

Sew seven pieced border blocks together side by side. Press seam allowances either direction. Repeat to make another 7-block border.
Sew nine pieced border blocks together side by side. press seam allowances either direction. Repeat to make another 9-block border.
Sew a 7-block border to one side of the quilt. Press seam allowance towards the plain border. Repeat on the opposite side of the quilt.

Sew a 9-block border to one of the remaining sides. press seam allowance towards the plain border. Repeat on the final side of the quilt.

Add Two More Borders

Sew two more plain fabric borders to the quilt. My example repeats the rust fabric used in the center medallion first, followed by a repeat of the dark brown fabric. The quilt is bound in the darker green.