Karen Montgomery’s much-anticipated 2026 Brown Bag Mystery — Two Step Tango — has arrived, and this year you get to choose your dance partner! Whether you love the precision of Foundation Paper Piecing (Poppy’s favorite technique) or prefer working with specialty rulers, this year’s mystery gives you two exciting ways to create the same stunning quilt.

What is Brown Bag Mystery 2026?

Brown Bag Mystery is an annual, exclusive program available only through Sewposium shops. It’s a double mystery and eight weeks of pure sewing fun! Start by choosing a bag based on the featured focal fabric; the coordinating fabrics inside remain a surprise until after purchase. Every bundle is thoughtfully curated by Michelle at Poppy Quilt N Sew with the final quilt design in mind, so you can trust that your colors and prints will come together beautifully.

After you receive your bag, you’ll join Karen Montgomery’s private Facebook group, watch the Welcome Video, and begin preparing your fabrics using the included cutting instructions. The first pattern CLUE will be released in mid-March, with new clues arriving every two weeks until the full design is revealed.

Clue mailing dates from Poppy Quilt N Sew:

Clue 1: March 21st
Clue 2: April 4th
Clue 3: April 18th
Clue 4: May 2nd
Clue 5: May 16th - The BIG Reveal!!

Over the course of the program, you’ll not only uncover the mystery quilt step-by-step, but also learn tips, techniques, and construction strategies from Karen herself, along with encouragement from a nationwide community of sewists.

Two Ways to Make the Quilt

New for 2026, you can choose your preferred construction method:

Foundation Paper Piecing (Poppy’s specialty!)

Use foundation paper pads for crisp points, perfect alignment, and stress-free accuracy. Poppy Quilt N Sew is known for its love of paper piecing and this project is the perfect place to give it a try!

Specialty Ruler Method

Prefer ruler-based cutting and piecing? You can follow the same mystery using specialty rulers instead. Karen's recommended rulers are

Folded Corner Clipper (CGRFCC) OR 45/90 Degree Triangle (CGRMS4590)
Triangle Squared (CGRTMT2)
Perfect Rectangle (CGRMT3)
Crazier Eights Template Set (CGRMT7).

What’s Included in Your Brown Bag

6.5 yards of fabric for the quilt top; which finishes at 60"x60"
- Want to make it bigger?? Purchase two of the same Brown Bag and we will ensure the fabrics inside are the same so you can combine them into one larger quilt!
Cutting instructions and all pattern clues
Access to Karen Montgomery’s private Facebook group
Video lessons and guidance from Karen throughout the program

Optional Add-Ons

To make your experience even easier, Poppy’s offers:

Finishing Kit – Coordinated border and binding fabric.
Backing Option – A perfectly matched backing for your quilt

Both are optional and sold separately. When you purchase either, our team will personally select fabrics that coordinate beautifully with your specific Brown Bag.

Filters

Over $100

Brown Bag Mystery 2026 / Custom Bag