GLORIOUS CREATIONS: October 2013

“A MYSTERY IN THE MAKING”

PIECEMAKERS GUILD 2013/2014 MYSTERY QUILT

A mystery quilt in 5-6 installments

(6 if you do the larger quilt)

Finished small Quilt 57” sq. with borders

Small quilt without borders 45 ½” sq.

Larger quilt, 64 ½” sq. without borders)

Thank you for participating in this mystery. I hope it will be fun, easy, and educational. Beginners with intermediate abilities (knowing how to use the machine and 1/4 inch abilities.) should be comfortable working on it. Newbie’s to the world of quilting may need a little help. If you understand how to sew a quarter inch, and a scant quarter inch you should do fine.

If you have just found this clue and need the introduction to this mystery you can find it here:

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-mystery-in-making.html
http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-mystery-in-making-clue-2.html
http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-mystery-in-making-clue-3.html

CLUE # ONE FOR

“ A MYSTERY IN THE MAKING”

The mystery will be composed of Units.

The construction techniques will be listed with each step. Each clue in the making of this quilt is not stressful. Even if you are a slow quilter this clue should not take more than 3 hours of your time to construct.

CONSTRUCTING A SQUARE IN A SQUARE

(Also half square triangles)

From Focus fabric “A” cut:

(3) 9.5” X WOF strips; cut into (9) 9.5” squares. If you have a lot of fabric you can fussy cut these. Just make sure you have enough left for the rest of the cuts.

(6) 5” x WOF strips for the outer border, Label and set aside. (If you are unsure you will like the suggested border do not cut these at this time.)

(2) 5” X WOF strips: cut into (12) 5” Sq., label “Clue 2 & 4”, set aside

From Fabric “B” cut:

(5) 5” X WOF strips; cut into (36) 5” squares

CONSTRUCTION CLUE #1

1. On the back of the (36) 5” Sq. Fabric “B”, draw a line diagonally, corner to corner, with pencil (don’t use pen or marker it may bleed through to the front). If your fabric is very dark use a light colored pencil.

HINT:

The diagonal distance is 7 inches. It’s important to stitch in a straight line across the diagonal. I don’t recommend skipping the marking of the line and eyeing it.

HINT:

Fine grit sand paper glued on cardboard makes a great board to use in the marking fabric. It keeps the fabric from stretching and slipping.

2. Use a 9.5“sq of Fabric “A”; place a marked 5” Sq of Fabric “B” in the upper left corner, Right sides together. Stitch on the seam side of the Diagonal line, a scant enth off the line. Repeat this on all 9 squares.

HINT: When stitching an enth off the line I use the inside edge of the toe of my presser foot as a guide to run along the drawn line. It places my needle one stitch width away from the line. Check your foot and see what helps you eye it.

3. Press the triangle to the corner of the square. Trim ¼" away from the seam. (Do not trim if you would like a bonus unit). When you fold back the triangle, line it up with the corner of the 9.5 inch fabric "A" square. By sewing an enth off the line you allow the fabric to be folded back easily. Also if you have made a mistake in stitching, matching the corner of the larger square keeps your triangle exact.

BONUS, HALF-SQUARE TRIANGLES:

If you have elected to make the bonus unit and have not done Step three, you proceed with this step.

With a little extra stitching, and time, you’ll have a pieced unit to use in another project, salvaging fabric which would normally be wasted.

Stitch 1/2” away from your previously stitched seam: then press the triangle back to the “point” of the larger square. Pressing back to the corner is very important to do before you trim between the two seam lines. Stitching ½” away results in a bonus ½ Square triangle. Be careful when you trim the half square triangle off that you don't cut your triangle off the front of your unit.

Press your HALF SQUARE TRIANGLE open to the dark fabric. Voila, a bonus unit to use in another project, Fabric rescued before it be comes trash.

4. Repeat Steps 2 & 3 for the other three corners. Begin with the opposite corner, diagonally across from the corner you just completed.

NOTE: You complete opposite corners, instead of going clockwise around the square, if there is a reason I don’t know it (I know there probably is a construction reason). I do it because it looks better in the finished unit.

Left, is the unit with two corners added. The right hand corner has been stitched to allow the harvesting of a HALF SQUARE TRIANGLE. Remember to press the triangle back to the corner before trimming so your "Square in a Square" will be square. If you have chosen to do the extra step you will have (36) Half square triangles, place them in a plastic bag for another Project. Don’t square them up at this time.

When finished with all four corners you will have (9) 9.5” Square in a Square Blocks, place these in a plastic bag and label “Clue One”.

As you can see by this finished unit, fussy cutting is an option.

Need further clarification on construction of a "Square in a Square", here is a tutorial:

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/03/square-in-square-tutorial.html

Other blog sites by me:
http://glosgarden.blogspot.com/
Where I have stories of my cats and other pets
a blog about my courtship with my husband,
and a blog about my most embarrassing moment.
A "Soap box" blog where I do air my opinions.
http://organicinstlouis.blogspot.com/

blogs about the wildflowers on our farm

Organic methods we use, some cooking and some poetry,

blogs about Seed sprouting, insects, and garden pictures

Blog about an endangered beneficial beetle

All recipes, pictures, and writings are my own.

I give credit for items which belong to other people in my blogs.

Please do not copy without permission

It is that time again to begin another leg of our two year trip,

Left is my Paisley Jacob's Ladder

"THROUGH THE ALPHABET"

A twenty-six month Journey

Dorothy Young, owner, of the yahoo group "A Pocketful of Mysteries" is presenting her Block of the Month quilt series. It began in January 2013, and will continue for the next two years.

The yahoo site for this trip is:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/apocketfullofmysteries/

It is not too late to join in. This block and the other nine are at the beginners level.

So far I have found the construction of the blocks very simple. I do recommend you start with the first block if you are a beginner. There are simple techniques you will pick up on the journey.

This block is very relaxing and very quickly constructed. It uses techniques you have already learned in past blocks. One of my favorite techniques, the pin wheeling of the centers of the four patch. I give a tutorial in this article:

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2012/12/easy-street-mystery-step-one.html

The main reason I like this method is it results in a nice flat top. There is no bulk in the center where the seams nest.

The block on the left is the one I have made for my friend. This is the first block where I haven't used both her dark and her light constant. I have used the butterscotch in another of her blocks and I wanted to make sure it didn't look like a mistake in the finished top. So it was applied in this block.

Another technique used in the block is the construction of the "half Square Triangle". I wrote a short tutorial in this article:

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/04/half-square-triangle-tutorial.html

The block on the right is another color way I have been doing. I still need to catch up on several of the first blocks. The reason I started another color combo, I wasn't using the paisleys up fast enough.

See you next month, already I am anticipating it! LOL

My quilting fix now, will be getting the first Clue for my Guild mystery quilt ready to be presented, October 16.

This is the first time I have been down that road. Planning a Mystery quilt is very different than making a quilt. This is the introduction to our Quilt mystery.

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-mystery-in-making.html

"A MYSTERY IN THE MAKING"

A mystery quilt designed with the novice in mind

First Clue to be presented October 16.

This journey with the alphabet blocks is taking me on journeys through the corridors of my mind.

While you're on a quilting journey of any kind, please think about reducing your stash and making a quilt top to send to the "Quilt of Valor" group in your area .

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/05/quilt-of-valor.html

Join us in this 2 year journey. There are several hundred friends taking the trip.

The following, are blogs written each month on my journey through the alphabet.

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2014/04/block-of-month-p-is-for-pennsylvania.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2014/02/block-of-month-n-is-for-new-york-star.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2014/01/block-of-month-m-is-for-monkey-wrench.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2014/01/block-of-month-l-is-for-lady-of-lake.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/11/block-of-month-k-is-for-kansas-star.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/10/block-of-month-j-is-for-jacobs-ladder.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/09/block-of-month-i-is-for-independence.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/08/block-of-month-h-is-for-hayes-corner.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/07/block-of-month-g-is-for-glory-boxes.html
http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/06/block-of-month-f-is-for-friday.html