GLORIOUS CREATIONS: February 2014

A MYSTERY IN THE MAKING:

CLUE #4

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 should be comfortable working on it. Quilting Newbie’s 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:

Introduction: http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/07/a-mystery-in-making.html
Clue 1: http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-mystery-in-making-clue-1.html
Clue 2: http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-mystery-in-making-clue-2.html
Clue 3: http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-mystery-in-making-clue-3.html

Clue 5: https://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2014/03/a-mystery-in-making-clue-5.html

CLUE # 4

THE BIASED BLOCK

No fabric cutting this month. We’ll be using units already cut.
Read through the instructions before you begin. Use accurate ¼ inches constructing this Unit.

1. Cut each of the 4 remaining Fabric “E” 5.5 inch squares in half,

diagonally, making a total of 8 Triangles.

2. Sew the triangles to adjacent sides of (4) Fabric “A” 5 inch squares (cut in Clue # 1). When pressing open, be careful not to stretch the bias edges.

On the left you see the Unit that is above, pressed open. This is the first triangle added

Above is the unit with the second triangle added and with the unit pressed open. You will have made a larger triangle. (You will notice I did leave some selvage on the edge of one of the fabric pieces. When you are working from the stash and it is slim pickings, you use every scrap. I even pieced pieces in some areas to have enough fabric for the piece, literally a patchwork.)

3. Trim the long edge of the resulting triangle. Making sure you leave ¼ inch beyond the point of the “A” square. {Where the two small triangles cross each other}. You will be trimming the tabs off.

If you look close, A line on the ruler was used to square with the "A" square. The edge of the ruler is 1/4 inch from the from the point of the "A" square.

4. Place the unit made in STEP 3, Right Sides together, with the large Fabric “F” triangles made in CLUE 3. Stitch on the long side of the triangles. Line up the bias edges of the triangles, Do not line up from the square corners.

Notice in the picture on the right, the Fabric "F" triangle is peeking out from behind the pieced triangle. The edge to be aligned is the biased edge of the unit.

DON’T STRETCH THE BIAS EDGES WHEN STITCHING

HINT: You’ll be sewing on the bias edges. Put the solid fabric on the bottom and the pieced unit on the top. Don’t pull on your fabric, guide it.

5. Press unit open towards the “F” Fabric triangle. Picture on the right is the pressed open finished Unit.

6. Trim your four units to 9 ½ inches. Label Clue 4 and set aside for next month.

HINT: When squaring up and trimming

use the bias seam for a guide.

This is the last of the units. When you finish these you will be ready to assemble your quilt next month.

NEXT MONTH: ASSEMBLY, BORDERS

and LARGER QUILT, INSTRUCTIONS

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

I'm current with my blocks and it's 14 months into the project. I can't believe I have not let life get in the way. I will admit I was delinquent in December and January. I have found having a partner does help keep me on track. She is counting on receiving her blocks. I look forward to having the couple of hours once a month where I have to sit down to the machine.

BTW, the blocks don't take a couple of hours. It takes me that long because I am making 3 versions of the blocks. It can be a punishment for me if I don't fulfill my obligation each month. I have to play catch-up big time.

I especially enjoyed making the New York Star. It is a very appropriate block for me. Our son is in the Navy. I don't know if it was designed during a war period, or maybe during a Forth of July celebration, but for me it evokes a patriotic image.

http://glosgarden.blogspot.com/2013/08/buttons.html

I was especially pleased to see how it showcases the paisleys I picked for myself. If you haven't read about my constants I will say they are my least favorite fabrics. Mind you I have seen paisleys I dearly love but these were from the "dark ages". I collected them from who knows where. The only thing they had in common besides the paisley pattern is they were all 100% cottons.

I can see this block as corner stones for a Quilt of Valor quilt.

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

You would put the star in opposite corners on the block for each of your quilt's corners.

The pattern would make a great table runner. Or change the dimensions and you've a place mat.

I was equally pleased with how the block pattern looked with my friends color palette. I think this block pattern would go with any colors or styles of fabrics.

I'm really liking the fabrics I picked for my friend. I can't wait to see them all together in a quilt.

Doing the Block of the month has given me new inspiration. I find myself thinking about how I would use each of the blocks, and with what fabrics they would look best in.

The only reason I started the block of the month was to get rid of the paisleys in my stash. The different block patterns make me have to use the paisleys to their best advantage. I have made a rule for myself to try not to use any other fabrics in the construction of the blocks. I have a transgression from the beginning on my blue/burgundy paisleys. The red I chose for a third color was the perfect red and I didn't have any red paisley that worked.

This is my alternate rendition with another color way in paisleys. I didn't decide till later in the trip to make these. My decision was made when I realized I could not integrate these colors with the other paisleys. It would be too scrappy for my tastes.

Which is another side of me. If I do scrappy it has to be controlled scrappy. I can't reach into a paper bag of dark fabrics and pull out a piece of fabric and then reach into another a light bag of fabrics and pull out another fabric and sew them together. If the colors seem to clash I have to throw them back. Yes, I have been told that in the end everything will look fabulous. I agree, every scrap quilt I have seen is fabulous. It's just I can't do it.

This is about as scrappy as I have gotten:

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2011/08/two-bits-dont-make-dollar.html

This alphabet BOM is a twenty-six month Trip with

Dorothy Young, owner, of the yahoo group "A Pocketful of Mysteries".

This Block of the Month quilt series 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/

I have found the construction of the blocks simple.

I recommend you start with the first block if you are a beginner.

There are simple techniques you will pick up on the journey.

I need to go back and make the first 6 blocks for the blue/green paisley color series.

I am saving that duty for a snowed in day. Missouri seems to be getting her fill of those this year.