Just a few little things about this little mystery. This is the first time I have "invented" a mystery quilt so if you have any questions or my explaination is not clear, please email me at jswb4com at yahoo dot com or leave a comment on this blog as I will be sticking fairly close to the computer for the next four days. I don't want to hold you up in your progress if you are working along with me. I would most dislike to see one of you become frustrated and end up with a half-done project.
Another thing I realized, that perhaps you might need to think about too. I live on the West Coast of Canada, so as things go -- time that is -- where I live is halfway into the day for some of you. So if you are very far east of me, this mystery will open to you much later in the day. As it is, I am sitting at my computer now, just a few minutes before 5am PT --- but that is just about ususual for me. I get up EARLY for most people.
Patriotic Salvage Mystery Quilt
Refer back to this post for fabric selection suggestions
Cutting your Fabrics
As you start to cut, a good idea is to have some masking tape so that you can mark each stack of cut pieces so they don't become mixed up. You will be cutting some fabrics in different colours in the same size, so you want to make sure to put the right fabric in the right place when sewing them together -- IT MATTERS TO THE DESIGN. All Measurements include the seam allowance. This block is not USUAL so the measurements may seem odd, but they are accurate and you MUST sew them accurately with 1/4 inch seam allowance.
From your Main Background fabric ( all fabric in this colour will be labled 1 from now on, and the colour will be the number so all background fabrics will be 1 and the cut size will be the letter) Thats probably backwards from what everyone else does, but, thats the way it is here...
I am assuming that you are using full yardage cuts -- if you are using fat quarters or other scraps you will need to simply make your cuts as each is measured.
It is not recommended that you use a directional fabric -- for example, flowers that all go in the same direction, as this may make the final design less effective. Stripes too could be difficult, but if you perhaps make this same design a second time you might want to try using a stripe and cutting it so that it follows itself (you will have to figure which way to make the cuts on your own)
You will first need to cut 6 strips width of fabric 3 inches wide from your background fabric -- your #1
Then from 3 these strips, Cut 36 - 3 x 3 inch squares -- there will be a partial strip left over, which you will use next. Label these 3 x3 inch squares B1
Cut 16 rectangles from the 3inch wide strips so that it is 1 3/4 inch cross cuts, each rectangle in other words will be 3 x 1 3/4 inches, label this stack C1
Still using the strips you have cut, cut 16 rectangles that are 3 inches x 5 1/2 inches, label this stack A1
You may or may not have enough of the 3inch wide strip depending on the width of your fabric. What is left of the 3" wide fabric, measure and cut it to 1 3/4 inch wide strip -- you may need to cut a further 1 3/4 inch wide strip from your background fabric.
Cut 16 - squares that measure 1 3/4 inch x 1 3/4 inch Label this stack D1
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onto the next fabric cuts, these cuts will be from your medium value print -- make sure it is a good contrast from your background print. This fabric will be #2
Cut 5 strips, the width of your #2 fabric, 3 strips 1 3/4 inch wide and 2 strips 3 inch wide.
From the 1 3/4 inch wide strips, cut 16 pieces that are 6 3/4 inches long, so they are 1 3/4 inch x 6 3/4 inch, label these E2
Cut 16 squares from a 1 3/4 inch wide strip, so each measures 1 3/4 inch x 1 3/4 inch -- label these D2
From the 3" wide strips cut 32 rectangles that measure 3 inches x 1 3/4 inch each, label these C2
There will be left over after these cuts.
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Fabric #3 - again, this should have a strong contrast from both of the other two fabrics, in my case it is the lightest fabric.
You will need to cut 2 strips 3inches wide from your third fabric. Then make crosscuts of 1 3/4" or
Cut 48 - pieces 3 inches x 1 3/4 inches
Label this stack C3
All this cutting should take you about 1 hour, or as much as 1 1/2 hours, depending on what you are cutting from. Check back to the above photo to make sure that you have the correct number of stacks and then check each stack to make sure you have the correct number of pieces in each stack. Thats it for today. We start sewing tomorrow...A note about copying -- I have taken the time to create this mystery quilt along with the time to write, calculate and photograph the steps, so I would greatly appreciate it if you do not download or copy my work here. This mystery is free on my blog and if you think you must keep the pattern, and instructions for yourself, your store customers or your friends I would prefer that you donot give away my work. I feel that I am the author and if you want to share my work with others, there will be available after this weekend a PDF file that I will email or print and mail to you for a small fee. Otherwise, please visit my blog for these instructions...
