"Courtyard" Mystery Quilt, Clue 3

Four Patch Units

You’ll be making sets of 4-Patch units, one set made with each of the Main Colors.  Easy as pie.  

1. With RST and using a scant ¼” seam, sew a Blue 2-1/2” x WOF strip to a Background1 2-1/2” x WOF strip along the long side; press toward the Blue strip.  

2.  Straighten the edge, then subcut the strip set from Step #1 into 2-1/2” segments.   You’ll get 16 segments from this strip set.

 A couple of cutting tips:

• You are cutting 2-1/2" segments, and the fewer times you have to lift the ruler and shift fabric the better.  So, after you cut the first 2-1/2" segment, don't lift the ruler but shift it another 2-1/2", and line up the edge with the 5" mark on the ruler:  2-1/2" + 2-1/2" =5".  It's half as many times you have to lift the ruler and pull out a segment; it may not seem like much, but when you have many segments to cut, it makes a difference.

• If you have a Stripology ruler,  or similar ruler that lets you cut segments quickly, this is a great time to use it. 

3.  Repeat Steps #1-2 with two more Blue and Background1 strips.  You will have (48) 2-1/2” segments.

4. Sew two of the segments from Step #3 into a 4-Patch, making sure the segments are oriented as shown in the photo below.  Because of the pressing in the previous steps, the seams should nestle against each other.  

Press toward the right.  You will end up with (24) 4-Patches.   Square up to 4-1/2” square, if necessary.

5.  Repeat Steps #1-4, but using Purple with the Background1 strips. (Note that you will not be using all the Purple 2-1/2” strips, just three of them.)  Press toward the left, noticing that this is the opposite direction from which you pressed the Blue 4-Patches.

6.  Repeat Steps #1-4, but using Pink and Background2 strips.  (Note that this is Background2 now, if you are using two different backgrounds.)  Press toward the left.

That’s it for this clue.  Whew!  You’re well on your way now!

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Clue 1

Clue 2

"Courtyard" Mystery Quilt, Clue 2

Clue 2:  Cutting

This week we're doing the cutting, to be ready to start sewing next week.

Remember, if you are using just one Background fabric, cut the strips for both Background fabrics out of that one fabric.

You'll be doing a lot of strip cutting, with just a couple that are subcut into shorter strips.

Purple: 
                (6) 2-1/2” x WOF
                (3) 8-1/2” x WOF; subcut each into (16) 2-1/2” x 8-1/2”, for a total of 48

Pink:
                (3) 2-1/2” x WOF
                (3) 6-1/2” x WOF

Blue:
                (3) 2-1/2” x WOF
                (3) 4-1/2” x WOF; subcut each into (16) 2-1/2” x 4-1/2”, for a total of 48

Background1:
                (9) 2-1/2” x WOF

Background 2:
                (6) 2-1/2” x WOF

Border:
                (7) 3-1/2” x WOF

Binding:
                (8) 2-1/2” x WOF

The next clue will start you sewing!

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Previous clues/posts:

Clue 1

Another Mystery Quilt! "Courtyard"

Clue 1:  Introduction and Fabric Selection

"Courtyard" reminds me of a tiled courtyard flow, with some intertwining and rotation going on.  It's an easy quilt, though quite complex-looking and interesting.  It should be do-able for any beginning quilter who has any experience with strip piecing.

 The finished size will be 54” x 78” with a border.    If you want a larger quilt (72” x 96”), simply double the amount of fabric for the main fabrics and the background(s) and make twice the number of blocks.  The larger size wouldn’t have a border, but you could add one if you want something even larger.  In either case, you will also need more for the binding.

A print-friendly version of this clue is linked at the end of this post.

Fabric:

Choose three colors, plus a background.  The three colors should have good contrast between each other and the background fabric(s).   I will be using Pink, Blue, and Purple for the main colors, and 2 background fabrics.  The 2 background fabrics are just a hair past subtly different from each other, and you could certainly use just one background fabric—simply add the fabric amounts for the two of them together, and treat Background1 and Background2 as the same fabric in the instructions.

Here are my fabric choices:

There will be more Purple than any other color; blue will be the least-used. (If that makes any difference to you.)  You could use the same color in place of the Blue and the Purple, but two different shades; just be certain the lighter one has enough contrast with the background.

To be honest, if I were doing the quilt again, I think I would want a touch more contrast between the Purple and Blue--going a shade or two lighter (or darker) with the blue. Or maybe a teal color instead.   Contrast is important.

The fabrics will, generally, be in small-ish pieces so a wild, multicolored print will probably not be as successful.  (Though, if someone does it, I’d love to see it—I might be surprised!)

Other possibilities for fabric choices:

I think this would look good in bright Caribbean colors:  teal, orange, and lime green, for example.  If you’re looking to do a winter quilt, you could do red, green and black (using the black in place of the Blue, I think.)   The key is to have plenty of contrast. 

You could go scrappy with either the backgrounds or main colors, but be prepared to make adjustments in the instructions, as we will be doing strip piecing.

For the border I will be using the same Purple as I’m using in the rest of the quilt, but you could choose any of the Main Colors.  You could use a print that coordinates with them all, but the design of the quilt will have plenty going on, and a print—at least a large one—will likely be competing with the main part of the top.

Here is what you'll need: 

Purple:                 1-1/4 yards
Pink:                       7/8 yard
Blue:                       2/3 yard
Background1:         2/3 yard
Background2:         1/2 yard

Border:                  3/4 yard
Binding:                 5/8 yard

Next time we'll do the initial cutting.  See you then!

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