Cat's Meow Mystery Quilt Introduction to Step 1 and a Few Notes

I am making the sample of the Cat's Meow Mystery quilt for this Thursday's meeting of the Mayflower Quilters' Guild.  Now, since it's a mystery, I can't show much but I wanted to draw attention to a few things I found helpful when completing step 1.

In step 1 you pick your three fabrics:  a light background and a medium to dark main fabric as well as a dark or strong contrast fabric and then you cut and sew various width of fabric strips into strip sets as directed.  I think my strip sets show that my light fabric is nice and light and my two other fabrics are definitely darker but also have enough contrast from each other as well.

Note #1 - This is to emphasise that all the strip sets' seam allowances are all ironed towards the dark or contrasting fabric which will make further construction steps easier.  (I had to search for this detail.)

Note #2 - Some of the light background strips are not sewn into strip sets, but are cut up into various lengths as is.  After I had sewn my strip sets and had some single strips left over, I thought I had made an error and had to read back through the instructions to find out it was OK and what to do with them.

Note #3 - The first light and contrast strip sets become four patches.  If you nest two of the strip sets right sides together before cutting, the pieces will already be paired for chain sewing and you will also only have to make half as many cuts since you will be cutting two strips at once.

Note #4 - To reduce bulk when pressing the four patches open, you can spin your seams.  See how all the seams on the back of the block are pointing in the same direction as you go clockwise around the block and a little four patch appears in the centre of the back of the block.

Note #5 – When you join your four patches to other blocks, make sure you look at which way they are turned in the diagram before you attach them or you could end up with a different design.

Note #6 - Strip set #4, which has two narrow contrast strips on each side of the main fabric is just long enough to cut out the required number of pieces (12 x 3.5" =  42") so be careful, ask me how I know...  All the other strip sets have lots of wiggle room .

Step 2 will be given in April and Step 3 with be given in May.  Step 4 will be to bring your completed quilt to the September meeting for the chance to win some prizes!  I will also provide the link to the Mystery Quilt pattern after Step 3 is provided so people can't go and peek at the final result and spoil the mystery.  I just noticed that the striped edges of my design boards match my fabrics.

Edited 15/03/2018 to add Hint #5 and correct Hint numbering

Mystery Quilt Finished

It's so long since I had something to blog about, I almost forgot how to create a blog post!  I finished the flimsy for this quilt at the end of February and just quilted it this week.  I will be entering it in our Guild's Mystery Quilt show and share in a couple of weeks.  I believe there is a viewers choice prize - if I win anything, I will be sure to blog about it!

I HAD to use my funky feathers pantograph since there were chickens in the blue print and I love matchy-matchy!  You can see a close up of the fabrics, quilting and the binding here.

And this is what the back looks like.

I'm linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts for Finish it up Friday!

Finish for the Week

I attached the borders to my Mayflower Quilters' Guild Mystery quilt.  I had to go with the solid blue fabric as I had totally run out of the yellow fabric.  The yellow fabric is brighter "in person". It is a very foggy day here today.

Now I just have to get it quilted and bound before the May Guild meeting, or is it the March meeting?  I will have to check!

I am linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts for finish it up Friday.

Mystery Quilt, Part Two

The second clue was sent out for the Mayflower Quilter's Guild Mystery Quilt and it was to make 24 Rail Fence blocks to go along with the Nine Patches from clue one.

There were also instructions to make triangles in order to set the blocks on point.  And here is the finished center of the quilt, borders are next.

I had to piece the background fabric in order to make some of the triangles, but still have enough blue fabric for the borders.

Skype Sewing: More Chicken & Egg

On the weekend I skype sewed with my friend M. On Saturday I made 35 nine patches for a mystery quilt put on by The Mayflower Quilters' Guild which M and I both belong to. Next month we will get the clue for the second block. I'm making the lap size. M was putting her sewing room back together after removing the carpet and installing laminate flooring and a new window.

On Sunday I decided to make a basket and chose a rooster and egg fabric which I lined with another chicken and egg fabric and finished with woven printed handles. I downloaded the 1 hour basket tutorial for free from Craftsy.

M was working on a round robin medallion quilt. The centre medallion was made by the owner of the quilt and it will make it's way to all the members of the bee who will each add more rows.  M is the third to add to it.

It wasn't until I went to write this post that I realized all my weekend sewing revolved around chickens and eggs again... I guess I like them!