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New Years Day VQM - Video Mystery Quilt

This is a Two Color Quilt, with the option of a small flange in a third color as an accent piece in the border. It will finish about 68" x 68".

You will need 2 3/4 yards of dark, 2 1/4 yards of light and 2/3 yard accent. Cutting instructions are at the bottom of this page. Note from Kris: You should be all right if you use a variety of dark prints and/or light prints as long as you keep them all the same value. Be adventurous.

For the very first time EVER, the clues for this online mystery will be presented in mystery format. That's right- you are participating in a history making event. You can tell your children and grandchildren, "I was there for the very first Video Mystery Quilt!"

If you have trouble seeing the videos, however, you can still participate. Jut hit the print button above and you should get all the clues and the graphics - just no videos. Here's a tip for those on dial-up: click the video to start it loading, then click the pause button and minimize it. The video will continue to load while you do other things. When you are done, come back and hit the Play button.

Cutting Instructions

1. Cut these strips:

Dark

(16) 3" wide strips by the Width of the fabric (WOF)
(5) 3 1/2" wide strips by the WOF
(7) 5" wide strips by the WOF

Light

(16) 3" wide strips by the WOF
(8) 3 1/2" wide strips by the WOF

Accent and binding

(6) 1" wide strips by the WOF
(7) 2 1/2" wide strips by the WOF

2. Double check your seam allowance. Sometimes it doesn't matter when your seam allowance isn't perfect because you can square up the blocks later on, but not this time! This two color quilt gets it drama by the interaction of the pieces, which must fit pretty closely. If it is not perfect, use the Perfect Piecing Seam Guide to correct it.

Clue One

Sew one of the 3" dark strips to one of the 3" light strips, making a two part strip about 40" long. Press to the dark (using spray sizing or Best Press if you have it) and measure the middle part of the strip. It should be exactly 5 1/2" wide. If it is not, adjust your seam allowance accordingly. Once you are sure it is correct, sew an additional seven dark strips to seven light strips, for a total of eight sets.

Place your 45 degree ruler on the strip with the tip of the ruler on the top edge of the strip. Match one of the horizontal lines on the ruler with the seam. Cut along both sides of the ruler to make a 45 degree triangle which has two fabrics (see below.) Be sure to keep using the same line on your ruler as you go up and down. This will help you get identical triangles. You will get 6 or 7 triangles from each strip, each with a base of **about** 11 inches. Remember, it's the 45 degree angle and the fact the seams match up because they are all in the same part of the triangle that is important. You will need 48 triangles for thismystery.

Clue Two

When you are done with this clue, push the NEXT button to the right for the next one. Wait until you finish the clue to maintain the suspense!

You should have eight light 3" strips and eight dark 3" strips left over. Sew these strips into eight two part strips about 40" long. This is the same thing you did in the last step, only this time you press the seam open. Again, these need to finish 5 1/2" wide. No fudging here, please. It's really important that your two-part strips finish at 5 1/2" wide.

Cut the strips you just made into seven 5 1/2" squares. You will need 52 squares like this one.

Cut each strip into seven 5 1/2" squares.

Sew the 5 1/2" two color squares right sides together, matching the seams but alternating the colors. In other words, when the right sides of these squares are together, the dark side will touch the light side and the light side will touch the dark side. The seams will lie along side each other. Pin this intersection, or just use a dab of water soluble Glue Baste-it to hold it in place when you sew.

Sew all the way around these pairs, making a pillow with no way to get into the middle. You can chain stitch these by just doing one side at a time. Make 26 pillows and press them. Did you do the mystery last year? This is almost the same technique, but wait for the next clue!

Clue Three

Sew the light 3 1/2" wide strips end to end, to make one LOOONG strip. Miter the joins if you like by sewing the two strips at an angle as shown below. (If you decide to miter your joins, keep them all the same angle.) From this long strip, cut (13) 3 1/2" squares, avoiding the seam. The rest of the strip will be used in the border.

Mitering the joins Take the dark 3 1/2" wide strips and sew them end to end, to make one LOOONG strip. Miter the joins if you like. This strip will be used in the border.

Sew the dark 5" wide strips end to end, to make one LOOONG strip. Miter the joins if you like. This strip will be used in the border.

If you are going to use the accent pieces, sew the accent 1" wide strips end to end, to make one LOOONG strip. Miter the joins if you like. This strip will be used in the border.

Sew the accent 2 1/2" wide strips end to end, to make one LOOONG strip. Miter this join if you like. This strip will be your binding.

Clue Four

Cut each pillow on both diagonals, making an X. Open up each piece. Each pillow will make two half square triangle blocks (HSTs) and two quarter square triangle blocks (QSTs.) Press to the dark, using spray sizing or Best Press. I found it easiest to press the seam of the QSTs open, but do what is most comfortable for you. Square up each of these blocks to 3 1/2" square. You will find the rotating cutting mat and the 3 1/2" square ruler very handy now! (If blocks don't end up at least 3 1/2" square, you don't have an accurate 1/4 seam allowance. If that happens, square them up to 3 1/4 and make adjustments to the block below and the one in Clue Five.)

Your 26 pillows will make 52 HSTs and 52 QSTs.

Use the 3 1/2" light squares that you cut in the last step and these HSTs and QSTs to make 13 Ohio Star Variation blocks. Sew the three blocks into a row first (always pressing toward the QST ), then sew the rows into a block. Because of the way you pressed the blocks, the block seams between the rows should alternate giving you crisp intersections where the row seams meet. Use pins or a dab of water soluble glue if necessary. Press carefully and square up to 9 1/2" (unfinished.)

Row One
Row Two
Row Three

Clue Five

Sew the 48 triangles into 24 groups as shown to the left. Be very careful to match the center seam - the outside doesn't matter as much because you will hide any little problems in the seam allowance. Because you have pressed the seams in opposite directions, they should just nestle. When you sew your pairs, be very careful to always keep the same type of triangle on top so that the small light triangle ALWAYS ends up on the left or ALWAYS ends up on the right.

Sew the triangles into blocks as shown. Press the center seam open, or to the side, whichever you feel is best. Press the block again, using spray sizing or Best Press It will be about 10" square. Place the 9 1/2" ruler on the block, matching the diagonal seam on the ruler with the diagonal line on the ruler and the remaining two corners of the ruler with the diagonal line. (In other words, center the 9 1/2" square ruler on the block by placing the corners of the ruler on the diagonal seam line.) Cut this block down to 9 1/2".

Playtime!

You now have:

13 Ohio Star Variation blocks and 12 Spool Blocks, each 9 1/2" square.

Spool Blocks Now you can play! Lay them out in five rows of five blocks each, alternating the blocks. Now twist and turn the blocks. How many designs (and secondary designs) can you make? Don't sew them yet! Unless... you find a design you really love. In that case, sew away! Remember, quilting is supposed to be FUN.

Clue Seven

Here is my suggestion. You don't not have to take it! Sew your blocks in a design that pleases YOU.

possible Years To Come quilt layout

Sew your blocks into rows, pressing the seams of the blocks in the odd rows to the right and the seams of the blocks in the even rows to the left. This is the same thing that you did when you put together the Ohio Star Variation blocks, and for the same reason. It helps your seams nestle when you sew the rows together. Don't be afraid to use pins, or water soluble glue. The intersections really do need to join closely to get the design correct.

Last Clue

How to measure for borders so your quilt lays flat

MEASURE for your borders. Don't just sew on a border and cut it off when you get to the end. That is a recipe for wavy borders. Measure your quilt through the middle horizontally. It should measure 45 1/2". Cut two dark borders to this length and sew them to both sides of the quilt, matching the center of the quilt top with the center of the border. Press to the border and measure again.

Cut two dark borders to the measurement you just took and sew them to the top and bottom, again matching the center of the border strip with the center of the quilt top. Press to the border. This is technically called a "floating border" because it gives the illusion of the quilt top floating on the on the quilt by matching one of the colors in the top.

Repeat this process using the light strips, but this time start with the top and bottom strips.

This next step is a little tricky. Using the 5" dark border strip, repeat the same process you just did with one exception. Before you sew on the final border, you are going to insert a tiny, three dimensional border called a flange. This is the 1" wide accent piece you cut. Fold that in half wrong sides together and press. Cut two pieces to the same length as the center width of the quilt top and stay stitch it 1/8" from the edge of the top and the bottom of the quilt top. Do the same thing to the sides, using the center length measurement. Overlap it at the corners.

Once it is firmly in place, you can use those same measurements for the outer borders. Because the flange is actually inserted into the seam between the two borders, it does not make the quilt bigger. It's just a little accent piece to draw your eye.

You are done! Give the quilt top one more pressing, then unplug the iron. What did you think? Send me a picture along with your name and address and I will send you a little Thank You gift.

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