March 30, 2004

Notes:

If printing these pages on a printer and you notice the edges to the right are cut off, then adjust your printer settings so that it prints "landscape" rather than "portrait".
When printing, the border to the left will not print on paper.
Be sure to read the guidelines at the bottom of this page.

Do you need a quick baby quilt or something for the Easter season? Do you have a lot of scraps to get rid of? Do you have an itch for another mystery? If you answered "Yes" to all of these, then this is the project for you!

The finished size of this project is approximately 30" x 42", without borders and 42" x 54", with borders.

Materials Needed

Pre-washed, 100% Cotton fabrics, browns, pinks, greens. You can substitute whites for the browns, as long as there is a good contrast between the whites and the background you choose in the next bullet point.
Scraps of light, light blue for the background OR you can use a white/cream background with a small blue print on it. It just needs to be light.
Sewing thread
Scissors
Pins

Preparing the Quilt Top

Very few half-square triangles (HST) and the rest plain squares makes this a simple and quick gift for the Easter season or for a new baby. It can also be used as a cute wallhanging.

This can be made from scraps or planned fabrics. If planning on fabrics, brown, light blue, medium pink, and medium green would look great. Regardless of what you choose, you will need four colors for the top: A light-light color (for the background), a dark contrasting color, a green, and a medium pink.

Here are the colors I am using for the samples:

Light-Light	Dark	Green	Pink

Inner Border		Outer Border	Binding

If you aren't making this "scrappy", here are some approximate fabric requirements:

Fabric Color	Example	Needed
Light-Light		5/8 yard
Dark		5/8 yard
Green		1/4 yard
Pink		1/8 yard
Inner Border		1/3 yard
Outer Border		2/3 yard
Binding		1/2 yard
Backing	Your Choice!	1 yard, without borders 1 5/8 yard, with borders

Let's get started by collecting your fabrics!

GETTING STARTED

Cutting Squares

First, let me begin by saying that if you wish to cut all of the squares out, that's great! This entire top, without the borders, is made from 3.5" squares. However, I know that some of you like to save steps, so I am going to also give the option of cutting larger pieces, too. For example, if we make a nine-patch block using nine of the same 3.5" squares, it would end up being 9.5" unfinished. If you would prefer, you could cut a single piece that is 9.5" square and not mess with all of the individual squares. This won't work on all of the blocks we are going to make, but I will give you the option!

Either cut nine (9) 3.5" squares from the dark (brown) fabric OR cut one single 9.5" square from the dark. Do not do both!
Either cut 27 3.5" squares from the light-light fabric OR three single 9.5" squares from the light-light fabric. Do not do both.

This will get us on our way!

Making a Few (Very Few!) HST

Cut 5 - 4.5" squares from the pink fabric.
Cut 8 - 4.5" squares from the light-light background.
Cut 5 - 4.5" squares from the dark/brown fabric.
Using your own method for making Half-Square Triangles (HST) or using my HST Tutorial, make the following:
- 7 HST from the pink and background
- 8 HST from the background and brown
- 1 HST from the pink and brown
Once these are made, press them flat and trim each of them to 3.5" square. You should have a total 16 HST.

Making the Blocks

Block 1

Block 1 is a simple nine-patch made from the background fabrics. Using nine of the background 3.5" squares you cut in the first section, sew them together into rows of three, then sew the three rows together. When finished, press the block flat. It should measure 9.5" square and look similar to this:

Note: You may have opted to NOT cut out all of these small squares and simply cut a 9.5" square from the background.

Block 2

Block 2 is the same as Block 1.

Block 3

Block 3 is the same as Block 1. You should have a total of three of these blocks.

Block 4

Block 4 is a simple nine-patch made from the dark brown fabrics. Using nine of the brown 3.5" squares you cut in the first section, sew them together into rows of three, then sew the three rows together. When finished, press the block flat. It should measure 9.5" square and look similar to this:

Note: You may have opted to NOT cut out all of these small squares and simply cut a 9.5" square from the brown fabric.

Block 5

Use one (1) of the background/brown HST you made above; the background and brown one, as shown:
Cut six (6) 3.5" squares from the brown, as shown:
Cut two (2) 3.5" squares from the background:
Assemble the block using these nine pieces so that it creates Block 5, illustrated below.
This should measure 9.5" square.

Block 6

Block 6 is a very simple block that does not use any HST.

Cut seven (7) 3.5" squares from the brown:
Cut two (2) 3.5" squares from the background:
Assemble the block using these nine pieces so that it creates Block 6, illustrated below.
This should measure 9.5" square.

Block 7

Block 7 is a simple nine-patch that will use two more of the HST made above.

Use two (2) background/brown HST:
Cut five (5) 3.5" squares from the brown:
Cut two (2) 3.5" squares from the light background:
Assemble the block using these nine pieces so that it creates Block 7, illustrated below.
This should measure 9.5" square.

Block 8

Block 8 is simple nine-patch that will use one of the HST made above.

Use one (1) background/pink HST:
Cut eight (8) 3.5" squares from the brown:
Assemble the block using these nine pieces so that it creates Block 8, illustrated below.
This should measure 9.5" square.

Note: At this point, you may be trying to make sense from these blocks by placing them in various positions to start forming our "picture", however, I am not giving these blocks in an particular order AND they may be pictured here in any position (turned clockwise from the actual finished block, etc.). So, if you believe that I am trying to keep this mystery a "mystery", you are correct!

Block 9

Another simple nine-patch block!

Using four (4) brown 3.5" squares, one (1) light background (blue in my sample) 3.5" square, two (2) of the background (blue)/brown HST, one (1) of the pink/brown HST, and one (1) of the background/pink HST, lay the block out into rows, then sew the three rows together so that it looks like the one shown here:
The unfinished block should measure 9.5" square.
Press it flat.

Block 10

Another simple nine-patch!! Is the quilt beginning to form a familiar picture to you yet? :)

Using four (4) brown 3.5" squares, two (2) light background (blue in my sample) 3.5" squares, two (2) of the background (blue)/brown HST, and one (1) of the background/pink HST, lay the block out into rows, then sew the three rows together so that it looks like the one shown here:
The unfinished block should measure 9.5" square.
Press it flat.

Block 11

Another simple nine-patch!!

Using two (2) brown 3.5" squares, two (2) light background (blue in my sample) 3.5" squares, two (2) of the pink 3.5" squares, one (1) background (blue)/brown HST, and two (2) of the background/pink HST, lay the block out into rows, then sew the three rows together so that it looks like the one shown here:
The unfinished block should measure 9.5" square.
Press it flat.

Block 12

The final nine-patch!

Using five (5) blue 3.5" squares, two (2) pink 3.5" squares, and two (2) of the background (blue)/pink HST, lay the block out into rows, then sew the three rows together so that it looks like the one shown here:
The unfinished block should measure 9.5" square.
Press it flat.

Block 13

Cut nine (9) 3.5" squares from the light background (blue).
Sew them together into one row, as shown below.

Block 14

Cut nine (9) 3.5" squares from the light background (blue).
Sew them together into one row, as shown below.
This block is identical to Block 13.

Block 15

Cut 14 3.5" squares from the green fabric.
Sew them together into one row, as shown below.

Putting the Top Together

Using the 15 blocks sewn together above, lay it out as shown below:

Add borders as shown below, then quilt, label, and bind.

Hope you enjoyed this mystery!!!

For more information, please contact quilting@quiltingpassion.com