Orca Bay Mystery quilt

Photo 1

The 2011 mystery quilt by Bonnie Hunter has started. If you want to participate check it here: quiltville.blogspot.com on Fridays. The first "clue" is to cut strips 1 1/2" wide and make hourglass blocks. I am using the same colors as Bonnie, since I have a lot of these fabrics on my stash. But I make my blocks differently from her. I do use the Companion ruler to cut the triangles. I pair a light and a dark strips right sides together. Using the Companion ruler I cut the triangles. Than I cut the "dog ears" using an acrylic template. See photo 1. I do stack up to 4 strips to start with.

To sew the triangles together, I take one pair with the light triangle on top and one pair with the dark triangle on top; and sew them like the photo above. Make sure you are sewing on the short side of the triangle and that they are positioned this way. Abut the 2 pairs as close as you can. The other short side of the triangles should touch each other. This is really important. I did sew the triangles above already, and staged the photo above so you can see the sewing line. Do NOT separate them.

After you sew them; finger press the seams to the dark triangles. Use the thread that hold them together as your "pin." Align the 2 sides together and sew this new seam. The thread from the previous seam is holding them perfectly in place. See photo below.

Take your seam ripper and cut that top thread (photo on left). Using your fingers open that seam and you will have a center like the photo below.

Your block is ready with a perfect center, without stopping for pinning. Trim as needed. This one is done. Only a couple of hundreds more to go Ü.

Of course I do mine assembly line style.

This is great to sew 4 patches and 9 patches also.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.