Orange Crush - Clue #5 - Bonnie Hunter - Mystery Quilt

Clue 5 and it's a big one!  I've said it before and I'll say it again.  This mystery is wonderful!  I LOVE how we put together blocks within the mystery.

This clue has us preparing to make album blocks and so I have cut the orange and blue squares that will be used.  I have also gone ahead and cut out the required parts for the border blocks.  I have 96 MORE shaded 4 patches to make.  Goodness.



Once I have all my parts and pieces ready to go, it's time to build a few blocks.  I lay out the shaded 4 patches and start putting one together.  What do you think?

As I work better when I have things ready to sew, I lay out blocks on the floor so that I can just grab and go to create my 9 patches.  It really does work easy this way.

I web each 9 patch as I work.  Do you do that?  For those who may not know what I am talking about here is how I do it.  I lay out the block. Flipping the middle row of units onto the left row units, I stitch all three sections one right after the other so that it looks like this.  (Here is the parts after the first set of chain stitches - lined up next to the final 3 units.)

Opening that up, I then take the right row and flip them over onto the center units, keeping all the chaining in place.  Stitch those three units one right after the other as before.

Now open out that section as well and you can see that all nine sections are sewn together in a web.  It's time to press and I send all seams to the orange.

Once those are pressed, flip the top section down and pin at the seams so they nest nice.

Stitch the seam and then to the same for the bottom section.

And voila!  We have a nine patch.  Finish pressing everything and look how nice and neat it is.

Now just repeat the process for a total of 20 blocks.  It doesn't take me very long and soon I have a nice little stack of pretty blocks that are ready to play with.  However, I am not finished with this clue yet.

Now for the half album blocks.  I get them laid out and start the same process.

An hour later, I have all the half albums and the required corner blocks finished, pressed and ready to play with.

It's time to see what this sweetie will look like.  First step is to place the star blocks.

As I add in the album blocks, the quilt starts to take on it's personality.  I'm loving it still.

I quickly fill in the edges and it looks like I am ready to web a top.  Perhaps tomorrow or perhaps next week when the clue is supposed to take place.  Yes, I admit it -- I cheated today and read ahead a clue to see the layout.  I just couldn't stand it once all the parts were made.  Next week:  border units to build.  See you then.

Orange Crush is a Bonnie Hunter pattern available on her website.  Here is the LINK to this clue if you wish to play along.  As always, you can find all my posts on Orange Crush by clicking the tab at the top of the blog.