A Day At The Beach - Clue 1

I've got tingles all over.  It's time for another mystery and I have to tell you, this one has been fun to work on and yet challenged my mathematical skills a bit.  Fortunately, I did all that just to make it go smoother for ya'll.   Yes, yes --- pretty proud of myself here.

As many of you know, I am a beach person.  Few places (perhaps the mountains) make me happier than hearing the sound of the ocean while watching the water and feeling the sea breeze on my face.  Science has been trying to figure this out for years.  In fact, Wallace J. Nichols writes, "We are inspired by water - hearing it, smelling it in the air, playing in it, walking next to it, painting it, surfing, swimming or fishing in it, writing about it, photographing it, and creating lasting memories along it's edge.  Indeed, throughout history, you see our deep connection to water described in art, literature, and poetry.  'In the water I am beautiful,' admitted Kurt Vonnegut.  Water can give us energy, whether it is hydraulic, hydration, the tonic effect of cold water splashed on the face, or the mental refreshment that comes from the gentle, rhythmic sensation of hearing waves lapping a shore.  Immersion in warm water has been used for millennia to restore the body as well as the mind.  Water drives many of our decisions - from the seafood we eat, to our most romantic moments, and from where we live, to the sports we enjoy, and the ways we vacation and relax.  'Water is something that humanity has cherished since the beginning of history, and it means something different to everyone,' writes archaeologist Brian Fagan.  We know instinctively that being by water makes us healthier, happier, reduces stress, and brings us peace."



I wholeheartedly agree with all of that.  Thus, we are going to the beach in this mystery.  The colors have soothed me while working with them and I am so excited that next week I am headed to the beach for a retreat with 30 wonderful women over 10 days.  Call me blessed.

Fabric ready?  Rulers nearby?  Rotary cutter in hand?

I know you're ready and so am I.  PLEASE read all the way to the end before starting so that you are sure you understand everything.  It's a bit different this year.  We are not doing all the cutting up front.  That was just too much math this time.

Let's refresh on the color numbers (review in introduction for paint chip numbers):

1 - Light green
2 - Coral
3 - Light blue
4 - Medium blue
5 - Dark blue
6 - Toasty neutrals --- I am using mostly strings
7 - Optional "whiter" neutral

I am NOT going to go over how I cut strips in this mystery.  If you wish to review how to use your ruler instead of your cutting mat, please go over to this POST.  Yes, you will cut strips in this mystery - whether to get the non-string 4 1/2" Easy Angle cuts or the 4 1/2" and 5" squares.  Many other opportunities will present themselves over the coming weeks as well.

IF YOU ARE NOT DOING STRINGS - this is an easy week for you.  Cutting only.  For those doing strings -- we are going to be good friends this week as it will take quite a bit more time but I believe it will be worth it in the long run.  The units are small so they truly don't take that long and they simply make the quilt come alive.

NOT DOING STRINGS:  NEUTRALS (color 6) - You have a choice on part of this.  If you have the easy angle ruler, cut 144 -  4 1/2" triangles from 4 1/2" strips.  IF you do NOT have or wish to use this ruler, cut 72 - 5" squares and cut the squares in half diagonally.  IF YOU WISH TO LEARN HOW TO USE THE EASY ANGLE AND COMPANION ANGLE RULERS (both of which I will use in this mystery), PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINK AND IT WILL TAKE YOU TO A BONNIE HUNTER TUTORIAL.  I was taught by her and have used this method ever since.  It saves fabric and lets us leave those horrid "eighths" behind.

Additionally, cut 68 - 4 1/2" squares  and 2 - 9" squares from neutrals.

One last cut -- FOR EVERYONE -  Unit 1 - from the LIGHT BLUE (color 3) - you will need 64 - 4 1/2" squares.

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Now for those of you playing in the strings with me.  Woohoo!!!  You will need foundation pieces cut in the following manner:  72 - 5" square,  68 - 4 1/2" square, and 2 - 9" squares.  I used papers from our financial reports that come in the mail (like newsprint only much lighter), but old phone books work great as well as the packing paper you can get from U-Haul, etc.   You can also buy papers, but that is money that will just go in the garbage.  When cutting these papers, I have a rotary cutter set aside to do so.  It holds my older, not so great blade to get a little more use out of it.

ALL of the 5" squares will be filled at a diagonal.  All BUT FOUR of the 4 1/2" will be sewn straight up and down.  Only FOUR will be sewn on the diagonal.  Both of the 9" will be stitched on the diagonal.

As for the strings.  You will notice that I have kept mine close to tone on tone or with a VERY small print that doesn't have too many colors not used in this project.  It needs to remind us of sand.

Grab your strings and papers and let's get started.  Once at the machine, make sure you have a denim size needle AND set your stitch length to smaller stitches.  This will make the paper removal stage so much nicer.  (Speaking of which, it's a car, airplane, watching t.v. activity.)

Let's start with the 4 1/2" vertical stitched squares first.  Are you ready?  If you haven't sewn with strings before, remember to only use those that are at least 3/4" wide.  Think about it -- any smaller and nothing will show when you finish.  Also, since these units are small, I wouldn't go any larger than 1 1/2" as  these units finish at 4" and -- well larger strips will take up almost half the space and lose the effect.

Now, lay one strip right side up around the middle of the foundation piece.  Some quilters use a dot of glue to hold this piece in place.  I don't but if you find that helpful, go right ahead.  (This picture shows the strips already cut.  I simply lay the strip slightly above the foundation piece edge and then cut the strip at the lower edge the same way.  Move the remaining strip to the side and continue using it on subsequent units until it is all gone.  It doesn't go back into the bin.)  Place a second strip right side down on top of the first piece with the right edges together.

Now, the fun part of stringing is that pesky 1/4" seam really doesn't come into play as much so it is a little more relaxing.  Simply eyeball it.   That's right.  It won't matter in the long end if it is a smidge too large or small.  Once the seam is sewn, and before you remove this unit, follow up with a second one and when that seam is sewn, clip the first one off and get ready to work on it again.  (Refer to Bonnie Hunter's Leader/Ender methods if you don't quite understand that.)


Press the first two seams open.  Some finger press these, I prefer to iron them open and because I need the exercise, I actually keep the iron a distance from me and get up to press each one.  Thousands of steps take place this way.  Good for the hips, good for the legs.

Continue adding additional strips to each side in the same manner until the paper is covered and the final strips extend over the sides a bit.

 You really don't want a seam right on the edge where it will cause issues when the units get sewn to something else.  If it looks like it will be too close, simply move the strip over on the piece, as shown, and continue with your seam, using the top edge to eyeball your 1/4".

After completing all 64, you should have a pretty stack of neutrals.

Now to trim these.  I find that on the vertical ones, I'm not always a straight seam gal.  This is where I clean it up.  Because the fabric extends a bit all around the paper, there is space to adjust.  With the back side up, I line up stitch lines with lines on the ruler, making sure that all my edges are in the allotted 4 1/2" space.  THE PAPER WAS THERE AS A FOUNDATION, NOT A HOLY GRAIL.  Start by trimming the top and right sides.

 Now flip the  unit over and line up those sides that you already trimmed.  That is your 4 1/2" guide.  Now trim the right and top sides.  This will give you a nice, straight 4 1/2" unit.

TA-DA

Just keep going until all are trimmed.  I do ONE SIZE at a time so that I don't mistakenly cut something to the wrong size.

Okay - now get the 5" square foundation pieces.  We are going to repeat this entire process only with diagonals now.


Lay one strip, right side up, to the side of the diagonal, eyeballing it so that the seam will fall close to the actual center line.  Place a second strip right side down on top of the other.  Both ends should extend just a bit outside the paper edge.  Then stitch.  Yep -- you get to eyeball the 1/4" seam here too.  As I said above, it really doesn't matter if it is a bit too much or a bit too little.  They're strings and supposed to vary.

Following the same guidelines as for the straight ones, just keep going until all 72 are complete.

The trimming process is a bit easier here.  We don't want straight up and down.  Angled is good.  Remember, it's a diagonal.

Just trim down to 5" and move on.
I think these units are so much cuter than the vertical ones, but to each her own.

Soon, you'll have a nice stack of these as well.

There is one more step with these -- cut each one in half as shown.  NOT the way it was stitched but across the stitching lines.  FROM HERE ON BE CAREFUL WITH THESE.  LOTS OF BIAS.

Put these aside and move onto your last FOUR 4 1/2" papers.  Finish them just like you did for these 5" ones, except DO NOT CUT IN HALF.

And finally, get your 2 - 9" foundation pieces and add diagonal strings to them as well just as you did the 5" units.  DO NOT CUT IN HALF.

Some people have commented that they like the inventory I did for Ribbons of Love at the end of each clue.  I hear you and am happy to oblige.  Here you go:

2 - 9" neutral (color 6) squares (if stringing - they are diagonal)
68 - 4 1/2" neutral (color 6) squares (if stringing - 64 straight, 4 diagonal)
144 - neutral (color 6) HST's (if stringing, sewn diagonal on a 5" square and then cut in half)
64 - 4 1/2" light blue (color 3) squares

That's it and guess what?  I believe that is the most time intensive clue of all.  Now, depaper these units while doing things elsewhere.  I, did mine on the plane AND while waiting for the eclipse to begin.  Ah, memories.

Everything from here one with the possible exception of one clue, will be a one-day task.  Honest.  That means that if you don't finish this clue this week, you can still work on it next week too because you'll have time.  Oh, and remember, it was your choice to do the strings.  I promise it will be worth it.