Sapphire Blues - Clue 1

Whoosh!!!!  Did you blink?  I think I did because summer has come and gone and I'm not sure I saw it.  Did I?  Did you?  Have you prepared for the mystery?  New rotary blade, new needle?  Clean machine?  Pressed fabrics?  If so, we are ready to rock (hahahaha - sapphire) and roll.  This next part you will read so many times over the next few weeks and will want to scream it back at me, but . . . . READ ALL THE WORDS.  Seriously.  Each time someone has had an issue with a clue -- it has come down to missing part of the instructions - through simple reading.  Those few minutes spent doing more than looking at pictures will save you so much heartache in the end.  Okay, okay -- off the soapbox now.  Let's get this party started.



Since it is really hard to sew things together if they haven't been cut yet, I suggest we start there.  At the cutting table.  You will be using your dark and light blues (or whatever color you chose) this week.

Since some are working with scraps and some are using yardage, I am not going to calculate how many strips each person will need.  It's pretty straight forward -- cut one strip, cut the pieces you need and figure out how many strips it will take to achieve the desired quantity.  Okay?

1.  Dark Blue - From 2" strips, cut 228 bricks - 2" x 3 1/2".  (Hint:  If you are using up scraps, you can also use 3 1/2" strips to get the bricks).
2.  Light Blue - From 2" strips, cut 224 squares - 2" x 2"

You will need a diagonal line on all of your 2" light blue squares.  You can either draw one or fold (my preferred method).

Divide your dark blues as follows:  Set four aside and then split the remaining into two equal stacks of 112.  We are going to make 112 of Unit 1 and 112 of Unit 2

UNIT 1 - Make 112

UNIT 2 - Make 112

With the first stack, lay a light blue square as follows:

Stitch just inside the fold/drawn line (the side closest to the corner of the larger piece).  You will be stitching from the upper left to the lower right as shown.

Chain and go until all 112 are finished.

For the second stack of 112 - lay the light blue square as shown.  You will be stitching from the upper right corner (IN THIS PICTURE - if you are holding yours different, the upper right will change).

Chain and go.

Clip all chain threads and you have lovely little stacks that look like this.  Right?  (Yes my stacks are reversed - 1 is on the right and 2 is on the left.)

Flip your corner up and press for both sets.  Press Unit 1 seam towards the triangle.  Press Unit 2 seam towards the brick.

Trim the back seam to 1/4".

That's it.  That's all there is to this week.  Sit back, relax, and wait breathlessly for the next clue.  One piece of good news . . . . You only have to wait six days as the next clue will post on the 7th and we will then be on our Saturday schedule.  Happy sewing.  OH --- just one last thing.  I've created a Facebook group just for this mystery.  Come join in and share your progress.  Here is the LINK.