Sapphire Blues Clue 10 - REVEAL

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!  Five years ago, when I began this mystery fun, the reveal was on Halloween and it was also the latest in the year of all subsequent mysteries.  I guess it's a great anniversary to do the same today.  I am on my way to Houston for the International Quilt Festival and enjoying the company of great friends.  It is their Sapphire Celebration (45th Anniversary) and part of my reason for this quilts name.  Another perfect reason for today's reveal.  Are you ready???  TA-DA

I wish you could see it in person for some of my indigo blues have metallic running through them and it truly sparkles like a gemstone.  Too much fun.  Well --- I guess the nuts and bolts need to be handled now.  Please read all the way to the end for the information to blend together.  Let's get started.

How about that neutral fabric you have been hoarding for weeks and weeks?  We're gonna use LOTS of it today.


Cutting:  1)  Neutral: Cut 5 - 14" squares and 2 - 7 1/2" squares. 

  2)  Dark Blue: Cut 7 - 2" strips width of fabric
               3  We will be cutting Neutral strips for the second border later in the process.

Cut the 14" squares in half diagonally, twice - as shown -- to create your setting triangles.

Cut the 7 1/2" squares in half diagonally as shown.  These are your corner triangles.

With those 2" strips, sew them end to end to create our inner border.

Okay, now for some design wall or floor fun.  Where are your blocks?

In our Storm at Sea block, the smaller square in a square in a square (original unit 7's) will be our orientation point.  You are going to lay out the blocks following the chart below and that unit will point the way the arrows show.  Yes, it's an "on point" setting.

Here is mine:

Now, gather the setting/corner triangles cut at the beginning of this post.

And lay them out with the blocks.

Starting in one corner.  (Mine was lower right.)  Sew these sections together as shown.

Working with the next section of blocks, build the row above the corner section just sewn.  Remember to pin and peek with your corners.  Then attach to the corner section as shown:

Repeat for the 3rd row.

The 4th row:

And the 5th:

Stop with this section and repeat the whole process coming from the other side (for me it was the upper left corner).  You now have two giant halves.

One last seam and you have a center!!!!

Onto borders:  Run your inner border (dk. blue) strips down the center to get your measurement.  Cut and repeat for the second side.

Lay onto the sides.

Pin and sew.  I do not want to lose my points, so I place the border side down.  That way I can see the points as they come up and make sure to stitch right where I need to.

Press borders out and repeat the process for the top and bottom borders by using the cross measurement.  BE SURE to include the newly added borders.

Pin to top and bottom.  Stitch as we did with the sides and press out.

The neutral borders are next.  It is at this point that you MAY need to lay out the borders we made in clue 8.  I cut my neutral borders as so:  8 strips 4" wide.  PLEASE read ALL THE WAY through this before cutting yours.

Sew end to end as with the blue strips earlier.

Using the same method as before, I measured down the center of the top with the strips and cut to fit.  Move to the sides and stitch.

Repeat for top and bottom.

AT THIS POINT, I laid out my pieced borders to add and discovered that they were way too big.  This is where I removed one of the sections that I DIDN'T have you add.  I was still 1 1/2" too big.  That meant the whole top went to the cutting board and I removed 3/4" from each of the white border strips.  Now my pieced border fit perfectly.  We ALL sew differently.  My ending measurements may not match yours, but the final border piece will fit if you make adjustments in the white border.  THE pieced border is the measurement we want to end with.  So ---- my border strips wound up being 3 1/4" wide. 

Lay out your borders as shown:

Add the sides and then the top/bottom complete with cornerstones.  Look at what you have!!!!  Hello Sapphire Blues.

At this point, I got to start playing.  Well, truth be told, I was playing as I sewed all the borders on.  ALL of my little prototype blocks and mistakes started being sewn together into a strip for the backing.  They are great leader/ender projects.

And with the help of some OLD stash, I have a back.  I'm just way to lazy to lay it out flat right now.

With dark blue, I cut 9 - 2 1/2" strips for binding.  (Pssst.  I used all but 1/8" of my blue fabric.  Whew.)

Sewing on the angle, all my strips are soon together

And pressed.

A few leftover bits go into a label and I am ready to quilt.  OMG.  I cannot tell you how much I love this.

An invitation from a girlfriend hits right as I'm about to get the quilting complete on this.  I had grands coming and a trip before today's post.  I NEEDED to quilt.  Fortunately for me, she had a great midarm and I was able to quilt while there.

And ---- coming off the frame.  Due to a lack of time, a simple meander fits the bill.  With a busy center, it really doesn't need much else as I didn't want to lose the pattern made by the fabrics.

However, it doesn't all go smooth.  I run out of backing.  Yay me.  So, off comes the quilt.  I trim the sides and add fabric to the bottom backing.  It then gets put back on the frame with the new piece at the top and a few final stitches are taken.

Finally, I can say --- it's quilted.  Also trimmed and the binding is attached.  There's nothing left but the handwork.

Yep, friends were privy to the reveal.

A trip to Montana gives me time to visit with my mom and stitch away on the binding.

As I reveal the finish to my mom, Bailey decides to bring me a ball.  Well, that's a perfect ending to this mystery.  I hope you had a great time and perhaps learned something along the way.  I'd love to see your finished products, so you can always email me a picture at mystery@dhayter.com.  Thank you so much for playing along.