Are you up for some quilting fun? Welcome to the first month of the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild’s Big Fun Mystery Sew Along!
What is the Big Fun Mystery Sew Along? The short answer is that it’s a way to sew along with others, creating the same (or similar) quilt blocks. Along the way, you may learn some new skills, experiment with your own unique layout or quilt design, and, hopefully, have fun. Here are some other things to know about the BFMSAL:
- Along the lines of a Block of the Month club, we’ll introduce two different blocks each month, both focusing on a specific skill, technique, or shape. One block might be pretty basic and the other more challenging. Or each might use a different piecing method. We’re figuring this out as we go (which is part of the reason it’s a “mystery”!), but the idea is to have some variety. You can choose to make one or both blocks… or variations of your own. The first month’s focus is curves!
- There will be no set quilt pattern and we encourage you to just start, without a set plan. Choose a color palette to stick to, or use scraps from your cutting table (see notes on color below). We encourage you to experiment and let your own quilt design evolve. We’d love for every quilt to be unique to its maker. If you’d rather have more direction, no worries! Block layouts will be suggested later in the process for inspiration and ideas, or simply to follow. And feel free to change your mind and go in a different direction at any point along the way.
- We’ll try to incorporate different skills and techniques throughout the year.
- The blocks will be varied in size and pattern. Most blocks will be easy to alter, resize, or reconfigure. Some will be simple and easy to repeat in a row. They will allow you to create a sampler quilt or a medallion. Or a wall hanging, table runner, or batch of throw pillows. The final size is whatever you want, and you determine when it’s done.
- At the end of the process, you may end up with some blocks that you feel don’t “fit” in your quilt, or they’re just not your “style”. These can still be used for good! You can donate any extra blocks at the end, and we’ll use them to make one or more charity quilts.
- There’s no need to sign up, and you can participate as little or as much as you wish. We hope you’ll be inspired and will have fun sewing along!
The timeline: We plan to introduce new blocks at the beginning of each month through June of 2021. This will give you the possibility of making 20 different blocks, plus endless variations. Along the way, we’ll show some layout and design suggestions and ideas. Then, the next few months will focus on finalizing a layout and adding blocks and fillers as needed, as well as piecing, quilting, and binding. By November of 2021, we’ll organize a show and tell of all the amazing Big Fun Mystery quilts, in their many variations of size and scope.
Share your progress! Post photos of your blocks on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtags #chicagomqgsewalong and #BFMSAL.
Some thoughts about color (Don’t let it get in the way!): For these first two blocks (or all of them, really!), feel free to use your scraps. If this is uncomfortable for you, then pull some fabrics to start — maybe just a few colors that you can build on later. Or choose an entire palette if that makes you happy, but allow yourself to change your mind as you go. If you want to pull a palette, but are stuck, you could start with a favorite print and use that to guide some color choices. Or if you have an orphan block sitting around that you’d like to incorporate into the final quilt, you could use the colors in that as a starting point for fabric choices.
MONTH 1 BLOCKS: CURVES
Drunk Combo, 12″ x 12″ finished (left), and Mid-Century Drunk, 4″ x 8″ finished (right)
**Check out this tutorial for sewing drunkard’s path blocks with one pin, this one for using lots of pins, or this one that uses no pins at all, or these troubleshooting tips, if you’re looking for more guidance or a refresher on sewing curves.**
Drunk Combo cutting instructions:
Print Drunk Combo templates at full size — do not fit to page.
From red: Cut (4) from Template A
Cut (4) from Template B
From gray: Cut (4) from Template B
From white: Cut (4) from Template A
Cut (2) from Template C
From blue: Cut (2) from Template D
Drunk Combo piecing instructions:
MAKE THE LARGER CURVED UNITS:
- Find the center of one white Template C piece and one blue Template D piece by folding them in half diagonally and lightly finger pressing.
- Sew the two pieces together using your favorite method for joining curved pieces. Press seam to one side.
- Repeat with another set of one white Template C piece and one blue Template D piece.
MAKE THE SMALLER CURVED UNITS:
- Find the center of one red Template A piece and one gray Template B piece by folding them in half diagonally and lightly finger pressing.
- Sew the two pieces together using your favorite method for joining curved pieces. Press seam to one side. Check out this tutorial, or this one, if you’re new to sewing curves, or simply want a refresher.
- Repeat with another set of one red Template A piece and one gray Template B piece; then with two sets of cream Template A and red Template B.
- Lay out the four completed drunkard’s path units as shown below.
- Place the units right sides together and sew to form two rows, then sew the two rows together to create one quadrant of the Drunk Combo block.
- Repeat Steps 1-5 to create a second quadrant.
ASSEMBLE THE BLOCK:
- Lay out the four finished units as shown below.
- Place the units right sides together and sew to form two rows, then sew the two rows together to create the finished Drunk Combo block.
Block measures 12-1/2” x 12-1/2” unfinished.
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Mid-Century Drunk cutting instructions:
Print Mid-Century Drunk templates at full size — do not fit to page.
From gray: Cut (1) from Template A
From wasabi: Cut (1) from Template B
Mid-Century Drunk piecing instructions:
MAKE THE CURVED UNIT:
- Optional: Find the center of the curve of the gray Template A piece and the wasabi Template B piece by using the marks on the templates to fold diagonally across the curve and lightly finger press. If this seems too tricky (or unnecessary), just skip to Step 2.
- Beginning from the short side of the curve, sew the two pieces together using your favorite method for joining curved pieces. Press seam to one side.
- Repeat with more sets of Template A and Template B pieces, if desired, to create one of the block suggestions below, or an arrangement of your own creation.
A single block measures 4-1/2” x 8-1/2” unfinished. A block of four as shown below measures 8-1/2″ x 16-1/2″ unfinished.
We stitched up these sample blocks using this month’s patterns. We can’t wait to see your versions!
