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| Mystery Quilt Block 3 |
It's back to another fun quilt for The Mystery Quilt - beautifully designed by Monique Dillard from Open Gate Quilts! We're now at Block 3 and the artistic flow really is gathering. You've finished two blocks and have a good foundation and you are beginning to create a lovely story with your fabrics. The design starts to change in block 3, as geometric motifs are added to create beautiful structure and visual rhythm in our mysterious layout.
Focusing on technical skills and value play.Emphasis on value and precision play.
The patterns that Monique Dillard creates are adored for their mathematical precision and Block 3 is a delightful demonstration of her signature method of construction. Our main technical task for this week is the clean and consistent piece of highly consistent angles. No matter what kind of pattern you are following, whether it is half square triangles, flying geese, or corner square units, you have to be very careful when handling your points so you will have a professional looking finish.
Value contrast continues to be our best friend. If you're going to be doing a mystery quilt (one you can't see how the blocks will lay together yet), it's important that you have a good separation between your light background fabrics and your rich medium or dark prints. The crisp intersections that we sew today will make the final secondary patterns stand out when the top is finished.
Success Tips for Block 3
Relax and make your sewing session very rewarding by trying to do these 3 things at your cutting mat and sewing machine:
- In this block, with many little pieces coming together, it is important to leave a scant 1/4 inch seam so that your blocks don't shrink.
- Press seams moderately with little dragging and pulling of the iron. Too much stretching will lead to distortion of bias edges, which will make it hard to get your units aligned.
- Group Pre-cut Pieces by Unit Type: Keep your pre-cut pieces in clusters on your design board in order to avoid confusion when chain piecing.
Final Thoughts
This is a very cute continuation of our quilting journey and a chapter we are very excited about. It provides just enough technical information to keep the reader interested, but no more than is necessary to get you the really satisfying results.
How is the building of your blocks progressing? Do you have a definite palette, or did you include an unexpected "scrap" fabric? Share in the comments below!
Full Post: Mystery Quilt Block 3 Free PDF Pattern
