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2008 New Year's Day Mystery Quilt Pattern

By Janet Wickell, About.com

6 of 10

More Cutting & Sewing, but with Options

strip piecing

For a less scrappy look, you can make strips sets for this step.

© Janet Wickell

Scrap Quilts

If you're going totally scrappy, cut seventy six 3-1/2" x 6-1/2" light rectangles.

Strip Pieced Units

You can strip piece the units if you prefer, even if you want a somewhat scrappy look.

Cut 3-1/2" wide strips of four fabrics in a length that is multiples of 6-1/2" -- plus an inch or so for squaring up. For instance:

  1. Cut four light fabrics, each 3-1/2" x 21" (it's fine for values to vary slightly, but you want them to pretty much blend together).

  2. Sew the fabrics together along their long edges to create a stacked strip set. Press seam allowances in one direction.

  3. Square up one end of the strip set and cut three 6-1/2" long segments from it. Repeat to make eighteen 4-fabric strip sets. Leave four 3-1/2" x 6-1/2" rectangles loose, to sew on individually.

For a less scrappy look, create strip sets that are longer, and cut more segments from them. But stop when you've cut eighteen segments of four fabrics, leaving those four 3-1/2" x 6-1/2" rectangles loose.

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