It's A Scrappy Mystery! - Part 1

I will be teaching at a local quilting retreat in a few weeks.  The one day, about six hour workshop, is called "It's A Scrappy Mystery". 

The first clue was given to the participants with their supply lists recently.

They were asked to gather 1.5 inch wide strips in dark and medium colors, and 2.5 inch wide strips in dark and medium colors.

They were also asked to gather 1.5 inch wide strips of light fabrics and 2.5 inch wide strips of light fabrics.

Now since this is a scrappy quilt, you all know that my strips bins include all colors of the rainbow. So my request for scrappy will see strips from all of those colors of the rainbow - well not black usually, but then there is no black in the rainbow.  Brown is not there either, but I will include browns in my medium and darks.

You know the test and the question - is the yellow a dark, a light or a medium?

Here yellow is light next to the dark green.

Here it is medium, when compared to the beige print and dark green.

Here it is the dark, or more accurately, a medium/dark next to the beige.

Alł depends on how you look at it! Or, what fabric it is next to.

But I digress...

Once they had their strips the first clue is to use the 1.5 inch wide strips to make nine patches that will be 3.5 inches unfinished and will finish at 3 inches in the quilt.

The nine patches are what I call "positive" nine patches in that the dark or medium on the four corners and the center is darker than the four "lights" in the unit.

Some examples are

All the same lights, with a very definitely lighter, medium in the center. It could be a light in another nine patch!

A grouping of nine patches

Up close view of the lower right nine patch.

Up close view of the lower left nine patch

Lights in all ranges of value, but all contrast with the five darks in the block.

And then there is this one, the upper right nine patch. The four outside squares are definitely on the lighter side, so they are mediums and could be used in another block as the lights.

It all depends on the color it is standing next to!

All will be used in a scrappy version of the Scrappy Mystery.  Make 36 for the small size being made in this workshop, if you want to play along.

Hope this post helps as you look at your lights, mediums and darks as you make your nine patches.  

But don't put the leftovers away!  You will need them again in another step!

And while you are digging through the your stash, if you are playing along with us, look for 2 yards of a background color that contrasts with the darks in your nine patches and looks nice next to the nine patches.

Louise, playing with nine patches on the island.