Lucky Stars QAL Star Block

Welcome!  Today is our first sewing day for the Lucky Stars QAL!  We'll be making the star block:

It is not too late to join is in the QAL! If you want to make one using the same fabrics, visit Christa Quilts for a deal.  And then see these links to catch-up.

Lucky Stars QAL Intro

Fabric Requirements

Cutting Requirements

These are the pieces needed for today.  If you've already completed the cutting requirements disregard below.  We will also be making all the HST's for the patch block at the same time.

Note with the star block you will want to use the same print (or same color of print) twice.  Paired once with a background and once with another print. (the extra hst can be used in another star block, or later on the patch block)

From your background fabric:

3.5 x 3.5 square (72) - Patch Block and Star Block HST's

2.5 x 2.5 square (36) - Star Block posts1.5 x 8.5 (18) and 1.5 x 10.5 (18) -Star Block borders

From your print varieties:

3.5 x 3.5 (90) - Patch Block and Star Block 

*here you want at least 8 different prints so they don't repeat within the star.

Set the star borders and posts aside.  Those will be when we piece the block together.

Star Block HST's:

Ready to construct loads of HST's!  Ready, set, go!  

Following this diagram:

• Take the 72 pieces of background squares and draw a line from corner to corner on the wrong side of the fabric.
• Pair with 72 printed squares.
• Sew 1/4" from the drawn line on each side.
• Cut down the drawn line, press open. 

• Trim each HST piece to 2.5" x 2.5".  This will yield 144 HST's.

Repeat on the remaining 18 printed squares.  This will yield 36 HST's.

Star Block Construction:

Brought to you via pictures. :)

Add in the Background 2.5" squares on each corner. 

Sew first together rows, then top to bottom.

Add on the borders.

Square to 10.5" x 10.5".

Yielding 9 Star Blocks.

Save the remaining HST's.  There should be 72 left over that will be used on the Patch Blocks.

See you on Wednesday for the Square Block!  Let us know of any questions, comments or concerns! :)

Fabric Tuesday!!!

Sorry for the delay. I will be short and sweet. As always, super inspired by all of you every week!


Virtual quilting block from sassy quilter...sweet


This quilt from confessions of a fabric addict. Lovely!



This modern quilt from Sew French, and a cute nursery reveal...



This darling scrappy quilt from Saltwater Quilts, makes me more than happy!



Awesome swoon quilt top from Sew Nomadic, love it!

Twin baby quilts from Our Busy Little Bunch...

Rebecca from Our Busy Little Bunch created these darling quilts for little twins. She was the winner of one of our fabric giveaways, and created these quilts for a friends babies. How fun to see where some of our giveaway fabrics land!  Rebecca is a crafting, sewing, quilting kind of gal, be sure to check out some of her tutorials, quilts, and clothing links on her blog...

Two precious baby boys were born into our congregation, and a good friend and I made them matching baby quilts.

The fabric is from Riley Blake's Maritime Modern line, and the backing is a soft minky from our local fabric shop.

The pattern is just a simple patchwork, and the letters were appliqued with fusible web and finished off with a machine stitch.

Tomorrow is a quadruple baby shower for these twins and two other new babes.  I'll show the other two quilts as soon as I get some pics of them!

Connecting Threads Winner

Lovely weekend ya'll!  Just poppin' in to announce the winner of the Connecting Threads Giveaway:

Congrats Elizabeth!!  I'll be sending you an email :)

Catskill Quilter said...

I am a HUGE fan of Connecting Threads ! My favorite line at the moment is Moonlit Blooms - deep rich jeweltones that are a bit out of the ordinary. I am excited about their new Quilter's Basic prints -- received some 5 inch squares of them today in an order, and they are lovely - great colors and soft too!

JUNE 13, 2013 AT 4:01 PM 

See you Monday with a lovely quilt feature!

Modern Quilts!

I posted about this awesome book I got to be involved earlier this year.

Modern Quilts from the Blogging Universe

It was an amazing experience!  Collaborating on a quilting book with designers I look up to was a pinch me moment!

For my quilt I focused on a Stash Buster-type quilt.  I love those and I think most quilters do!  Opportunities to use up small pieces of my favorite prints?  Yes please!  This was my design contribution:

Rainbow too?  Say no more :)

Here are some more of my favorites from the book:

You can read more about the book and designers or purchase the book for yourself.

Martingale was amazing to work with....THANK YOU!

GIVEAWAY

Finally if you'd like to win a copy of the book for yourself please leave a comment! Tell me your favorite style of quilt, or your favorite block! 

*US Only

I have a copy waiting for a new home!  Here's the catch, those of you who've been paying attention on instagram know that I AM STUCK.  You may not receive the book for a month or so but I'll get it to you!

Giveaway winner announced Tuesday.

Lucky Stars Cutting Requirements

On to cutting requirements for our Lucky Stars QAL!  This is getting fun! :)  Also I've updated the original post to show a weekly schedule.

We each used the Happy Go Lucky line.  We used a jelly roll, layer cake and pictured below is also my background, binding and backing.  For full fabric requirements see here.

Keep in mind you can cut as the QAL goes if that's your preference!

For reference, these are the three blocks, and what we will call them.

Cutting Requirements
Cut in order, refer to diagram, measurements are in inches

Note with the star block you will want to use the same print (or same color of print) twice.  Paired once with a background and once with another print.

BACKGROUND FABRIC (2.5 yards)
3.5 x 76.5 (2) - borders
3.5 x 62.5 (2) - borders
3.5 x 3.5 square (72) - Patch Block and Star Block HST's
2.5 x 2.5 square (36) - Star Block posts
1.5 x 8.5 (18) and 1.5 x 10.5 (18) -Star Block borders
2.5 x 6.5 (16) and 2.5 x 10.5 (16) - Square Block borders

PRINT FABRICS
6.5 x 6.5 (8) - Square Block (Layer Cake)
3.5 x 3.5 (90) - Patch Block and Star Block *see note below with Star Block picture
32 Jelly Roll strips or 30 strips 2.5 x WOF (we will strip piece the strips) OR 2.5 x 2.5 (378) squares. These are for the patch blocks.

Phew!

Star Block

Please take note of this block.  Notice that you will need to match up the prints (but don't notice that mine don't go the same direction :)  Each block you'll want 8 different prints, Each print you will use twice, once with a background fabric and once with another print.  It will just take a little planning when you get to this block!  We will talk more about it when we construct it.

Also Christa from Christa Quilts still has a few quilt kits left!!  

She's offering them at a steal, you'll get a jelly roll and layer cake.  So stop by to get your quilt started!!

Make sure to see our original Lucky Stars QAL post if you still have any questions.  Also to see the amazing prizes you can be entered to win if you finish your quilt top!  

Join us on Instagram using the hashtag #luckystarsQAL

We can be found @quiltstory and @quiltstorymeg

Don't hesitate to email or comment with any questions!

Fabric Tuesday, and Uncle Dean update...

Megan and I wanted to say thank you for all the kind comment's and votes you all helped us out with for our Uncle Dean last week. This is his family on Father's Day. They woke him up to tell him he WON! He gets to be in the Kona Ironman!!! HAPPINESS! THANK YOU over and over again!

On to my crafting life. Busy week here. Summer is in full swing. Camps, family gatherings, birthday's...just been crazy busy around here!  Also, over the weekend it was cool, like 70's. I knew I had to get out and work on a dresser that has been in my garage for over 6 months. Here is my instagram pic...I will show you the finish soon...

Also my brain can't even remember if I showed these pillows yet, for my niece who moved back with her family....(we miss her)

Isn't she darling?

Also made this paper pieced Union Jack pillow for my Sister's birthday last week. If you follow on Instagram, you have seen the finish. If not, I will post it later this week with nicer pics from my camera. 

Here are some of the wonderful things you all have been up too...

That looks like it needs stitches mod GeoCruiser...just epic!

My quilt infatuation's lovely finish

Water Penny's hoop art. I have been wanting to make some hoop art lately!

From Charlotte's Grace for a cure (who we featured yesterday) This darling finish! LOVE

A walk in the woods, a charity quilt from Charlotte's gRACE for a Cure...

This is a sweet story from Lauren, who has a sweet daughter Charlotte. Charlotte is a little girl fighting a brain tumor. She is a beautiful little girl. Her mom, Lauren creates amazing quilts and sells them off in auctions to donate to brain tumor research. What a lady! Be sure to visit her blog and help spread the word and support her efforts....

I have a little story to share about my latest quilt.  A few weeks ago, Charlotte, Marian, and I were being ushered around Duke's pediatric oncology clinic, on our way to get Charlotte's chemo.  We passed by a 3-month old baby and her sweet mom.  After sleuthing Nancy-Drew-style for the day, I determined that this sweet baby was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. 

Knowing all too well what it is to have your world turned upside-down when your three-month old baby is given a brain tumor diagnosis, I desperately wanted to reach out to this family.  And of course, my love-language right now is quilts.  All day long, though, I felt uneasy about using what might have been my obvious choice of fabrics: Sarah Jane's "Children at Play."  I do have quite a bit of this parade print remaining:

I did not feel excited about using this fabric, though, thinking that it might not lend itself to the sober nature of the situation.  You see, before I realized that Charlotte is the one riding the pink elephant and could appreciate that one day she'll be able to raise those paralyzed, little arms up in the air, I have to admit that I might have been a little bit mad at this fabric.  That sounds silly, I know: to be mad at fabric.  It was really more that I was mad that this fabric is so sweet and innocent and pain-free.  And not only is Charlotte's life not like that now as she receives chemo and numerous other interventions, but it has never been nor ever will be like that. 

Enter: Aneela Hoey's fabric "a walk in the woods."

Two days after I met Anne, she dropped by my house with a wonderful bag of goodies (fabric and thread), including a stack of fat quarters from this fabric line.  First of all, who doesn't love Red Riding Hood?  But second, I remembered what this sweet line is called even before I read the tag.  And then I knew that I had to use it. 

I remember the time of diagnosis well.  It definitely felt like "a walk in the woods."  Most moments were so very dark.  I couldn't see the forest for sake of the trees: could we trust her doctors?  Did we have the right neurosurgeon?  Could she not be cured?  Was she declining before our very eyes?  And on and on and on. 

Yet, there were moments of light shining through the trees.  Sweet nurses who were so compassionate and empathetic that they cried with us.  Near strangers reaching out to us to tell us that we were not alone - through gifts to us, gifts to Charlotte, and most of all, through prayer.  And of course, there was the comfort and peace of God himself.

So after a bit of thought (and second and third opinions), I decided to use "a walk in the woods" for this newly diagnosed baby's quilt.  

I used the seven fat quarters that Anne gave me and also pulled in nine of my own fabrics.  There were a few fabrics that I ended up not liking in the quilt, so I arranged them all along two sides and trimmed those sides after stitching together the quilt top.  I used this disappearing nine-patch tutorial and am mostly pleased with how the quilt turned out.  My close-up pictures did not turn out very well, I think due to the weight of the quilt as it hung on the fence: the seams look so wonky, though I assure you that they are straight in "real life."

I backed it in a pink minky and gave it a gray binding.  I love the gray on pink contrast, but I also love the reminder to look for the silver lining in all things.  Even when things are so very dark and we might not be able to do much more than to stumble through the woods, even so, there are many things for which to be grateful.


Quilt Stats:
Measures: 37 x 50 inches
Pieced and Quilted by: Me!
Fabrics: A Walk in the Woods by Aneela Hoey
              and others from my stash