Blazing Star Block PIllow ~ Fat Quarter Shop QAL

 

Here is my newest soft and squishy quilty creation!

My Blazing Star Block Pillow Cover!

This is the pieced Blazing Star Block, the original block design. 

Here is the link for all you need to know to sew along ...

Blazing Star Quilt Block @ FQS

Fat Quarter Shop has a lovely

 Blazing Star Quilt .pdf Pattern Available Here

and their

Free Video Tutorial from FQS Here

and a beautiful

Blazing Star Quilt Kit Here 

A Blooming Bunch Fabrics by Maureen McCormick

This beautiful blooming bunch of fabrics was not in shops when I made my sample block,

so I sewed my stash and chose

 Petals and Pots by Riley Blake Designs

for my fabrics.

I started with these fabrics Posted Here

I had some fun with the block and added some improv applique.

I called this "Appli-Play!"

Here is my finished pillow top. 

I love the way my improv applique shapes blazed this classic star block outward. 

This is the back of my pillow.

I added golden yellow decorative snaps to secure the envelope closure.

Click Here for my free Snap Attack Pillow Back Tutorial

This pillow looks wonderful with the

Rhapsody Fabrics  in my Poppy Lane Quilt

that I finished Finished Here.

With the small scraps from making my Blazing Star Block

I made this scrappy mug rug Posted Here

I love this wonderful Fat Quarter Shop QAL project!

Thank you, Fat Quarter Shop for this fun pattern and sew along! 

Hope to see you sewing this block pattern soon! 

Stitching Progress

Part 1 is done for my 

Feels Like Home Stitch Along Project

Maestro helped behind the scenes, of course.

Here she is adjusting the knobs on my

Z-Frame Universal Lap Frame

I like to use a

 Q-Snap Frame

to keep my cloth tight and flat.

This plastic frame is light enough to carry it anywhere

and I do enjoy sitting outside and stitching sometimes.

It has been mostly sunny but is still cool and very windy for May

so most of my stitching has been done inside.

Part 3 was released last Friday so I am very behind in the stitching along,

but I am good with that.

I use all six strands of DMC on my 10 Count Vintage Aida cloth
and a size 18 or 20 Bohn needle.
I can see this easily to stitch and I like the way it looks.

It is a journey, not a race, for me. 

I am working on the Part 2 House section

but it will take time as I am making modifications to the pattern

to make it look a little more like my little house.

More stitching soon ... :-) 

Love Letters Quilty Love

Progress on my Quilty Love Cross Stitch Started Here

I am matching my DMC colors to this

Love Letters Fabric @ Fat Quarter Shop

I have some very special plans for this cross stitch.


For  my

One Monthly Goal in February

I hope to finish the cross stitch part of this project.

Stitching is slow for me with my vision issues
so this part of the project is enough for me for one month.

<3 <3 <3 

Sweet Tea and Quiting

I am quilting.

I love doing straight line quilting with my walking foot.

It is sew soothing.

Looking forward to showing you this sample quilt in February.

The fabric is Sweet Tea by Sweetwater for Moda Fabrics. 

It is is a sweet as a glass of sweet tea on a summer day.

I am dreaming of summer and sipping hot tea

on this cold New England night.

Sweet Quilty Dreams 

Christmas Arrived Early ...

... and this is the very best present!

This is My Girl's very first block for her quilt.

Although we are many miles apart, we are sewing along together with the

Ultimate Beginner Quilt Along @ Fat Quarter Shop

Block 1 Pattern PDF Here

This is the fat quarter bundle My Girl chose for her blocks ...

All The Trimmings by Maywood Studio

Here is my Block 1

I am using this pretty stash stack of 

Kringle's Sweet Shop by Maud Asbury for Blend Fabrics

I am visiting My Girl later this year and hope 

to get photos of our quilts together

under her Christmas Tree! 

I also made my block of the day ... 

Day 40 ~ Block 40 for the 

Kinship Fusion Sampler Quilt @ Gnome Angel

It was another very happy quilty day!

:-) 

Union Square Quilt Along @ Fat Quarter Shop

Here is my first block for my Union Square Quilt.

FQS Union Square Free Block Pattern Here

I love this block.

For this quilt I am using this stash fabric I bought at the nearby

February Fabric Blowout

I am sewing along with the  Union Square Quilt Along at

Fat Quarter Shop.

This is part of their Classic and Vintage series.

I was having a time deciding on a pattern for this fabric until I saw this pattern.

It is my perfect choice.

Union Square Quilt Kit

The lovely traditional fabrics in this kit are

Susanna's Scraps by Betsy Chutchian for Moda Fabrics

Visit

The Jolly Jabber

to learn how to make this classic and vintage block. 

FQS Video Tutorial Here

I made the first block according to the pattern instructions,
which are very good.

Then I started thinking about making more blocks for my quilt
and I came up with this layout:

Fabric needed to make this  61" square lap quilt as shown:
3 yards light background fabric (cream)
1 and 1/2 yards dark fabric (red)
1 yard medium fabric (pink)
To this I am adding some Porcelain Charms in the center of the blocks.

Then I thought about using a few quick piecing
tips and tricks I have learned ...

First Quick Method:
I do not like the draw lines and sew and cut method.

My HSTs are much quicker and more accurate when I use:

Triangles On a Roll

This is for the finished 2" size need in the Union Square quilt.
Simply cut two 6" squares,
sandwich right sides together
with the paper pinned on top an follow the stitch lines.

Then cut apart along the cut lines, peel off the papers,
trim off the dog ears and there are perfect 2.5" triangles ready to sew into the block.

One paper yields eight HSTs, enough for two Union Square blocks

Second Corner Cutting Trick:

The rectangles (Pieces G and D) in the corner units
also call for the draw a line and sew then cut method.

I like to use a ruler with a clear 1/4" line and measure and cut my seam allowance
before I sew.  Cuts out some steps, too.

Here are the pieces ready to sew into my corner units.

Quick Sew Method # 3:
(my favorite new trick for this quilt)

Easy Four Patch Hourglass Blocks

I did the math and the test blocks for you here ... 

Cut 4 squares of each of your hourglass fabrics
at 3 and 3/4"
for Four 4 and 1/2" Hourglass Blocks

Sew into 2 Four Patch  Blocks

 Press and sandwich right sides together,

alternating colors as shown.

Here is another view of the sandwiched blocks.

Sew a 1/4" seam on all four sides of the Four Patch Blocks

Nest these outside seams carefully as

they are the centers of the Hour Glass blocks. 

This is the seam on the fourth side.

 You can see the center of the blocks are not stitched together.

On the cutting table carefully align your long ruler 

to make a diagonal cut 

through the two corners and center seam.

Turn and align the  ruler on the other diagonal 

through the two corners and the center seams. 

 Cut on the second diagonal.

You can see my orange cutting mat between the first diagonal cut

if you look closely.

Flip open along the outside seam and there it is:
a perfect 4 and 1/2" Hourglass Block.

I placed my Block Loc ruler on my block to show the size and accuracy.

It could be used to trim the dog ears, but I just used my small scissors and snipped.

Here are the units laid out for my second Union Square Block.

I decided to use some of my Porcelain Charms cut to 4.5" square
for the centers of my blocks.

Here is my second Union Square block.

I am really enjoying quilting along on this project.

Hope to have my finished quilt to show you soon.

See All the inspiring Quilts in the Making Here

Thank you Fat Quarter Shop 
for another wonderful quiltalong!