Free Pattern Friday ~ Sewcialites 2 @ Fat Quarter Shop

I have this basket of fabric tucked in my storage cubes to make a quilt.

It was for the original Sewcialites Quilt Along 

and I saved the steps but did not sew the blocks at that time. 

Now there is an ongoing Sewcialites 2.

This is a Fat Quarter Shop Quilt-Along

The second round of this free Fat Quarter Shop skill building quilt program

has been happening for 19 weeks:

Sewcialites 2 ~ All You Need to Know Here

This time around there are 24 sampler blocks and the setting. 

All Sewcialites2 Blocks May be Downloaded Here

I have not been sewing these blocks but I am saving them ... again.

I am enjoying seeing all the inspiring blocks. 

To see and share blocks visit the 

 Sewcialites Lounge on Facebook 

and

 #Sewcialites2 on Instagram. 

Are you sewing along?

Did you make the first Sewcialites Quilt? 

Bats & Boos & I Am In, Too!

 

First Bat Block Done! 

I was not going to join in another sew along.

Then I saw all the cute blocks and quilts in the making and I could not resist. 

Click Here For All Info ~ Free Stitch & Sew Along

I am only participating in the quilt sewing at this time

although the cross stitch pattern is looking very cute, too. 

I shopped my stash to sew along with this free mystery pattern

Fabric Requirements PDF Here 

Free Patterns and Quilt Kit and Supplies Here

My first block is done:

This makes a 10.5" unfinished block.

This block was fun to make.

There are mirror image units in the bat wings that do require a little extra attention.

Three more bat blocks to sew for Step One,

Then on to Step Two ~ Pumpkin Block which has already been released.

Are you sewing along?

My Perfect 5 QAL Sampler Quilt ~Week #1

Week #1 Done for the 

My Perfect 5 QAL Sampler Quilt Started Here

These blocks were fun to sew.

The large block on the top is called "Animal Crackers"  and would

be a good block for using up scrap strips.

The cute house block is called "Gingerbread" and may be my favorite in the book.

These blocks are from the 

 Perfect 5 Quilts Book from It's Sew Emma

which is designed for using 5" charm squares.

This is the Cutting Guide PDF from Fat Quarter Shop

that is also needed to sew these sampler blocks.

On to Week # 2 today ... :-) 

A Sweet Christmas Quilt In the Making

Block 5 ~ Hour Glass Four Patch  

Ultimate Beginner Quilt Along ~ Block 5

Free PDF pattern ~ Block 5 ~ Hour Glass Four Patch

I am really happy with how this quilt is working up.



I started this quilt along here

Here are Blocks 4 and 5 side by side.

This will make a sweet Christmas Quilt

Ho-Ho-Ho!

A Sweet Shop Block

A cup of Hot Chocolate with a Peppermint Stick

and frosted Christmas Cookies

and Candy Canes for my

Block 3 ~ Picture Window

for the

Block 3 ~ Picture Window ~ Free PDF Pattern

Block 3 Instructions @ Fat Quarter Shop

I am having a lot of fun fussy cutting these fun

Kringle's Sweet Shop by Maude Asbury for Blend Fabrics

Looking forward to the next block on Thursday.

Today was a family day here in the scrapatch.

It is very cool here tonight.

A cup of hot chocolate would be tasty right now.

May the new week be happy and quilty.

Sew I Knew It Would Happen

It's Beginner to look a lot like Christmas!

~ and ~ 

I knew it would happen.

I am actually looking forward to the moments like these.

My Girl and I are sewing along Christmas Quilts together.
My Girl and I are actually "online" quilt along friends right now as she is living in Texas
and I am rooted in Massachusetts.

Here is my daughter's Nine Patch Block.

sent via wonderful modern technology.

My Girl has been bitten by the quilt bug.

At one point she said it would never happen.

That was years after she had dabbled with making a quilted bag and few quilt blocks 

when she was about nineteen after she and a college friends of hers 

attended a big quilt show with us.

So she knows the basics, bought some fabric, 

tried quilt making on and took it off and put it in the "not me" category. 

Until  now.

I cannot tell you how happy I am that the 

Fat Quarter Shop Announced This Beginner Quilt Along

I casually mentioned it to My Girl and to my happy surprise she said she was interested.

Block 2 ~ Nine Patch Instructions and Video Here

Free PDF Pattern for Block 2 ~ Nine Patch Here

Story of our first block may be read here

Of course, I have been sending her helpful photos, tips tricks, video links, etc,

to help her learn all she needs to know to find her way in quilting.

I have always taught my children to listen and learn

and find their own ways of doing things.

They are all very successful in this endeavor

and have taught me many things.

But not about quilting ... Until Now

My Girl is now teaching me new things about quilting ... :-) 

My Girl has been doing her thing researching and learning and planning
to make her first quilting experience as good as she can.
So she is already trying to figure out how best to quilt her quilt
So the other day she sent me this link ...

How To Bury Thread Ends Quilt Video

@ The Littlest Thistle

and asked me if this was a good way to do it.

Um .... "Yes, Girl!
This looks like a really good and easy method." 

:: sheepish grin ::
Then I told her the story about how when I was learning about quilting
on my own via books from the library, magazines and online information.
(before the explosion of online how-to-quilt videos)
I never learned about "burying thread ends"
until long after I had formed the bad habit of snipping them short.

So My Girl is finding what she needs to know to form good habits from the start.

And Her Mama is learning better habits from her.

Win = Win
<3 :-) Me & My Girl :-) <3 

and

Day 49 ~ Block 49
#100days100blocks2019

Witchy Stitchy ~ Cool 'n' Quilty

It is very hot and humid in my quilty corner today

so I sewing in my nice air conditioned room
and making plans for cooler fall days

and Halloween quilts.

All You Need To Know To Join This Blog Hop Fun Here

I always enjoy the Halloween Blog Hop

so I am participating.

Thanks, Carol @ Just Let Me Quilt, for hosting!  

I am also making plans to participate in this free quilty fun ... 

The Ultimate Beginner Quilt @ Fat Quarter Shop

I am not  beginner but there is always something to be learned.
Since this one finishes in October I am thinking I may use
fabrics from my Halloween stash.
 Best of all, my daughter says she is going to sew along with this QAL!  
This makes me sew happy! 
My Girl has never made a quilt before, but she is an accomplished garment maker.

I am still sewing along with

#100Days100Blocks2019 on IG

Here is my block for Day 19

This one is made from the 2.5" scrap strips I had in my project scrap jar.

I am sew happy to be keeping up with this one so far.

Sew All is Good in My Quilty Corner today.

Hope to see you sewing along with me on one or more of these fun quilty events.

May you have a happy quilty (and cool) weekend.

One Pattern ~ Two Quilts

I seem to be sewing my quilts in pairs this year.

For the

Two Color Quilt Along @ Fat Quarter Shop

I loved the denim blue sample quilt so I bought the 

Denim Two Color Quilt Kit

I rarely buy kits.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the cutting instructions

for all the weeks were included in the kit,

so I may be sewing ahead of schedule for once.

I already had the 

Vintage Christmas Book

which is needed to make this quilt.

It is nice that the book includes projects that are not seasonal.

There are several such projects in the book.

I recently started using these 

Alphabitties

to organize my cut pieces.

I really like this method.

Maestro likes them, too.

They are very helpful.

I used to use sticky notes that I wrote myself.

These are quicker and easier

and can be used over and over.

I followed all the easy to follow instructions in the book,

except when I saw those words ... "draw lines."

I like to cut these corners.

No lines, no waiting is my motto.

This is the two color denim blue kit block.

These are my block fabrics for the second quilt.

The white print is the background.

I will use the yellow and blue prints in each of the blocks.

This lovely focus floral will appear in my second quilt, too.

These fabrics are from

Bluebirds on Roses by RBD's Penny Rose Fabrics

These quilts are going to be "His and Hers" sofa quilts.

The Denim Blue one is for my blue loving hubby.

The blue and yellow floral one is for me.

We are bookends ... :-)

What are you working on this weekend?

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!