Worldwide Quilting Day - March 21, 2020

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During this unprecedented and concerning time I know that many of us quilters are hunkering down and getting some of our UFOs to the finish line and placed into the stack of "soon to be quilted" pile.

I also know that some people (like me) need more of a distraction during trying times and working on a UFO just doesn't cut it.  A new intriguing project (and new fabric) is sometimes just what I need to kick my mind into creative mode and put my troubles off to the side and my mind into a different zone.

So far this week I have started three new patterns and will be pulling the fabric for those in the next few days and I have participated in a mystery quilt along on Instagram (#pickledpinkmysterydollquilt) by Betsy Chutchian.  I know .... there is pink in there .... I never use pink!  If you are on Instagram pop over and get the instructions .... I learned a couple of new techniques and that is always a good thing 😀!  If you are not on Instagram let me know and I can give you some direction.

There are so many options out there for us quilters right now ... a quick search on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, quilting blogs and lots and lots of websites offering quilt alongs of all kinds.  Quilters have lots of options for new projects and most of us now have some time to dedicate to our addictive lifestyle.

QuiltBitz is here for you if you need a shipment of fabric, a bit of inspiration, or some help with a project.  Let me know what you need!

Please stay busy and do what you enjoy.

'til next time,

QB

Anna's Stars Quilt Along - Week Six

ANNA'S STARS QUILT ALONG

FINAL WEEK

Well, here we are at week #6 - the final week of the Anna's Stars Quilt Along.  I hope that the six weeks has been happy and productive for you.  If you have had some life interruptions that have waylaid you a bit, don't fret - these posts are all listed up at the top of this page and you can access them anytime you need to.  Remember to post photos over on Instagram and also in the comments on the blog.  We would all love to see your progress!

For those that are just joining us for the first time on this post .... 

The pattern, the fabric bundles and the kits for Anna's Stars are on sale on the website until Sunday, February 23rd.  If you are interested in making this project or know of someone who would, please link over to the website and have a look around.

* * * * * 

Now, let's continue with finishing this little cutie!

Anna's Stars Quilt Along - Week Five

Anna's Stars Quilt Along - Week Five

Wow.  Here we are at week #5 already!  How is everyone holding up?  Are you ready to show us your pretty stack of blocks ... we don't judge here .... remember I'm only showing you my good ones 😉- I've got little ones hidden away underneath the stack that are not all that pretty.  A little uneven here and a few seams that could have been readjusted ... but I'm happy with my progress.  I hope you are happy with your progress also!

This week we are going to take all of our "G", "F" and "H" background pieces and the little "I" print pieces and get everything sorted out on the floor, the design wall, or wherever you lay out your quilts to admire, fine-tune and arrange.

I use a combination of my design wall, floor and cutting table depending on which sections of the quilt I am working on.  The photo below shows all of the pieces arranged on the design wall.  This is where I audition where I decide where everything will go and get a really good idea of how things are going to fit together.

Anna's Stars Quilt Along - Week Four

Anna's Stars Quilt Along - Week Four

This is the week that we get to sew all those pieces into beautiful little blocks!  They are so sweet!

Starching them has given them a really nice crisp look and they feel like little pieces of cardboard .... well maybe not that crisp 😊.   Just crisp cute.

This was the perfect time for me to use my little design board that I made using this tutorial Bee In My Bonnet.  I can arrange my thirteen blocks on the design wall or the floor and then transfer one block over to the little board to carry over to the sewing machine. There are also directions for making a larger design board that will hold about six of these little blocks - very handy!

Anna's Stars Quilt Along Week Three

Anna's Stars Quilt Along - Week Three

Hi everyone!

I hope that Week Two was good for you ... playing with those little tiny squares wasn't too bad was it? Like everything ... it's one step at a time ... there is no race and we just need to focus on the end results.

Here we are now at Week Three and this will involve a bit more sewing than last week.  No cutting for the blocks though - that is all done, except for trimming of course.

I am calling these units Star Points, but they are more commonly known as Flying Geese.

If you were preparing your triangles with the drawn line on the reverse side of the print squares, you will need to ensure that you have done that on 104 of the remaining assorted "B" squares.  If you have installed your painter's tape, as discussed in last week's post, you are ready to start sewing!

          

The image above (on the left) shows what we will be doing this week and the image on the right is a reference guide.

Anna's Stars Quilt Along Week Two

 Anna’s Stars Quilt Along - Week Two 

Quilt Size: 35” x 35”
Finished Blocks: 6” x 6”
Yardage is based on 42”-wide fabric (WOF*)
Fat Eighths:  approximately 9" x 22"

Please read through the post before you start cutting. It is a good idea to become familiar with the process before starting.

Just a bit more cutting to do ….

Referring to your pattern cut the following from each of the eleven assorted Fat Eighth prints for the blocks:

2, 22” strips from each print, by the required width shown in the pattern

Anna's Stars Quilt Along - Week One

QUILT ALONG - Week One

Getting Your Materials Ready:

We are going to start off nice and slow for the first week of the Quilt Along.

Be sure to subscribe to the the QuiltBitz blog for weekly quilt along updates. Enter your email into the box on the sidebar (at right on a computer, or scroll to the bottom on your phone). I do have a couple of ladies that prefer to have a PDF of the weekly update emailed to them .... please email me if you would like to be added to the email list.

The post from each of the 6 weeks will be posted here on the blog as we go along which will also automatically put it up in that tab up at the top of the page labelled "Anna's Stars Quilt Along". You will be able to leave comments and ask questions on any of the posts. Be sure to let me know if you have any questions as you work through the process or if you find something that isn't calculating properly for you. If it isn't working for you, then it might not be working for others either and it needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

The following is for any new people just popping by the blog for the first time and a refresher for those starting their projects today. It's always a good idea to read through the instructions once or twice just to get an idea of the process.

To participate in the Quilt Along you will need:

Announcing the QuiltBitz Quilt Along

Anna's Stars Quilt Along

Happy January 2nd, 2020 everyone!  I hope that you haven’t broken your New Year’s resolutions just yet and that your year will be healthy, happy, exciting, hopeful and upbeat for the next 363 days.

I’m here to help you with the happy, upbeat and exciting part - at least for the first six weeks.  QuiltBitz has been planning a quilt along to ease us all into the New Year.  The little quilt we will be making is a mere 35”x35” and is named Anna’s Stars.  The quilt blocks finish at 6”x6” and then will be set on point with sashing and cornerstones.  I know there are a lot of quilt alongs going on right now and I hope that you decide to join me.  This little cutie will NOT take a lot of your time so you would be able to sneak it in with some of the other projects and quilt alongs if you wanted to.  If you only have a little chunk of time every week or just want to sharpen your skills on a little project - this quilt along  is for you!

So let’s get started with some of the details.

DATES:

January 18th to February 22nd, 2020

WHAT EXACTLY IS A QUILT ALONG:

A quilt along is where anyone who wants to participate in the weekly instruction works virtually along side other quilters doing the same pattern.  Of course you could get a group of friends together at your house (or theirs!) every week and work on the quilt at the same time - that sounds like so much fun too!  My Quilty friends live a little too far away for me to do that so doing this virtually, with all my on-line friends, will be amazing.  We can all help each other, ask and answer questions, show off our accomplishments and progress and make new friends as we go.  So whether you are an at-home group of friends or a on-line group of friends … we are all friends and ready to get quilting!

This quilt along will take place on the QuiltBitz blog where the weekly instructions will be posted. I encourage you to also participate on Instagram using the hashtag #quiltbitzquiltalong.  By using this hashtag on your instagram posts we can all keep up with each others progress.  As an Instagram newbie I can relate to having many accounts out there in the techie world …. sometimes there are just too many things going on to keep on top of everything.  If you would prefer to receive the weekly instructions by email, NO PROBLEM!  Just send me an email and I will make sure that you receive the instructions.

THE ANNA’S STARS QUILT

A little history about the making of Anna’s Stars … this little quilt is named after my mother-in-law who passed away in April 2019 just as I was beginning to machine quilt this little gem.  It seemed appropriate that the quilt be named in Anna's memory.

Reproduction fabrics from the Farmhouse Living fabric line designed by Jeanne Horton (Windham Fabrics) were used in this quilt but any combination of reproduction prints, or scraps, or other color combinations, would also be wonderful.

That is the fun part about a quilt along - everyone does something different, whether it is the placement of prints or the use of color, everyone ends up with a unique project of their own and I’m excited to see all the variations!

WHO THIS QUILT ALONG IS FOR

I would recommend this quilt along for those that understand the basics of quilting making.  You will also be comfortable with using the rotary cutter, rulers and mat and have an understanding of how to sew an accurate seam allowance.  I will touch on these topics in the first week and you will be able to practice and perfect your comfort level with each week of the quilt along.

If you are a beginner, and take your time and pay close attention to your seam allowances, and are maybe just a little bit comfortable with using the odd pin, you should be ok.

This little quilt will test your patience for lining up your seams if you are a perfectionist.  I’m not, and never will be, a perfectionist or a Pinner, so if you were to zoom into my original quilt you will find plenty of seams that don’t line up - but you might see a few that do … those are my little happy places!

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

The Anna’s Stars quilt starts with accurate cutting and using a “scant” 1/4” seam allowance for the block construction as well as maintaining a consistent seam allowance for the sashing and borders.  There will be lots of opportunity to practice these skills while making this quilt, BUT, it is a small quilt so you shouldn’t be overwhelmed or get bored practicing these techniques.

We will be taking the construction of this quilt and breaking it into weekly tasks so every skill level will have sufficient time to complete each task.  This quilt uses an on-point layout which might be new for some quilters, but really quite easy and it makes for a very nice finish.  The border also uses something a bit different (optional) - a little inserted flange strip between the first and second border.  So easy and fun to do!

MATERIALS NEEDED

The Anna’s Stars Quilt Pattern is required and can be purchased at the link below (reduced price for the Quilt Along!):

PDF

Choosing fabrics is the fun part!  Making a scrappy reproduction quilt is so forgiving as it doesn’t seem to matter how many prints you co-mingle into the blocks the quilt always seems to shine.  The following are the fabric requirements for the quilt and some options for fabrics.

Fat eighths are approximately 9” x 22”

1 fat eighth each of eleven assorted prints for HST blocks

1½ yards background fabric for blocks, sashing, side and corner triangles

First Border: 6” x *WOF
Second Border/Flange Border: 3” x *WOF
Outer Third Border: 10” x *WOF 

Binding: ½ yard

1 yard of fabric for backing

37” x 37” batting

Bundles of 11 fat eighths are available for this project under the Anna’s Stars Quilt Along tab.  Some of the prints in the bundles will be different from the original quilt as a few of the prints have sold out.  If any substitutions are required from what is shown I will notify you.

OR,

and this is the fun part …. YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR OWN!

If you would like to put your own bundle of prints together I will cut fat eighths for you from the prints shown under the Anna’s Stars Quilt Along tab and send your special package along to you.  Send me an email or give a phone call with a list of your choices.  No guarantees that it will arrive for the start of the Quilt Along, but I will do my best to get it into the system as quickly as possible.

If this is the option that you choose, please order as soon as possible.  Don’t forget border and background fabrics if you need them as well!

Of course scraps from your own stash would also work just fine and this is entirely up to you what colors you want to use for your little quilt.

The original background has sold out.  I have included some suggested backgrounds under the Anna’s Stars Quilt Along tab as well.

OPTIONAL TOOLS

An extra tool you might find helpful is the Quilters Select 6”x6” ruler.  Really, this ruler works!   It’s not cheap but it makes your cutting and trimming so much more accurate.  The lines on the ruler are thin and it makes it so much easier to line everything up accurately. I am totally not a gadget quilter and I really like to keep things simple in my work area, but I do love this ruler.  I’ve put all my other rulers into a drawer and the 6”x6”, the 6”x 12”, and just recently the 6”x24” of the Quilter’s Select rulers have claimed rights to my work area.

TIMELINE

Week One (January 18):

Get your materials together:

Fabrics

Pattern

Week Two (January 25):

BLOCK UNITS

Week Three (February 1):

MORE BLOCK UNITS

Week Four (February 8):

CONSTRUCTING THE BLOCKS

Week Five (February 15):

SASHING & CORNERSTONES

SIDE & CORNER TRIANGLES

Week Six (February 22):

Sew your quilt top together!!!

LOCATION

This quilt along will take place primarily on the QuiltBitz Blog. Instructions will be posted on the dates noted above as well as any clarifications, questions and answers as they happen.   Updates and reminders will be posted to Instagram, so be sure follow and post your progress using
#QUILTBITZQUILTALONG to participate!   We can all encourage one another by searching this hashtag.

Also, be sure to sign up on the QuiltBitz Blog so that you receive notification of updates as they happen or let me know if you prefer to be notified by email.  If you have any questions please let me know!

Remember to invite your friends to join us as well!

'til next time!

QB

Welcome!

December 2019 has become a season of new beginnings for me after a year of a few sad endings.

In 2019 our family has had to say goodbye to two very important people in our lives and the festive season is definitely bittersweet this year.  A new normal is sought by us all.

Another ending, which brought about this new beginning for me, is my career in the workforce.  As I write this I am on vacation from work until December 31st and then moving on to chase my life-long dream of playing with fabric, designing patterns and working with the most amazing people I know - Quilters!

December 1st was the launch of the new website and a new career.  Thank you to all of the wonderful good wishes and all the interest in visiting www.QuiltBitz.ca.  Everyone has been so welcoming!

With the New Year barrelling down on us many plans and ideas are taking shape for 2020.  Of course some of you will have noticed the many Pre-Order collections that will be trickling into the studio over the coming months.  Many new patterns will also be added and bundles of fabric in different shapes and sizes will also be posted on the website.

Quilt-alongs and programs are being researched and it is hoped that those will be coming sooner than later, so keep an eye out for those.

If you haven't signed up for the newsletter on the website yet, please do - that way you will find out all the happenings!  Of course you can also follow this blog (see sidebar to sign up) to receive updates through the blog posts and also see more of the behind the scenes goings on here at the QuiltBitz Studio.

I am so excited to start on this new beginning and look forward to you sharing the journey with me.  I appreciate and treasure every comment and email from you and encourage you to reach out whenever you can.  The sharing of our love of fabric, quilting and friendships keeps us all moving forward.

And, so it begins ......

Wishing everyone a Happy Festive Season!

'til next time
QB