Star Surround Quilt-A-Long - Surrounds

**  NOTE  - This post is part of a series of posts for the Star Surround Quilt-A-Long.  If you would like to join (and have a chance to win one of 4 of the $75.00 Gift Certificate grand prizes sponsored by The Intrepid Thread and Fat Quarter Shop ) you can find a list of the post links here :)  Here is the schedule

July 15th - Intro, Fabric Requirements, and Prize Announcement

July 22 - Cutting

July 29 - Half Square Triangles

Aug 5 - Flying Geese

Aug 12 - Building Block Centers

Aug 19 - Building Block Surround

Aug 26 - Piecing Top and Grand Prize Linky

Sept 16 - Star Surround Parade and Grand Prize Winners

It's time for a winner from the Star Center Assignment.  And I have to say, I am so excited about how many of you are quilting-a-long with me.  Normally people start falling off as you get father into one of these but I am seeing the opposite, we keep growing.  It is just awesome and oh so much fun.  So thank you!!!!

The Star Center Assignment winner who gets  a  8 Fat Quarters from Parson Gray's new line Curious Nature from  The Scarlet Thread Quilt Co.  is #53- Kate!!! - Congrats :) 

  

Alright, it's Another week and another new assignment.  This weeks assignment is building the pieces for the Star Surround.  Yes, were just building the pieces.  I know a lot of you were planning on seeing your whole block come together in this assignment but that is actually part of next week, mostly because it evens the work load and gives those people doing a 1 x 1 layout something to do next week.  (But, if you are so excited and just can't wait, I won't mind if you work ahead :) 

THIS WEEKS ASSIGNMENT  - STAR SURROUNDS

So, here is where we use up all the pieces that you have left.  For each block in your project you will need to have 12 Flying Geese and 12 squares all of the same print.  You will need 8 background squares.  And finally, you will need 2 HST's.  Now, which HST's you choose is your choice.  I personally am using 2 of each print from the star that will be inside this particular surround.  You can choose to lay yours out this way, or you can just randomly pick any HST's to mix it up a bit.  Totally your decision.

But if you do decide to follow my lead and use the prints from the stars, I suggest matching each surround print to a star, just so you make sure you don't end up with any repeat prints in the end :)

This weeks assignment is broken into 2 parts the Corners and the Sides.  We will start with the Corners.

CORNERS

For each corner you will need 2 background squares, 1 HST, and 1 print square.  You will be making 4 corners per block.  Lay your 4 squares out as follows.

Place the right hand side squares onto the left hand squares with right sides together.  Sew a 1/4" seam along the edges aligning as you go.  Press towards the background fabric in both sets so your seams will nest.

Now, this part is pretty easy to chain stitch if you so desire.  Simply make a big stack of print and background squares and sew them all in a big chain.  Do the same for the HST and the background square, just take care that your HST is always facing the right direction.

Lay your top row onto your bottom with right sides together.  Nest and pin your center seam in place.  Sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge.  Press your seam open.  Once again, I liked to pin all of my pieces for all of my blocks and then chain stitch them.  Just take care that you are adding the right tops to bottoms if you are not doing a random layout ;)

And you are done with a corner.  If you haven't been chain stitching you will need to repeat the process to create a total of 4 corners for each block in your project.

 SIDES

And now, you are ready to move onto the sides of the surround.  For each side you will need 3 flying geese units and 2 print squares.  You will be making a total of 4 sides per block.  Lay your pieces out as follows.

We will be sewing the pieces into rows.  For the top row, place the right hand side onto the left with right sides together.  Sew a 1/4" seam along the edge and press seam open.  For the bottom row, place a print square onto either side of the geese unit.  Sew a 1/4" seam along each edge and press towards the print square.

Once again, this is another step that I found really helpful to chain stitch.  I know, you are a pro at this now!!!  For the top row, I sewed 4 sets of flying geese of each print in a row followed by the next 4 sets and sew on.  When sewing these, I just aligned as I went, lifting the corner of each flying geese to make sure that my seams on the geese were aligning.  That is what will give you the perfect point.   I then chain stitched the second row adding the left hand square to the geese unit for all of my units and then clipping threads and going back and adding the right hand square. 

 With your two rows pressed, place the top row onto the bottom row with right sides together.  There won't be any seams to match, but I still pin this in place to keep it from shifting.  Sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge and press open.

When sewing your 1/4" seam, take care to sew directly along the bottom of the print "v" when sewing across the seam.  This will give you a nice perfect point.

And your side is complete.  If you haven't been chain stitching, you will want to repeat these steps to create a total of 4 sides per block in your project.

And that is this weeks assignment all completed.  4 Corners and 4 Sides for each of the blocks in your project.

And here are my pieces all done :)  So get sewing and when your pieces are complete you can enter to win the weekly prize :)

The Weekly Prize is sponsored by Southern Fabric. and a huge thanks goes out to Aubrey for her support of the Star Surround Quilt-A-Long.

This weeks  prize is $25.00 Gift Certificate to Southern Fabric!!.  Yup, so you basically get to pic your own prize, so exciting!!!

    

So what do you have to do for a chance to win these fat quarters?  Simple . . . Just link up your Surround pieces at the end of this post :)  You can link to a blog post or a flickr picture, or whatever.  Just make sure to link up by next Monday morning as I will be announcing a winner in next weeks post :)

If you don't get your Surround Pieces done by next week you can still link it up :) (just not in time for the prize :) The linky will remain open until the end of the Quilt-A-Long.  So if your out of town, or just had a busy week, no worries!!!  Just link up when you can :)

And don't forget to add your Stars to the Happy Quilting Quilt-A-Long Flickr group!!!  I am just so excited, we are nearing the end!!  

So let's get sewing!!!  And if you have questions, don't hesitate to email me at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com.  Have a Happy Quilting Day!!

Petal Pop - A Quick Quilts Quilt

I have been so excited to share this finish for months!!  I tell you, secret quilting is hard.  But, today is the day I can share.  Yippee!!!  And so, without further ado this is Petal Pop!!!

Oh, I just love the way this turned out.  I love that the design really lends itself to a vintage feel.  The design was inspired by a tatting that I saw once and fell in love with.  And this quilt is a monster.  Coming in at 106" x 106"  it will be perfect for my king size bed :)  Can't wait for it to make it's way home and have some options for what decorates my bed :)

The pattern for this quilt can be found in this month's edition of McCall's Quick Quilts.  And yes, it really is a quick quilt, even though it is such a large one.  This quilt is made entirely of jelly rolls and big blocks, so yup, it really is quick :)

I used Mimi by Chez Moi for Moda Fabrics. I really think the soft tones and beautiful prints really added to the vintage feel that I was going for.   Thank you again Moda for providing these beautiful Jelly Rolls for me.  And because Moda provided earlier prints for me, you can actually still find Mimi in the stores.  Yippee!!!

The quilting was done by an amazing gal here in Cedar City.  Her name is Linda Walters.   She quilted free motion feathers in the background and then curves on the petals with a flower in the center of each pieced flower.  She added so much beauty and texture to the quilt with her amazing quilting.  Thanks again Linda!!!

So that's Petal Pop.  Ahh, I am just so excited!!  Each time I am published it is like the first.  I have a little perma grin all day :)  I just can't help but smiling.  And I am off to JoAnn's this morning where I will find the magazine in the shelf and do a little happy dance most likely.  I tell you, it is hard not to run up to the cashier and be all "look, I made this".  But I have restrained myself from going that far :)  

But why am I going to JoAnn's???  Well, It's my birthday today and I am off to buy myself a new cutting mat.  Mine has gorges on several of the cutting line from all the use it has taken.  And, since it is my birthday, (like how I just tried to slide that in there)  I want to do a little celebrating.  So, leave me a comment on what is your favorite type of dessert to have on your birthday (mine is cheesecake) and I will draw 3 winners next Tuesday to send 4 patterns of their choice to :)  Yippee!!!



Have a Happy Quilting Weekend.

I am linking up to Amanda's and Sarah's :)

Bits and Pieces

Today's just some here and there bits and pieces.  A reminder, a publish, and a winner :)  So . . . 

Just a Reminder that today  is the last day to pop on over to Craftsy for a chance to win a free Craftsy class!!!!   So if you haven't done so yet, be sure to jump on over and have your chance to win  a free Craftsy class ;)

I am excited to announce that I have been published in another Fave Quilts E-Book.  These are such fun little books that give you so many amazing patterns all in one place.  And they are FREE!!!  You can't beat that.  This particular E-book is all about Stars and my Scrappy Rainbow Star is part of it.  Yippee Skippee.  So pop on over to Fave Quilts and check out this star along with all of the other Star patterns :)

And the last bit today  is a winner of the Slice Giveaway!!!  Thank you again to Slice for sponsoring this wonderful giveaway and allowing me to share this great product.   So without further ado . . . 

The winner of the Slice Starter Kit and Design Card of their choice is . . . 

Who happens to be . . . 

Congrats Cathy!!  Enjoy your new Slice :)

And that about covers all the bits and pieces for today.  See ya tomorrow :)

All Night Sew and Quilts for Kids

This weekend we traveled to Salt Lake for some family events.  One that I threw into the mix was an All Night Sew!!!  On Friday night my Mom, my Sister, My Sister in Law, my Grandmother and I got together for some quilting goodness.

I brought up 3 sewing machines (one mine and 2 my MIL's) a whole bunch of snuggle flannel and we got busy.  There was cutting, sewing, pressing, and . . .

Lots and lots of laughing!!  Seriously, I nearly peed my pants a few times with all of the giggling we were doing.

But among all of the giggling, there was progress.  Which makes me so incredibly happy because this little event had a purpose.  We decided we wanted to make quilts  for Primary Children's Hospital as a way to say Thank You for everything they did for little David.  (who is now home with his family and doing well, Yippee!! :)

And we certainly got on Stitch On and did just that.  

By 11:30 pm  (ya, we are getting old and all night now means Midnight :) we had 4 girl tops sewn.  So cute and adorable and soft and cuddly!!

And 4 boy tops.  What boy doesn't love Monkey's and Dinosaurs :)  Now I just need to quilt and bind.  Hopefully that can get done in the near future.  

So do you have a great cause in your area to quilt for??  Cause now is the time to get your stitch on and quilt for kids!!  Katie at Swim Bike Quilt is hosting her annual 100 Quilts for Kids event.  You can find all about it and link up your quilts for kids here, and you can also check out all the great prizes you can win here, and here. (Including some Happy Quilting Patterns :)   Of course we don't need prizes to want to quilt for kids, but a little added incentive is always nice :)  You have until Sept 30th so there is still plenty of time to participate.  So gather a few friends or family and have your own all night sew :)

I mean, what could be better than a night of helping kids bundled with general silliness like this :)  (It cracks me up that the cord from the machine looks like it is coming out of my sister's ear, to funny!!)

That's it for me, Have a Happy Quilting Day!!

Star Surround Quilt-A-Long - Star Centers

**  NOTE  - This post is part of a series of posts for the Star Surround Quilt-A-Long.  If you would like to join (and have a chance to win one of 4 of the $75.00 Gift Certificate grand prizes sponsored by The Intrepid Thread and Fat Quarter Shop ) you can find a list of the post links here :)  Here is the schedule

July 15th - Intro, Fabric Requirements, and Prize Announcement

July 22 - Cutting

July 29 - Half Square Triangles

Aug 5 - Flying Geese

Aug 12 - Building Block Centers

Aug 19 - Building Block Surround

Aug 26 - Piecing Top and Grand Prize Linky

Sept 16 - Star Surround Parade and Grand Prize Winners

Now, first off for this week, we need to pick a winner for the Flying Geese Assignment.  I am so glad that so many of you really enjoyed this method of sewing Flying Geese.  That is what Quilt-A-Longs are all about, trying new things :)

The Flying Geese Assignment winner who gets two Aspen Frost Charm Packs from The Rustic Rooster Quilt Shop is #65 - Wendi @ Bethadee Zoo !!! - Congrats :)  

  

Alright, it's Another week and another new assignment.  This weeks assignment is the Star Centers.  Yippee!!  We get to start seeing the blocks come together this week.  I am so excited!!! 

THIS WEEKS ASSIGNMENT  - STAR CENTERS

So, let's get to it.  To make a star center, you will need to grab one pile of HST's and 4 background squares that are 4 1/2" x 4 1/2".  From the piles of HST's you will want to remove 2 Background/Fabric A and 2 Background/Fabric B HST's and set them aside for another day.  So you should have 16 HST's that look something like this :)

Lay the 16 HST's out as follows.  Now a note on sewing these together.  I only sew one center at a time rather than chain stitch 9 of them at a time.  The reason for this is because it is so easy to accidentally sew the layout wrong.  Every time I sew, you will see that I lay my pieces out in a star again.  This helps me from getting twisted up.  So, with that, I will let you make the decision.  Please feel free to chain stitch all your stars if you like, just pay really close attention :) 

And now, you have another decision.  How do you want to sew your stars together.  There are lots of ways to choose from, and obviously, I have only done a tutorial for one way, but if it isn't the way you like, please sew yours as you prefer.  You can sew the pieces into rows and then the rows into a block.

You can sew the pieces into columns and then the columns into a block.

You can sew the center into a square, add the 2 sides, and then finish by adding the top and bottom row.  

But the way I like to sew these together, and the way I will be sharing, is sewing the pieces into 4 quadrants and then sewing the 4 quadrants into a block. 

So, to start, place all of your pieces from the second and fourth column onto the first and third column with right sides together.  Align the raw edges and stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge.

I do like to chain stitch all 8 of my sets at this point.  Then I press them without trimming the threads so I ensure that they are all in the same order to lay back out into the star.  I found while working on this, that pressing open really helps everything to lay flat.  But feel free to press to your own preference.

Once you have pressed your pairs, lay them back out into a star.  It should look something like this.

Now, take the top pair in each quadrant and lay it onto the bottom pair with right sides together.  Match the center seams and pin them in place.  Now you will notice, my top 2 are pressed to the side but I later wished I would have pressed them open.  

Also, the great thing about open seams is you can see where the HST's meet in your seams and sew your 1/4" seam right along the bottom of your other fabric triangle snippet allowing you to have perfect points.  (This picture isn't from this stage in the sewing as it was an afterthought to take it, but it does illustrate the little triangle seam snippets quite well :)   Press the seams.

So now you should have the four quadrants.  I know, it seems silly to lay it back out again, but trust me, it is easy to sew points facing inward :)

Place the right hand quadrants onto the left hand quadrants with right sides together.  Match the center seams again and pin them in place.  Sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge and press, taking care to sew right along the bottom of that little snippet in the seam and your points will be so crisp :)
  

And now you have 2 halves.  Only one seam left.

Place to top half onto the bottom half with right sides together.  Take care to match all 3 seams and pin them in place.  Sew a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge, once again watching all of those little seam triangle snippets to guide your seam.  Press.

And you have a beautiful star center!!  Now just rinse and repeat for how ever many blocks you are making.  

And here are my blocks all finished.  Sorry about the horrible lighting, it was super late when I took this picture :)

 And that's it!!  Make up your star centers and your is complete!!!  And now you can enter to win the weekly prize :)

The Weekly Prize is sponsored by The Scarlet Thread Quilt Co. and a huge thanks goes out to Julie for her support of the Star Surround Quilt-A-Long.

This weeks  prize is 8 Fat Quarters from Parson Gray's new line Curious Nature.  Oh my goodness, can I just say how much I love this line.  Oh my, what a stunning quilt these would make!!

    

So what do you have to do for a chance to win these fat quarters?  Simple . . . Just link up your Star Centers at the end of this post :)  You can link to a blog post or a flickr picture, or whatever.  Just make sure to link up by next Monday morning as I will be announcing a winner in next weeks post :)

If you don't get your Star Centers done by next week you can still link it up :) (just not in time for the prize :) The linky will remain open until the end of the Quilt-A-Long.  So if your out of town, or just had a busy week, no worries!!!  Just link up when you can :)

And don't forget to add your Stars to the Happy Quilting Quilt-A-Long Flickr group!!!  I am just so excited to see these blocks starting to come together!!  

So let's get sewing!!!  And if you have questions, don't hesitate to email me at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com.  Have a Happy Quilting Day!!