Summer Solstice Quilt-A-Long - Building Blocks

**  NOTE  - This post is part of a series of posts for the Summer Solstice Quilt-A-Long.  If you would like to join (and have a chance to win $100.00 Gift Certificate and Fat Quarter Bundle 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

June 9th- Intro, Fabric Requirements, and Prizes Announcement

June 23rd - Cutting 

 July 7th - Flying Geese 

July 21st - Half Square Triangles 

August 4th - Drunkards Path

August 18th - Building Blocks (Today) 

September 1st - Piecing Top and Grand Prize Linky

September 15th- Summer Solstice Parade and Grand Prize Winners

Now, first off for this week, we need to pick a winner for the Drunkard Path Assignment.   And great job to everyone on their fantastic curves!!!  I know that was really stepping out of some comfort zones for a lot of us, and I am just so happy that so many were willing to try something new ;)

The Drunkard Path assignment winner who gets a  Fat Eighth Bundle of Kim Diehl's new Fabric, Welcome Wagon from Kimberly's Fabric Stash. is . . .

#16 - Grammie Q!! - Congrats :)

And here we go!!!  I am super excited for today because now you get to see all of your work over the past month and a half come together into beautiful Summer Solstice blocks!!!   So, so, so fun!!!!   And just a quick note before we start, this weeks assignment is HUGE!!!  Especially if you are doing some of the larger layouts.   So with that said, the assignment on Sept. 1st is really small in comparison.  So . .  .if you can only get one, or two, or half of your blocks made in the next 2 weeks, no worries!!!  Link those up and then continue to work on them into the coming weeks ;)  Okay, so let's get going.  

THIS WEEKS ASSIGNMENT - BUILDING BLOCKS

So, to Start this week, we need to first gather all the pieces we need for a block.  If you are doing the 1 x 1 layout, you have already picked your layouts when you initially cut your "center star", "surround", and "corner" fabrics.   But, if you are doing the 2 x 2, 3 x 3, or 4 x 4 layouts, you will now need to decide what fabrics you want to pair together in each block.   (And remember, when you go to get your pieces from your piles, there will be more pieces of that same fabric sometimes, there not extra, they will just be used in another block :)

PICKING YOUR PIECES

We will be building the block in 3 separate parts.   The Star, The Corners, and The Sides.  Gather the following fabrics for 1 Block and group them in piles of Star, Corner, and Sides.
        For the Star - Gather 4 Flying Geese Units, 4 Print Crust Drunkard Path Units, and 4 Background Squares.  The Flying Geese Units and Print Crust Drunkard Path Units all need to be from the same Print Fabric.
        For the Corners - Gather 8 Half Square Triangle Units, and 8 Background Squares.   The Half Square Triangle Units all need to be from the same Print Fabric and a different Print Fabric than you choose for the Star Print Fabrics.
        For the Sides - Gather 8 Print Pie Drunkard Path Units, 8 Half Square Triangle Units, and 4 Flying Geese Units.   All of these units should be from the same Print Fabric and a different Print Fabric than you choose for the Corner and Star Print Fabrics.   Finally, to the gathered units, add 8 additional Half Square Triangle Units from the same Print Fabric as your Corner Print Fabrics.

So now you should have 3 piles, a Star pile, a Corner pile, and a Side pile.   This is the trickiest part to get all of the pieces together so take a second to be sure you are all set.   Here is a picture of the final block broken down into the Star, Corners, and Sides to help you visualize how you are pairing up your fabrics ;) 

And with the pieces for your blocks all picked out, you are ready to start Building your Block!!!!  

BUILDING THE CORNERS 

We will start with the Corners so grab that stack of pieces :)  Layout 2 HST's and 2 Background Squares as shown below.   Stack 4 sets on top of one another as we will be chain stitching each step of all 4 corners.

Place the second square in each row onto the first square with right sides together.  Stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge.

And remember, you want to chain stitch, so you should have 4 top row sets and 4 bottom row sets all in a nice long snake.  Then go ahead and trim the threads between your sets.

Press the seam allowances towards the background squares.  This avoids bulk and will allow us to nest those center seams.

Now place the top row onto the bottom row with right sides together.  Align/Nest your center seam and pin it in place.  I like to add a pin at the beginning and end of my stitching as well (you will see this throughout the tutorial)  just to keep everything in place.  Chain Stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge of all 4 sets.

Then clip your threads and press the seam allowance open.  And just like that, your 4 Corner Units are done ;)   Set these aside for the moment.

BUILDING THE SIDES

And now we are moving on to the Sides so grab that stack of pieces :)  Layout 4 HST's (2 different fabrics) , 2 Drunkard Path, and 1 Flying Geese Unit  as shown below.   Stack 4 sets on top of one another as once again,  we will be chain stitching each step of all 4 sides. 

To start, we are going to sew our curves together.  Place the first Drunkard Path block onto the second with right sides together.   Take care to really Align and match the seam of your 2 curves and pin it in place.     Chain stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge of all 4 pinned sets.

Clip your threads between stitches and then Press the seam open.   Isn't it so fun to see how nice that curve lines up.  

Now place the bottom row of pieces onto the top row of pieces with right sides together.  Align and pin the center seam of the flying geese unit.  You want to make sure that the point of the flying geese (where the thread makes the X) is directly aligned with the center seam of the drunkard paths below.  Then chain stitch a 1/4" seam along the edges of all 12 pairings (3 pieces in 4 sets) .

And when you are chain stitching your Flying Geese sets, you will notice once again that X in the stitching that we made sure was aligned to the center seam.  Once again, it will come in handy for getting perfect points.  If you stitch your seam directly through the center of that thread X you will get a nice perfect point on your flying geese.  And it is okay if it is a bit off a 1/4" seam, just stitch a few stitches moving up or down to cross through that center and then use a few stitches to get back to 1/4".

The clip the threads between the pairings and press the seam allowances open.

Finally, place the side columns onto the center column with right sides together.   And this is where I get to share my fun ***Pin Trick***  that you can use to get Perfect Points when 2 points line up. And we will be using the Pin Trick a whole lot while making this block.
 

So the idea of the Pin Trick is aligning points of seams.  So to do this, Stick a pin through the bottom point of the little fabric V in your center seam allowance.

Now stick that same pin through the edge of the Curve Point, where the Pie and Crust meet at the seam.

Then, stand the pin up straight and tall so that the 2 points it is sticking through are aligned perfectly.  Now use another pin to pin the two pieces in place.  I like to have this pin go in one side of the seam and come out the other, on a slight diagonal, that way I know my perfectly aligned seam won't shift.
Use the Pin trick to pin all 4 sets on either side and then chain stitch a 1/4" seam along all 4 left pinned sides.  Clip your threads, and then chain stitch a 1/4" seam along all 4 right pinned sides.

And while you are chain stitching, again, you can ensure that your perfectly aligned points come out perfect by being sure you seam crosses directly over the bottom of the little fabric V that is created in the seam.  Just like before, it is okay if you move up or down a bit, just catch that point ;)

Then clip your threads and press the seams open.   And you have 4 Side Units!!!

And just a side note here, I know a lot of you are worried about your Drunkard Path blocks "lining up".  This is why we always match points first, so you don't have to worry about that ;)  Just focus on your points lining up as I have shown above and then align the corners and pin those.  If you have a little piece of "crust" sticking out the middle that doesn't want to line up, use your Flying geese or HST units as your 1/4" references as they will be more "squared up" ;)   Use this little hint throughout the rest of the tutorial and most of all have fun while doing it ;)  

BUILDING THE STAR

Alright, so now we can move onto the Center of the block, which just happens to be my favorite part because it is a Star!!!  So grab the pieces that are left setting aside in your Star pile and lay them out as shown below.  And we are only making 1 of these ;)  

And we are going to start in the center of the star by sewing our Curves together first.    Place the second Drunkard Path block onto the first with right sides together.   Take care to really Align and match the seams of your 2 curves and pin it in place.  Chain Stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge of  the 2 sets (top and bottom row).

Clip your threads and Press the Seam Open.

Now place the top row onto the bottom row with right sides together.  Again, take care to align and pin the curved seams as well as the center seam.   Stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge.

Press the seam allowance open.   And now your center of your center star is done and it makes the prettiest little circle.  So fun!!

Next, place the side units in each row onto the center units with right sides together.  Go ahead and chain stitch a 1/4" seam along the top and bottom rows along either side.  Then for the center row, we are going to use the pin trick again.

Stick a pin directly through the center of the X that is created in the threads of the flying geese unit.

Now, stick the same pin through the center seam allowance where the curve of the Crust and the Curve of the Pie meet.

And then stand the pin up straight so the points you just went through are aligned perfectly and then use a second pin to pin the pieces in place.

Repeat for the second side and then stitch a 1/4" seam along the two pinned edges.    (note - you will notice in this picture, just like my little hint, that all of my edges are not perfectly aligned.  But I am not worried about that, as long as I pinned my points, and then pinned the corners to match up, I can hide the rest of that little unaligned part in the seam allowance. )

And again, when you are stitching your 1/4" seam allowance, be sure and stitch directly through the center of that thread X so that your perfectly aligned points are sewn perfectly as well :)

Now press the seam allowances for the top and bottom row outwards towards the background square.   Press the seam allowances in the center row open to avoid bulk.

And all that is left is to place the top and bottom row onto the center row with right sides together.  Use the Pin Trick again (You are an expert as this now :)  to align and pin the center seams and then align and pin the side seams.  Sew a 1/4" seam along each pinned edge taking care to cross through the center thread X with your seam so you get those nice perfect points.

And then press the two seam allowances open.   And there you have it, a beautiful Star Unit!!!

BUILDING THE BLOCK

So you have the 4 Corners, 4 Sides, and 1 Star and it is time to put it all together.  Layout the Units as shown below. And this is just like making a giant 9 patch with lots of Pin Tricks to align your points!!

Place the side units onto the center units with right sides together.  You will use the Pin torick to align all 4 seams on each side.

For the Top and Bottom Rows pin trick, you will stick the Pin through the bottom point of the V (that can be made of fabric or thread, depending on how the seam is pressed) and then through the Point of the HST.  Use this on all 4 top and bottom row seams.

For the Center Row pin trick, you will stick the Pin through the bottom point of the fabric V and then through the Point of the Star.  Use this on all 4 center row seams.

Add a few pins on the corners and then stitch a 1/4" seam allowance along the side of all your pinned edges.   And you know there are those little perfect sewing tricks too ;)

For the top and bottom row, be sure and stitch right through the bottom of the V that again, is made in thread or fabric ;)

And the same for the center row, stitch through the bottom of the fabric V for that perfect point every time ;)  And you can chain stitch all 3 left sides and then all 3 right sides to save time.

Clip your threads, and then press all 6 seam allowances open.

And the last step just like the previous but on a larger scale.   Place the top and bottom row onto the center row with right sides together.  Use the Pin Trick to align and pin all of your seams.   Stitch a 1/4" seam allowance along the pinned edges taking care to stitch directly along the bottom of all the little V's for perfect points.

Press the seam allowances open and Wha La!!!!  One Beautiful Summer Solstice Block!!!!

DONE and Done . . . . Well, if you are doing a 1 x 1 layout yes ;)   If you are doing a 2 x 2 , or 3 x 3 , or 4 x 4 layout, you have a little more stitching to do ;)

You can choose to continue stitching one block at a time, or you can move to assembly line style.

If you move to assembly line style, sort all of your pieces into Stars, Corners, and Sides as shown below.

Then at each step, stack up all of the units for all of your blocks in the layouts as shown below.

As you can imagine, that can get a little trickier to do assembly line at some of the units with more pieces, but it will save a lot of time if you can keep it all straight ;)

Either way, 1 block at a time, or assembly line, just keep stitching, and enjoy seeing your blocks come together!!!!

And with that, you are ready to now enter to win the weekly prize!!!!!   And like I said before, You don't have to get all of your blocks done to enter. (you will notice I am only showing 1 block, there is a reason for that ;)   Get however many you can in the two weeks and link those up ;)  You will have more time to finish the rest in the coming assignment ;)

The Weekly Prize is sponsored by Olie and Evie and a huge thanks goes out to them for their support of the Summer Solstice Quilt-A-Long.

This weeks prize is for a super fantastic Just A Speck Jelly Roll by Jen Kingwell for Moda !!!!  EEEkkk, I just love polka dots!!!

    

So what do you have to do for a chance to win this awesome Jelly Roll?  Simple . . . Just link up your Summer Solstice Block(s) :)  You can link to a blog post or a flickr picture, or whatever.  Just make sure to link up by the morning of Thursday September 1st when I will be announcing a winner in the next post :)

If you don't get your Summer Solstice Block done by September 1st 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 beautiful  to the Happy Quilting Quilt-A-Long Flickr group and to post it on social media with using #summersolsticequiltalong.    I am so excited to see all of your Summer Solstice Blocks come together, I have been looking forward to this from day 1!!!

So let's get our Pin Trick and Seam Crossing Stitching On!!!!   Oh, and if you have questions, don't hesitate to email me at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com.  Have a Happy Quilting Day!!

An InLinkz Link-up

Top Spin Quilt & Tutorial

First off, I want to say a huge Thank You for all the sweet birthday wishes from yesterday ;)  It was a lovely day spent with family and you just can't ask for more than that!!

And Now, Today I am super excited to be sharing a new Moda Bake Shop Tutorial today!!!!  It's called Top Spin and I just love it!!!!

This is a whole lot of Half Square Triangle goodness in a fun diagonal layout that just gives it a wonderful geometric feel!!!  I just love the rotating sizes of HST's that really adds to the movement and dimension of the quilt.  And the scrappy low volume background is just so fun!!!!

The fabrics in Top Spin are Zen Chic's new Hey Dot line.    I just love the bright bold colors that just pop out from the fun white/light grey background prints.   I mean, how can you not see this and smile at all of that bright polka dot goodness!!!

And now that this Moda Bake Shop Tutorial has been published for a while, I can now post it here on my blog for your convenience ;)   So just follow along below for the full step-by-step tutorial.  And if you love it, you can get the printerfriendly version here :)  

Top Spin Finishes at 96" x 96".
So . . . Let's get to how to make your own Top Spin Quilt!!!!  Here is what you will need :

1 Fat Quarter Bundle of Hey Dot by Zen Chic
6 1/2  yards of assorted background fabrics
9 yards backing fabric
1 yard binding fabric

STEP 1 - CUTTING

Start by pressing 32 Fat Quarters from your Fat Quarter Bundle (I used all of the bright colors and left out those that had a white background.)
Cut (2) 6" x 6" squares, (2) 5" x 5" squares, and (2) 4" x 4" squares from each of the 32 Fat Quarters.
You will have a total of (64) 6" x 6" squares, (64) 5" x 5" squares, and (64)  4" x 4" squares
From your assorted low volume background yardage cut the following:
(64) 5 1/2" x 7 1/2" rectangles
(64) 4 1/2" x 5 1/2"  rectangles
(64) 3 1/2" x 9 1/2"  rectangles
(64) 3 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangles

STEP 2 - HALF SQUARE TRIANGLES

And with all of the cutting done, we are ready to start sewing.  We will start with Half Square Triangle Units.  Gather 32 squares (that is 1 of each print) from each of your 3 sizes of squares.  (So you should have 96 squares at the moment.)  Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of each squares.  I like to use a Frixon pen so my lines will erase with heat.

Now, place a marked square with an unmarked square of the same size with right sides together.  Stitch a 1/4" seam along either side of the drawn line.  You will be doing this for all 32 sets of each of the 3 sizes  (96 sets total).

The easiest and quickest way to do this is to chain stitch.  So go ahead and pair up all 96 sets.  You can pin along either side of the drawn line if you like.  Then stitch a 1/4" seam along the left hand side of the line.  When you reach the end of one square, don't stop, just feed the next sew of squares into the machine.   Continue in this fashion until you have stitched along the left hand side of all 96 sets in the 3 sizes.

Then clip the threads in between your squares and get ready to do it all over again.  Only this time, you are stitching on the right hand side of the drawn line.  Again, feed all 96 sets through your machine and then clip the threads between the sets.

Now, align your ruler along the drawn line and cut directly on the line.  This creates 2 triangles.  Go ahead and cut all 96 sets.   And then you can move over to your ironing board.  Press your seam allowances on all 192 Half Square Triangle units to one side.  I like to press to the darker fabric.

And go ahead and and put your squares into piles of 64 Large squares, 64 Medium squares, and 64 Small squares.  And you are all set for some serious trimming.  I recommend turning on a favorite movie at this point ;)

Trim your 64 Large Half Square Triangles to 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" square.   Trim your 64 Medium Half Square Triangles to 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" square.  And finally, trim your 64 Small Half Square Triangles to 3 1/2" x  3 1/2" square.  If you are new to trimming Half Square Triangles you can see this little Half Square Triangle Tutorial to help you along.  And as you can see, I am a big fan of the Bloc Loc Rulers for trimming ;)

I know, it takes a little while to do all of that trimming, but trust me, it is totally worth it as it allows you to get super pretty points!!!  So now you should have 3 piles of 64 Half Square Triangle each trimmed perfectly to the following sizes.

STEP 3 - MAKING THE BLOCK

And now we can move on to making the block.  There are 3 Rows in this block and we will start with the bottom row. Layout a 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" HST and a 5 1/2" x 7 1/2" background rectangle as shown below.  Be Careful to make sure the HST is pointing in the same direction as shown (they are easy to get flipped around).  Place the HST onto the rectangle with right sides together and stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge.   Press the seam allowance towards the background rectangle.  Repeat to make 64 Bottom Rows.

And onto the Top Row.  Layout a 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" HST and a 3 1/2" x 9 1/2" background rectangle as shown below.  Again, double check the HST placement.  Place the HST onto the rectangle with right sides together and stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge.   Press the seam allowance towards the background rectangle.  Repeat to make 64 Top Rows.

And finally, the Center Row.  Layout a 3 1/2" x 4 1/2" background rectangle, a 4 1/2" x 4 1/2"  HST and a 4 1/2" x 5 1/2" background rectangle as shown below.  Double check that HST.  Place the 3 1/2" x 4 1/2" background rectangle onto the HST  with right sides together and stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge.   Then place the 4 1/2" x 5 1/2" rectangle onto the now sewn together HST with right sides together and stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge.  Press the seam allowances outwards toward the background rectangles.  Repeat to make 64 Center Rows.

And while you are making the 3 Rows, once again Chain Stitching will save you a whole lot of time.  I like to stack up all 64 of my rows and place them next to my machine.  Then just keep stitching away until you are done all 64.  Then move onto the other 2 rows.  You will be done in no time ;)

And now, you are ready to sew your rows into a block.  Layout your 3 rows as shown below.  (Once again, I like to stack all 64 of mine up so I can just chain stitch as I go ;)

Start by sewing the Top and Center Row together.   Place the Top Row onto the Center Row with right sides together.  Nest (and Pin if you like) the seam together and stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge.

Then place the Bottom Row onto the now sewn together Top and Center Row with right sides together.  Nest (and pin if you like) the Rows together and sew a 1/4" seam along the edge.    Then press the seam allowances open.

Repeat or Chain Stitch for all 64 Blocks.  They should measure 12 1/2" x 12 1/2" unfinished.

STEP 4 - MAKING THE QUILT TOP

And now, the blocks are ready to be sewing into a quilt top.  There are 2 different row layouts in this quilt and 4 rows of each layout.   Layout your blocks in the following two layouts, stacking 4 rows on top of each layout.

Now you can sew the rows together.  To do this, place the second block onto the first with right sides together and pin if you like.  Stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge. (shown in row 2)  Now place the Third block onto the now sewn together Blocks 1 and 2 with right sides together and pin if you like.  Stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge.  (shown in row 3).

Continue in this fashion until you have sewn all the blocks in the row together.  Then repeat to sew all 8 rows together, 4 rows each of the 2 different layouts.   Press the 4 rows in the first layout to the left and Press the 4 roes in the second layout to the right.  This will allow you to nest them later.

And now, all that is left is sewing the rows into a quilt top.  (Sorry, my room is a little small for this large quilt, it didn't quite all fit in the picture ;)   Layout your rows alternating the two row layouts as shown below.

And now it is just like sewing the blocks into rows, only on a much larger scale.  Place the first row onto the second row with right sides together.  Nest and Pin the seams together.  Stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge.

Now, place the third row onto the now sewn together first and second row with right sides together.  Nest and Pin the seams together.  Stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge.

Continue in this fashion sewing the rows together.  I like to sew the first 4 rows together and then start over sewing the last 4 rows together.  This just means I have less bulk at the machine to deal with ;)   And then all that is left is to place the two halves together with right sides together, nest and pin the seams, and then sew a 1/4" seam along the edge.

And your quilt top is all sewn together!!!  Now just press the seams to one side or open, whichever your prefer, and you quilt top is done!!!  Wasn't that so fast and fun!!!

STEP 5 - FINISH THE QUILT

So . . . Let's finish it up ;)  Time to  Baste It, Quilt It, and Bind It!!!  Which is a whole lot in one little sentence.  If you are new to quilting, you can see my Finishing Your Quilt Series of video tutorials that will walk you through Basting, Quilting, and Binding step by step ;)

I had a lot of fun quilting up this quilt ;)  I quilted my favorite small Swirl and Curl in the Background and double arches in the HST's.  You can really see how it stands out on the awesome backing fabric, so fun!!!

Then just cut your Binding Yardage into (10) 2 1/2" x 42" strips to make a binding and bind your quilt.   And all that is left is to sit back and snuggle in that wonderful quilty goodness :)

STEP 6 - ENJOY

Top Spin finishes at 96" x 96" making it the perfect fit for your queen size bed.  And with all of that wonderful movement and happy prints, it is sure to make you smile each time you see it ;)

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial and find it easy to follow.  If you make your own Top Spin Quilt I would love to see it!!  You can email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com or or post it to social media with the hashtag #happyquiltingwithmc add it to my flickr group here ;)  I can't wait to see your Top Spin Quilts!!!

This quilt is so fun in a matching line, but it would also be a great scrap buster quilt!!!   Think of all the low volume scraps you could burn through and how fun it would be to selectively pick out fabrics for all of those wonderful HST's.   And you could also piece all those HST's as Leaders And Enders so it could be one of those awesome bonus quilts too ;)  So fun!!!  

And one last note on Top Spin that really makes me smile :)  I made this quilt specifically for a family member that is having some health struggles at the moment.   And I got the nicest picture from her the other day of it on her bed and a note of how happy it makes her.   And that is why I love making quilts, they really are warm hugs that can be shared each day!!!!

Thanks for popping in today and each and every day!!!   I truly feel blessed each day to be part of such an amazing industry and to get to share it with so many wonderful quilty friends!!

 I hope you all have a very Happy Quilting Day!!!!

Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!!

It's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!!  Let's have some fun!!!

First,  we need to announce the winner from last weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway!!   The winner of the $25.00 Gift Certificate to Lou Lou's Fabric Shop  is . . .   Number #216 . . . Congrats  Dawn!!! I have emailed you :)    

  

    

And on to today's

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is being sponsored by Fat Quarter Shop.   Fat Quarter Shop is amazing and they never cease to amaze me with everything they have going on at their shop!!!     And did you know they have a Pre-cut Special every week!!!  I love me some pre-cuts!!!!

And for today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Fat Quarter Shop is giving one luck reader a $50.00 Fat Quarter Shop Gift Certificate!!!! Someone is going to have a whole lot of fun shopping!!!

You have two entry chances, the second being optional, and please leave a separate comment for each.  All Entries are welcome, including International Entries.  Please just be sure to leave an email address if you are a no-reply blogger ;)  

ENTRY 1 - Simply leave a comment that has the number 37 in it!!   (So ya, it's my 37th Birthday today and I am excited to celebrate 37 amazing years ;)  

 ENTRY 2 - Show your Fat Quarter Shop love.   You can follow them on   Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, You Tube or at their Blog.  You can Sign up for their Newsletter which will ensure you catch all of their amazing sales, or you can visit The Shop and then share a favorite item ;)   Just be sure to leave a comment of how you showed your Fat Quarter Shop Love!!!

And that's it ;)  The giveaway will be open until next Tuesday, August 23rd , when I will announce a winner at the beginning of next weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Post :)

Good Luck and Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!

Crossroads Quilt Along - Quilt Top

Yippee, it's the 15th and that means it is time for another Crossroads Quilt Along post !!!    And today is so very exciting because we are finishing up the Quilt Top!!!!  EEEkkk, I just love seeing a quilt top come together and I am just over the moon with how the  Crossroads Quilt Along quilt has come together!!!.

And you will probably have noticed, I still have to add a few borders, but I was so excited about all the blocks together I just couldn't not share ;)     I am happy to say that I did manage to get all my HST's on a roll pieced and cut last weekend, now I just need to tear out the papers and press them.  (And yes, I got bogged down on the tear the papers out part, le sigh.)    But no worries, I will get those borders on soon ;)

But back to the rest of the quilt top because it is just to cute not to see a few more times.   I just love the fun scrappy chain that ties all of those adorable little 8" blocks together.   I really am just thrilled with how adorable it is not that it is all together ;)     It totally keeps making me think of Little House on the Prairie and I just love that about it,

If you sewing along or want to join in on the fun,  you can download the finishing pattern right here and then don't forget to donate the $5.00 for the pattern to the March of Dimes  ;)  This QAL is is coming to a close soon but there is still time to raise funds for premature babies.  It is just incredible to see how much has already been done to help!!

And like always,  Kimberly and Joanna , have made a fabulous You Tube video that walks you through putting the quilt top together step by step.  So if you have never played with HST's on a roll, you are going to learn something new ;)  

Be sure to  share all of your Crossroads progress on social media with #crossroadsquiltalong and check out these fabulous bloggers who are quilting along for some Chain Block inspiration :)  

Joanna of Fig Tree Quilts (@figtreequilts)
Pat Sloan (@quilterpatsloan)
April of Prairie Grass Patterns (@amrosenthal)
Tina of Emily Ann's Kloset (@emilyannskloset)
Melissa of Oh How Sweet (@ohhowsweet)
Angie of Gnome Angel (@gnomeangel)
Vanessa of Lella Boutique (@lellaboutique)
Melissa of Happy Quilting (@happyquiltingmc)
Erin of Why Not Sew (@whynotsewquilts)
Greg of Grey Dogwood Studio (@greydogwoodstudio)
Sondra of Out of the Blue Quilts (@sondradavison)
Sedef of Down Grapevine Lane (@downgrapevinelane)
Taunja of Carried Away Quilting (@taunjalynn)

 See you on the 15th of September when we will be making the Backing, almost all done!!!!  So exciting!!!

Thanks for popping in today ;)  Have a Happy Quilting Day!!