So Exciting!!! Today is the day!!!! The Seeing Stars Quilt-Along officially starts today!!! Today's post is everything you need to know to Quilt-A-Long. There will be a post every Wednesday starting August 15th, until September 26th going over each of the blocks, and then a Parade and Grand Prizes on October 17th. So lets go over how it's going to work!!
THE HOW TO
The Seeing Stars Quilt-Along is my own quilt design and I hope you enjoy putting it together and maybe even learn some new techniques along the way. Because of the random layout of this design, we are only doing one size and layout this year, the one shown. The quilt will finish at 80" x 80", but if you want to make it a larger queen or king size quilt, you can always add a few borders ;) We will start with the larger blocks and move to the smaller blocks. Because there are six blocks, and you don't have to make a whole lot of the blocks until we get to the smaller ones, we will be doing weekly assignments so hopefully everyone will be able to keep up even with the crazy lives that we all lead. (But if life does get crazy, and you fall behind, no worries!!! The tutorials will always be on my blog so you can come catch up whenever it works for you!!!) The schedule will be as follows
August 6th- Intro, Fabric Requirements, and Prizes Announcement (That's Today!!!)
August 15th - Double Star Block
August 22nd - Curvy Star Block
August 29th - Pinwheel Star Block
September 5th - Improv Star Block
September 12th - Basic Star Block
September 19th - Applique Star Block
September 26th - Piecing Top and Grand Prize Linky
October 17th- Seeing Stars Parade and Grand Prize Winners
So count on checking back each Wednesday to see what the next assignment will be. You will want to try to keep up as there will be prizes along the way!! Be sure to take a picture of your finished assignments so that you can link it up for the weekly prizes :) Oh, and if you are new to quilting, no worries, this will be super beginner friendly! I will go through each step in great detail in the Wednesday posts.
CHOOSING A PROJECT SIZE
Well, that is easy, because like I said, there is just one size this year!!! But I will say, if you find that 80" x 80" is overwhelming, feel free to make some blocks along the way and then sew them up in a sampler top, or border a few or whatever. It's your quilt so you make it the way you like!!!
As you can see, there are 6 different blocks, and you will be learning a few different techniques along the way, which is always exciting!!! And just so you know what size blocks you are making:
The Double Star Block is 24" finished
The Curvy Star Block is 20" finished
The Pinwheel Star Block is 16" finished
The Improv Star Block is 12" finished
The Basic Star Block is 8" finished
The Applique Star Block is 4" finished
Oh, and there are a few curves in this quilt and you will need to make a template for that. So while you are rounding up your fabric, also remember to round up something to make your templates from. I will be using
Extra Thick Plastic Template Sheets but you can use thick poster board, or cardboard or whatever you like to use best for templates ;)
And with that, we are ready to talk fabrics!!!!
THE FABRIC REQUIREMENTS
So for this quilt you will need "Print Fabrics" and a "Background Fabric". Print Fabrics (which can be solids) refer to the fabrics making up your Star Blocks. And the Background Fabric (which can also be a print) refers to the fabric making up the background of the quilt (ie. the white above). You will also need binding fabric and backing fabric so you are all ready to finish up your quilt. (Because we area all about finishes, no wip's here :)
Print Fabric Requirements
This is super easy, because this quilt is Fat Quarter Friendly. So all you will need is
18 - 25 Fat Quarters
Really, the sky is the limit on how many Fat Quarters you can use, as the more Fat Quarters, the more variety you will have in your quilt. If you have a Fat Quarter Bundle that you want to use that has more than 25 Fat Quarters, go for it!!! The more the merrier. But 18 is a close minimum and I wouldn't want to try and squeeze it out of less Fat Quarters, and then just add from there :)
Background Fabric Requirements
I will be showing everything with a white background fabric, but remember, you don't have to use white, feel free to choose any color you like for the background and also, it doesn't have to be a solid :)
4 1/2 Yards of Background Fabric
Binding and Backing Fabric Requirements
Pick a Favorite matching Fabric for Binding. I like to use darker colors for my bindings so they create a good stop for the eye. And then choose a favorite Print for the Backing Fabric. And remember, you can always used leftover bits of Fat Quarters to do a little pieced back, if you are feeling like you want to use every last scrap :)
2/3 Yard of Binding Fabric
5 Yards of Backing Fabric
THE SEEING STARS QUILT-ALONG KITS
The
Fat Quarter Shop has graciously offered to sponsor the Quilt-Along Kits and I am so grateful to them for that!!! The wonderful thing about the Seeing Stars Quilt-Along is that, as I have mentioned, it is Fat Quarter Friendly. Which means the sky is the limit when it comes to choosing your fabrics!!! Just make sure you have at least 18 Fat Quarters :)
And since I didn't want to limit you to any specific Fat Quarter Bundles, the Kits will encompass any and all of the Fat Quarter Bundles that the Fat Quarter Shop has in stock!!!!! And you can get any one you like at a discount!!!!! Just use the coupon code Happy2018 at checkout to save 10% off all regular priced Fat Quarter Bundles!!!! (Not valid with other offers. One use per customer. Expires Aug 19th 2018)
Please note, the Fat Quarter Bundle "kit" will not come with the required background fabric, binding fabric, and backing fabric. So be sure and grab that as well. And of course, you don't have to get one of the "kits" below to participate in the QAL. You are welcome to go "shopping" through your personal stash and find just the right bundle, the discount and kit ideas are just to help you get started if needed :)
KIT IDEAS
Now I know that trying to choose a fat quarter bundle to start with can be a little overwhelming, so I mocked up some ideas just to get your creative jusices flowing. Hopefully it will help you pick the bundle that is just right for you!!!
So let's start with the Original Sample. I got these solid colors from the the
Woodland Pure Elements Bundle, and then I added just a few more shades of red and a charcoal to the bunch. This sample gives you a good idea of what a solid bundle would look like. And of course,
And you don't have to do an array of solid colors, you can always choose some of the monochromatic bundles and mix them to make a two color quilt!!! This is the
Waves Solid Bundle and the
Berry Solid Bundles mixed. So pretty!!!
And speaking of prints, let's see some more bundles. If you want to do a more seasonal quilt, there are lot's of bundles that work!! If you want a fun back to school type feel, you can use the
Sunnyside Ave Bundle by Amy Smart. I love how all those Primary Colors just make me think K class rugs :)
And if you want to keep a more Autumn feel, like the Original sketch, but would prefer prints, the new Lori Holt
Autumn Love Bundle would be a perfect fit. Here adorable little prints are just to cute and those soft autumn tones are so pretty!
Or if you find yourself in need of a Halloween quilt (I know I have always wanted to make one) you can reach for the new
Dot Dot Boo Bundle by Me and My Sister Designs. Again, that classic two color look, but with prints and of course, it doesn't get more Halloween than orange and black!!
Or, if you want a more modern approach to a Halloween quilt, you can check out Tula Pink's new
De La Luna Bundle!! I absolutely love the colors in this bundle, and like always, Tula's prints are just gorgeous in all of their amazing details.
And of course, if we are talking end of the year Holiday's, we don't want to forget Christmas. And the quilt along will finish in time to enjoy it this year!!! I love Bonnie and Camille's
Vintage Holiday Bundle and it would make the sweetest Christmas Quilt :)
And for that classic Red and Green, there is the
Swell Christmas Bundle by Urban Chicks. This is the bundle I will be using for my blocks, and I have to say, I can't wait to put all of those Santa faces in the center of my blocks. To fun!!!
And of course, you don't have to do a Holiday theme either. Stars go with anything, so you can simply choose a favorite Fat Quarter Bundle that has prints and colors to your taste and go for it!!! I loved these colors from Sandy Gervais
Well Said Bundle and each print really reads one color which will make the piecing stand out all the more ;)
And I love the bold citrus colors of Amy Ellis's
Wanderlust Bundle. Doesn't this just make you want summer to never end!!! These colors just make my heart smile ;)
And this is just the beginning. There are endless
Fat Quarter Bundle options and you can mix and match them as you like. Just try to find the fabrics that speak to you and makes your heart smile!!!
WANT A PERSONALIZED SKETCH???
And like I said at the beginning of this section, it can be overwhelming to choose ;) So if you are thinking about a particular bundle and want to see it drafted up in a sketch like the ones above please don't hesitate to email me at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com and I can send you a sketch no problem ;) I know how much it helps sometimes to get an idea of what it is going to look like before you start ;) And remember, if you want to see the sketch in a different color background, just let me know that, because as you can see below, it really changes up the look of the quilt.
COLORING PAGE
I know that once you have your fabrics chosen, sometimes in a quilt like this, you want to get an idea of fabric placement before you start cutting. So here is a coloring page of the Seeing Stars quilt. Just save the image, print it, and then color it to your hearts content ;)
THE PRIZES
I am so very excited about the Prizes for this Quilt-A-Long!! I don't know about you, but I know that I am highly more motivated to keep up and finish when there are prizes at stake ;) So how about this for a little motivation.
All those that finish their quilt top will be eligible for the
3 Grand Prizes. The Grand Prize's are sponsored by the
Fat Quarter Shop and huge Thank You goes out to Kimberly for their generosity in these prizes. Wan't to know what they are???
The three winners will each receive a
$75.00 Gift Certificates to Fat Quarter Shop!!!! Talk about some amazing fabric Goodness!!!!!! Yippee for fabric motivation!!
But . . . Sometimes it is hard to keep motivated when the end is so far away. So for that . . . We have a little weekly motivation. Every week you will be able to link up
(You don't have to have a blog to link up, you can link to any social media image :) your completed assignment for a chance to win the weekly assignment prize. These weekly Prizes will be sponsored by several of my Sponsors and will be so fun!!!
So there is going to be a lot of wonderful fabric to be won!!! So keep up and sew on!!!
THE BUTTON, FLICKR, AND HASHTAG
Now down to the last of the nitty gritty. If you are Quilting-Along and have a blog, It would be wonderful if you added the button to your blog :) It really helps to spread the word and the more that Quilt-Along the better!!! If you have already added the button, thank you!!!
And if you use Facebook or Instagram and are posting your progress on your social media, be sure and use the Hashtag
#seeingstarsquiltalong Then we can all easily find and see each others work on facebook and instagram as well ;)
If you use Flickr, I would love it if you joined the
Happy Quilting Quilt-A-Long Flickr group and posted your pictures there as well.
And once you have your fabric, you can try these out above and Link Below to enter this weeks Weekly Prize Giveaway!!! Yup, you are entered to win a prize, just for collecting your fabric ;) (See the end of the post for details!!!) I can't wait to see what fabrics everyone will be using ;)
LET'S GET GOING!!
So that just about wraps it up!!! You have a week and a half to round up your fabric. That should give you a cushion for it to arrive in the mail if you decide to order fabric online. And you might have noticed, there is no "Cutting" assignment this time as we will be cutting out each of blocks each week. So we will start with the Largest Blocks and move our way down, that way you can use the scraps from the bigger blocks on the smaller blocks ;) So, Watch for that Double Star Block coming your way on August 15th.
Now I know that was a lot for one post, so if you have any questions at all regarding the Quilt-Along please do not hesitate to email me at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com or comment below. I don't want anyone to not participate because they are confused by my rambling :) And again,
please feel free to make your quilt your own. If you want a different layout, great! Want to add a border, perfect!! What ever you envision, you make it yours, all finished quilt tops will be eligible for prizes :)
Now . . . Let's get Quilting-Along!!!
WEEKLY LINKY FOR PRIZE!!!
Got your fabrics??? Once you do, you are eligible for the Weekly Prize!!! This week's prize is being sponsored by
Lou Lou's Fabric Shop and a huge thanks goes to them for their support of the
Seeing Stars Quilt-Along.
This weeks prize is a
$20.00 Gift Certificate to Lou Lou's Fabric Shop!!! And that means one lucky participant who get's all their fabric in order will get a little shopping spree ;)
So what do you have to do for a chance to win this Gift Certificate ? Simple . . . Just link up your fabrics at the end of this post :) You can link to a blog post, flickr picture, Instagram, Facebook . . . or whatever. Just make sure to link up by the end of the day on August 14th as I will be announcing a winner at the beginning of the post on August 15th :)
If you don't get your fabric by August 15th 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 busy week or the mail was a little slow, its all good!!! Just link up when you can :)
Have a Happy Quilting Day!!
