Starstruck Quilt Along - Wall Hanging Section

**  NOTE  - This post is part of a series of posts for the Starstruck Quilt Along.  If you would like to join (and have a chance to win one of three $75.00 Gift Certificates from Fat Quarter Shop ) you can find a list of the post links here :)  Here is the schedule

September 4th - Intro, Fabric Requirements, and Prizes Announcement 

September 18th - Cutting 

September 25th - Wall Hanging Piecing (That's Today!!!)  

October 2nd - Baby Piecing

October 9th - Lap Piecing

October 16th - Picnic Piecing

October 23rd - Queen/King Piecing

November 13th - Star Struck Parade and Grand Prize Winners

Now, first off for this week, we need to pick a winner for the Cutting Assignment.   And great job to everyone on getting all of that cutting done.  I know that is a huge job and you all did amazing!!! And if you are just finding this QAL, it's never to late to join in the fun :)

The cutting assignment winner who gets a  Fat Eighth Bundle of Desert Song from Green Fairy Quilts is

#7 - Diane!!! - Congrats :)

 

And now we are ready to move onto the piecing!!!   And just a side note before we get started, today's post is super long, but don't let that intimidate you.  I am going over 3 basic piecing units, 3 blocks, and then putting them all together, which is a lot of information.   And where it is our first piecing post, I will be explaining in a lot of detail so that if you are a beginner you have all the info you need.    But there really isn't a whole ton of piecing to go with all of that, so you are going to find that you breeze through this week.  And in coming weeks, the instructions will be shorter as they will refer back to these beginning instructions for more detail ;)    So with that, let's get piecing!!!  

THIS WEEKS ASSIGNMENT - WALL HANGING SECTION

And we will start by piecing all of our Units, and from there build our Blocks, and finally put it all together into the Wall Hanging Section.  Just a few things to remember if you are making the Fat Quarter Friendly layout to use the same prints in each unit and to note the FQ# referred to in each piecing instruction.  And for either layout,  be sure that all the pieces you gather are labeled Wall Hanging pieces.   So let's get started with the Units.  First up . . .

FLYING GEESE UNITS

This section has 2 sets of Flying Geese in it.   I use the No-Waste method to make flying geese.   The great thing about making flying geese this way is that, obviously, you don't waste any fabric and you never have to sew a triangle.  Double bonus!!  It also makes 4 flying geese out of each unit, so the flock grows quickly :)  If you have never made them this way you are in for a treat.   So, let's get to it :)

Gather (2) 5 1/4" x 5 1/4" Background Squares and (8) 2 7/8" x 2 7/8" Print (FQ1 and FQ2) Squares.    

Start by drawing diagonal lines on the back of all 8 of your print squares as shown.  I like to use a Frixon Pen to draw my lines, but any marking tool will work great. 

With right sides together, lay two small print squares onto your large background square as shown.   Pin both sides of each square adjacent to that drawn line.  Make sure to put the pins away from the drawn line so your presser foot has room to sew on by :)  Pin both Units.   And you will notice, you should have an extra 2 matching print small squares for each unit.  We will get to those in a bit.
     We will be stitching a  1/4" seam along BOTH sides of the drawn line (the black lines represent your stitching lines) but to save time and thread, we will chain stitch these.

Chain Stitching simply means not clipping the threads between units.  So to start, stitch the 1/4" seam on the left hand side of the drawn line of your first unit.  When you get to the end of the unit, just start feeding the next unit in your machine.   Stitch 1/4" seam on  both units.  (Note - as we move to further sections, chain stitching will be even bigger as there are a lot more piecing).  Then clip your threads between units.

Now, go ahead and stitch the 1/4" seam on the right hand side (or other side) of the drawn line on both of your units.   Then clip the threads between the units and you ready for cutting.

Move to your cutting mat and align your ruler along the drawn center line.  Cut along the edge of the ruler creating 2 large triangles.  I only ever cut these one at a time, as I worry that stacking them would shift and I might cut through my seams.  Takes a second more, but worth it to play it safe.  Cut  both units in half.

Now it's to your ironing board.  Press the seams up towards the 2 little print triangles.  I find it easiest to press these from the front.    Press all 4 Units.   And you are half way there!!!  Now to use up those remaining small print squares. 

And it's just like starting over. We repeat all the same steps, it's just smaller and more units.  Take the little print squares (make sure they are matching fabrics) and align them on your stitched units as shown with right sides together.  Pin and then once again we are going to be stitching a 1/4" seam along BOTH sides of the drawn diagonal line.  

And again, we will be chain stitching to save time and thread.  So chain stitch along all the left hand side of the drawn line on all 4 of your units, clip your threads,  and then chain stitch along the  right side of the drawn line on all 4 of your units, and then clip your threads again :)  You know your right on if your 1/4" seam lands right in the ditch of the print fabrics.  

And again, place your units on your cutting mat, and using your ruler aligned along the drawn line cut your unit in half .  So now what started as 1 large square, is 4 units.   And that is where your 4 flying geese come from.  And with your 2 sets, you now have 8 units.

Press your seams up to match the other seam.   You can press from the front or the back, whichever your prefer.  (I still like the front here :)   Lastly, trim off the little dog ear corners at either side and the top of your unit.  Note, Just trim the dog ears, don't trim the tops to where the point is, you will need that 1/4" overlap for your seam allowance.  

And you are done!!!  8 beautiful and perfectly precise Flying Geese Units, that should measure 2 1/2" x 4 1/2".   And if they aren't exactly perfect, no worries, and no need to trim, we will use the seams as our guide.   And if you do like to trim, just be sure to leave your 1/4" overlap at the top of the units!!!

You can now set your Flying Geese units aside and we will move on to the  . . . 

HALF SQUARE TRIANGLE UNITS

Half Square triangles are fun and fast and probably the most versatile building unit in all of the piecing units you can make.  (At least in my opinion :)

We will start by gathering (4) 4" x 4" Background Squares and (4) 4" x 4" Print (FQ3) Squares.

Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of all your Print Fabric Squares.     **Note - If you have a marked 1/4" line on your machine (like I explained in picture 5 and 6 of this QAL Tutorial)  you can skip the drawing step, just to let you know ;)

Align a Background square and a marked Print square with rights sides together.  Pin both sides adjacent to that drawn line, be sure to place them far enough out to leave room for your presser foot to stitch on by.   Pin all 4 sets.   Or, if you are feeling confident since you squares aren't to large, you can stitch these without pinning :)   Stitch a seam 1/4" from EITHER side of the drawn line, the black lines represent your stitching lines.

And of course, to save time and thread, we will again chain stitch.. Start by stitching a 1/4" seam on the left hand side of the drawn line of all 4 sets.  Then clip the threads between the squares, stack them up, and then stitch the 1/4" seam on the other side of the drawn line of all 4 sets.  Then clip the threads between the squares.

And now, back to cutting.   Align your ruler along the drawn center line (or from corner to corner).   Cut along the edge of your ruler, creating two triangles that each have a 1/4" seam.  Cut all 4 pairs.

Now Pressing.   Press the seam allowance towards the Print fabric. Again,  I prefer to press them from the front rather than the back, but do what is comfortable for you :)

And now the fun part, trimming.  You will be trimming your blocks to 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" square.
Begin by aligning the 45 degree line on your square ruler with the seam line on your half square triangle.  Make sure that the raw edges of the half square triangle are over the 3 1/2" line's on your ruler.  Trim the 2 sides along the edge of the ruler.  There won't be a whole lot to trim.

Now spin your half square triangle unit 180 degrees.  Once again, align the 45 degree line on your ruler with the seam line on your half square triangle.  Align the raw edges you just trimmed of the half square triangle with the 3 1/2" lines on your ruler.  Trim the 2 sides along the edge of the ruler.

And this is just a side note, but if you do a lot of Half Square Triangles in your quilting, I find the best tools to really speed up trimming is a Rotating Cutting Mat ( I use the  Matilda's Own Rotating Cutting mat ) and the HST Bloc-Loc Rulers.   And if you have the same size ruler as the trimming size, you can simply loc the ruler on the seam allowance and trim all 4 sides while you turn your mat.   It's super slick and super fast!!!  These tools are a little pricey, but I find they are worth their weight in gold, especially since I do a lot of HST's :)

Trim all 8 units.  You should now have 8 Half Square Triangle units that all measure 3 1/2" x 3 1/2".  And I know, it seems like a lot of work to just trim off a little, but having perfect HST's makes putting the rest of your block together and getting those perfect points so much easier ;)

You can now set your Half Square Triangle units aside and we will move on to the  . . . 

STITCH AND FLIP UNITS

Stitch and Flip Units are similar in construction to the units we have made, but the big difference is you will be stitching directly on the drawn line rather than 1/4" to the side of it. So just keep that in mind.  And let's get to it :)

Gather (4) 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" Print (FQ2) Squares and (8) 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" Background Squares.  

Start by drawing diagonal lines on the back of all 8 of your background squares as shown.

With right sides together, lay a marked background square onto the corner of the Print square as shown.   Pin adjacent to that drawn line on all 4 units.   And you will notice, you should have an extra 4 marked background squares.  We will get to those in a bit.
     We will be stitching directly on the drawn line (the black lines represent your stitching lines) but again, to save time and thread, we will chain stitch these.

Stitch a seam directly on the drawn line of all 4 units.   Then clip your threads between the units.   

Move to your cutting mat and align your ruler 1/4" over the drawn line which is now also your seam line.   Cut along the edge of the ruler.  The two tiny triangles you cut off become scrap.  Trim the excess from all 4 units as shown.

Now it's over to your ironing board.  Press the seams up towards the small background triangle.  Again, I find it easiest to press these from the front.    Press all 4 Units.   Now to use up those remaining 4 background squares.  

And it's the same process, just on the other side.  Take the remaining background squares and   place them right sides together on the adjoining corner as shown below.  Pin and then once again we are going to be chain stitching directly on the drawn line.  

Chain stitch all 4 units on the drawn line.  I find it helpful to start at the doubled over side as it helps to keep that bulk from shifting at the end. Clip the threads once you are done stitching. 

And again, place your units on your cutting mat, align your ruler 1/4" over the drawn line/seam line.   Cut along the edge of the ruler.  Scrap the tiny triangles you cut off .  Trim all 4 units as shown.

Press your seams up to match the other seam.   You can press from the front or the back, whichever your prefer.  (I still like the front here :)  

And you are done!!!  You should have 4 Stitch and Flip Units total that will measure 4 1/2" x 4 1/2".   And if they aren't exactly perfect, no worries, and no need to trim, we will use the seams as our guide.   And if you do like to trim, just be sure to leave your 1/4" overlap at the bottom of the units!!!

And that means you have finished piecing all your units and we can now use those to make your 3 sets of blocks.   We will start with the  . . . 

STAR BLOCK

Layout a 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" Print (FQ1) Square, 4 Flying Geese (FQ1) Units, and (4) 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" Background squares as shown below.   

Place the right hand Units in each column onto the Center Column units with right sides together.  Align and chain stitch a 1/4" seam along the units in each of the 3 rows.

And when you are stitching the Center Row units, be sure and stitch directly through the center of the Thread X made at the top of the Flying Geese Unit, even if that means you need to deviate a bit from a 1/4".  This will ensure that your star points are perfect!!

Then repeat on the left hand side by placing the Units in each column onto the Center Column units with right sides together.  Align and chain stitch a 1/4" seam along the units in each of the 3 rows and taking care to sew through the center of the thread X in the Center Row.

Then press your seams in the top and bottom rows outwards towards the Background squares and press the seams in the center row inwards towards the Print square. This will allow you to nest them in the next step.

Place the Top and Bottom rows onto the Center rows with right sides together.  Align and Pin the seams.  Stitch a 1/4" seam along the two pinned edges, once again, ensuring that you stitch directly through the center of the thread X at the top of the Flying Geese Units.

Press the seams Open.  And your Star Block is done.   It should measure 12 1/2" x 12 1/2".  If it is not exactly perfect, no worries. I don't ever square up my blocks as I use the seams as a guide.   But please note, if you do like to square up your blocks, just be sure to leave your 1/4" seam allowance at the star points.   Don't square those off or your points will not work out. 

And you can set that Star Block aside and we will move on to the next set of blocks which are the  . .

ARROW BLOCKS

Layout a 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" Print (FQ3) Square, a 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" Background Square, and 2 Half Square Triangle Units as shown below. You will make 4 blocks total so I recommend you stack 4 units in each pile and  Chain Stitch each of the following steps.  

Place the right hand Units in each row onto the left hand units in each row with right sides together.  Align and chain stitch a 1/4" seam along the units in each of the 2 rows of all 4 sets.  Clip your threads and then press the seam allowance in opposite directions towards the squares as shown.

Place the Top Row onto the Bottom Row with right sides together.  Align and Pin the center seam of all 4 sets.  Chain stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge and then clip your threads.  Press the seam allowance open on all 4 blocks.

And your Arrow Blocks are done.   They should measure 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" but again, no need to square them up, and if you do, be sure and leave your  1/4" seam allowance at the points.

And you can set your 4 Arrow Blocks aside and move on to the last block, the  . . . 

POINTER BLOCKS

Layout a Flying Geese (FQ2) Unit, and a Stitch and Flip Unit as shown below.  Again, you will make 4 blocks total so I recommend stacking 4 units in each pile and Chain Stitching ;)   Place the Flying Geese Unit onto the Stitch and Flip Unit with right sides together and pin.  Chain Stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edges taking care to stitch directly through the center of the thread X.   Press the seam allowances towards the Stitch and Flip Unit.  

And your Pointer Blocks are done.  Those were easy right ;)     They should measure 4 1/2" x 6 1/2" but again, no need to square them up, and if you do, be sure and leave your  1/4" seam allowance at the bottom point and keep your top points centered.

And just to make the piecing of the entire section easier, we are going to add some sashing to the Pointer Blocks now.   Gather (8) 4 1/2" x 6 1/2" Background rectangles.  Place a Background rectangle on the right hand side of each of the 4 Pointer Blocks with right sides together.  Chain Stitch a 1/4" seam along the edges and then clip the threads.   Then repeat on the Left hand side of the 4 Pointer blocks as shown below.    Press the seam allowance outwards towards the Background rectangles.    The sashed Pointer Blocks will now measure 6 1/2" x 12 1/2".

And with all of your Blocks made you are now ready to move on to the final step.  

SEWING THE WALL HANGING SECTION

Layout the Star Block and (2) 2 1/2" x 8 1/2" Background rectangles and (2) 2 1/2" x 12 1/2" Background rectangles as shown below.  

Place the two side rectangles onto the Star Block with right sides together.  Pin if desired.   Stitch a 1/4" seam along both edges.  I like to stitch these from the back so I can see the thread X from the Star Point and ensure I stitch directly through it to get a perfect point ;)

Press the seam allowances outwards towards the Background rectangles.  Then place the Top and Bottom rectangles onto the Star Block with right sides together.     Pin and stitch a 1/4" seam along both edges.  Again, I like to stitch these from the back to stitch through the thread X's.

And again, Press the seam allowances outwards towards the Background rectangles.  At this point your Wall Hanging section will measure 12 1/2" x 12 1/2".

Now layout the Pieced Center, 4 Arrow Blocks, and 4 Sashed Pointer Blocks as shown below. And this is just like making the original Star Block, only on a larger scale.

Place the Outside Units in each column onto the Center Column units with right sides together.  Align and chain stitch a 1/4" seam along the units in each of the 3 rows on either side of the center units.  Again, take care to stitch right through the center of the thread X's and at the point of the Fabric V's that are indicated below by arrows.

Now press your seams in the top and bottom rows outwards towards  and press the seams in the center row open. This just makes everything lie flat.

Now place the Top and Bottom rows onto the Center rows with right sides together.  Align and Pin the seams.  Stitch a 1/4" seam along the two pinned edges, once again, ensuring that you stitch directly through the center of the thread X's and at the point of the Fabric V's that are indicated below by arrows.

And all that is left is to add a border to your Wall Hanging Section. And this is exactly like we did for the center star at the beginning of this part of the tutorial.     Layout the Pieced Wall Hanging Center and (2) 2 1/2" x 24 1/2" Background rectangles and (2) 2 1/2" x 28 1/2" Background rectangles as shown below.

Place the two side rectangles onto the Wall Hanging Center with right sides together.  Pin and stitch a 1/4" seam along both edges. Again, I like to stitch from the back to ensure perfect points ;)

Press the seam allowances outwards towards the Background rectangles.  Then place the Top and Bottom rectangles onto the Wall Hanging Center with right sides together.     Pin and stitch a 1/4" seam along both edges.  Again, stitching from the back though the thread X's and at the point of the Fabric V's will ensure perfect points.

And finally, Press the seam allowances outwards towards the background rectangles.  At your Wall Hanging Section is done and should measure appx. 28 1/2" x 28 1/2".    Wasn't that sew fun!!!!

So Now It's your Turn :)

Get your Wall Hanging Section sewn together and your assignment is complete!!!    And then you can enter to win the weekly prize :)   And again,   I know that this was a long post, so if you have any questions at all please don't hesitate to ask in a comment or email me at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com  :) 

The Weekly Prize is being sponsored by Happy Quilting this week and I am excited to help support a the Starstruck Quilt-Along.

This weeks prize will be a copy of my Irish Chain Quilts book and any 3 PDF Quilt Patterns, or any 2 Hard Copy Quilt Patterns!!!!   Oh, so fun and one of you will get lots of Happy Quilting designs for future projects ;)

  

So what do you have to do for a chance to win this Happy Quilting goodness?  Simple . . . Just link up your Wall Hanging Section all sewn up :)  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 October 2nd as I will be announcing a winner at the beginning of the next post :)  And on the link up where it asks for a Caption, add your name as well, so I know who you are ;)  

If you don't get your piecing done by October 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 Wall Hanging Sections to the Happy Quilting Quilt-A-Long Flickr group and to post it on social media with using #starstruckquiltalong.    I am so excited to see the centers all sewn up!!! 

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

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day!!!

It's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Day so let's have some fun :)

First, we need to announce the winner from last weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway :)

The winner of the 3 Happy Quilting PDF Patterns is . . .  Number #102. . .   Congrats Rilene!!!   I have emailed you :)    

 

        

And on to today's

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is being sponsored by  Lou Lou's Fabric Shop .    Did you know that Jamie makes a new Lou Lou Bundle every Tuesday . . . there are so many to choose from and they are all just stunning!!!  Isn't this new Happy Day bundle just so great!!!    Along with hosting the giveaway, Jamie is having a  Fantastic Sale with with lots of amazing discounts!!!! And don't forget to pop over to Lou Lou's Fabric Shop each day for the Daily Deal!!! I love something new on sale each and every day, it's so fun to see what shows up :)  

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is for some shopping goodness!!  Lou Lou's Fabric Shop is offering one lucky reader a $25.00 Gift Certificate perfect to use on anything in the store, including any of the awesome Lou Lou Bundle's or on the Daily Deal!!  Just perfect!!!!  

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 tell me what is one of your favorite smells??  (I love fall because it means pumpkin spiced everything!!!)  

 ENTRY 2 - Lets show Lou Lou's Fabric Shop some Love!!!!   You can follow them on   Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram.  Or you can follow their blog or  visit The Shop and then share a favorite item ;)   Just be sure to leave a comment of how you showed your Lou Lou's Fabric Shop Love!!!

And that's it ;)  The giveaway will be open until next Tuesday, October 1st when I will announce a winner at the beginning of next weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Post :)

Good Luck and Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!

The Scraptastic Star Blocks are Done!!

I finished the last 3 of my Scraptastic Star Blocks that I have been making as my Leader and Enders this year!!  And I am so excited!!!   But more on all 16 blocks in a minute.  First, let's look at the last 3 blocks ;)  The first one is pretty in Pink!!  I love how soft this block is :)

The next block is Red.   And this one has so many wonderful shades of red.   I was really surprised with how many shades of red I had in my little stash of 2 1/2" squares.  And I just love how much the white squares pop against all of those red prints!!

And finally, Burgundy.  And I just love these deep, rich reds.  And mostly, I just love that it was the very last  Scraptastic Star Block for my quilt!!!  So do you want to see them all???

I thought so :)   Here they are, my 16 Scraptastic Star Blocks all together!!  And I have to say, that this picture just makes me smile from ear to ear.  I love, love, love these blocks and I have had so much fun making them as  Leader and Enders throughout this year.  

Now all that is left is to make the sashing.  Now my only decision is do I use scrappy black prints or solid black fabric for my sashing??  What do you think . . . scrappy or solid??

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

Tutorial Throwback Thursday - Refracted!!

It's Thursday and that means another Tutorial Throwback feature.  And today I am headed to Layton, Utah to teach at the Utah Quilt Festival ;)  Which made me think back to one of the very first time I taught at a quilt retreat.  It was the Panguitch Quilt Walk in 2013 and I taught my Refracted quilt that I had made in 2012.   And so today, it just seemed fitting to use this quilt for today's throwback . . . So here it is, my Refracted Quilt and I am super excited today to share all of the versions of this quilt I have made.

I absolutely loved making this quilt!! It is put together using an improvisational Stack and Whack method.  Which is so relaxing and freeing and I love that it makes all the blocks different ;)   And you don't have to worry about perfect seams or points, you can just sew and sew and it will be awesome no matter what, because you get to trim the block perfect when it is all pieced together ;)  So all you need is a stack of Fat Quarters and you can put this together in no time.   If you have never tried improvisational piecing, I highly recommend you try this quilt tutorial.  It really is so fun and a great way to try a new skill in quilting :)

And when it came time to quilt mine, I tried something new.   Echoed straight line quilting.   This was back on the home machine days and I did the quilting pretty dense, so as you can imagine, it took a while ;)  But while I was doing all that quilting, I actually made a little video on this quilting design, and you can see that at the end of the Refracted Quilt post ;)    The thing I love most about this quilting is that after I washed the quilt, it made it so snuggly good!!   I just love that ;) 

And then, I joined the Modern Mini quilt swap in 2013, and I had so much fun making the original Refracted quilt I thought, why not try and make it a Mini.   And adding in a rainbow, well does it get better than that :)   So here is my Refracted Rainbow Mini ;)  I made the blocks in the exact same method, only added one more piece in each block, and of course, started with a much smaller square. This was so much fun to make.  I just love tiny piecing, and tiny improvisational piecing was a blast!!! 

And speaking of the quilting again, since this was a Modern Mini Challenge, I really tried to keep with a Modern feel in the quilting.  So I did a Spectrum of colors quilted out from the center of each block until it ran into the frame of the next block.  I think it really made for a cool quilting design and I love how the color threads popped on the black background ;)   This was such a fun way to change up the original design!!!! 

And right after sending off my mini, I realized that my Refracted Quilt class that I spoke of at the beginning of this post was coming up fast.   I decided I wanted to do a demo on the Improvisational cutting in class.  Which meant I was going to be making sample blocks.   And wouldn't you know, my twin sister was expecting a little boy and a baby quilt would be just perfect for sample blocks.   So I used my treasured Pure Fat Quarters by Sweetwater for my samples and as soon as class was over, I put the blocks into this Cute Baby Refracted quilt for my sister.   The blocks are made 5 at a time, so I put the one extra block into the backing of the quilt :)

And this quilt turned out to be extra special because it was a comfort in a difficult time.   My sister had her sweet little boy,  but my nephew David had a rough go to start out.  He had to have open heart surgery and spent the first part of his life in Primary Children's.  I was grateful to be able to visit my Sister and her family and bring this little quilt full of hugs and kisses, hopes and prayers ;)   And it is still hanging on David's wall today, and David is doing great!!!  

So as you can see, this Refracted quilt has gotten a lot of love in the past and there are a lot of memories tied up in those blocks ;)    I am so happy to be reminded of how much I love this quilt!!  I am really loving that about these Tutorial Throwback Thursday's!!!  It is just so wonderful to share the story behind these designs ;) 

I hope you have enjoyed today's Tutorial Throwback Thursday!!!    To make your own Refracted Quilt  quilt  just click on any of the quilt name links for the free step by step tutorial.   And when you are done, I would love to see your quilt!!  You can email me a picture at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com, post it to social media with #happyquiltingwithmc  or or add it to my flickr group here ;)  I can't wait to see your Refracted Quilts!!!

Thanks for popping in today and have a very Happy Quilting Day!!!

Starstruck Quilt Along - Cutting

**  NOTE  - This post is part of a series of posts for the Starstruck Quilt Along.  If you would like to join (and have a chance to win one of three $75.00 Gift Certificates from Fat Quarter Shop ) you can find a list of the post links here :)  Here is the schedule

September 4th - Intro, Fabric Requirements, and Prizes Announcement 

September 18th - Cutting (That's Today!!!)  

September 25th - Wall Hanging Piecing

October 2nd - Baby Piecing

October 9th - Lap Piecing

October 16th - Picnic Piecing

October 23rd - Queen/King Piecing

November 13th - Star Struck Parade and Grand Prize Winners

Now, first off for this week, we need to pick a winner for the Fabric Gathering Assignment.   And great job to everyone on sharing their fabric.  It is so fun to see what everyone will be quilting along with!!!!  And we certainly have an amazing group of quilters quilting along!!!!

The fabric gathering assignment winner who gets a $20.00 Gift Certificate from Bear Creek Quilting Company is

#10 - Veronica!!! - Congrats :)

  

So here we are at September 18th and I am so excited for everyone to get going!!!   So let's get right to it :)  And if you are just finding this QAL, it's never to late to join in the fun :)

THIS WEEKS ASSIGNMENT - CUTTING

We will cut everything out for the quilt in this first week.  That makes it easier as we move forward.  You will want to cut out all of the fabrics listed, up to the size quilt you are making.  For example, if you are making the Picnic Size, be sure and cut out the Print and Background Fabrics for the Wall Hanging, Baby, Lap, and Picnic sections.   Keep fabrics sorted by the section they are in.  And I found it easiest to cut one section, including prints and background, at a time.   

Each of the cutting directions for the Print Fabrics will be given in two formats.  First for those making a Fat Quarter Friendly Quilt, and Second for those making a Two Color Yardage Quilt.   Be sure to only use one set of directions for cutting your Print Fabrics as you don't want to end up with double ;)  The Background Cutting instructions are the same, regardless of if you are making a Fat Quarter Friendly Quilt or a Yardage Quilt.  

For those making the Fat Quarter Friendly Quilt, the following diagram will show you the fabric placement referred to in the cutting for each Fat Quarter. For Example, Fat Quarter 1 is the center star in the Wall Hanging section and the corner units in the Picnic section.   Fat Quarter 9 is the stars in the Picnic section.     And of course, you don't have to follow this to the letter.  You can mix it up and make it more scrappy if you like ;)  

And before you start any cutting, be sure to read through to the end of the post.  I added some helpful hints after all the cutting sections to aid you in your assignment this week ;)

So let's get to it!!  

WALL HANGING

PRINT FABRICS - FAT QUARTER FRIENDLY QUILT

From Fat Quarter 1 cut: (1) 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" square and (4) 2 7/8" x 2 7/8" squares
From Fat Quarter 2 cut: (4) 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" squares and (4) 2 7/8" x 2 7/8" squares
From Fat Quarter 3 cut: (4) 4" x 4" squares and (4) 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares


PRINT FABRICS - TWO COLOR YARDAGE QUILT

Cut (1) 4 1/2" x Width of Fabric Strip.   From that strip subcut:
              (5) 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" squares and (4) 4" x 4" squares
Cut (1) 3 1/2" x Width of Fabric Strip.  From that strip subcut:
               (4) 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares and (8) 2 7/8" x 2 7/8" squares.  

BACKGROUND FABRIC

Cut (1) 6 1/2" x Width of Fabric Strip.  From that strip subcut:
               (8) 4 1/2" x 6 1/2" rectangles
Cut (1) 5 1/4" x Width of Fabric Strip.   From that strip subcut:
              (2) 5 1/4" x 5 1/4" squares, (4) 4" x 4" squares, and (4) 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares
Cut (1) 2 1/2" x Width of Fabric Strip.  From that strip subcut:
               (12) 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares 
Cut (2) 2 1/2" x Width of Fabric Strips.  From those strips subcut:
               (2) 2 1/2" x 28 1/2" rectangles and (2) 2 1/2" x 8 1/2" rectangles
Cut (2) 2 1/2" x Width of Fabric Strips.  From those strips subcut:
               (2) 2 1/2" x 24 1/2" rectangles and (2) 2 1/2" x 12 1/2" rectangles



BABY

PRINT FABRICS - FAT QUARTER FRIENDLY QUILT

From Fat Quarter 4 cut: (8) 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares and (8) 2" x 2" squares
From Fat Quarter 5 cut: (4) 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" squares and (4) 2 7/8" x 2 7/8" squares
From Fat Quarter 6 cut: (4) 4" x 4" squares and (4) 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares


PRINT FABRICS - TWO COLOR YARDAGE QUILT

Cut (1) 4 1/2" x Width of Fabric Strip.   From that strip subcut:
              (4) 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" squares and (4) 4" x 4" squares
Cut (1) 3 1/2" x Width of Fabric Strip.  From that strip subcut:
               (4) 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares and (4) 2 7/8" x 2 7/8" squares.  
Cut (1) 2 1/2" x Width of Fabric Strip.  From that strip subcut:
               (8) 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares and (8) 2" x 2" squares.  

BACKGROUND FABRIC

Cut (1) 5 1/4" x Width of Fabric Strip.   From that strip subcut:
              (1) 5 1/4" x 5 1/4" square, (4) 4" x 4" squares, and (4) 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares
Cut (3) 5" x Width of Fabric Strips.  From those strips subcut:
               (16) 5" x 6 1/2" rectangles
Cut (1) 3 1/2" x Width of Fabric Strip.  From that strip subcut:
               (16) 2" x 3 1/2" rectangles 
Cut (1) 2 1/2" x Width of Fabric Strips.  From that strip subcut:
               (16) 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares 
Cut (1) 2" x Width of Fabric Strips.  From that strip subcut:
               (8) 2" x 2" squares 
Cut (5) 2 1/2" x Width of Fabric Strips.  Remove the selvages.


LAP
And if you are making the Fat Quarter Friendly Quilt in the Picnic, Queen, or King Size, I highly recommend skipping this section and cutting the Picnic and Queen size first and then coming back to the Lap size.  Then you know what scraps you have left for the Print Fabrics :)  

PRINT FABRICS - FAT QUARTER FRIENDLY QUILT

From the remaining Scraps and Leftover Fat Quarters cut: (36) 2 1/2" x 9 1/2" rectangles.  

PRINT FABRICS - TWO COLOR YARDAGE QUILT

Cut (9) 2 1/2" x Width of Fabric Strips.   From those strips subcut:
              (36) 2 1/2" x 9 1/2" rectangles  

BACKGROUND FABRIC

Cut (5) 5 1/4" x Width of Fabric Strip. *You will use all 42" of these strips.  From those strips subcut:
              (36) 5 1/4" x 5 1/4" squares and cut them in half once diagonally to make (72) triangles.
Cut (6) 3" x Width of Fabric Strips.  Remove the selvages.


PICNIC

PRINT FABRICS - FAT QUARTER FRIENDLY QUILT

From Fat Quarter 1 cut: (4) 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares and (4) 3" x 3" squares
From Fat Quarter 7 cut: (4) 5" x 5" squares and (4) 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" squares
From Fat Quarter 8 cut: (4) 5" x 5" squares and (4) 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" squares
From Fat Quarter 9 cut: (4) 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" squares and (16) 2 7/8" x 2 7/8" squares
From Fat Quarter 10 cut: (8) 3" x 3" squares and (8) 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares

PRINT FABRICS - TWO COLOR YARDAGE QUILT

Cut (1) 5" x Width of Fabric Strip.  From that strip subcut:
               (8) 5" x 5" squares
Cut (1) 4 1/2" x Width of Fabric Strip.  From that strip subcut:
               (8) 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" squares
Cut (1) 4 1/2" x Width of Fabric Strip.  From that strip subcut:
               (4) 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" squares and (4) 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares

Cut (1) 3" x Width of Fabric Strip.  From that strip subcut:
               (12) 3" x 3" squares
Cut (2) 2 7/8" x Width of Fabric Strips.  From those strips subcut:
               (16) 2 7/8" x 2 7/8" squares and (8) 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares

BACKGROUND FABRIC

Cut (2) 12 1/2" x Width of Fabric Strips.   From those strips subcut:
              (8) 8 1/2" x 12 1/2"rectangles
Cut (1) 8 1/2" x Width of Fabric Strip.   From that strip subcut:
              (8) 2" x 8 1/2" rectangles and (8) 2" x 5 1/2" rectangles
Cut (1) 5 1/4" x Width of Fabric Strip.   From that strip subcut:
              (4) 5 1/4" x 5 1/4" squares and (16) 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares
Cut (1) 5" x Width of Fabric Strips.  From that strip subcut:
               (8) 5" x 5" squares
Cut (1) 4 1/2" x Width of Fabric Strips.  From that strip subcut:
               (8) 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" squares
Cut (1) 3 1/2" x Width of Fabric Strip.  From that strip subcut:
               (4) 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares and (8) 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares 
Cut (1) 3" x Width of Fabric Strips.  From that strip subcut:
               (12) 3" x 3" squares 
Cut (4) 2 1/2" x Width of Fabric Strips.  From those strips subcut:
               (8) 2 1/2" x 8 1/2" rectangles and (16) 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangles 
Cut (8) 2 1/2" x Width of Fabric Strips.  Remove the selvages.


QUEEN

PRINT FABRICS - FAT QUARTER FRIENDLY QUILT

From the remaining Scraps and Leftover Fat Quarters cut: (44) 3 1/2" x 13" rectangles.  

PRINT FABRICS - TWO COLOR YARDAGE QUILT

Cut (15) 3 1/2" x Width of Fabric Strips.   From those strips subcut:
              (44) 3 1/2" x 13" rectangles  

BACKGROUND FABRIC

Cut (8) 7" x Width of Fabric Strip.  From those strips subcut:
              (44) 7" x 7" squares and cut them in half once diagonally to make (88) triangles.


KING

BACKGROUND FABRIC

Cut (10) 4 1/2" x Width of Fabric Strips.  Remove the selvages.

And that is all the cutting!!!   So let's go over those cutting tips ;) 

CUTTING TIPS

Here are a few helpful cutting tips and tidbits .  This is the way I like to cut, but of course,  it is not the only way to cut, so if you do it different, great :)  Do what you are comfortable with.  There just might be some tidbits that could save you some time and/or eliminate waste.

First let's talk about cutting Fat Quarters if you are making the Fat Quarter Friendly quilt :)

Always press your fabrics first, it takes time but will help in keeping your pieces accurate.  I like to keep my iron at a super hot setting and use a little extra water from a spay bottle if I have any creases or folds that don't want to come out with a simple pass of the iron.  And hey,  this is a great time to watch a fun flick as well, bonus!

Next, square up your Fat Quarter to 18" x 21".    Squaring up your Fat Quarter just makes sub-cutting all your pieces that much quicker and is a helpful step to speed things up later down the line.  It also means you keep a nice selvage on the side, just in case you save those, although all my Fat Quarters were the "other" end of the strip, so no selvages for me.

When you sub-cut your pieces from a Fat Quarter, I like to cut a full strip from the top and/or side rather than trying to cut little squares out of the Fat Quarter.  From that strip, I will sub-cut my pieces.   And remember, sometimes your strip size will be the size of two pieces.  I am using Fat Quarter 1 as an example, because it is a little more trick as it has pieces in both the Wall Hanging size as well as the Picnic Size.   I cut my first strip off the top at 7" as this allowed me to cut the 3 1/2" pieces in pairs of 2 and helped eliminate waste.   I was able to cut all of my pieces from the 7" strip except for two of the 3" squares.   So those I cut from the side as that is a shorter strip and will have less waste than cutting another long strip from the top.  However you cut your Fat Quarters, you just want to keep in mind, trying to have the largest piece of scrap leftover for the lap and queen sections. 

And you don't have to do this, as it can get a bit confusing.  But in the Wall Hanging and Baby sections, you have some repeat sizing.   So Fat Quarter 2 is cut the same as Fat Quarter 5.  And Fat Quarter 3 is cut the same as Fat Quarter 6.  If you can keep it straight, you can stack both fat quarters on top of one another and cut the 2 and 5 and 3 and 6 pieces at the same time.   But again, if it causes confusion, just stick to cutting one section at a time ;)

And finally, when cutting the Fat Quarters, it is easiest if you cut the Queen and Lap size pieces last.  As mentioned in the cutting directions, this just allows you to know what scraps and leftover Fat Quarters you have.   And when cutting these pieces, I stacked several Fat Quarters on top of one another.  That will just speed up the process ;)

 So with that,  lets move onto some helpful tidbits in cutting your Yardage, both for the Two Color Yardage prints as well as the Background fabrics :)

Again, Always press your fabrics first!!!  Getting out all those wrinkles from hanging out on the bolt will ensure greater accuracy in your cutting which saves time and headaches down the line when we are piecing!

Whenever cutting yardage, I always like to cut with the fold in my fabric lined up along the 0 horizontal line on my cutting mat.  I always start by cutting a straight edge along the left hand side of my fabric.  If I am cutting a print fabric, I will also trim the selvages from the top of my fabric.  But I don't bother with that in the case of solid yardage :) 

All of the Yardage cutting is listed in Strips and then what is subcut from each strip.  I like to cut all of my fabrics into the strips that I need first.  I cut all the strips of each size and use the lines on my mat as cutting guides rather than my rulers.  (but you can always use another rulers as a double check as well which is super helpful with those trickier 7/8 cuts ;)

Then from each strip, I will sub-cut the pieces listed using the horizontal lines on my mat. I start but sub-cutting the largest piece first (they are listed this way)  and then if needed, trimming down the strip to the new size and then continuing to subcut the units given.

And if you have multiple strips of the same width, like in the case of the lap and queen sections, I find it super fast to cut all the strips side by side, and without moving them, subcutting horizontally to make the squares in all the strips at the same time.   And then, for those lap and queen sections, go ahead and do your diagonal cut as well without moving your pieces.  This saves so much time.    And the diagonals don't have to be perfect, we will be trimming the units they are used in, so don't stress to much if you are 1/8" from the corner of the square ;)  

Finally, you want to keep each section of fabric grouped together.   Label each section so that you know what fabrics go to where.   This will just make it so much faster from week to week, as you will know exactly which fabrics you are using for that assignment ;)   And just a side note, since it was asked in the comments . . . I use Alphabitties to label my pieces ;) 

And I think that just about covers it!!!

NOW GO START CUTTING :)

I hope these cutting tips help :)  I know that with so much cutting it can easily be confusing, so if you have any questions at all please don't hesitate to ask in a comment or email me at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com  :)   I hope you find this assignment enjoyable and that with the little helpful hints it goes nice and quick for you ;)  So sharpen your blade and go to it . . . and once you are done be sure to enter to win the weekly prize!!!

The Weekly Prize is being sponsored by the Green Fairy Quilts and a huge thanks goes to them for their support of the Starstruck Quilt-Along.

This weeks prize is a beautiful and just arrived Fat Eighth Bundle of Desert Song by Mara Penny for Moda Fabrics !!!  Oh, so fun for one lucky participant who gets all their cutting done this week ;)

So what do you have to do for a chance to win this beautiful bundle ?  Simple . . . Just link up your fabrics all cut up 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 September 24th as I will be announcing a winner at the beginning of the next post :)

If you don't get your cutting by September 24th 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 cut up fabric to the Happy Quilting Quilt-A-Long Flickr group and to post it on social media with using #starstruckquiltalong.    I am so excited to see all of your beautiful fabrics all cut up ;)

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

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter