Starstruck Quilt Along - Queen/King Section and Grand Prize Linky!!!!

**  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 

October 2nd - Baby Piecing 

October 9th - Lap Piecing  

October 16th - Picnic Piecing

October 23rd - Queen/King Piecing and Grand Prize Linky!!!  (That's Today!!)  

November 13th - Starstruck Parade and Grand Prize Winners

Now, first off for this week, we need to pick a winner for the Picnic Section Assignment.   And way to go everyone that finished the Picnic Section as this was the biggest weekly assignment to get done!!!!   And if you are just finding this QAL, it's never to late to join in the fun :)

The Picnic assignment winner who will get a $25.00 Gift Certificate from Lou Lou's Fabric Shop is

#11 - Amy!!! - Congrats :)

   

And this week, we are back to making our Lattice Units.  And just like before, we will be doing the instructions slightly condensed, but you can always look back to the Lap Section instructions for further details.     So with that, let's get piecing!!! 

THIS WEEKS ASSIGNMENT - QUEEN/KING SECTION

And just like last week, we will piece all our Units, and since the units are pretty much the blocks as well, we can get right from the Units to putting together the Queen Section.  An if you are making the Fat Quarter Friendly layout today is all about scrappy, so have fun mixing up those prints ;) And to make a Queen Size, it is just adding the Lattice Units and to make it King Size, add the final background border.   So let's get started with our only unit of the day.  And it is the . . . 

LATTICE UNITS

Gather (88) Background Triangles that were cut from 44 of the 7" squares in the cutting stage.  Also gather (44) 3 1/2" x 13" Print (Assorted) rectangles. 

Place a Background Triangle onto the Print Rectangle just eyeballing the center and Pin all 44 sets.  Chain Stitch a 1/4" seam on the pinned edge sewing from the top of the print rectangle to the bottom as shown.

Then clip your threads and stack your units again.  And again, Place and Eyeball Center a Background Triangle onto the other side of a Print Rectangle and pin all 44 sets.  You can reassure the triangles are centered to each other by matching the points horizontally ;)  Then once again, Chain Stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge of all 44 units, stitching from the top of the print rectangle to the bottom.

Then clip your threads and move to the ironing board.   Press the seams of all 44 units open.  This will make it easier to sew the units together and avoid bulk where the seams line up.  

TRIMMING LATTICE UNITS

And now, it is time to trim these Lattice Units Square.    Click on this Link, Download and Print the Queen size Trimming Template , that is on the second page.  And be sure to print it at Actual Size (Custom 100% Scale) and not Shrunk to Fit the Paper.  Double check the 1" square to be sure you printed the template correctly. The Template is 8 1/2" square, but if your printer is like mine and won't print to the edge, you might have to use a ruler to finish drawing the lines to the edge of the paper ;)  

Now use the template to mark your ruler.  It is best if you have an 8 1/2" Square Ruler as you only have to mark the seam lines.  But a larger square ruler will work as well, just be sure and mark the two 8 1/2" lines as well.    

 And now the fun part, trimming.   You will be trimming your blocks to 8 1/2" square using your marked ruler. Be sure and align the marked seam lines on your ruler with the seam lines on your Lattice unit and trim all 44 of your units to 8 1/2" square.

 You should now have 44 Lattice units that all measure 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" with perfectly centered Print rectangles.  So fun and fast and such little waste, I love it !!!

So you are now ready to move on to the final step.  

SEWING THE QUEEN/KING SECTION

And this quilt has become so large, I couldn't fit the remaining pictures in my camera frame.  So from here on out is digital and slightly condensed instructions.  But no worries, by now you are pro's at making these border rows and adding them on to your centers ;)  And if you need any helpful hints, just pop back to the  Lap Section instructions for more details :) 

We will start by turning our Units into Rows!! Layout your Lattice units in the Four rows as shown below.   2 Rows of 12 Blocks (top and bottom) and 2 Rows of 10 Blocks (sides) , and be sure to follow the same orientation of blocks.    

Sew the rows together and press the seams open.     

And now your ready to add your Queen border ;)   Layout the Picnic Section, the two Side Rows (shorter ones) , and the two Top/Bottom Rows (longer ones)  as shown below, again taking care that the block orientation is correct.

Sew the two Side Rows onto the Picnic Section  and press the seams open.   Then sew the Top and Bottom rows onto the Picnic Section and once again, press the seams open.  And your Queen section is done and it should measure appx. 96 1/2" x 96 1/2". 

And all that is left is to add the King Background border to your Queen Section. Start by sewing the (10)  4 1/2" x WOF strips together end to end to make one long strip.  Cut (2) 4 1/2" x 96 1/2" strips  and (2) 4 1/2" x 104 1/2" strips from your long strip.

And as always, you can make your border strips a little longer and trim the excess if desired.

 Layout the Pieced Queen Center and the 4 Background rectangles as shown below.

Sew the two Side Background rectangles onto the Queen Section and press the seams towards the Background rectangles.   Then sew the Top and Bottom Background rectangles onto the Queen Section and once again, press the seams towards the Background rectangles   Trim excess if needed.  And your King Section is done and should measure appx. 104 1/2" x 104 1/2".    And we are done!!!

So Now It's your Turn :)

Get your Queen/King Section sewn together and we are done!!!    And that means, time for the Grand Linky!!!    And again, if you have any questions at all please don't hesitate to ask in a comment or email me at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com  :)

And regardless of what size quilt you made, it's time to enter your completed Quilt Top to the Grand Prize Linky!!!!  So exciting!!!


GRAND PRIZE LINK UP

Remember this from the start??  All those that finish their quilt top will be eligible for the 3 Grand Prizes.  The Grand Prize's are sponsored  Fat Quarter Shop and huge Thank You goes out to them for the generosity of these prizes.

The three Grand Prize Winners will each receive a $75.00 Gift Certificate to Fat Quarter Shop!!!   That is going to be some awesome fabric goodness!!!!

  

         

           

   

In order to be eligible to win the Grand Prize you need to Link Up your completed quilt top (not quilted yet, just the quilt top) at the end of this post!!!  You have until the early, early morning of November 13th  to get your quilt top sewn together and linked to be entered :)    And again, you can enter any size from the Wall Hanging up to the King :)   And no need to enter each size you made, just enter the size you finished at.   Just be sure you link up as . . .

You have to have a link at the end of this post to be entered to 

win one of the Grand Prizes.  

STARSTRUCK QUILT-A-LONG PARADE

Now, as just mentioned, you only have to have your quilt top done to enter into the grand prize link up . . . However,  I wanted to encourage you to finish these quilts and not set them in a pile of "to be quilted" so I am planning a Parade for the 13th of November :)  The parade will show off all quilted and bound Starstruck Quilts!!  

So, how do you finish up those quilts??? 

Baste It, Quilt It, and Bind It!!  I know, I make it sound all so simple.  If you are new to quilting, and need some help with these last few steps, you can see my Video Tutorials that go over the basics of how to do this ;)  Also, there are some helpful free motion quilting tutorials if you are stuck on how you want to quilt your project ;) 

Once you have your project Basted, Quilted, and Bound it is ready to be showcased it in the Parade.  And again, any size can be entered into the parade, just so long as it is quilted and bound.    In order to have it in the parade, I need you to please send me an email at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com  with your favorite finished Starstruck Quilt picture attached as well as your name the way you would like it listed with your photo, where you are from, and a blog, instagram, or flickr photostream link if applicable.  You can email me anytime from now until the evening of November 12th and I will get you added to the Parade!!!  

I am so looking forward to seeing everyone's finishes!!!  It has been so fun to watch your quilts grow each week and I can't wait to see them all quilted and bound  ;)   Grand Prize winners will be announced on November 13th along with the amazing parade filled with all of your beautiful quilts.!!!  I can't wait!!!  I know this is just going to be an amazing parade with so much Starstruck Goodness!!

So, in summary, Link up your quilt top (not quilted) at the end of this post by early morning November 13th to be entered for the grand prize linky.  Email me a picture of your finished quilt (quilted and bound)  with your name, where you are from, and a place to link your picture, if applicable,  by November 12th to be part of the parade.    

Alright, I know that was a lot.  If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to email me at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com, I don't want any one to miss out on the grand prizes or parades because of confusion ;)  

I can't wait to see your Starstruck quilts all done!!!  Thank you so much for quilting-a-long with me!!!  It has been so much fun and I have loved watching your quilts grow from week to week!!!!    Now, off you go to turn those quilt tops into quilts :)

Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!

Grand Prize Linky!!!

All completed Starstruck quilt tops, regardless of size, are eligible to win!!!

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 Earthly Beehive Fat Quarter Bundle from Fat Quarter Shop is . . .  Number #88. . .   Congrats Jayne!!!   I have emailed you :)    

 

         

And on to today's

Today's Terrific Tuesday Giveaway is being sponsored by Shabby Fabrics!!   Shabby Fabrics has an amazing selection of Fabrics and  so many cute BOM's and Clubs!!!  And don't forget, Shabby Fabrics  also has an amazing  Clearance Section, you are sure to find some amazing deals, and have also just added a whole bunch of Quilt Kits on sale as well!!  Super fun!!!   

  

And for the Terrific Tuesday Giveaway  Shabby Fabrics is giving one lucky winner a $30.00 Gift Certificate!!!!!   Now the winner can get just what they have been wishing for, and maybe a little something to help welcome Spring ;)

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 tells me your favorite fairy tale??  (I was reading a fairy tale to the girls this morning and it took me back ;)  

 ENTRY 2 - Show your Shabby Fabrics love. You can follow them on Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Pinterest, or Instagram.  You can Sign up for the Shabby Fabrics Newsletter (top right hand corner) or Follow their Blog,  or you can Visit the Shop and then share a favorite item ;)   Just be sure to leave a comment of how you showed your Shabby Fabric Love!!!

And that's it ;)  The giveaway will be open until next Tuesday, October 29th when I will announce a winner at the beginning of next weeks Terrific Tuesday Giveaway Post :)

Good Luck and Have a Happy Quilting Day!!!

Desert Quilter's of Nevada!!!

I had the wonderful opportunity this last weekend to spend some time with the Desert Quilters of Nevada and what an amazing weekend it was!!!  It started out on Thursday night with a trunk show from my  Irish Chain Quilts book, which is always so much fun!!!  I just love getting to share these quilts and the stories that go along with each one :)  And of course, since I was talking and Barbara was helping hold quilts, I don't have pics of the actual trunk show, but my friend Christa Watson was there and snapped this pic of me before it all started, so I am sharing it, thanks Christa!!!

 And wow, was the place packed for the Trunk Show!!!   This was a new venue for the DQN and they filled it to capacity.  This picture was before the meeting even started and it go super full by the time the trunk show started ;)   So fun!!!  They were walking the quilts down the center isle so everyone could see them, which worked out really well!! 

And my new friend Georgi brought her Star Light Star Bright quilt to share with me at the Trunk Show as well!!!  Didn't she do such an amazing job.  I love her color choices and placement, just so fun!!!   And what a treat!!!    I love it when people bring quilts that they have made using my patterns, tutorials, and quilt along's ;)   It really is a cherry on top of an already amazing day!!!   

Friday morning started class time!!!  And these ladies were so much fun!!!  Seriously, we stitched and laughed and then stitched and laughed so more ;)     On Friday we worked on the Unraveled quilt from Irish Chain Quilts.   And these ladies finished all of the blocks for the entire quilt and several of them got a really good start on putting their rows together.  They will have them done in no time at all!!!   And I can't wait to see them finished up ;)

And on Saturday, we did a class on Charm Bracelet from Irish Chain Quilts.  This is one of the quilts from the Improvosational Chains section and it was so great to share how fun wonky can be.  And as you can see, they stitched up a storm, with lots of laughs and chatting along the way, of course. I was so impressed that everyone finished their blocks and got them started sewing together into the quilt tops!!!

And we even had a couple finishes in class!!!  How fun is that!!!  Kathy finished up her I Spy version of Charm Bracelet and I just love all of these happy prints and bright colors.  Didn't she do such an amazing job!!!   She is planning to donate hers to charity, and what a special quilt it will make for a special little one :)

And this is Charlie's quilt!!!   And can I just say wow!!!  Charlie is 10 and this is her first quilt finish!!!   And you better believe we all got a little teary eyed when she finished and was dancing around the room with it she was so excited ;)     I love that DQN has a youth program and is encouraging passing on quilting to the next generation.   Analia (on the front row in the black hat above) was also in my class and is in High School.   She only has to finish sewing her rows together and she will be done as well.    Isn't that just so incredible.   I couldn't think of better way to end my trip than seeing these two beautiful young ladies be so thrilled with their quilts.  There was a lot of hugs all around when it was time to go, and I just loved it!!!! 

So thank you so much Desert Quilter's of Nevada for having me!!!  It was a very special treat and a wonderful weekend ;)    

And posting this made me realize I never posted my teaching trip to Quilt Fest in September.  So that will be coming soon as well ;) 

Hope you all have a very Happy Quilting Day!!! 

Tutorial Throwback Thursday - All Framed Up

It's Thursday and that means another Tutorial Throwback feature.  And with my super exciting  Charming Baby Quilts Book Announcement on Monday, of course, today's throwback has to be a charm pack baby quilt ;)    And this quilt is also a perfect throwback for today because that cute little angel on the quilt . . .ya, she just turned 8 a few weeks ago!!!  Yup, that is my baby girl Jocelyn, my how time flies!!!   So throwing back 8 years today to bring back the All Framed Up baby quilt!!!

 As I said, this is a Charm Pack friendly quilt.  You just need 2 Charm Packs and a Yard of Background fabric to whip this adorable little quilt up.   I used Ruby by Bonnie and Camille for Moda fabrics and I just love how perfectly All Girl it is without being just pink!!!  And of course, it is out of print now, but a lot of Bonnie and Camille lines have similar color schemes!!    And you can just as easily pick a Charm Pack that reads All Boy and then I would just change out the flower applique to a star ;)  

And speaking of that applique, I think that is really what set this All Framed Up quilt apart.   I love the framework geometric design of the quilt, and adding a dainty applique in the center just finishes it perfectly.  It really does make it pop in the frame of the quilt.   And raw edge applique is so fun and fast and a great way to add that pop.  If you have never tried it, I recommend checking out my Applique Basics Video Tutorial, as it is a great way to add to your quilts that is really much easier than it looks ;)  

And this All Framed Up quilt is still a favorite in our home after 8 years.  It snuggled Jocelyn for the first year of her life, and ever since then, its new home has been in her stuffed animal basket.   I still will see her occasionally taking them all out of the basket and setting them all on a blanket for a pretend picnic.   So sweet!!!  This quilt just has a wonderful array of memories of my baby girls tied up in it!!!   I just love that about quilts!!!  

I hope you have enjoyed today's Tutorial Throwback Thursday!!!    To make your own All Framed Up quilt  just click on any of the quilt name links for the free step by step tutorial.  It finishes at 40" x 40" so it is perfect for a wee one.    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 All Framed Up baby quilts!!!

Oh, and one last picture that I just had to share.   Obviously this picture didn't make the "photo shoot" finals list, but how cute is Jocelyn with her hand reaching out and her toes pointed up :)   What a cutie pie she was, and still is today.   I think she will always be my baby girl, no matter how old she gets!!

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

Starstruck Quilt Along - Picnic 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 

October 2nd - Baby Piecing 

October 9th - Lap Piecing  

October 16th - Picnic Piecing (That's Today!!!) 

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 Lap Section Assignment.   And I just loved seeing that lovely lattice border added on to all your centers.  It looks so cool!!!!   And if you are just finding this QAL, it's never to late to join in the fun :)

The Lap  assignment winner who will get a Little Tree Petite Fat Quarter Bundle from Olie and Evie

#16 - Angie!!! - Congrats :)

And this week, we are back to making our units from the Wall and Baby Sections.  And just like the Baby Section, we will be doing the instructions slightly condensed, but you can always look back to the Wall Hanging Section instructions.   So with that, let's get piecing!!! 

THIS WEEKS ASSIGNMENT - PICNIC SECTION

And as per usual, we will be piecing all of the Units, and then build the Blocks, and finally put it all together into the Picnic Section.  And 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 Picnic pieces.   So let's get started with the Units.  First up . . .

FLYING GEESE UNITS

Gather (4) 5 1/4" x 5 1/4" Background Square and (16) 2 7/8" x 2 7/8" Print (FQ9) Squares.  Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of all 16 of your print squares as shown.

Place two marked Print Squares onto the  Background square as shown below.  Pin the squares on all 4 sets and then Chain Stitch a 1/4" seam on either side of the drawn line of the unit.   Cut on the drawn line and press the seam allowances upwards towards the Print Triangles.

Then place your remaining Print Squares onto your Units as shown below.  Pin the squares on all 8 sets and then Chain Stitch a 1/4" seam on either side of the drawn line on all 8 Units.   Cut on the drawn line and press the seam allowances upwards towards the Print Triangles.  Trim the dog ears.

And you are done!!!  16 beautiful and perfectly precise Flying Geese Units, that should measure 2 1/2" x 4 1/2".   And you don't need to trim the units, but if you do, 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  . . . 

LARGE SIZED HALF SQUARE TRIANGLE UNITS

Start by gathering (8) 5" x 5" Background Squares and (8) 5" x 5" Print (4 FQ7 and  4 FQ8) Squares.  Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of all 8 of your print squares as shown.

Align and pin 8 sets of a Background square and a marked Print square with rights sides together.  Chain Stitch all 8 sets with a 1/4"seam on BOTH sides of the drawn line, the black lines represent your stitching lines.  Cut on the drawn line and press the seam allowances towards the Print Triangles.

Using the diagonal line on your square ruler aligned with the seam allowance, trim all 16 of your units to 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" square.

And now you have 16 Large Sized Half Square Triangle units that all measure 4 1/2" x 4 1/2".

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

MEDIUM SIZED HALF SQUARE TRIANGLE UNITS

Start by gathering (4) 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" Background Squares and (4) 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" Print (FQ1) Squares.  Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of all 4 of your print squares as shown.

Align and pin 4 sets of a Background square and a marked Print square with rights sides together.  Chain Stitch all 4 sets with a 1/4"seam on BOTH sides of the drawn line, the black lines represent your stitching lines.  Cut on the drawn line and press the seam allowances towards the Print Triangles.

Using the diagonal line on your square ruler aligned with the seam allowance, trim all 8 of your units to 3" x 3" square.

And now you have 8 Medium Sized Half Square Triangle units that all measure 3" x 3".

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

SMALL SIZED HALF SQUARE TRIANGLE UNITS

Start by gathering (8) 3" x 3" Background Squares and (8) 3" x 3" Print (FQ10) Squares.  Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of all 8 of your print squares as shown.

Align and pin 8 sets of a Background square and a marked Print square with rights sides together.  Chain Stitch all 8 sets with a 1/4"seam on BOTH sides of the drawn line, the black lines represent your stitching lines.  Cut on the drawn line and press the seam allowances towards the Print Triangles.

Using the diagonal line on your square ruler aligned with the seam allowance, trim all 16 of your units to 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" square.

And now you have 16 Small Sized Half Square Triangle units that all measure 2 1/2" x 2 1/2".

You can now set your Small Half Square Triangle units aside and that finishes up the units.  So now we will move on to making the Blocks.  First up is the  . . . 

STAR BLOCKS

Layout 4 sets of 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 and left hand Units onto the center units in each of the three row with right sides together.  Align and chain stitch a 1/4" seam for all 3 rows in all 4 sets.   Take care to stitch directly through the Thread X's in the center row.   Press the seam allowances outwards in the top and bottom row and inwards in the center row as shown.  Place the Top and Bottom Row onto the Center Row with right sides together.  Align and Pin the side seams of all 4 sets.  Chain stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge of all 4 units taking care to sew through the center of the Thread X's.   Press the seam allowance open.

And we are going to add sashing to this block.   Gather (8) 2 1/2" x 8 1/2" Background rectangles.  Place a rectangle onto either side of all 4 of the Star Blocks and Chain Stitch a 1/4" seam along the edges.  Press outwards towards the sashing.  

And your Sashed Star Block is done.   It should measure 8 1/2" x 12 1/2".  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 Sashed Star Blocks aside and we will move on to the next set of blocks which are the  . .

LARGE SIZED ARROW BLOCKS

Layout 8 sets of a 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" Print (4 FQ7 & 4 FQ8) Square, a 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" Background Square, and 2 Large Half Square Triangle Units as shown below.   Take care to match the Prints if you are doing the Fat Quarter layout.  

Place the right hand units onto the left hand units in each of the two row with right sides together.  Align and chain stitch a 1/4" seam for both rows in all 8 sets.  Press the seam allowances 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 8 sets.  Chain stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge of all 8 units.   Press the seam allowance open.

And your Large Sized Arrow Blocks are done.   They should measure 8 1/2" x 8 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 8 Large Arrow Blocks aside and move on to  the  . . . 

MEDIUM SIZED ARROW BLOCKS

Layout 4 sets of a 3" x 3" Print (FQ1) Square, a 3" x 3" Background Square, and 2 Medium Half Square Triangle Units as shown below.   

Place the right hand units onto the left hand units in each of the two row with right sides together.  Align and chain stitch a 1/4" seam for both rows in all 4 sets.  Press the seam allowances 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 of all 4 units.   Press the seam allowance open.

And again, we are going to add sashing to this block.   Gather (8) 2" x 6 1/2" Background rectangles and (8) 2" x 8 1/2" Background Rectangles.  And first off, we have to trim.  I am sorry, I made a typo in the cutting directions, but luckily, it is easy to fix.   Trim all 8 of the 2" x 6 1/2" Background rectangles down to 2" x 5 1/2" rectangles.   Sorry about that!!!  (I have fixed it in the cutting directions, so if you come to this post at a later date, you won't need to trim :)  

 Layout your Medium Arrow Blocks and sashing in two alternating layouts as shown.  2 with the left layout and 2 with the right layout.  Place a 2" x 5 1/2" Background rectangle onto the top and bottom of all 4 of the Medium Arrow Blocks and Chain Stitch a 1/4" seam along the edges. Press the seams outwards towards the sashing rectangles.  Then place a 2" x 8 1/2 rectangle on either side of all 4 sets of the Medium Arrow Blocksand Chain Stitch a 1/4" seam along the edges.  Press outwards towards the sashing.  

And your Sashed Medium Sized Arrow Blocks are done.   They should measure 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" but again, no need to square them up.

And you can set your 8 Large Arrow Blocks aside and move on to  the  . . . 

SMALL SIZED ARROW BLOCKS

Layout 8 sets of a 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" Print (FQ10) Square, a 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" Background Square, and 2 Small Half Square Triangle Units as shown below. 

Place the right hand Units onto the left hand units in each of the two row with right sides together.  Align and chain stitch a 1/4" seam for both rows in all 8 sets.  Press the seam allowances 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 8 sets.  Chain stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge of all 4 units.   Press the seam allowance open.

And one last time, we are going to add sashing to this block.   Gather (16) 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" Background rectangles. Layout your Small Arrow Blocks and sashing in two alternating layouts as shown.  4 with the left layout and 4 with the right layout.  Place a 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" Background rectangle onto the top and bottom of all 8 of the Small Arrow Blocks and Chain Stitch a 1/4" seam along the edges. Press the seams outwards towards the sashing rectangles.  

And your Sashed Small Sized Arrow Blocks are done.  They should measure 8 1/2" x 4 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 Small Small Arrow Blocks aside.  And now all the blocks are done and we can move on to final step!!!  It's time to get  . . . 

SEWING THE PICNIC SECTION

And we will start by turning all your Blocks into Rows! Layout all your pieced blocks and (8) 8 1/2" x 12 1/2" Background rectangles into the Four rows as shown below.  Take care to follow the placement of the left and right layouts and if you are doing the Fat Quarter Layout, watch where the FQ7 and FQ8's are placed.  

Sew the rows together.  Do this by placing the second block in each row onto the first with right sides together.  Align and pin the seams and then stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge.   The repeat this process adding the third block, and then the fourth, and so on until the row is sewn together.    And watch for all of those Thread X's and Fabric V's to guide your stitching.  Those will  give you those perfect points.  

Press the seams of all 4 rows towards the sashing rectangles as shown below.   Now you have two Side Rows (the shorter ones) and two Top/Bottom Rows (the longer ones).

And now it is just like adding a larger border ;)   Layout the Lap Section, the two Side Rows, and the two Top/Bottom Rows as shown below, again taking care that the block orientation is correct and your FQ7 and FQ8 match in the corners.

Place the two Side Rows onto the Lap Section with right sides together and align and Pin the edges.  You might have to ease in or stretch a bit.   Stitch a 1/4" seam along the two pinned sides.  Press your seams open and then you are ready to repeat.  Place the Top and Bottom Rows onto the Lap Section with right sides together and align and Pin the edges.  Stitch a 1/4" seam along the two pinned edges.  Again, press the seam allowances open.

And all that is left is to add the Background border to your Picnic Section. Start by sewing the (8)  2 1/2" x WOF strips together end to end to make one long strip.  Cut (2) 2 1/2" x 76 1/2" strips  and (2) 2 1/2" x 80 1/2" strips from your long strip.

And just like before, if you prefer to cut your strips a little longer and trim the excess the is an option as well.  The measurements listed above and in the picture are the exact size,  But you will note my strips are a bit longer.  Do whatever your prefer.

 Layout the Pieced Picnic Center and the (2) 2 1/2" x 76 1/2" Background rectangles and the (2) 2 1/2" x 80 1/2" Background rectangles as shown below.

Place the two side rectangles onto the Picnic Center with right sides together.  Pin and stitch a 1/4" seam along both edges.  Trim the excess if needed and press outwards towards the Background rectangle.    Then repeat for the Top and Bottom rectangles aligning, pinning, stitching, (trimming) and pressing outwards.

And your Picnic Section is done and should measure appx. 80 1/2" x 80 1/2".    Isn't it so pretty!!!

So Now It's your Turn :)

Get your Picnic Section sewn together and your assignment is complete!!!    And then you can enter to win the weekly prize :)   And again, 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 Lou Lou's Fabric Shop and a huge Thanks goes to them for their support a the Starstruck Quilt-Along.

This weeks prize is a $25.00 Gift Certificate to Lou Lou's Fabric Shop!!!   Which means one lucky person will get to buy just what they want!!!

So what do you have to do for a chance to win this Gift Certificate?  Simple . . . Just link up your Picnic 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 22nd 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 Picnic Section done by October 22nd 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 Picnic 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 Picnic section all sewn up, this is such fun!!! 

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