** 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 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!!
