Tag: Quilt Along

Star Sampler Quilt | Block #5: Maple Star

PATTERN SHEET: star-sampler-quilt-block5

Hello Friends!

My apologies for taking so long to get block five out to you! The last few weeks have been busy with work and so limited my time (and energy) to get the tutorial filmed and edited! I hope you’ll understand. 🙂

So block five is a beautiful one, if I may say so myself. It’s called the Maple Star and is very similar in design to our last block which was the Janet’s Star. The only difference between the two are the extra opposing squares in corner units of the Maple Star. Everything else is exactly the same as the Janet’s Star! Don’t you just love it how some blocks are so close to each other in design, with just one slightly different element either added or taken away to create it into something else that’s so effective and lovely?! It’s one of the many things I love about patchwork!

Anyway, moving on… Let’s delve into how the Maple Star block is made!

As always, if you click on the pattern sheet linked at the top of this post, you’ll be able to find a full list of all of the measurements and cutting info, along with the fabrics* I’ve used to piece this block together! If you would like to use a similar 12.5″ set square as me, you can find it here: June Tailor Get-Squared 12.5″ Ruler.

+++

I hope you all have a lovely weekend stitching up your blocks! Please do share them with me once you’re done – I love seeing what everyone is doing!

Also, to my friends in the States (and wherever else it’s celebrated in the world), Happy Halloween weekend – I hope it’s a spooky one!

Happy Sewing, Friends!

xx

*A big thanks to Australian wholesale supplier and fabric distributer Dayview Textiles for supplying me with such beautiful fabrics! If you want to see all of the fabrics I’ll be using in this Quilt Along, check out this post where I share them all with you!

Advertisement

Star Sampler Quilt | Block #4: Janet’s Star

PATTERN SHEET: star-sampler-quilt-block4

Hello to you on this very warm Spring Sunday afternoon from a Western Sydney suburb in Australia!

I had a weird moment just now when thinking about how far in we are in the series… Can you believe we’re already a quarter of the way through?! Holy-moly! 😮

So block four is a fun one! A lot less tricky than what the Kansas Star block was. The Janet’s Star is made of three different but very simple units that come together to make, what I think is a very beautiful star!

So here’s how you make it!!

As always, everything you’ll need to know in regards to the measurement and cutting information as well as the fabrics* I’ve use to piece this block together are in the pattern sheet linked at the beginning of this post! If you would like to use a similar 12.5″ set square as me, you can find it here: June Tailor Get-Squared 12.5″ Ruler.

+++

Keep on sharing all of your lovely blocks with me! The new hashtag we have on Instagram is going great guns and I’m loving seeing everyone’s blocks altogether in one place! It’s all very exciting! If you wish to hop on to the Instagram hashtag train, don’t forget to add #AmandasQuiltAlong in your photo description/comment and you’re in the club! 😀

Have fun making this one and I’ll see you in about a week with block five, which happens to be very, very similar to the Janet’s Star layout! The block is called the Maple Star and features a slight difference in design! Anyway, you’ll see what I mean in the next tutorial!

Until then,

Happy Sewing, Friends!

xx

*A big thanks to Australian wholesale supplier and fabric distributer Dayview Textiles for supplying me with such beautiful fabrics! If you want to see all of the fabrics I’ll be using in this Quilt Along, check out this post where I share them all with you!

Star Sampler Quilt | Block #3: Kansas Star

PATTERN SHEET: star-sampler-quilt-block3

Good morning, Friends!

I hope you all had a lovely weekend sewing and creating in your unique ways! Me, my weekend (and past week) was spent working and earning those good ol’ dollars! (Hence why this block tutorial is slightly late!)

So block three is a bit of a good-un! Although the Kansas Star looks a little complicated to piece together, once broken down into manageable steps and sections it really is quite simple to piece together. Although I do have a few tips for you to keep in mind when your sewing…

First is to make sure you’re really precise with placing/pinning the 2.5″ squares into the corners of the 4.5″ squares when making each of the ‘snowball’ units. When pressed, you want the 2.5″ corner squares to replace the corner of the 4.5″ square, (I hope that just made sense??) so that when measured at the end, you still have a 4.5″ square/unit(s) ready to be sewn into the Kansas Star design.

Secondly, if you’re having trouble with getting your 4.5″ ‘snowball’ units to sit flat and straight, give them a good spray with some starch, then press with a hotish steamy iron you’ll find they’ll behave themselves a lot better! (If ever in doubt about wrinkles, wonky lines, curled up edges etc, whip out the spray starch and then press the heck out of it and I’m 99% confident it’ll fix any of your problems!)

Thirdly, if you find that some of your ‘snowball’ units are slightly under 4.5″ squared, that’s okay. As long as it isn’t any more than a 1/4″ on any one side, your block should still come together pretty easily.

If you want some inspiration on how using different colour ways transforms the block, do what I did and Google, ‘Kansas Star Block’, click on Images and be instantly inspired!

For all of the measurement and cutting details, along with the fabrics* I’ve used to piece this block together and a diagram of the block layout, click on the pattern sheet linked at the top of this post. If you would like to use a similar 12.5″ set square as me, you can find it here:June Tailor Get-Squared 12.5″ Ruler.

+++

As I mention at end of the tutorial, block four will hopefully be up for you to watch on Friday (or Sunday, depending on a few things that are happening this week!). It’s another simple yet effective one called Janet’s Star!

Oh also, I had a great idea suggested that we get a hashtag going for the Quilt-Along! So whenever you share your blocks with me on Instagram include the hashtag #AmandasQuiltAlong (really original, I know!) and we’ll all be able to see each others blocks etc. How exciting!

Until then…

Happy Sewing, Friends!

xx

*A big thanks to Australian wholesale supplier and fabric distributer Dayview Textiles for supplying me with such beautiful fabrics! If you want to see all of the fabrics I’ll be using in this Quilt Along, check out this post where I share them all with you!

Star Sampler Quilt | Block #2: Star X

PATTERN SHEET: star-sampler-quilt-block2

Sooo….. Who’s ready for block two?? I know so many of you are excited for the next piece in my Star Sampler QAL puzzle!

And here it is!!

Week two brings the Star X Block!

Now, I absolutely love this block for how similar it is to one of my all-time favourite blocks – the Ohio Star! I also love how the metallic grey fabric (called: Notorious in Cloud Metallic) sparkles and glimmers in the light! It just finishes the block off so beautifully! 🙂

So in the following tutorial, I go through how to make HSTs (as usual) as well as how to make those super-effective QSTs (that is Quarter Square Triangles) that form the ‘Star’ and ‘X’ shapes in the block.

If you click on the pattern sheet linked at the top of this post, you’ll be able to find a full list of all of the measurements and cutting info, along with the fabrics* I’ve used to piece this block together! If you would like to use a similar 12.5″ set square as me, you can find it here: June Tailor Get-Squared 12.5″ Ruler.

Enjoy your weekend sewing up this block and don’t forget to share it with me on Instagram or Facebook!

See you next week for block three! It’s another ‘out-of-the-box’ type one again but will be fun to piece together nonetheless!

Happy Sewing, Friends!

xx

*A big thanks to Australian wholesale supplier and fabric distributer Dayview Textiles for supplying me with such beautiful fabrics! If you want to see all of the fabrics I’ll be using in this Quilt Along, check out this post where I share them all with you!

Star Sampler Quilt | Block #1: Eccentric Star

PATTERN SHEET: star-sampler-quilt-block1

Hello!

Welcome to the first block tutorial in my Star Sampler Quilt Along series!! First up is the Eccentric Star Block! Aptly named for it’s very crazy and super fun layout!

Everything you’ll need to know in regards to the measurement and cutting information as well as the fabrics* I’ve use to piece this block together are in the pattern sheet linked at the beginning of this post! If you would like to use a similar 12.5″ set square as me, you can find it here: June Tailor Get-Squared 12.5″ Ruler.

As I’ve said so many times before, I’m so excited to get this series started!! I hope you’ll be joining along too!

See you next week with block two!

Happy Sewing, Friends!

xx

*A big thanks to Australian wholesale supplier and fabric distributer Dayview Textiles for supplying me with such beautiful fabrics! If you want to see all of the fabrics I’ll be using in this Quilt Along, check out this post where I share them all with you!

INTRODUCING: A Star Sampler Quilt Along!

I’m not sure why I’ve just titled this post as ‘Introducing’ as most of you already knew that this Quilt Along was happening! But I thought, if any newbies come by looking for something different this title just might catch their eye!

(If you are that newbie, welcome! I’m so glad you’ve popped by!)

But yes! Finally I can announce that my next Quilt Along series is ready to begin!! Yay!!!! We’re only just a few months behind schedule, but nonetheless we’re ready to go!

So let’s first go through a few of the important details about this Quilt Along…

+ After a world-wide vote on a past post, the majority of you wanted to do a 12 block Star Sampler Quilt. So that’s what we’re doing!

+ The fabric range that I’m using is called Print Shop by Alexia Marcelle Abegg for Cotton+Steel. I’ve based the design of the blocks/quilt using the black and white version of the range (as requested by all of you!), with sprinkles of the bright colour way that’s also a part of the range, along with a few staple favourites from the Cotton+Steel Basics range. (You can see the full range of the fabrics I’ve hand-picked further down in this post.)

+ Although I’m using yardage/meterage, most* of the blocks can be made using either charm packs, layer cakes and/or fat quarters (*just be aware that there are a few blocks that have 6″-6.5″ unit pieces). However, you will need extra fabric for the sashing and border pieces, for the backing and the binding. (A full list of measurements are listed further down in this post.)

+ For the batting, I’m using a beautiful 100% Cotton batting from a company called Bosal. I’ve never used this particular type batting before so I’m really interested to see how easy it is to work with. I’ll go into more detail about it when the time comes for basting and quilting!

+ All depending on my work schedule/roster, I’m hoping to have each block tutorial up on my YouTube channel as well as here on my blog every week… Okay, now that currently might be a bit of a stretch to promise when I don’t know what my working hours are each week! So just be aware that every now and again there may be more than a week between tutorials! At the moment I’m thinking my upload/release day will possibly be a Thursday as I don’t usually work that day. (Weekends are no good as I work most of them!) I hope that this works for you – at least then you’ll have the weekends to make each block as we go along!

+ Now, if you’re new to the way my block tutorials/Quilt Along series go, in each tutorial I let you know all of the measurements and cutting info as well as what fabrics I’m using for that block. Then I take you through step-by-step on how to piece that block together. And just like with my HST Quilt Along, a beautifully coloured information sheet for each block will be available for you to print off and follow along with at home! (These will be available to download from my blog.)

+ Interested in what Star blocks we’ll be making?? Well here they are in the order that we will be making them!

Block One: Eccentric Star / Block Two: Star X / Block Three: Kansas Star / Block Four: Janet’s Star / Block Five: Maple Star / Block Six: Amish Star / Block Seven: Indian Star / Block Eight: Crystal Star / Block Nine: Missouri Star / Block Ten: Martha Washington Star / Block Eleven: Star + Square / Block Twelve: Aunt Eliza’s Star

Each will finish at 12.5″ squared and range in different levels of difficulty. However, I believe what ever level of quilting you’re up to, you’ll definitely be able to make each and every one of these blocks listed!

+ Just like with my last Quilt Along, I’ve been so lucky to have it sponsored again by Australian wholesale supplier and fabric distributer, Dayview Textiles. If you’re in Australia and are keen on using the same fabrics as me, pop over to their website to find the nearest quilt store to you that they distribute fabrics to!

+ And now on to all of the fabric deets!! Like I previous mentioned, all of these fabrics have been handpicked from the range to individually suit each of the blocks I’ll be making for my quilt. So because of that you’ll notice that not all of the fabrics in the Print Shop range are here.

printshopbw

The black and white fabrics in the range I’m classing as my ‘main’ fabric. Each block features one of these key fabrics which has then been paired with either a coloured print from the range or with a C+S Basic print.

The fabrics are:

1. ‘Meadow’ in the colour Midnight

2. ‘This + That’ in the colour Linen

3. ‘This + That’ in the colour Black

4. ‘Bricka’ in the colour Black

5. ‘Grid’ in the colour Dark Charcoal (This one reminds me of little British flags! Do you see them too?)

6. ‘Point’ in the colour Charcoal

7. ‘Hello’ in the colour Grey (Those little animal heads are a-dor-a-ble!!)

printshopcolour

These are the coloured prints from the Print Shop range I’ll be using… Along with the C+S Basics, these will add a delightful pop of colour next to the black and white prints!

1. ‘Meadow’ in the colour Citrus

2. ‘Starry’ in the colour Seashell

3. ‘Hello’ in the colour Seaglass

4. ‘Moons’ in the colour Grass

5. ‘Grid’ in the colour Peach

csbasics

And lastly, these are the C+S Basics and other fabrics I’ll be using:

1. ‘XOXO: #2 Pencil’

2. ‘XOXO: Lightning’ (This one is insanely bright and fluro-like! It’s absolutely gorgeous!)

3. ‘XOXO: Thistle’

4. ‘Sprinkle: Peacock’

5. ‘Netorious: Black Cat’

6. ‘Sprinkle: Petal’

7. ‘Netorious: Cloud (Metallic)

8. ‘Dottie: Rosewater’ (This is the fabric I’m using for my binding.)

9. Cotton Supreme Solid in the colour Kerchief (This is my main background fabric that will used in my blocks, sashing and borders.)

+++

+ If you would like to use fabric yardage/meterage like me, here is a list of the measurements you’ll need… (Apologies for how I write out the yardage measurements – they’re very foreign to me!)

Of each print:

Meterage: half to three quarters of a metre (50cm-75cm) – these are the lengths I’ll be working with

Yardage: 0.60-0.85 of a yard (22″-31″)

(PS. You will have fabric left over – I just want to make sure you’ll have enough and won’t run out!)

Background & Backing fabrics:

Meterage: 3 metres for each

Yardage: 3.3 yards for each

Binding:

Meterage: three quarters of a metre (75cm)

Yardage: 0.85 of a yard (31″)

Batting: (estimate)

Meterage: 1.5 metres x 220cm+ width

Yardage: 1.7 yards x 2.4+ yard width (61″x87″)

I’ve planned for the finished quilt to roughly measure around 50″x65″ (127cmx165cm)

+++

 Now I think that’s everything that is important to know right now… If you think there’s any important details I’ve missed or have any questions about this Quilt Along, please feel free to let me know in the comment section below!

Ooo! One very important thing I haven’t mentioned yet is when we’re starting! I’ve penciled in for Thursday the 22nd of September to have the first block tutorial in the series up on my channel and blog!

I can’t wait to get started and to see all of your beautiful Star Blocks come to life into a beautiful Sampler Quilt!

Happy Planning, Friends!

xx

Long Time, No Word…

Hello my lovely Friends!

It’s been a bit of a while between posts, huh? This is the part where I typically write up my excuses… Busy life. No time. Unbelievably tired. So on and so on.

Well, although I haven’t been sharing very much both here and on my YouTube channel, I’ve been busily planning, designing and organising behind the scenes! Yeah!

One major thing that’s in the works is my next Quilt-Along series! I know, I know, I’ve been teasing what’s in store for the past few months but I do promise it’ll be starting very soon!

Planning time, using 'Printshop' by Cotton+Steel!
Planning time, using ‘Printshop’ by Cotton+Steel!

All of the blocks have been designed and are ready to go and the over-all layout of the quilt is locked in! Now I’m just waiting on the arrival of my fabrics (I’m using ‘Printshop’ by Cotton+Steel) and I’ll get straight into filming! I’ll also then be able to release an official start date as well as a full run-down of all of the info you’ll need to sew along with me (in blog post and video form)! TBH, I did want to have it started by now but a few unforeseeable things came up that prevented the series getting started. But no worries, it will be getting underway very soon and I’m so excited to get into it! I miss making tutorials for you!

Moving onto making content for my YouTube channel, I wanted to share an idea I’ve recently been seriously thinking about. I’ve mentioned this before, but one of my favourite types of content to watch on YouTube are Vlogs. This is where people film their everyday daily life and either upload it everyday or patch the week together into a weekly video. I did begin doing something like this on my channel a few years ago but it fell by the way-side as I felt I wasn’t quite ready to make that kind of content yet. But is this something you’d be interested in watching if I did this on my channel? Do you wanna see what happens in my everyday life? Obviously it’s a big thing to take on. I’m naturally very quite and shy and keep a lot to myself, so this would be a huge adjustment and fun challenge for me to take on. But it’s something I’ve been mulling over in my mind this past month or so and would really love to take it up and try it out. I’ve even begun researching what camera and equipment I could use to make the vlogs the best that they can be! Anyway, I would love to know what you think! Any feedback is good feedback in my opinion! 🙂

+++

In other news, just like my blog and channel, my poor sewing machine has been sadly neglected over the past few weeks. 😦 Call it being busy. Call it lack of inspiration. Call it a creative-brain-block. Whatever it is, I just haven’t felt the old spark or natural urge to do any ‘personal’ sewing. It’s actually really bumming me out. (It’s also another reason why I haven’t been blogging recently. There hasn’t been anything new to share with you! Or any photos to upload into this blog post!) Although I’m really excited to get started on my Quilt-Along, I don’t have any exciting sewing to get into while waiting for it to begin. Everyday I scroll through my Instagram feed and see all of you making such beautiful blocks, quilts and projects while I’m sitting here feeling guilty about not getting on with anything or whipping up something special to share with you… Ho-hum, hopefully I’ll break through my creative doldrum soon and find that good ol’ inspirational spark again! Fingers crossed!

So hopefully it won’t be too long between this post and my next! I’ll try not to let a month(!) fly past without touching base with you!

I hope you’re all having a wonderful week!

Happy Sewing, Friends!

xx

PS. By the way, have you seen my latest block tutorial? I made a FPP Arrow Block!

GET THE TEMPLATE: FPP Arrow Block Templates

May 13th: Quilt-Along Poll Results!

Last week I wrote a post about gathering some ideas and feedback for the next Quilt-Along series I’ll be doing later on in the year. Stuck on what I should do, I created a poll with a few ideas that I had floating around my head and asked you to help me with my decision!

Well, the results of that poll are in and there’s a clear winner!

QALPollResults

The next QAL series will be a Star Block Sampler! Yay!

I also received some other great ideas for future QALs like doing one from Charm Packs, another using House blocks as well as using Civil War Era Blocks to make a wallhanging! What fab ideas to take on board and brainstorm with!

Thank you to everyone who voted and forwarded on their suggestions! It has helped so much!

+++

So planning for the Star Block Sampler QAL has officially begun and very conveniently, I found this awesome reference chart on Pinterest of some wonderful star blocks!

SOURCE: Pinterest
SOURCE: Pinterest

There are a few in there that I would love to make in the QAL! They include the Maple Star, Crown and Star, Crystal Star, Janet’s Star, Missouri Star and the Star X blocks! Which ones would you like to make?

Over the next month or so I’ll begin researching and sourcing a lovely fabric range with your suggestions in mind that I think will be perfect for the series! And like I said before, I’ll make sure it’s an easy one for everyone to find and use if they so wish!

If there are any other star blocks you would like me to consider for the QAL, let me know in the comments section! I’ve already had a request to include the Colorado Star block as well as the Diamond Star block! Yay!

OooOoo, such exciting times ahead!!

Happy Sewing, Friends!

xx

PS. I’m hoping to get the QAL underway sometime in July (or August at the very latest!)

HST Sampler Quilt | Sashing & Borders

PATTERN SHEET: HST Sampler Quilt – Sashing & Borders

HSTSamplerQuiltTop

Happy Friday, Friends!!

Today I’m so happy to be finally uploading the next step in my HST Sampler Quilt Along! Yay!

Now that all nine blocks have been made, it’s time to sash them together and then add a border around each of the edges to complete the quilt top!

Before we get into it, I just want to let you know that this particular tutorial is pretty heavy in the information department! I do go through lots of different steps quite quickly, so if you have any issues keeping up, pause it when you need to, catch up in your own sewing/understanding, check out the diagram on the pattern sheet and then continue on your way until you’ve finished piecing everything together.

As always, if you click on the pattern sheet linked at the top of this post, you’ll be able to find a full list of all of the measurements and cutting info, along with the fabrics* I’ve used to piece the quilt top together!

+++

So with our quilt tops now pieced and looking grand, we’ll be getting into basting and quilting it in the next instalment of the Quilt Along! Whoo! So in that video I’ll show you how to baste your quilt, I’ll chat about backing and batting and then show you how to quilt it on your sewing machine! It should be great!

Also, don’t forget to keep sharing your finished blocks and quilt tops with me! You know I love to see everything that you make!

I hope you all have a splendid weekend!

Happy Sewing, Friends!

xx

*A big thanks to Australian wholesale supplier and fabric distributer Dayview Textiles for supplying me with such beautiful fabrics! If you want to see all of the fabrics I’ll be using in this Quilt Along, check out this post where I share them all with you!

HST Sampler Quilt | Block #9: Wind Blown Square

PATTERN SHEET: HST Sampler Quilt -BLOCK9

Hello & Good Afternoon!

Whew! Summer sure has landed in Sydney today! My suburb reached over 41+ degrees in the shade today, accompanied by an uncomfortably warm wind blowing through the house! The remedy for such hot and steamy weather: a cooling afternoon swim in the pool! Ahh, it was bliss!

But now that the day is cooling down, it’s time to get back to work and get the last block in our Quilt-Along uploaded and ready for you to make! The 9th and final block that we’ll be piecing together is the Wind Blown Square. I’ve never made this block before and I have to say, I absolutely love it! Although a few of my points are a little shaky and not quite perfect, I’m still really happy with how it turned out!

TIP: When making your block, try your best to use two contrasting fabrics for the HSTs in the centre and around the edges. This will really help to make the centre HSTs stand out and add to the movement that they bring to the block. 🙂

For all of the measurement and cutting details, along with the fabrics* I’ve used to piece this block together and a diagram of the block layout, click on the pattern sheet linked at the top of this post. If you would like to use the same 12.5″ set square as me, you can find it here:June Tailor Get-Squared 12.5″ Ruler.

+++

So now that all nine blocks in the series have been made, it’s time to move on to sashing them all together and getting the quilt top bordered up and finished ready for basting and quilting! I’m so excited to see how all of your blocks come together and what your final quilt tops look like!! Yay!

So that tutorial will either be out on Wednesday or Friday… I have one last dental appointment on Monday to remove the last of my wisdom teeth (plus a filling), so it just depends on how I’m feeing after all of that! 🙂

Like I mention in the video, don’t forget to share a photo with me featuring all of your completed blocks together! I would love to see your progress so far! Here are mine:

IMG_5155

Until next week, have fun making your block and I hope you all have a splendid weekend!!

Happy Sewing, Friends!!

xx

*A big thanks to Australian wholesale supplier and fabric distributer Dayview Textiles for supplying me with such beautiful fabrics! If you want to see all of the fabrics I’ll be using in this Quilt Along, check out this post where I share them all with you!