Announcing my very first Quilt-A-Long! The Journey Home Quilt Pattern is a digital instant download pattern that you can purchase in my shop on May 27th! The Journey Home QAL will allow us to go week by week and break down the pattern into easy, achievable steps. This can be fun for more experienced quilters as it offers a chance to share techniques and encouragement, develop and refine skills and gain new friends in the quilting community. QALs can also be incredibly helpful to more beginning quilters as a way to get support in tackling some of the more challenging aspects of the pattern (there aren’t many). While the pattern is fairly straight forward and just plain fun, it can be helpful to run color choice and layout ideas by other quilters and get tips and tricks from both myself and the rest of the QAL community, that might help bring your quilting to a new level. Please find the sign up form here and add your name to the list so I can begin sending you news and updates.
WHEN WILL THIS TAKE PLACE? JUNE 22- AUG 14
The Journey Home Quilt-
This is a modern take on a traditional star quilt. It is created with one block design that repeats itself. There are many options for color/print placement within your blocks. This placement is what will determine what shapes you wish to highlight and what design elements will have the most visual impact. Each block could be made with a fat eighth or you could create two with one fat quarter. This could make for a very scrappy, fun quilt. Of course, you could always stick to the formula I’ve given and keep it very minimal and modern, but maybe just change out the color palette. There are tons of options, which is what makes this project so fun and creative.
Who Should Join this QAL?
Everyone is welcome however, it is best if you have some prior knowledge of sewing and at least a little quilting experience. This pattern is beginner friendly and I will be covering some basics but you should be familiar with accurate cutting, what the basic tools are, and how to sew 1/4″ seam..most of the time! If you are an adventurous beginner and feel confident to just dive in and go for it……then let’s do it!
What Will You Learn/Do?
Using the cover design as a starting point, we will explore how to choose a color palette that considers value in order to highlight certain shapes and secondary shapes in the design. We will talk about accurate cutting methods (I will show you what I do), as well as how to stay organized prior to piecing. I will address how to piece and press block units and of course we’ll learn how to construct the blocks and then eventually the entire quilt.
Where Will This QAL Happen?
Each week I will share an instructional post or two, with photos that you can always go back and refer to if needed. Most of the QAL will be taking place through Instagram with the hashtag #journeyhomeQAL. I’ll post often in my stories as well as my feed and I’ll announce prize winners at the end of each week! You do not have to have an Instagram account, however it will likely make your QAL experience more complete and enjoyable. If all participants post their Journey Home Quilt progress posts with this hashtag mentioned above, we’ll be able to follow each other’s progress, comment on posts and encourage our new or old, quilty friends. During this socially distanced time we are living in, this is a great way to connect with a quilt loving family member or friend and work on a shared project together, but apart!
Special Tools- Optional but Recommended:
Although it is not an absolute must, I personally would not want to make this quilt without this ruler. The 6 1/2″ Quilt in a Day Square Up Ruler helps me achieve consistent 1/4″ allowances.
I highly recommend it and am happy to tell you, this will be the prize for one lucky winner in Week 1! And stay tuned for more awesome prize offerings from some very talented quilters!
Timeline
Week One- Gather Materials:
- Pattern (available here on May 27- coloring sheet included to help you begin to plan your palette) I recommend getting the pattern as early as possible in order to get a head start on choosing your colors/fabrics.
- Fabrics- Decide on a color palette and collect all necessary fabric and supplies. Understand how to change up your layout and do any necessary quilt math to adjust fabric requirements!
- Sign Up, if you haven’t already, for the official weekly QAL posts!
- Announce our first prize winner!
Week Two– Organize fabric selections (assign letter). Cut and organize all cut fabrics to prepare for next week.
Week Three- Construct Diamond in Square block units. Address options for off cuts from this block, and learn to accurately trim.
Week Four – Construct HSTs and assemble four patch units. We’ll address chain piecing, pressing, matching points, and whatever else comes up.
Week Five– Assemble the block! Review all important techniques that have previously been addressed. Continue assembly to complete all blocks.
Week Six– This is a built in catch up week!
Week Seven– Assemble and sew rows together, focusing on matching points, pressing, etc.
Week Eight- Sew quilt top together; share what we learned and our final success! Whoo hoo Great Job! I will certainly stick around and cheer you on for the quilting and binding part of your quilt, it’s just not an “official” part of the QAL!
Below, you’ll see the (approximate) quilt that I will be making along with you, week by week! I’ll share my fabric pull in Week 1. Can’t wait to see what you all create!
That’s it for now friends! If you wish to get a head start on choosing fabrics, you can refer back to the fabric requirements posted above. And lastly, a little disclaimer…….this is my first ever Quilt A Long, that’s right, I’m a beginner host! So we are in this together, let’s have fun and support our Journeys Home!