BOMs Away - QOV Stars

October 29, 2018

Hey, it’s another Quilts of Valor project! Wait, it’s almost not one. My intention on Sunday morning was to sew the remaining blocks from my Pieceful Swappettes month as queen bee. I already decided on a layout, I knew exactly how many more blocks in each size that I needed, and I jotted down the sizes to make them.

Except I jotted down the sizes for a 16” block, not a 12” block. And it never really occurred to me that this block was ending up way too big until it was done and I put it next to the 12” blocks. Sigh.

I played with the design a bit more before deciding, nope, I liked the original plan. So I made the one 12” block that I needed, and two of the four 8” blocks. I’ll make the other two and the few 4” blocks next time, and the 16” star will just have to wait for another quilt. Sometime after I finish the fifty other QOV projects I have in the works.

So did anyone else work on their BOM? Or a project broken into {slightly} more manageable monthly pieces? Link up here or at What a Hoot!

An InLinkz Link-up

Just Peachy - a Fruit Salad Block

October 26, 2018

This is actually one of the first blocks I sketched out, but I put it off because I wasn’t sure I had enough peachy fabrics. Turns out, after a little time in the pink and orange scrap bins, I had more than enough to get that perfect peachy shade!

And let me just drool over the photographs! It’s something I’ve struggled with this year - and finally I just out-sourced it. And hiring Lori was the best decision ever. You’ll still get my usual sub-par weekly photos and on the quilts that won’t be patterns, but now I feel like I can move ahead with patterns that will have fantastic photos.

I might have cried when she sent me the first images. And I can’t wait to go back and update all the past blog pictures! Everything will be cleaned up, graphics added, and turned into PDFs in my Craftsy shop, and the full pattern will be released in late December (after I finish everyone’s Christmas longarming.)The blocks and pattern will be free until January 31, 2019. (2019!! What??)

And also, Lori made actual fruit salad from the leftover props. Yum!

Get the printer-friendly pattern here!

I am using the same neutral (Kona White) in all my blocks, and I use the Quilt in a Day triangle ruler to trim my half square triangles.

Just Peachy - 12.5x14.5" unfinished

If you’re joining me in these blocks, please use #fruitsaladquilt on Instagram or comment here so I can find your blog!

BOMs Away - Pieceful Swappettes October Take Two

October 22, 2018

I wasn’t fully satisfied with my scrappy trip around the world block for October’s queen bee, especially after watching my bee-mates post theirs on Instagram. So I decided this week to do another one!

And oh my goodness, it went terribly…

First, I sewed together my five strips, then sewed them into a tube, and then realized I was supposed to press them first. I turned the tube right side out and pressed them on my Strip Stick, which was a lifesaver. But then, my seams STILL didn’t match up and nest! Ugh! I got all the way to the last strip set, repressing as I went, only to find… Yeah, there was still another strip set.

SIX. You use SIX strips.

So I did some seam ripping and added 2.5” squares the old fashioned way, mumbling curses about strip piecing. And of course, I sewed some wrong, STILL, so I kept seam ripping and crying.

Eventually, I got it all together. And… I still don’t know if it’s bright and bold enough. But I am DONE making these blocks. And my seams all nest this time. I have no idea if they nest in the proper way to nest with the rest of the quilt, but they nest with each other!

And so I have a soft palette version and a dark palette version. And I am never making a scrappy trip block again!

So did anyone else work on their BOM? Or a project broken into {slightly} more manageable monthly pieces? Link up here or at What a Hoot!

An InLinkz Link-up

Friendship Chain - a Quilt Block Tutorial

October 19, 2018

This block was designed for the Southwest Oklahoma Quilts of Valor block drive in 2018. Instructions have been updated with strip piecing in 2022 for the Birmingham Quilt Guild QOVF block drive. (I move around but somehow QOVF always finds me…!)

If you would like a printable version, you can find the block pattern here and the full quilt pattern here! The block pattern is free, and a portion of the proceeds from the full pattern is donated to QOVF. (Also note: the block pattern does not contain strip piecing instructions.)

You can also see a variety of finished Friendship Chain quilts here!

Friendship Chain Quilt Block

Material Requirements

Red – (1) 2.5”x21” strip

White/cream – (1) 2.5”x21” strip; (2) 5” squares (use charm packs or jelly roll strips!)

Blue – (2) 5” squares; (1) 4.5” square

Step A – Four Patches

Sew the 2.5”x21” red and white strips together with a 1/4” seam. Press toward the red fabric. Cut into (8) 2.5”x4.5” red/white rectangles.

Match the chain fabric and background fabric pairs with the middle seams facing opposite directions, nested together. Sew a scant quarter inch from the edge of the fabric. Press seams open.

Repeat until you have (4) four patch blocks that measure 4.5” square, unfinished.

Step B – Half Square Triangles

Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the 5" background squares. Pair each with a 5" star fabric square with RST. Sew a scant quarter inch on both sides of the center line. Cut squares apart on the center line. Press seams toward the star fabric. Trim blocks to 4.5"×4.5".

Repeat until you have (4) HST blocks that measure 4.5” square, unfinished.

Assembling the Block

Layout the block as shown. Sew blocks, pressing in the direction of the arrows.

Sew the rows together, pressing the final seams open.

Block should measure 12.5” unfinished.