Monday, March 30, 2020

Hand Pieced QAL - Louisa


Having fun hand piecing?  It's time to get started on our third block - Louisa.



Louisa will build on the skills from Evelyn (our first block) and Jane (our second) and introduce the challenge of dealing with a bunch of seams coming together at the center.

Louisa goes together quickly and you'll enjoy the challenge of piecing her whether you are new to hand piecing or picking back up your needle and thread after a break from last year's QAL.

Still need the pattern for Book Club for the Hand Pieced QAL - grab yours now!  Book Club is a 9 block sampler and two block setting to make either a wall hanging or a throw sized quilt.  Did you miss the QAL announcement?  You can find more information here!  If you have any trouble ordering the pattern, please don't hesitate to email us at handpiecedqal@gmail.com - we'll be happy to help!



Tips & Tricks

There are just two different kinds of units to be cut  for our Louisa block.  You'll likely be a pro using templates now but check out the tutorial if you need some reminders.  Make sure you mark all your stitching lines on the wrong side of the units.  This specialty ruler - The Perfect Piecer -  makes it easy marking sewing lines on angles.


The rotary cutting instructions (if applicable) for the units can be found in the bottom left corner of the pattern sheet.  Please consult the tutorials for Using Templates and for Marking Stitching Lines if you need some tips.



Layout all the units to match the design for the Louisa block.  (I am using my wonderful wool pressing mat to keep everything organized.)



Sew pairs of pie wedges together - you will have 4 sets.  I like to pin along the marked stitching lines to make sure the units are lined up correctly.   Sew 2 sets together to create each half of the unit.


The key to success in dealing with the bulk of 8 pie wedges coming to the middle of the quilt is to pin well and carefully push your needle through all the seam allowances.   Sew a few stitches pass the center and flip to the right side to make sure you are happy with how everything is aligned.  If you aren't, now is the time to pull out your stitches and try again.


Once your pie wedges are all together, sew on the triangles to complete the block


The link-up for Louisa (or any blocks you make this week) will open on Thursday, April 2.  If you share on IG, please tag your photo with #bookclubqal and #handpiecedqal.

Make sure you go visit Kristen and see her Louisa block!

The Book behind the Block

When Louisa (Lou) first appears in the book Me Before You by Jojo Meyes her life is somewhat defined by her quirky family and her inability to hold a job for very long.    Lou takes a job as a companion to Will.  Will, who is paralyzed after a motorcycle accident, has made a deal with his parents that he will seek an opportunity for assisted suicide in 6 months if he finds he can't handle life as someone who is severally disabled.

While I won't spoil the ending for you (although you may have already read the book or seen the movie), I can tell you that this is one of my favorite books of all time.  I laughed and cried as I followed Lou and Will through the development of their relationship.   There are actually two other books in the series and I'd recommend those as well - After You and Still Me.

And if you've read these books and want to enjoy another by Jojo Meyes, let me suggest The Giver of Stars.

When naming the block Louisa, we were both struck by the hectic nature of Lou's life best represented by the spinning block.  I used gold for the triangles as a nod to her bumblebee tights which make an appearance at her birthday party.


The link-up for Louisa (or any blocks you make this week) will open on Thursday, April 2.  You can also add your blocks to the Jane link-up - it closes Thursday right as the Louisa link-up opens.  If you share on IG, please tag your photo with #bookclubqal and #handpiecedqal.


Please stop by Kristin's blog to check out her version of Louisa!





Stay in touch and join our community so you don't miss a thing! 


Have a wonderful day! Patty

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Book Club - Jane Link-up

Welcome to the week 2 link-up for Book Club - A Hand Pieced QAL.  We are so excited to see what you have made!  Read more about Jane and the book behind the block.


This link-up will be open for one week - until Thursday, April 2 (4 am ET/1 am PT).  You are welcome to share any and all of the blocks you completed this week.  When this link-up closes, a new one will open (magic!) so please don't worry if you fall behind.







Aurifil is the most popular thread in the quilting industry. Available in many different thread weights and dozens of colors, the superior, long staple cotton thread boasts high tensile strength and a wonderful silky touch.








Photos can be shared from a blog, Flickr, or Pinterest and much include a  link to Elm Street Quilts or Simple Handmade Everyday.  Photos can also be shared via a public Instagram and must contain the tag #handpiecedqal and/or #bookclubqal 

Don't have a way to share?  You can also email them to handpiecedqal at gmail dot com.  Need instructions on how to link-up?  See the tutorial!


Blocks shared must follow the guidelines below to be eligible to win a prize.


We hope you take a few minutes to visit others and make new friends!

Please note - sharing a photo in the link-up gives Elm Street Quilts and Simple Handmade Everyday permission to feature a photo of your block on their sites.  Full attribution will be given.




You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter




Guidelines:


  • Blocks must be entirely hand-pieced.  
  • Block must visually match a block to the Book Club - A Hand Pieced QAL pattern.  Blocks can be made a different size.
  • Finished blocks can be shared in any link-up but can only be shared once.  Duplicates will be disqualified.
  • Multiple blocks created by one quilter may be shared in the same link-up.
  • Winners will be chosen randomly and notified via email.  Winners have 72 hours to claim their prize - if we don't hear back, we will draw another name.  Once winners have claimed their prize, this post will be updated with the winner's name.
For more information on the QAL including catching up with any tutorials you've missed, please visit the main event page - Book Club - Hand Pieced QAL.   

You can also join our Hand Pieced Quilt Along Facebook Group and / or subscribe to our newsletter so you'll be among the first to know about new block tutorials.

Haven't yet purchased the pattern?  Get your copy here!




Have a wonderful day! Patty

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

One Monthly Goal March Finish Link-Up

Ready to link up your March finishes?
Don't panic - this link-up is open until March 31 at 11:55 pm ET.



My goal for March was to quilt my quilt for Book Club - A Hand Pieced QAL.  I am very excited to say that the quilt is done! (See more photos here.)


Now it is your turn to link-up.

There will be three winners this month Fat Quarter Shop is offering a $25 gift certificate, Make Modern is offering a 6 month subscription, and Therm O Web is offering a collection of HeatnBond® products including EZ print Featherlite sheets (This prize can only be shipped to US addresses.)

Congratulations to Kathryn, Sue, and Inge - our lucky winners for March.  (Winners were notified by email)   Updated 4/2




Visit the One Monthly Goal event page for the specific requirements for links and social tags. 

And remember, to be eligible for the prize(s) by random drawing you must linkup at both the goal setting and the accomplishment linkup in a given month. (
March Goal Setting Link-up.)

Make sure you add a link to this OMG post so others can follow where you are linking.   Let's make that easy -  just paste this into your post:  


Sign up to receive email notifications when the One Monthly Goal linkup is open.  Think of it as a helpful reminder!  Joining the link-up from Instagram -see the tutorial.


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter


Thanks for linking up!

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Monday, March 23, 2020

Hand Pieced QAL - Jane



Having fun hand piecing?  It's time to get started on our second block - Jane.

While the pieces for Evelyn (our first block) could be cut completely with a rotary cutter, our Jane block requires the use of templates for the house shaped unit that extends to each corner.  Jane is a nice easy block to piece whether you are new to hand piecing or picking back up your needle and thread after a break from last year's QAL.

Still need the pattern for Book Club for the Hand Pieced QAL - grab yours now!  Book Club is a 9 block sampler and two block setting to make either a wall hanging or a throw sized quilt.  Did you miss the QAL announcement?  You can find more information here!  If you have any trouble ordering the pattern, please don't hesitate to email us at handpiecedqal@gmail.com - we'll be happy to help!


Tips & Tricks

The center square and the triangle units for Jane can be cut with a rotary cutter or by tracing templates.  The house unit is cut completely with templates.  Make sure you mark all your stitching lines on the wrong side of the units.  This specialty ruler - The Perfect Piecer -  makes it easy marking sewing lines on angles.

The rotary cutting instructions for the units can be found in the bottom left corner of the pattern sheet.  Please consult the tutorials for Using Templates and for Marking Stitching Lines if you need some tips.


Layout all the units to match the design for the Jane block.  (I am using my wonderful wool pressing mat to keep everything organized.) 

One thing you will notice if you are using the templates to cut your triangles is that the corners are round-ish which is helpful to remove bulk from your seam allowances.


Assemble your center unit by sewing two house units to the center square.  Then sew a triangle to each side of a house unit.


Assembling the final block is easy.  Carefully align the seams and sew through seam allowances (tutorial).


The link-up for Jane (or any blocks you make this week) will open on Thursday, March 26.  You can also add your blocks to the Evelyn link-up - it closes Thursday right as the Jane link-up opens.  If you share on IG, please tag your photo with #bookclubqal and #handpiecedqal.

Make sure you go visit Kristin and see her Jane block!
The Book behind the Block


Jane Eyre  by Charlotte Bronte begins with the story of orphan young Jane being raised by her cruel aunt.  She moves from that home to an equally grim boarding school eventually leaving the school and finding a position as a governess at a house called Thornfield.  Along the way, she finds love, loses love, and finds love again!

The decision to name blocks in the Book Club quilt along was an easy one.  Figuring out what name belonged with which block was a bit more challenging.  Our naming inspiration for this block was the house unit since part of Jane's story is unraveling the mystery behind the doors of Thornfield.

My daughter (the English major) loves this story and has a beautiful copy of the book sitting on her book shelf.  It's been a long time since I read the book and it is going onto my to be read pile.



Please stop by Kristin's blog to check out her version of Jane!


Stay in touch and join our community so you don't miss a thing! 




Have a wonderful day! Patty

Friday, March 20, 2020

My Book Club Finish


My latest finish is Book Club - my quilt from our Book Club Hand Pieced QAL.   The QAL is just getting started - our very first block is Evelyn which is the block at the center of the quilt.  (Want to sew along with us?  You can find the pattern here.)

The entire quilt top was pieced by hand and then the spiral was quilted on my domestic machine.  I briefly considered hand quilting the top but the curves on the blocks I put in the outer corner screamed spiral to me!


I use the Decostitch line by Art Gallery Fabrics for my quilt, Aurifil 80 wt for the piecing and 50 wt for the quilting.  The batting is Quilter's Dream Batting.


The wind made my 'artfully draped' quilt shots a bit difficult but I still managed to collect a few useful shots.

Have some interest in joining the QAL?  Our pattern offers two settings - this throw size which measures 52'' x 52'' or a wall hanging size.  Each of the blocks are named after characters in a favorite book - come check it out!









Have a wonderful day! Patty

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Book Club - Evelyn Link-up

Welcome to the week 1 link-up for Book Club - A Hand Pieced QAL.  We are so excited to see what you have made!  Read more about Evelyn the block and the book behind the block.


This link-up will be open for one week - until Thursday, March 26 (4 am ET/1 am PT).  You are welcome to share any and all of the blocks you completed this week.  When this link-up closes, a new one will open (magic!) so please don't worry if you fall behind.

This week's sponsor is Oliso and our prize is an Oliso M2 Pro Mini Project Iron .









Meet the Oliso project iron. Designed just for sewing, quilting, and crafting. With the power of a full sized iron in a compact and lightweight design, the Oliso project iron fits right next to your sewing machine or in your travel bag. The Oliso project iron comes with a solemate so you can leave your Oliso project iron in the face down position.




Photos can be shared from a blog, Flickr, or Pinterest and much include a  link to Elm Street Quilts or Simple Handmade Everyday.  Photos can also be shared via a public Instagram and must contain the tag #handpiecedqal and/or #bookclubqal 

Don't have a way to share?  You can also email them to handpiecedqal at gmail dot com.  Need instructions on how to link-up?  See the tutorial!


Blocks shared must follow the guidelines below to be eligible to win a prize.


We hope you take a few minutes to visit others and make new friends!

Please note - sharing a photo in the link-up gives Elm Street Quilts and Simple Handmade Everyday permission to feature a photo of your block on their sites.  Full attribution will be given.

Congratulations to Joan!  (Winner was emailed.)  updated 3/30


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter


Guidelines:


  • Blocks must be entirely hand-pieced.  
  • Block must visually match a block to the Book Club - A Hand Pieced QAL pattern.    Blocks can be made a different size.
  • Finished blocks can be shared in any link-up but can only be shared once.  Duplicates will be disqualified.
  • Multiple blocks created by one quilter may be shared in the same link-up.
  • Winners will be chosen randomly and notified via email.  Winners have 72 hours to claim their prize - if we don't hear back, we will draw another name.  Once winners have claimed their prize, this post will be updated with the winner's name.



For more information on the QAL including catching up with any tutorials you've missed, please visit the main event page - Book Club - Hand Pieced QAL.   

You can also join our Hand Pieced Quilt Along Facebook Group and / or subscribe to our newsletter so you'll be among the first to know about new block tutorials.

Haven't yet purchased the pattern?  Get your copy here!







Have a wonderful day! Patty

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Interrupted

Life as we know it - our daily routines - have been interrupted as we all work to stay healthy and keep everyone around us healthy.


Interrupted is my entry for the latest Curated Quilts challenge.  The prompt was HST and subtraction with a specific color palette.  I really wanted to go with a golden yellow and then choose a gray from my stash that contrasted well.

For some visual interest, I set my HSTs on point.  Typically, I quilt in very predictable straight lines approaching matchstick density.  For this quilt, I wanted to capture the hectic ever-changing world in which we live right now where daily routines have changed and suddenly everything you have planned to do is stopped - just like the line of hand quilting.


Stay safe everyone. 


Have a wonderful day! Patty

Monday, March 16, 2020

Hand Pieced QAL - Evelyn



Are you excited to start hand piecing?  Let's get started with our very first block - Evelyn!

Evelyn is a nice and easy block to get started with whether you are new to hand piecing or picking back up your needle and thread after a break from last year's QAL.

Still need the pattern for Book Club for the Hand Pieced QAL - grab yours now!  Book Club is a 9 block sampler and two block setting to make either a wall hanging or a throw sized quilt.  Did you miss the QAL announcement?  You can find more information here!  If you have any trouble ordering the pattern, please don't hesitate to email us at handpiecedqal@gmail.com - we'll be happy to help!


Tips & Tricks

The units for Evelyn can be cut with a rotary cutter or by tracing templates.   The rotary cutting instructions for the units can be found in the bottom left corner of the pattern sheet.  Please consult the tutorials for Using Templates and for Marking Stitching Lines if you need some tips.

Layout all the units to match the design for the Evelyn block.  (I am using my wonderful wool pressing mat to keep everything organized.)   The first units to sew are to make those two 4-patches -  see the 4-patch tutorial to get you started!  The 4-patch units should measure 5'' x 5'' when you are done - if they don't, check out your seam allowances and make adjustments before you continue on.


Once you've conquered the 4-patch, tackle those complex HST - just add a triangle to each side of the square and then join it to the larger triangle.  Remember to sew through those seam allowances.


Then assemble your 4 units together just like you would a basic 4-patch block.


The link-up for Evelyn (or any blocks you make this week) will open on Thursday, March 19.  If you share on IG, please tag your photo with #bookclubqal and #handpiecedqal.



The Book behind the Block

When we decided to name the sampler blocks in Book Club after favorite characters in books we both love, it wasn't hard to decide to start with a book series that features quilting and a quilt shop as major plot points!  We are talking about the Cobbled Court Quilt series of books by Marie Bostwick.

Evelyn arrives in New Bern, Connecticut determined to pursue her dream of opening a quilt shop.  Newly divorced and a transplant from Texas, Evelyn makes new friends as she gets her business off the ground.  While I likely picked up these books because of the quilting, it was the relationships between Evelyn and the other characters that kept me coming back and reading each book in the series.   

All the books in the series have quilting related terms in the title starting with A Single Thread through Apart at the Seams.


Please stop by Kristin's blog to check out her version of Evelyn!


Stay in touch and join our community so you don't miss a thing! 



Have a wonderful day! Patty

Friday, March 13, 2020

2020 Temperatures Quilt

I've made temperature quilts for 2018 and 2019 and really enjoyed the process of recording the high temperature on a given day and then hand-stitching on a small block. 

When I decided to make another quilt for 2020, I also decided to create a functional quilt and piece it on my machine.  And to make things extra fun, I want to record the high and the low temperatures!

Figuring out the color gradiation was the first challenge - I played around with some mini charm squares of painters palette solids to find the right sequence.  While the fabrics are different than the prior years, the basics are the same - red is in the 90s, orange for the 80s, - and a new color for every 5 degrees.


For the block, I wanted one that would add some interest and also give me the dimensions needed for the overall quilt.  Each block will finish 2'' x 3'' and the rectangle in the middle is the low temperature.

I worked on the months of January and February at once and created the units used to create the blocks for each high/low temperature combination I needed.



You'll likely notice some partial seams there at the bottom - since I haven't decided what the overall background color will be, I'm just piecing some partial seams until I figure it out!




My design wall is holding all the pieces and parts for now but I've also gotten things organized so I can pull things down when I need to!

Want to make your own temperature quilt - check out my tutorial!

Have a wonderful day! Patty