Book Club Parade of Quilts

Needles down!  Our second Hand Pieced QAL Book club has ended and we are just thrilled with all the finished quilt tops and quilted quilts!

Today, I'm thrilled to be sharing some of the finished quilt tops and quilts.  Please also visit Kristin's blog to see the other half of the parade.

Although the QAL has ended, you can still purchase the pattern for Book Club!   Pattern includes templates for 9 blocks each of which finish at 9".   Instructions for two setting are provided - a wall hanging which finishes 37'' x 37'' or a throw sized quilt which finishes at 52'' x 52''.

And now for the parade!

Our first group of 4 quilts chose to make a wall hanging size.  I love seeing the different fabric and color choices as well as the addition of cornerstones!

Top Row: Nancy & Deb; Bottom Row: Joan and Janis

Our next 3 finishes choose to make a throw sized quilt.  I just love the fabric combinations in each of these!

Susan, Catherine, and Tiffany

Several quilters went the extra mile and added additional blocks to make larger quilts by making two of each block or mixing in up-sized blocks from our 2019 hand pieced QAL.

We've got 16 block versions....

Becky and Lindsey

And those that used 18 to 20 blocks!

Pat, Robin V.  and Robin

Finally, 2 quilters not only finished their quilt tops but also finished their quilting!

Diann and Harriet

Thank you to everyone who participated.  We loved that you sewed along with us!

Finally, thank you to our wonderful sponsors who provided some extra incentive to keep stitching!  Congratulations to Cynthia, Hilary, Lindsey, and Joan - our lucky grand prize winners!

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Book Club QAL - last day to link-up!

When Kristin and I announced the Book Club QAL earlier this year, life was still normal. 

Then, suddenly lock down happens and everything changes!   For some, this meant less time for 'fun' sewing.  For those who were able to participate, they commented how much joy hand piecing and the QAL brought to them during these difficult times.

The Grand Prize link-up has been open for about a month.  It closes today.  It's been exciting to see all the hand pieced finishes popping up in the link-up and email entries.

I absolutely loved  interacting with everyone via email and the Facebook group.  I'm also thrilled that we've converted a few people over to the pleasures of hand piecing!

Now today is the last day to enter into the Grand Prize draw.  Tomorrow we get to choose the lucky winners.

And there will be 4 of them because we've got 4 grand prizes - (1) Pressing Paradise (2) Perfect Piecing Package (3) Quilt Designers Dream and (4) Lighten Up your Room!  (Read more about the Grand Prizes on this post.)

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

To be eligible for a Grand Prize, you must:

• Share a photo of a completed quilt top (i.e. the flimsy) or a completed quilt in the link-up below or via email. All entries must be submitted by midnight July 15 ET / 9 pm July 14 PT.

• The quilt top (blocks, sashing and borders) must be entirely hand pieced.

• Quilt tops must use at least five unique blocks from the Book Club QAL.  You can use any layout that you chose for your quilt top.

• Block must visually match a block to the Book Club - A Hand Pieced QAL pattern.    Blocks can be made a different size.

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 names of the winners.

Photos can be shared from a blog, Flickr, or Pinterest and must 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!

Quilts 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.

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Book Club QAL - Grand Prize Link-up

Welcome to the Grand Prize link-up for Book Club - A Hand Pieced QAL!!

The link-up is open until July 15, midnight ET - plenty of time to assemble your quilt!

Kristin and I have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with everyone and watching your beautiful blocks come to life.  Your excitement about hand piecing plus learning more about the books behind the blocks has made us very happy.



We are so grateful for our amazing sponsors and thank them for their support and generosity!



There will be 4 grand prize winners!  (Read more about the Grand Prizes on this post.)

To be eligible for a Grand Prize, you must:

• Share a photo of a completed quilt top (i.e. the flimsy) or a completed quilt in the link-up below or via email. All entries must be submitted by midnight July 15 ET / 9 pm July 14 PT.

• The quilt top (blocks, sashing and borders) must be entirely hand pieced.

• Quilt tops must use at least five unique blocks from the Book Club QAL.  You can use any layout that you chose for your quilt top.

• Block must visually match a block to the Book Club - A Hand Pieced QAL pattern.    Blocks can be made a different size.

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 names of the winners.

Photos can be shared from a blog, Flickr, or Pinterest and must 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!

Quilts 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

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

Book Club QAL Grand Prize Reveal!

The time has come to turn your pile of hand pieced blocks into a quilt top.  Get this done by the end of July 15 for a chance to win a fabulous prize in the Grand Prize link-up!  

The grand prize link-up opens on Thursday, June 11!




We've been thrilled with all of the blocks that we've seen in our link-ups, on Instagram and in the Facebook group.  The interest in the QAL has exceeded our expectations and we've had such a blast working through the QAL with everyone.

As you are working on hand piecing your quilt tops, we wanted to give you a little extra incentive with a reveal of the grand prizes!



Thanks to our generous sponsors, we've assembled some amazing grand prizes:

(1) Pressing Paradise - a beautiful Wool Ironing Mat from Precision Quilting Tools and an amazing Olisio Auto Lift Pro Zone Iron TG 1600

Take your pressing to the next level with this awesome combo! The ergonomic Oliso iTouch technology allows you to simply touch the handle of this iron and it lowers, ready to rid your heaviest wrinkles. It features an extra-long cord so that you can use it anywhere in your sewing room and a 30-minute auto shut-off--perfect for quilters. The 17” x 17” felted wool pressing mat retains heat, so when you iron your fabric it's like ironing from both sides at the same time!

(2) Perfect Piecing Package -  amazing collecton of prizes - thread from Aurifil, set of snips from Famore, rotary cutter, mat and ruler from OLFA, and a queen size batting from Quilter's Dream!

You’ll always have the perfect tool for the job with this package of goodies! It includes an Olfa cutting set:  45mm rotary cutter, 6” x 12” frosted ruler, and 12” x 18” navy cutting mat, as well as a Famore zipper pouch, which is loaded with every type of snip you’ll ever need! You will always find the perfect blending thread in the Aurifil Necessities 50wt large spool thread set, and you can finish your quilt with the super-soft, high quality 100% cotton Quilters Dream batting.

(3) Quilt Designer's Dream - a $50 gift certificate to Fat Quarter Shop and your very own copy of the best quilt design software EQ8 from the Electric Quilt Company

EQ8 is the standard in quilt design software. The intuitive, user-friendly interface will have you designing your own quilts in just a few minutes. You can import fabric to preview what a quilt will look like before even buying the fabric! And once you’ve made your choices, you’ve got a $50 gift card from the Fat Quarter Shop to get started!

(4) Lighten Up your room - a Stella Two - a premium LED task light from Stella Lighting

The Stella TWO LED task lamp is a beautiful addition to your sewing room! The weighted base keeps the lamp steady while the flex arm allows the light to be rotated in nearly every direction.  The raised touchpad allows you to dim the light to ten different brightness settings, so you never have to struggle with having enough light again!

Stella Lighting is also offering a 20% discount on one Stella item with promo code HPQAL in their shop.

There will be 4 grand prize winners! 

To be eligible for a Grand Prize, you must:

• Share a photo of a completed quilt top (i.e. the flimsy) or a completed quilt in the link-up or via email. All entries must be submitted by midnight July 15 ET / 9 pm July 14 PT.

• The quilt top (blocks, sashing and borders) must be entirely hand pieced.

• Quilt tops must use at least five unique blocks from the Book Club QAL.  You can use any layout that you chose for your quilt top.

• Block must visually match a block to the Book Club - A Hand Pieced QAL pattern.    Blocks can be made a different size.

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 names of the winners.

The Grand Prize link-up opens on Thursday, June 11.



Have a wonderful day! Patty

Book Club Check In

Have some quilt block hanging around from the Book Club QAL?

We've been blown away with all the wonderful blocks that have been shared in our link-up, on Instagram, Facebook, and via email and so thrilled that people are excited learning new hand piecing skills.

Here are just a few blocks - I love to see these beauties in all different fabrics.

TR:  Evelyn by @quilts_n_such,  Jane by @peacockcreekdesigns,  Louisa by @karenjones0001

MR: Penelope by @sew_michelle, Cathy by @pippaspatch, Jo by @marcyhegland

BR:  Emma by @robinvizena, Claire by @susannelson814,  Elizabeth by @kim_ann_rice

Our final block link-up is open until June 11 giving you an extra week to finish your blocks and get them linked up for a chance to win a prize.  And don't forget, you can enter any blocks you finish since our last link-up - just link them (or email them) each separately.

What's next?

The Grand Prize link-up will open from June 11 through July 15.

There will be FOUR awesome Grand Prizes. That means FOUR Grand Prize winners! Look for more info on that next Monday.

To be eligible for a Grand Prize, you must:

• Share a photo of a completed quilt top (i.e. the flimsy) or a completed quilt in the link-up below or via email.  All entries must be submitted by midnight July 15 EDT / 9 pm July 14 PDT.
• The quilt top (blocks, sashing, and borders) must be entirely hand pieced.
• Quilt tops must use at least five unique blocks from the Book Club QAL.  You can use any layout that you chose for your quilt top.
• Block must visually match a block to the Book Club – A Hand Pieced QAL pattern. Blocks can be made a different size.

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

• Join our Hand Pieced Quilt Along Facebook Group.  

• Subscribe to our newsletter 

• Follow Simply Everyday Handmade and Elm Street Quilts on Instagram

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Book Club - Elizabeth Link-up

Welcome to the week 9 link-up for Book Club - A Hand Pieced QAL.  We are so excited to see what you have made!  Read more about Elizabeth and the book behind the block.



This link-up will be open for two weeks - until June 11 (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 Quilters Dream!

One lucky winner will receive a Quilters Dream 100% cotton, queen size batting.

Quilters Dream Batting uses the finest fibers and state of the art manufacturing to bring you quilt batting of unsurpassed quality and consistency.  They use the softest silkiest high-quality fibers so that your quilt will resist shrinkage and stay soft yet strong and wonderfully drapeable.  Each batt is hand cut and carefully inspected.  Made with pride in the USA.

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

Hand Pieced QAL - Elizabeth

Having fun hand piecing?  It's time to get started on our block #9 - Elizabeth.  (And it is hard to believe  this is the last block!)

Elizabeth has more pieces than our last two blocks but the curves are easier to piece than our last block.  Take your time and enjoy the stitching!

Let's see how you like Elizabeth compared to her friends -
Evelyn, Jane, Penelope, Louisa, Cathy,  Jo,  Emma, and Claire,  Curved piecing (IMHO) is much easier to do by hand than it is by machine.  (See the tips for hand piecing curves.)

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 six shapes needed to make our Elizabeth block, all of which need to be cut with templates.  Make sure you mark all your stitching lines on the wrong side of the units.  The Perfect Piecer makes it easy to mark sewing lines even on curves.   Please consult the tutorials for Using Templates and for Marking Stitching Lines if you need some tips.

Once the pieces are cut and prepped, keeping a visual layout in front of you will be key to success.  The fan wedges (shown in orange, blue and gray fabrics below) come from 3 different templates.   It is easy to get them confused so consider sewing those first! (I am using my wonderful wool pressing mat to keep everything organized.)

One technique when handpiecing small or complex curves is to cut a 1/4'' larger on all the straight edges in the template.  Mark your seam lines where they are supposed to be and sew on those original seam lines.  (See more tips on hand piecing curves.)

Sew the wedges together first.

Sew the quarter circle to the arch shape.  Always sew with the concave curve facing up.

Fold the quarter circle unit in half to mark the center and then aligned it with the seam between the two center wedges.  (If you look carefully, you can see the fold in the photo below.)

Note that the gold quarter circle is overcut on the straight edge - the white arch piece is not but only because I forgot to do so when cutting. The excess will get trimmed away at a later step but it gave me some piece of mind when dealing with small curves.

When you are sewing the fan wedges to the arch, pass your needle through those seam intersections!

Repeat the fold and crease of the outside concave piece and align with seam lines between the two center edges.   This curved seam is a little trickier to sew because you need to keep the concave piece on top while also making sure you sew through seam allowances (and not over them) at the bottom.  To make it work, I flipped the piece over each time I need to sew through a seam allowance.

The concave outer edge was also cut larger on each of the straight edges.  Once the block is pressed, align the 45 degree marking on your ruler and trim the block to 9 1/2 '' x 9 1/2 ''

The link-up for Elizabeth (or any blocks you make this week) will open on Thursday, May 28.  You can also add your blocks to the currently open week 8 link-up which closes Thursday right as the week 9 link-up opens.  If you share on IG, please tag your photo with #bookclubqal and #handpiecedqal.

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

The Book behind the Block

We are first introduced to Elizabeth as she arrives in a small wilderness town in NY to become a school teacher.  The year is 1792.  Elizabeth soon meets and falls in love with Nathaniel, a white man who grew up as part of the Mohican nation.  Their story (and that of their children) unfolds in the six book Wilderness Series by Sara Donati.  Into the Wilderness is the first book.

I enjoy this series of books for several reasons.  First, I love generational stories - they are my favorite!  Second, I also love stories where familiar characters from other novels are woven into the narrative.  Claire (our previous block) from Outlander shows up a few times.  Nathaniel himself is the son of Hawkeye and Cora, first introducted in the novel Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper and then dramatized in the movie (made in 1992).

We chose to name this block Elizabeth to represent how the story begins with Elizabeth and then flows out through time as her family grows.  (In fact, the author has started a new series - the first book is the Gilded Hour - which picks up in 1883 and feature grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Elizabeth!)

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

• Join our Hand Pieced Quilt Along Facebook Group.  

• Subscribe to our newsletter 

• Follow Simply Everyday Handmade and Elm Street Quilts on Instagram

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Book Club - Claire Link-up

Welcome to the week  8 link-up for Book Club - A Hand Pieced QAL.  We are so excited to see what you have made!  Read more about Claire and the book behind the block.

This link-up will be open for one week - until Thursday, May 28 (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 Fat Quarter Shop!   One lucky participant will win a $30 gift certificate!

Fat Quarter Shop features high quality quilting fabric for quilting, sewing, crafters, and fabric lovers of all ages. They are always coming up with exciting new exclusives, clubs and quilt-along programs. Whatever fabric or notion you're looking for--chances are they will have it!

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