Harmony Finish - the Red version!

My Harmony quilt was such a pleasure to sew!  Originally written as a hand pieced pattern -  pattern for Harmony quilt - I decided to machine piece this one.   For the two blocks that weren't simple to rotary cut, I made a FPP pattern and whipped them together quickly.

I love a good spiral quilt motif so I went around in circles and had a great time.  Did a couple of things different that worked really well.  First, I pin basted very, very densely to keep things from shifting.  Second, I moved my needle position to 6.3 so the distance between quilted lines was wider than I usually end up with.

The black prints are from Art Gallery fabric, the gold is from my stash, and the red was cut from a wide-back fabric which I used both on the back and as the binding.

This quilt will be a gift to a family member who really likes the color cranberry.  I'm happy to get it in the mail.  It is also my 4th finish for 2023.

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Harmony Hand Pieced QAL Parade of Quilts

What fun we had sewing along with everyone during our third hand pieced QAL!  Our pattern this year was called Harmony.  The Harmony pattern has instruction for making a single Harmony block for a lovely wall hanging (28'' x 28'') or a Harmony throw sized quilt (56'' x 56'').  The throw sized quilt is made of 4 Harmony blocks and reveals a secondary pattern.   In the photo above, I also resized the Harmony block to make a mini 14" version - so fun!

 You can read more about the pattern and the QAL here and purchase your very own copy of Harmony pattern.

Today my cohost and friend Kristin from Simple Handmade Everyday are excited to share a parade of the finishes that were entered into the Grand Prize drawing.  One of my favorite parts of running a QAL is to see how different fabrics can really change the look of a quilt!  Make sure to visit Kristin's blog to see the more of the quilts!

First up,   Susan R, Sheena F, and Vannicea B  each made gorgeous throw sized Harmony quilt.   A throw sized Harmony quilt uses 4 Harmony block so that was a lot of hand piecing!

       

It was thrilling to see that some folks were able to turn their Harmony block into a quilted wall hanging.  Aren't these beautiful?  The wall hangings in the top row are by Laurel S., Isis P., and Connie.  The wall hangings in the second row are from Diann B. and Di.

Although some of these quilters are still working on more Harmony blocks to make a throw sized quilt, it is exciting to see what a single Harmony block looks like in their color palettes.  The quilts in the top row are by Michelle F, Deb A., and Mary Ellen F.  The quilts in the second row are by Susanne M.,  Paige B, and Marcy.

Finally, thank you to our awesome sponsors who provided really amazing prizes as extra incentive.  Congratulations to Diann, Marci, Rosalee, and Susan - our lucky grand prize winners!  

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Harmony Last Call for Grand Prize Link-up

(Click here for the One Monthly Goal June Finish link-up)

Just a few days left to join the Grand Prize link-up for the Harmony hand pieced QAL!  You can add your quilt photo (flimsy or finished quilt) to the link-up on this post or email it to handpiecedqal@gmail.com.  

I've been really enjoying seeing the finished quilt tops - and some finished quilts! - in our grand prize link-up and our Facebook group.  You can read more about the amazing prizes and our sponsors on this post.  The link-up is open until the end of June which is just TWO days away so don't forget to link-up!

During our Harmony hand pieced QAL, I sewed along with everyone else to make this sweet wall hanging.  I just love the soft pink with the gray and navy!  I decided to go for a spiral quilting design with my walking foot - same as I did for my throw sized quilt. 

I've got my label on the back just ready to be personalized!  (Get your label here.) 

It was fun to look at my throw quilt and my wall hanging together. The fabric all came from the same FQ bundle so the colors look quilt nice together.  I used the same gray as the backing for both and it also shows up here on the wall hanging.

Time to get those final stitches in place and share a photo of your quilt!

Have a wonderful day! Patty

Harmony Wall Hanging and Grand Prize Link-up

(click here for the One Monthly Goal June link-up)

During our Harmony hand pieced QAL, I sewed along with everyone else to make this sweet wall hanging.  I just love the soft pink with the gray and navy!  My quilt top is ready to go and I hope to get it basted soon.  The big decision is to machine quilt or hand quilt?  My prior Harmony quilts were both machine quilted so I'm thinking about changing things up!

I've been really enjoying seeing the finished quilt tops - and some finished quilts! - in our grand prize link-up and our Facebook group.  You can read more about the amazing prizes and our sponsors on this post.  The link-up is open until the end of June so don't forget to add your quilt!

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 June 30.

• The quilt top must be entirely hand pieced.

• Quilt tops must contain at least one Harmony block which visually matches the Harmony pattern

This link-up will be open until midnight PST, Wednesday, June 30, 2021.  There will be 4 grand prizes available - and these are great prizes!  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 names.

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 #harmonyhpqal   Photos can also be unloaded directly into the link-up from your computer.

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!

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

Harmony QAL Final Link-up

It is time to share your Harmony quilt tops!  We have so enjoyed everyone’s enthusiasm for our pattern and our hand piecing QAL and we can’t wait to see your quilt!

Thanks to our fabulous sponsors, we have assembled some amazing prizes - and are excited to announce that there will be four Grand Prize winners! The grand prizes are:

• Prize #1: Iron Wow! - Oliso TG 1600 Smart iron

• Prize #2: Nifty Notions Package - Famore EZ snips, Jinny Beyer Perfect Piecer, Olfa prize package, and a Clover prize package

• Prize #3: Quilter’s Inspiration Package - Fat Quarter Shop $50 gift card, Quilter’s Dream queen size batting, Aurifil 50 wt. Large thread box, and a C&T publishing $75 gift card

• Prize #4: Let There Be Light! - Daylight Halo Go lamp

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 June 30.

• The quilt top must be entirely hand pieced.

• Quilt tops must contain at least one Harmony block which visually matches the Harmony pattern

This link-up will be open until midnight PST, Wednesday, June 30, 2021.  There will be 4 grand prizes available - and these are great prizes!  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 names.

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 #harmonyhpqal   Photos can also be unloaded directly into the link-up from your computer.

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!

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

THANKS TO OUR AMAZING SPONSORS!!

Have a wonderful day! Patty

The Harmony Block

It's time to stitch up your Harmony block!  The Harmony block is a large block - 28 1/2 '' square unfinished - and requires you to join together your 4 Corner Unit, your 4 Rectangle units and that Square in a Square block we created way back in week one of the QAL!

Ready to get started?  

Stitching Tips

(1) Press each of these units really well.  Work to get them nice and flat.  There is no magic answer (sadly) on how to press the seams so listen to your fabric and see how everything wants to fall naturally and work with that.  Press on the wrong side first, concentrating on the seams and then flip to give the right side a brief press too.

(2) Lay the units out on your design wall (or floor) and make sure everything is as it should be.  Compare your block to the one on the pattern and then double check.   

 (3)  Carefully pin the seam between the Triangle in a Square unit to the Square in a Square unit.  Right sides together, take a small pin and align the two points.  Place the pin there and then pin the rest of your seam from that point moving out to each edge.

(4) We've talked before about sewing through intersections when hand piecing.  This is typically straightforward.  With our Harmony block, there are two tricky sections that need extra care because a lot of seams are coming together in one spot.  

The first is the intersection of the Triangle in a Square to the Square in a Square.  

The second is the spot where the Half Square Triangle of the Corner Unit means the intersection between those two Triangle in a Square units.  There is a lot of fabric in both of those seam intersections!  

Work with the Rectangle Units on top - in other words, the wrong side of the Rectangle Units is facing you.  With the Triangle in a Square seams facing you, bring your needle through each of these seams one seam at a time.  (In the photo above, the series of photos in the top row shows the needle moving each seam and then the next seam.

Then, push your needle through to the seam underneath - the Half Square Triangle seam, through that seam, back up to the front and through each of the seams one more time.   (In the photo above, the photos in the bottom row show this needle action.)

(5) If you are making the throw sized quilt, take a minute to lay each Harmony block on your design wall (or floor) and compare it to the pattern.

  Enjoy the secondary pattern and stitch everything together!  

The Basics

Still need the pattern for Harmony?  Grab yours now!  

Harmony is a large single block - make one and you've got a lovely wall hanging (28'' x 28'') or join 4 Harmony blocks together for a lovely throw sized quilt (56'' x 56'').  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!

Whether you are making the wall hanging or the throw sized quilt, we recommend you cut just the pieces you need to make a single Harmony block.  Once you've sewn a few units and have some experience cutting with templates, you can go back and cut the rest of the pieces for all the Harmony blocks you need.

Please consult the tutorials for Using Templates, Marking Stitching Lines, and the Running Stitch if you need some tips.

The following supplies were used - the Perfect Piecer, Aurifil 80 wt thread,  needles, Clover applique pins, wool pressing mat, Oliso mini iron, and great lighting!

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

Harmony QAL Rectangle Units & Link-up

(Click here for One Monthly Goal April finish link-up)

Let's make some Rectangle Units!  Each Harmony block needs 4 Rectangle Units which means you'll need 16 if you are making the throw sized quilt.   We are in the home stretch now!

We've got our second check-in link-up and a chance to win prizes - scroll down to enter!

Just a few straight seam and you'll Rectangle Unit will be assembled!  The most important tip to remember is to sew the piece with the most seams on top so you can sew through the seams.

Rectangle Unit Link-up

It is time to share your Rectangle Units!  Whether you’ve got one Rectangle Unit sewn, all four for a wall hanging, or all 16 for the throw quilt, gather them up and share a photo!   If you’ve already sewn the Rectangle Units into a Harmony block, just share a photo of the block.

This link-up will be open until midnight, Sunday, May 9, 2021.  Missed the chance to share your Corner Units in our first link-up?  Go ahead and add them here. The Grand Prize link-up for your final quilt top link-up (quilted or just a flimsy) opens May 17, 2021 and closes at the end of June.

Our fabulous sponsors have provided wonderful, useful prizes that you are going to love! Kristin and I use all of these great products regularly!

• Oliso reinvents products that surprise, delight and simplify life including the Oliso Mini Project Iron™ which brings you the power of a full size iron in a compact design for home and away.   Oliso is offering a Mini Project Iron™ to two lucky winners.   

• The Daylight Company brings daylight indoors with their innovative and functional lamps in the art, needlework, craft, low vision, and beauty markets. They are generously offering a Clip On Travel lamp to one lucky winner. 

• OLFA® cutting tools get the job done for quilts and crafters, professionals and hobbyists. With OLFA ® cutters, you get the job done quickly without sacrificing accuracy.  OLFA is generously offering a great prize package including precision scissors, 1” x 12” ruler, and a Navy Splash Cutter to one lucky participant. 

• 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. Quilters Dream will send one Queen sized batting to one lucky winner. 

• C&T Publishing is a craft book publisher with a list of books and products across a range of subjects including quilting, sewing, embroidery, cozy mysteries, Cosplay, and more. They are generously supplying a quilty eco-tote and pouch so that you can shop in style! The environmentally conscious tote and pouch are made from recycled water bottles and feature designs by prominent quilters like Bonnie Hunter and Jennifer Sampou.

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 #harmonyhpqal   Photos can also be unloaded directly into the link-up from your computer.

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!

Units 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:

• Units must be entirely hand-pieced.
• Units must visually match either the Rectangle Units or the Corner Units in the  Harmony Hand Pieced QAL pattern. (If you’ve already assembled the Harmony block and don’t have a photo of just the Rectangle Unit, share a photo of your Harmony block.)
• Units can be made a different size.
• Units shared in the first Harmony Hand Pieced QAL link-up should not be shared in this second link-up.
• Multiple Rectangle Units created by one quilter should be shared in a single photo. 
• 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 names.

The Basics 

Still need the pattern for Harmony?  Grab yours now!  

Harmony is a large single block - make one and you've got a lovely wall hanging (28'' x 28'') or join 4 Harmony blocks together for a lovely throw sized quilt (56'' x 56'').  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!

Whether you are making the wall hanging or the throw sized quilt, we recommend you cut just the pieces you need to make a single Harmony block.  Once you've sewn a few units and have some experience cutting with templates, you can go back and cut the rest of the pieces for all the Harmony blocks you need.

Please consult the tutorials for Using Templates, Marking Stitching Lines, and the Running Stitch if you need some tips.

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

Harmony Hand Pieced QAL - Flying Geese

My favorite quilt block is the Flying Geese and I'm excited that we've gotten to the Flying Geese unit in the Harmony Hand Pieced QAL!   Each Harmony block needs 4 Flying Geese units (8 geese in total) which means you'll need 16 Flying Geese units (32 geese in total) if you are making the throw sized quilt. We've got lots of basic tutorials - Using Templates, Marking Stitching Lines, and the Running Stitch - if you need some tips.

If you are just catching up, you can see the tips for all the previous units: Square in a Square, Half Square Triangles, Fancy Half Square Triangles, Partial Square in a Square units, Twisted Triangle in a Square, and the Corner Units.

Stitching Tips

The flying geese unit is easy to piece whether you are sewing units cut with a rotary cutter or units cut with templates.  

Two 'pro' tips for stitch and flip method (rotary cut):

• Mark both triangles and align a pin through the intersection point on each block to keep pieces aligned.
• For the second triangle, start at the top folded over corner from the first (background) triangle

One 'pro' tips for templates:

• Mark the /4'' stitching line just where you are about to stitch and clearly mark the start and stop lines 1/4'' from edge.  (Please note that my lines are not usually that dark - a bit a computer magic made the lines visible in this photo!)

When you are ready to stitch the flying geese together, stitch as shown in photo (on right below) so you can both stitch through the seams and keep the point of the geese intact. 

If needed, sliver trim your block and then go ahead and mark the stitching lines around the outside so you will be ready when it is time to sew your units together.

For more tips, check out Kristin's post - she has a great video for sewing geese!

The Basics

Still need the pattern for Harmony?  Grab yours now!  

Harmony is a large single block - make one and you've got a lovely wall hanging (28'' x 28'') or join 4 Harmony blocks together for a lovely throw sized quilt (56'' x 56'').  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!

Whether you are making the wall hanging or the throw sized quilt, we recommend you cut just the pieces you need to make a single Harmony block.  Once you've sewn a few units and have some experience cutting with templates, you can go back and cut the rest of the pieces for all the Harmony blocks you need.

Please consult the tutorials for Using Templates, Marking Stitching Lines, and the Running Stitch if you need some tips.

The following supplies were used - the Perfect Piecer, Aurifil 80 wt thread,  needles, Clover applique pins, wool pressing mat, Oliso mini iron, and great lighting!

We will be sewing the units in the order of the pattern which means our next unit will be the triangle in a square unit - we will share tips next Monday, April 19. Our second check-in link-up will be April 26!

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

Harmony Hand Pieced QAL - Triangle in a Square

The Triangle in a Square unit is a template only unit but after mastering the Twisted Triangle in a Square, this one will seem straightforward!  Each Harmony block needs 8 Triangle in a Square units which means you'll need 32 Triangle in a Square units if you are making the throw sized quilt. We've got lots of basic tutorials - Using Templates, Marking Stitching Lines, and the Running Stitch - if you need some tips.

If you are just catching up, you can see the tips for all the previous units: Square in a Square, Half Square Triangles, Fancy Half Square Triangles, Partial Square in a Square units, Twisted Triangle in a Square, and the Corner Units.

Stitching Tips

The Triangle in a Square unit requires templates for its construction.   Place the template (photo below) and cut along the long diagonal with a rotary cutter by aligning the 1/4'' line on the ruler to the solid stitching line.  Use the rotary cutter or scissors to trim and round corners to match template.

Flip the template over, align on your freshly cut diagonal and then cut the straightedge.  If you are cutting the template such that you are cutting through 2 layers of fabric, wrong sides together, one cut will yield a triangle D and a triangle E.

The most important tip for sewing is to mark the stitching lines on both triangles (the blue and the background) and use pins to make sure the intersections are aligned between the two pieces. 

Repeat for the second side triangle.  Start your stitching at the top with your stitch right up against the fold of the first triangle. 

Press.  If needed, sliver trim your block and then go ahead and mark the stitching lines around the outside so you will be ready when it is time to sew your units together. 

For more tips, check out Kristin's post!

The Basics

Still need the pattern for Harmony?  Grab yours now!  

Harmony is a large single block - make one and you've got a lovely wall hanging (28'' x 28'') or join 4 Harmony blocks together for a lovely throw sized quilt (56'' x 56'').  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!

Whether you are making the wall hanging or the throw sized quilt, we recommend you cut just the pieces you need to make a single Harmony block.  Once you've sewn a few units and have some experience cutting with templates, you can go back and cut the rest of the pieces for all the Harmony blocks you need.

Please consult the tutorials for Using Templates, Marking Stitching Lines, and the Running Stitch if you need some tips.

The following supplies were used - the Perfect Piecer, Aurifil 80 wt thread,  needles, Clover applique pins, wool pressing mat, Oliso mini iron, and great lighting!

We will be sewing the units in the order of the pattern which means our next unit will be the triangle in a square unit - we will share tips next Monday, April 19. Our second check-in link-up will be April 26!

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