Glad Tidings Quilt-Along Day 8

***The Glad Tidings Quilt-along is now over, but the complete Glad Tidings pattern is available in my Etsy Shop.***

 

It's day 8 of the Glad Tidings QAL and today we're wrapping things up.  I've seen a few finished quilt tops already on social media and they are BEAUTIFUL!  If you'd like to see what your fellow quilters have come up with, check out the hashtag #gladtidingsqal.

I don't have an instruction sheet for you today, but I would like to share some ideas for other ways you might use the Glad Tidings blocks.  While making my quilt, I couldn't help but think that the rows of blocks would lend themselves so well to pillows.  I'd hoped to make one for today, but, alas, Christmas.  Instead I sketched some ideas for when I do find the time—here are the best of the bunch:

First up are straightforward Joy, Noel, and Peace pillows, all 12" x 20":

Then I thought it might be fun to replace the wreath in the Joy set with the ornament (12" x 20"):

Here's a peek at what it might look like to combine Joy and Noel.  I added a holly block for extra cuteness (18" x 18"):

Which led me on to the non-letter blocks.  They're different sizes so it was a little harder to find a symmetry that I liked, but I think these two do the trick (16" x 16"):

And finally, here's the pillow that I'm hoping to make - Joy with extra borders (12" x 20"):

I think I'll try a different color palette this time.  The word "Joy" has me thinking of sweets and a little pink might be just the thing!


Now on to the Glad Tidings QAL Giveaway....Thank you to all who entered and congratulations to our winners: Cyndi (@cyndihomewisconsin) and Tammy (@basketnut1)!!! 

Finally, thank you so much for quilting-along with me this year.  Your response to the Glad Tidings QAL has been wonderful, and I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing pictures of your blocks and quilts on social media, reading your lovely comments, and connecting with so many of you.  I can't wait to do it all over again next year!  

In the meantime, I wish you a joyous and peaceful Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year!

All my best, 

—jen

Glad Tidings QAL Day 7 - Pieced Border and Assembly

***The Glad Tidings Quilt-along is now over, but the complete Glad Tidings pattern is available in my Etsy Shop.***

Welcome back for day 7 of the Glad Tidings QAL!  Today we're making pieced borders and assembling our quilt tops.  Today is the reward for all of our hard work!

I've given you the instructions for making the pieced border first, because you'll be finishing up the charm square cutting.  But if you prefer to audition the placement of the pieced border squares around your quilt before making the actual borders, you should absolutely feel free to assemble your quilt centers first.

We're not quite finished with our Glad Tidings quilts yet, but I've so enjoyed hearing from you and seeing your progress on Instagram and Facebook.  Your response to this little quilt-along has made my month!  To thank you all, I'm going to have a Glad Tidings QAL Giveaway on Instagram.  I'll be giving away two prizes:  second prize will be a copy of Charmed by Moda Bake Shop, the gorgeous book that helped inspire the Glad Tidings quilt, and first prize will be a copy of Charmed by Moda Bake Shop AND a charm pack of Christmas Stitched by Fig Tree & Co., the fabric that I used to make my version of the Glad Tidings quilt.  Sound like fun?  Here's a link to the Giveaway post.

Have fun assembling your quilt tops!  I'll be back on Thursday for day 8 with a little show and tell and to announce the winners of the Glad Tidings QAL Giveaway!

—jen

Helpful links:


Glad Tidings complete pattern

Glad Tidings QAL Day 6 - Heart and Gift Blocks

 ***The Glad Tidings Quilt-along is now over, but the complete Glad Tidings pattern is available in my Etsy Shop.***

It's Day 6 and today we're making the last of our blocks—hearts and a charming little gift!

I've had so much fun piecing the little blocks for this project, and today's blocks were no exception.  I especially love the heart blocks—so simple, but so sweet.  Feel the same?  My Bless Her Heart lap quilt is a fun project that's great for showcasing (or using up!) your favorite charm squares. 

I made mine with three different charm packs of Regent Street Lawns by Moda that I'd been saving for a while.  I paired them with Moda Chambray, backed the quilt with a cozy flannel, and named her (yes, she's a she) "Bless Her Heart."  She's a favorite quilt in our house now—broken in, soft, and beloved.  

The pattern for Bless Her Heart is available for download in my Etsy shop, just in time for Valentine's Day.  Lol, just kidding!!  Let's slow down and enjoy Christmas before we move on. :)

In the spirit of savoring Christmas, have fun this weekend making the last of your blocks.  Monday we're moving on to assembly and borders—so exciting!

—jen

Helpful links:

Glad Tidings complete pattern

Glad Tidings QAL Day 5 - P, E, Tree, and C Blocks

***The Glad Tidings Quilt-along is now over, but the complete Glad Tidings pattern is available in my Etsy Shop.***

Welcome back for Day 5 of the Glad Tidings Quilt-Along! 

Today we're making the last of our letter blocks and the cutest little tree!  If you decided to cut and make the two E blocks for today already, you're ahead of the game!  If not, I've included the pattern for making the E blocks again in today's instructions.

We got a little snow last night here in New Hampshire, and it's got me in the mood for snowmen!

My little Frosty Fellows snowman ornaments are made with scraps of felted wool and homespuns.  They're made entirely by hand using simple embroidery stitches—the perfect handwork for a cozy winter's night.

They're also so much fun to personalize!  You can use embroidery stitches, little buttons, or tiny bells to to embellish the snowmen—whatever you like or have on hand.

The pattern for Frosty Fellows is now available for download in my Etsy shop.

Have fun making your Day 5 blocks!  I'll be back here on Thursday for Day 6 and the last of our blocks—nearly there!!

—jen

Helpful links:


Glad Tidings complete pattern

Glad Tidings QAL Day 4 - N, Ornament, E, and L Blocks

***The Glad Tidings Quilt-along is now over, but the complete Glad Tidings pattern is available in my Etsy Shop.***

Welcome back for Day 4 of the Glad Tidings QAL!

Today we'll be making a fun ornament block and more letters—yay!!  I'm loving making these little letter blocks!  

Charm packs are my favorite precut.  I love how they look stacked up in my stash and they're so pretty that it's hard sometimes to cut into them, but occasionally the stack (and the guilt :)) gets out of control, so I'm always trying to come up with ideas for charm pack quilts.  I've got two fun patterns in my Etsy shop that, like Glad Tidings, are made with a single charm pack, and this QAL had me wondering what they would look like made with Christmas fabrics.  First up is Cottage Garden:

It's beautiful in its original Harvest Road fabric by Lella Boutique for Moda, but I started thinking that perhaps the flowers could be Christmas flowers...  Here's what it might look like in my QAL fabric, Christmas Stitched by Fig Tree & Co. for Moda:

And here it is in I Believe in Angels by Bunny Hill Designs for Moda:

Village Square is another of my favorite charm pack patterns.  I originally made it in Fairy Edith by Material Girl Quilts for Riley Blake:

But here's what it might look like in Snowkissed by Sweetwater for Moda:

And in Joyful Joyful by Stacey Iest Hsu for Moda:

As I look at Village Square, I think it might also be fun to make with a Halloween charm pack.  Who knew that charm packs, and charm pack patterns, could be so versatile!  So many charm packs, so little time...

Have a great weekend and have fun making your "Noel" blocks.  Can't wait for Day 5!

—jen

Glad Tiding Quilt-Along Day 3 - J, Wreath, and Y Blocks

***The Glad Tidings Quilt-along is now over, but the complete Glad Tidings pattern is available in my Etsy Shop.***

Happy Monday!  It's Day 3 of the Glad Tidings QAL!  Today we're moving on to our first letter blocks and they are a joy to make! 

I have to say, I'm really enjoying working this way—cutting a charm square, making a block, and stepping back to admire it before moving on to the next— instant gratification and so much fun!  It's also a joy to see your Glad Tidings blocks out there on social media.  Thank you so much for tagging me @jendalyquilts and using the hashtag #gladtidingsqal. :)

If you're looking for some more fast and fun holiday sewing, I've got a great idea for you—mitten ornaments!

These little mittens function just like a stocking and you can stuff them with treats before using them to trim your tree or decorate a gift.

 The pattern for the Mitten Ornaments is now available for download in my Etsy shop.

That's it for today!  Have fun making your blocks and I'll see you back here on Thursday for Day 4!

Happy quilting,

—jen

Helpful links:

Glad Tidings complete pattern

Glad Tidings Quilt-Along Day 2 - Star, Pinwheel, and Holly Blocks

***The Glad Tidings Quilt-along is now over, but the complete Glad Tidings pattern is available in my Etsy Shop.***

Welcome back for Day 2 of the Glad Tidings Quilt-Along!

 

Hope you're still with me after all of the cutting on Monday!  Today we're moving on and making our first blocks—the Star, Pinwheel, and Holly blocks.  If you haven't already planned out which 5" charm squares you plan to use for the various blocks, you may want to do so before you begin today using the info contained in the green box on the bottom of the Day 1: Cutting page.

As I mentioned earlier, we'll be cutting the charm squares as we progress through the QAL.  A 5" square of fabric isn't exactly a forgiving size, so on each of the block instruction pages, I've included charm square cutting diagrams to help you out.  If you need to reserve any cut pieces for use in other blocks or in the pieced border, I've made a note either on the charm square cutting diagrams or in step 1 of each of the block making sections, so pay particular attention to the charm square cutting instructions as you go.    

Have fun making your blocks and if you'd like to share your work on Instagram or Facebook, please consider tagging me @jendalyquilts and using the hashtag #gladtidingsqal—I'd love to see what you're up to!  Stay tuned for Day 3 on Monday (12/5)—we'll be starting the letter blocks and I can't wait!

—jen

Helpful links:

Glad Tidings complete pattern