Bundle Up QAL - Quick Addition to Cutting for Assembly

If you're making the Bundle Up quilt or plan to in the future, you'll want to read on.  If not, Happy Holidays!

Thanks to the keen eyes and super fast quilting skills of Kelly Wyatt (this community is the best!!), you'll need to make one addition to your background cutting in order to assemble your quilt.

You'll need to cut from your background fabric:

• 2 rectangles 1" x 5"

You'll use these in section 2 of the quilt top (step 2, page 1 of the assembly instructions).  The instructions and diagrams referred to this shape, but somehow it was dropped from the original cutting sheet.  I've corrected the cutting sheet so if you haven't yet downloaded it or want to download a new one, the original link takes you to the corrected sheet.

And now that's a wrap!  😂

Happy Holidays!!

—jen

Helpful links:
Bundle Up Quilt-Along Page
Bundle Up Materials List
Bundle Up Cutting
Bundle Up Day 2 - Shoo Fly/Star Blocks
Bundle Up Day 3 - Pinwheels/Snowflake
Bundle Up Day 4 - Brrr
Bundle Up Day 5 - Hat
Bundle Up Day 6 - Mittens
Bundle Up Day 7 - Socks
Bundle Up Day 8 - Assembly

Bundle Up complete pattern

Bundle Up QAL Day 8 - Assembly - That's a Wrap!

 

After four weeks of quilting together, we've come to the final day of the Bundle Up Quilt-Along.  I'm always a little sad to reach the end of the QAL.  It's so much fun to connect with you all and it keeps my holiday spirit humming along all month.:)  But, the good part about reaching the end is getting to see some finished quilts!

I'm so happy with how my Bundle Up quilt turned out.  After assembling it, I machine quilted it using the "Surf" pattern by Anne Bright Designs.  I've used Surf before and it's a great one for both watery and wintery quilts.  I quilted my quilt with a gray-blue thread that melts away into the background and doesn't fight the white too much.  I bound my quilt with a diagonal red and white stripe and I love how it contributes to the subtle Christmassy vibe of the quilt and adds another pop of interest.  So fun!

I'm sure you're excited to begin assembling your Bundle Up quilt, so without further delay, here's the link to today's two-page assembly instruction sheet:

I'd love to see your finished Bundle Up quilts!  If you post on social media, please tag me @jendalyquilts and use the #bundleupqal.  Or if you prefer, you can always drop me an email me at jendalyquilts@gmail.com.

If you haven't been able to quilt along with us this month, the individual Bundle Up instruction sheets will remain available through December 29th (see the helpful links below).  The complete Bundle Up pattern will also be available for download in my Etsy shop indefinitely.

I'm already starting to think of ideas for next year's Christmas quilt-along!  It's hard to believe, but it will be our tenth annual QAL—time flies!  I'll announce next year's QAL in November of 2024.  If you're an email subscriber, you'll receive a notification in your inbox.

In the meantime, thank you so much for quilting/following along with me this year!  It's the quilty highlight of my Christmas season and I can't thank you enough for your support!  I hope you have a wonderful holiday and a happy and healthy new year and don't forget to bundle up!

Warmly,
—jen

Helpful links:
Bundle Up Quilt-Along Page
Bundle Up Materials List
Bundle Up Cutting
Bundle Up Day 2 - Shoo Fly/Star Blocks
Bundle Up Day 3 - Pinwheels/Snowflake
Bundle Up Day 4 - Brrr
Bundle Up Day 5 - Hat
Bundle Up Day 6 - Mittens
Bundle Up Day 7 - Socks

Bundle Up complete pattern

Bundle Up QAL Day 7 - Socks

🎵 Oh the weather outside is frightful! 🎶

The weather is truly frightful here this morning in New Hampshire.  I wish I could say that we're getting snow, but instead it's pouring rain and windy.  Our power is actually out, but thankfully we have a generator and a lot of extension cords so I'm still able to release today's pattern—phew—but this post is going to be short and sweet!  

The upside of the frightful weather is that it's a perfect day for cozy socks!  To wear them and to make them (if you have power!!).  Here's the link for today's instruction sheet (two pages again today):

It's hard to believe that these cute little socks are the last of the blocks for our projects.  Thursday will be the final day of the quilt-along and we'll be assembling our Bundle Up quilts—I can't wait to see how they all come together.  In the meantime, stay cozy!

—jen

Helpful links:
Bundle Up Quilt-Along Page
Bundle Up Materials List
Bundle Up Cutting
Bundle Up Day 2 - Shoo Fly/Star Blocks
Bundle Up Day 3 - Pinwheels/Snowflake
Bundle Up Day 4 - Brrr
Bundle Up Day 5 - Hat
Bundle Up Day 6 - Mittens

Bundle Up complete pattern

Bundle Up QAL Day 6 - Mittens

I'm always surprised by how much time seems to accelerate during the holidays!  One of my favorite parts of our annual Christmas Quilt-Along is that it gives me an excuse to take a few moments here and there to slow down and create just for the fun of it.  I hope it does the same for you! :)

Speaking of fun—today we're moving on to the mitten blocks.  I 🩵 these mittens!!  They're super easy to make and the little holly/berry inset gives them a subtle Christmassy vibe.  I think they'd be cute in any color (and I'm thinking of making more just for fun 😉), but that turquoise really makes my heart sing!

Ready to get started on your mittens?  Here's the link for today's instruction sheet (two pages again today):

Have fun making your mittens and have a great weekend!  I'll be back here Monday with our final blocks—cozy socks.  Can't wait!

—jen

Helpful links:
Bundle Up Quilt-Along Page
Bundle Up Materials List
Bundle Up Cutting
Bundle Up Day 2 - Shoo Fly/Star Blocks
Bundle Up Day 3 - Pinwheels/Snowflake
Bundle Up Day 4 - Brrr
Bundle Up Day 5 - Hat

Bundle Up complete pattern

Bundle Up QAL Day 5 - Hat Block

Happy Monday!  I hope you had a good weekend and that you're rested and ready to jump in because this week we're moving on to the cozy stuff!

First up—the hat block!  My favorite part about this block is its contrasting zig-zag line and the way it resembles the ribbed cuff of a knit hat.  And although the zig-zag is made up of a lot of pieces, if you pay particular attention to the instructions for pressing seam allowances, it comes together like a dream—very satisfying.

Ready to get started?  Here's the link for today's instruction sheet (two pages again today):

Have fun making your hat!  On Thursday we'll move on to mittens and just in time—because baby, it's cold outside!! 🎵🎵

—jen

Helpful links:
Bundle Up Quilt-Along Page
Bundle Up Materials List
Bundle Up Cutting
Bundle Up Day 2 - Shoo Fly/Star Blocks
Bundle Up Day 3 - Pinwheels/Snowflake
Bundle Up Day 4 - Brrr

Bundle Up complete pattern

Bundle Up QAL Day 4 - Brrr!

 

It's Day 4 and we're piecing letter blocks!  I had so much fun piecing words during last year's Glad Tidings QAL, that I knew I had to include at least one word in this year's quilt-along.  The exclamation "Brrr" seems like the perfect way to sum up our cold-weather quilts.  

The "B" and "R" blocks couldn't be easier to assemble—no tips necessary—so we're getting off easy with the sewing today.  I, for one, am going to use my extra time this weekend to make some handmade Christmas ornaments!   If you'd like to do the same and you're looking for ideas, I've got three adorable ornament patterns available for download in my Etsy shop. 

These sweet little ornaments are fast and fun to make and you probably have everything you need to make them at home.  And as an early Christmas gift, here's a coupon code for 10% off the ornament patterns:  STAYINANDSEW.  (STAYINANDSEW = coupon code, advice, permission - whatever you need! 😉)

The coupon code will be good through Christmas and you can add it when prompted during checkout or follow this link to my shop and the code will automatically be activated.

Now back to the QAL—ready for today's instruction sheet?  Here you go!

Have fun with your weekend sewing and I'll be back here on Monday—we'll be moving on to the hat block!  Can't wait!

—jen

Helpful links:
Bundle Up Quilt-Along Page
Bundle Up Materials List
Bundle Up Cutting
Bundle Up Day 2 - Shoo Fly/Star Blocks
Bundle Up Day 3 - Pinwheels/Snowflake

Bundle Up complete pattern

Bundle Up QAL Day 3 - Pinwheels and Snowflake

Happy Monday!  Here's my morning view today...

There's nothing like waking up to fresh snow!  My Christmas spirit has jumped exponentially and I can't wait to dig into the next blocks for our Bundle Up QAL!

Today we'll be making pinwheels and a snowflake block.  We'll be using a quick-piecing method for the Flying Geese units that comprise the pinwheel blocks.  This method is often called a "No Waste" method, but when I've used it in the past, I've found that my Flying Geese end up a little small—especially when using a thicker fabric like a chambray for the background.  So I've given us a bit of wiggle room and made the base squares a little bigger than necessary.  This means you'll have to trim your Flying Geese units to the correct size, but I'd rather do a bit of trimming up front for accuracy's sake.

To trim your Flying Geese, you'll want to use a small square ruler with a 45° line on it.  I like to start with the Flying Geese unit pointing down.  Line up the 45° line with the diagonal seam on the right side of the unit.  Make sure that the upper right corner of the ruler and the 3½" mark along its top edge align with the diagonal seams of the unit and that the 1¾" dot is on top of the unit's point.  This step will ensure that your trimmed unit will be nice and square.  Use your rotary cutter to trim the right and top edges.

 

Next turn the unit 180° and align the trimmed edges with the 2" line (bottom) and the 3½" line (left).  Make sure you have at least ¼" between the point of your unit and its top edge and then trim the right and top edges to finish the Flying Geese unit.

 

One other quick note about the pinwheel blocks.  Be sure to fan or spin the seam allowances on the wrong side of the block like so...

 

This step really helps to minimize bulk at the intersection of the block's seams and makes for a tidy looking center.  And for some reason I find it gratifying to uncover that tiny pinwheel on the back of my blocks :).

The snowflake block has several steps, but it's surprisingly easy to assemble.  This block is a variation on one that I designed for a table runner pattern a few years ago called "Winter Flowers".  The Winter Flowers block is larger and has a different center because it was loosely inspired by a poinsettia and intended to represent an abstract flower, but I always thought it would make a beautiful snowflake!  If you'd like to give the Winter Flowers block/runner a try, the pattern is available for download in my Etsy shop.

Phew, lots of housekeeping details today!  Without further ado, here's the link to today's instruction sheet.  There are two pages today, so be sure to reference both.

Have fun making your pinwheel and snowflake blocks!  And by the way, it's a joy to see your Bundle Up blocks out there on social media.  Thank you so much for tagging me @jendalyquilts and using the hashtag #bundleupqal. :)

—jen

Helpful links:
Bundle Up Quilt-Along Page
Bundle Up Materials List
Bundle Up Cutting
Bundle Up Day 2 - Shoo Fly/Star Blocks

Bundle Up complete pattern

Bundle Up QAL Day 2 - Shoo Fly and Star Blocks

 

Hope you're still with me after all of that cutting!  But doesn't it feel good to have it out of the way?  Now we get to move on to the fun part—piecing!

We'll start small with the Shoo Fly and star blocks.  We'll be using a quick 8-at-a-time method for the half-square triangles, making them all at once for both types of block.  Easy peasy!  The only thing to look out for is to be sure to lay out and piece one of the star blocks as a mirror image to the other two.

Ready to get started?  Here's a link to today's instruction sheet:

I've had a few questions about the QAL schedule from quilters who are working at their own pace with the complete pattern but would like to post pictures of their progress on time.  During the QAL, we'll be working in the same order in which the pattern is written, specifically:

• Monday, 11/21 - Day 1 - Cutting
• Thursday, 11/30 - Day 2 - Shoo Fly/Star Blocks
• Monday, 12/4 - Day 3 - Pinwheels and Snowflake
• Thursday, 12/7 - Day 4 - Brrr - B and Rs
• Monday, 12/11 - Day 5 - Hat
• Thursday, 12/14 - Day 6 - Mittens
• Monday, 12/18 - Day 7 - Socks
• Thursday, 12/21 - Day 8 - Assembly

Have fun making your Shoo Fly and star blocks and have a great weekend!

—jen

Helpful links:
Bundle Up Quilt-Along Page
Bundle Up Materials List
Bundle Up Cutting

Bundle Up complete pattern

The Bundle Up Quilt-Along Starts Today!!

Happy Holidays and welcome to Day 1 of the Bundle Up QAL!!

Today we're going to start with cutting.  Brace yourself, because unlike last year, we’ll be doing all the cutting at once.  You’ve got this!

The prints and solids referenced in the cutting instructions are based on the sketch of the Bundle Up quilt.  The background fabric and white solid are self-explanatory, but if you’ve chosen to use colors that vary from the project sketch, here’s a little guide to help you sort your fabrics.

• Blue print = socks, mitten cuffs, hat stripe
• Red print = hat, berries, heel, toe and cuff (socks)
• Turquoise print = mittens
• Green print = holly leaves, trees

To help you stay organized, I’ve included a designation within the cutting instructions to indicate how each piece will be used in the quilt.  As you cut, you may want to sort your pieces according to their use using the following groupings:

• Shoo Fly/Stars
• Pinwheels
• Snowflake
• Brrr (B and Rs)
• Hat
• Mittens
• Socks
• Assembly

Ready to get started?  Here's a link to today's cutting instruction sheet:

If you haven't had a chance to gather your materials yet, don't worry, we won't start piecing until Thursday so there's plenty of time to catch up.  Jump in whenever you can—the instruction sheets will be accessible throughout December and the complete pattern will always be available in my Etsy shop.

Good luck with your cutting.:)  I'll be back here on Thursday with Day 2 and instructions for our first blocks.  So exciting!

—jen

Helpful links:
Bundle Up Quilt-Along Page

Bundle Up Materials List

Bundle Up complete pattern

Bundle Up Quilt-Along Coming Soon!

 

I'm so excited to announce that the 9th annual Jen Daly Quilts Christmas Quilt-Along will start on Monday, November 27th.  This year's project was inspired by New England's winter weather and the cozy clothes we bundle up in to keep us warm when it's cold outside.

We'll be making a 26¾" x 53¼" sampler quilt.  It's a bit longer than a typical wall-hanging—more like a banner—but it's the perfect size to hang on a door.  We're going to celebrate the cold by making a knit hat, merry mittens, snug socks and four different "snowflakes"—and for a little extra chill (and because I had so much fun piecing letters during last year's QAL!), we'll throw in the exclamation "Brrr" for good measure.

The Bundle Up Quilt-Along will begin on Monday, November 27th.  It's free for all and there's no need to sign up.  Every Monday and Thursday through December 21st, I'll release an instruction sheet for a different part of the project.  Instruction sheets will be posted on the quilt-along page and email subscribers will receive emails containing links to each day's instructions.  If you'd like to sign up for email notifications, you can do so on the quilt-along page.  The instruction sheets will be available through the end of December.

**For those of you who'd like to work at your own pace or finish the project earlier (it would make a great gift!), this year I'll also have the complete "Bundle Up" pattern available for download/purchase in my Etsy shop on November 17th.**

I'll do regular posts on Instagram and Facebook using the hashtag #bundleupqal.  If you post pictures of your progress, be sure to tag me @jendalyquilts and use the hashtag #bundleupqal—I'd love to see what you come up with!

Ready to get started?  Here's a link for the QAL materials page:

Have fun choosing fabrics for the project!  If you have any questions, feel free to email me at jendalyquilts@gmail.com.  Can't wait!

—jen