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