McCall's Quilt Along Top Pieced Together

Well I finally got the McCall's Quilt Along quilt top pieced together.  I have made this quilt with scraps and learned many new blocks. I really am not a fan of sampler quilts as they are just too busy for me. However here it is!  Now I still have to quilt it but that probably won't get done until the fall after golf season.

How about this border with all those half triangles - really time consuming and well worth the trouble.  Stay tuned for my free motion quilting on these blocks as I am planning on trying out new techniques and designs.

The McCalls's Quilt Along Continues

I haven't posted about the Quilt Along since March 2nd but I have kept up. Weeks 6 and 7 were spent making the Star in Star blocks. By far I have enjoyed these blocks the least. I needed to make 16 corners for the blocks that consisted of 1 inch strips set on the diagonal. Although they look cute the next time I see this block I will just cut a solid block. It has been suggested that they would benefit from paper piecing but I will probably never find out.

 

 

Week 8 was 12 pinwheel blocks and week 9, this week, was 12 nine patch blocks. I love the cute pinwheel blocks but the best part is that next week I will make 9 economy blocks and then the assembly of the quilt begins - thank goodness!

 

 

Weeks 4 and 5 of the McCall's Quilt Along - And So it Continues

Well I am into week 5 of this online quilt.  I am learning many new blocks; more than I had anticipated. Last week, week 4, was the diamond block. 12 diamond blocks made from 8 half rectangle triangles. So I have them done but many, many points were sacrificed in the making of them. Working with triangles is a bit tricky because they are all cut on the bias and bias stretches. The center points met up but not too good at corners. I am thinking I can fudge when they get sewn into the design of the quilt.

This week's is the sawtooth star which I have never made. I have half of them made and this block is so very pretty. Don't you think so?

Week 3 of the McCall's Quilt Along

Week 3 of the McCall's Quilt Along is a lesson on the Friendship Star block.  I have not made this block before but it is pretty neat. Quite a bit of cutting and piecing for each block but I like the star. Here are some of mine I have done this week. I need to make 16 this week.

 

 

 

 

The Japanese print in the blocks above were bought in Bar Harbor, Maine  last fall. The black and beige floral came from Keepsakes Quilting in New Hampshire.

Check out my previous posts for blocks done in lesson 1 and 2.

Lesson 2 of the McCall's Quilt Along

Well I am finally finished with lesson 2 of the quilt along as I posted about last week. http://juliannasjourney.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-quilt-along.html

The video with lesson 2 showed how to make the half square triangle units. Well making the units was not too bad. Trimming 144 of these units to size was really tedious! So glad to be finished with this task. Looking at some of the blocks makes me wonder what I have gotten myself into with this project.

 

On another front I have finished the railfence quilt top I started in January and now call it Starry Night. I need to get backing so I can sandwich it and start to quilt it.

 

 

A Quilt ALong

So I have decided to do my first quilt along. It is being displayed at McCalls Quilting.  Here is a pic of their sample. It consists of 12 lessons in 12 weeks and has a video and a corresponding printable lesson. It consists of 8 different kind of blocks so there is a lot to learn.

 

Yes it is very pretty in pastels but I am not really a pastel kind of gal so I have chosen a different palette.

So feel free to join along. Just go to the above link and get started. I will caution you that on lesson 2 you must cut your long strips first before cutting out your 72 - 3 inch squares; ask me why I am warning you!!