Morning Star Labor Day Project

We are so excited to have a day off this week. After just one week of school, a day  off is just what the doctor ordered. The children have all come home with colds (yes colds – not covid) and have shared them with us. And while there are a thousand things on the to do list, an escape to sewing a whole new project is good medicine.

A few weeks ago the Morning Star BOB die arrived and while we made a test block, a wall hanging has been percolating in the back of my mind. After a session with EQ and drafting several options, I sat down and started a new project. Although the AccuQuilt Contemporary pattern is one of my favorites, I wanted to do something a little different but along the same themes. This is where that idea landed. Because this is a 12″ finished block, it means the “wall hanging” will be 40″ square. It will require a bigger wall than the ideas in my head.

Morning Star Quilt

Yesterday I drafted the instructions for myself and then proceeded to cut and make all the different subunits for these blocks. This is the progress:

Five different subunits for the blocks
Block 1
Block 2

The blocks are so easy to cut because there are only two different shapes – the triangles and the corners. And the triangles are set on the board so that one pass cuts 36 triangles. That’s wonderful when you need as many as 124 which was the most needed of any color triangle. Four passes cuts 144 triangles – isn’t that wonderful?

It’s a busy day ahead with a binding and label to finish, calculating yardage and instructions for the QAL as well as putting these blocks together.

Happy Labor Day to you. I hope you’re either outside enjoying the last of summer with family and friends or stitching away in your happy place.

 

Snail’s Trail Quilt with Block Layout

Someone asked yesterday for the block layout on the Snail’s Trail virtual quilts that I posted yesterday. It’s especially hard to add the block layout on the Storm at Sea quilts because the sashing and cornerstones are actually the Storm at Sea shapes and EQ doesn’t give me the option for dark outlines. However, if you look closely, I think you will see them. You can also click on the pictures to see a larger image.

I know many want a “pattern” but this takes so much time in writing and testing that it’s not something I can do for free. The individual block patterns can be done fairly quickly, and I am happy to offer the information for constructing a block as a printout (see the Free Patterns and How-to list on the right). And I will work on creating patterns using AccuQuilt dies and the Qubes for a couple of these at a later time as many seem to want a pattern.

Snail’s Trail with Storm at Sea Sashing and border.
Snail’s Trail with Storm at Sea Sashing set on point
Storm at Sea with Star Blocks – set on point

 

Snail’s Trail Quilt Blocks using AccuQuilt GO! dies

In the AccuQuilt Qube Facebook group last week someone asked about the Snail’s Trail Quilt Block. The last post I wrote about Snail’s Trail was in 2016 just after the Qube dies were introduced. Since then there have been many new AccuQuilt GO! dies introduced that will make a Snail’s Trail in many different sizes and in different configurations. When searching the Internet for Snail’s Trail quilts, you will see the Snail’s Trail with the center four patch set on point and you will also see it with the center four patch set straight. And in mathematics, you will find that the Snail’s Trail quilt block is the simplest of baravelle spirals.

AccuQuilt has a Snail’s Trail BOB (block on board) that will make an 8″ finished Snail’s Trail. I love the BOB’s because they give you everything you need to quickly make a block.  There is also a BOB for the GO! Big cutter. The GO! Big Snail’s Trail BOB makes a 12″ finished block.

And if you don’t have one of the BOB’s, you can still make a Snail’s Trail using individual dies or one of the Qubes. There are two ways to make the Snail’s Trail with these as shown by the diagrams below. The Snail’s Trail with the center set on point can be made with any size Qube and uses only that Qube. However, the Snail’s Trail with the center set straight requires two coordinating Qubes. The 4″ and 8″ Qubes work together for a finished 8″ Snail’s Trail quilt block. And the 6″ and 12″ Qubes work together for a finished 12″ Snail’s Trail quilt block. And there may be more Qubes in AccuQuilt’s future that have a coordinate.

Snail’s Trail Quilt Block Using 4″ and 8″ Qubes
Snail’s Trail Quilt Block Using 6″ and 12″ Qubes

Check the list of free quilt patterns in the right hand column for downloadable instructions for these quilt blocks.

It’s a lot of fun to use these with other blocks to make a quilt. I love that I can make a 12″ Snail’s Trail and have a quilt finished in no time. Later this week, I will show you some pretty quilts you can make with this block mixed with other blocks. There are also some color changes you can make that will create entirely new blocks with these same shapes.

Dies Needed for Broken Dishes Qube Workout Quilt

I made an instruction sheet showing the blocks that are in each quilt and the dies that are needed for that quilt. 02 Dies Needed-Broken Dishes Qube Workout

Yesterday I spent working on a project that I’m doing for AccuQuilt. Can’t tell you more now, but it is going to be very pretty when it’s done.

And as I worked on that project I used the scrappy 2″ finished half square triangles as leaders/enders to work on some Broken Dishes blocks. That picture doesn’t look very clear on my computer but you can see how the signature block creates another point on the Broken Dishes star.

Have a Happy Day!

Bear’s Paw Table Runner Tutorial

AccuQuilt has another new die–they just keep releasing more and more–it’s hard to keep up with trying out each new one. This one is a Bear’s Paw die that is a Block on Board (BOB) which means one run through the cutter and you have a complete block ready to stitch. The quarter block of the Bear’s Paw looks like a maple leaf so I used that idea to make this table runner. You can go over to the AccuQuilt blog to see the full tutorial.

Pineapple Quilt BOB Tutorial

I’ve had a lot of fun this year doing projects for AccuQuilt. Here’s a blog post published on the AccuQuilt.com website for the new Pineapple Block on Board (BOB) die. The Pineapple block is not one I would have chosen to make but with the new die and the way it’s laid out, I can see many more pineapple blocks in my future. This made a quick and easy table runner. You will find the tutorial here on the AccuQuilt blog.