2023 Spring Qube QAL

Part 1 Instructions and Yardage Requirements

Part 2 Cutting for All Blocks

Part 3 Block 1 Cutting and Construction

Part 4 Block 2 Cutting and Construction

Part 5 Block 3 Cutting and Construction

Part 6 Block 4 Cutting and Construction

Part 7 Block 5 Cutting and Construction

Part 8 Block 6 Cutting and Construction

Part 9 Quilt Assembly

Christmas Ornament Quilt Blocks

This morning I took EQ8 for a spin after seeing some cute quilt blocks on Pinterest. These are all universal quilt blocks so my mission was to see if I could use the AccuQuilt Qube to make these. As it turns out, a 9″ finished block is just perfect to be able to use the 6″ Qube. I used both the Mix & Match and the Companion Qubes. I could have made a lot more, but had fun doing these. The Adobe pdf file is shown below so that you can download instructions for four of the blocks. If you are a member of the Facebook group – AccuQuilt Qube Quilts – you will find the EQ8 file there.

Saturday Stitches – An 8″ Connector Block

A favorite block size is 8 inches. However, the chain connector block seems to work better as a 9 patch block and that is not easily divisible as an 8 inch block. I was watching a Lori Holt video (I love her quilts even though I’ve never made one of them) and she was making an 8″ chain connector block. And of course, I set out to make that block with my AccuQuilt dies. These are the measurements for that block.

8 inch finished chain connector block

As always, I have a stack of star blocks that will work perfectly with some chain connector blocks. These are floating stars – all scrappy – made with a custom die that I had made by Custom Shape Pros through the AccuQuilt website.

This is how I made the connectors.

For each block:

Die# to CutSize to cut
2″ strip cutter2 each2″ x 8-1/2″ dark strips
2″ x 8-1/2″ light strips
2-1/2″ strip cutter42-1/2″ x 3-1/2″ light rectangles
2-1/2″ strip cutter12-1/2″ dark square

Sew the light and dark strips together, press to the dark strip, and then subcut with the 2″ strip cutter into pairs to make the corner four patch units.

Sew the light and dark strips together, press to the dark strip, and then subcut with the 2″ strip cutter into pairs to make the corner four patch units. Layer as many as will fit onto 2″ strip die
These are the 8-1/2″ strips that have been cut into subunits for 4-patch corner units
Arrange light/dark subunits to be stitched into 4-patch units
Arrange the four patch units, light rectangles, and dark center square to make a 9 patch block.

And this is the mockup from EQ8 of the connector blocks and the floating stars.

Unicorn Finish

It has taken awhile to finish this with a few interruptions like a project to be done for AccuQuilt that can’t be seen until next year. But this turned out beautifully. When I cut this one out, I cut two more unicorns, so will try to get those finished. I think a little girl might like a large unicorn pillow to adorn her bed.

Unicorn Nap Quilt made by Marjorie Busby,
unicorn pattern by Elizabeth Hartman
Panel used on back of Unicorn Nap Quilt

Progress on Nine-Patch

On Saturday Stitches on the blue feather quilt studio Facebook page, I posted a project with a plan to use up some orphan star blocks. The setting was going to be nine-patch Irish chain blocks alternating with the stars. This is the picture from Facebook showing the stars, the blue example of the nine-patch, and the beginning four-patches for the nine-patch. Because the star blocks are multicolored, it seemed a neutral fabric for the nine-patch blocks would work best.

Saturday Stitches Project

The stars and the 9-patch blocks didn’t look good to me, and I decided to go to Plan B. Thus, I used charm squares from Riley Blake Fabrics. They were just slightly larger than the 6″ square on point from the 12″ AccuQuilt GO! Qube so I made 6″ SOP blocks instead of stars. This is the finished center of the quilt. It will need borders to make it a lap size quilt. The charm squares worked well enough and the square on point blocks were so easy to make. Can I finish it by Friday?

What are you working on this week? I’d love to see what you’re doing.

Fall 2022 QAL – Block 5 – Corner Blocks

This is the last block in our series. It is the Corner Block and there are so many options. The key is simply to choose a block from your Qube shapes that will coordinate with your Accent Blocks. There isn’t a simple answer to which block will work best. The diagram below will show you some of the possibilities. Click on the diagram or go to the QAL Page.

Shape 1: Square

Shape 2: Square

Shape 3: Half Square Triangle

Shape 4: Quarter Square Triangle

Shape 5: Half Square Triangle

Shape 6: Square on Point

Shape 10: Signature Block

Shape 11.1: Bow Tie

Shape 12.1: Small Triangle

Shape 14: Triangle in a Square-Sides

Shape 15: Kite

Shape 16: Trapezoid

Fall 2022 QAL – EQ8 Custom Set

I saved the EQ8 Custom layout for the Fall 2022 QAL and uploaded the EQ8 file to the “Files” Section of the AccuQuilt Qube Facebook Group. I have hesitated to do that because using Custom Set is a great tool in EQ8, but IMHO isn’t always intuitive and requires experience with the software. My recommendation is that when you open the file, first save the layout to your layout library so that you always keep the original file.

This is how to save a Custom Set to your Layout Library:

Select Libraries in the Main Menu and in the dropdown menu, select Layout Library…

In the Popup Menu, select Current Sketchbook from the Menu on the left. Select the Layout that appears on the right. In the lower left menu, select Copy.

In the Popup Menu, select “My Favorite Layouts“. Select a Style and right click. In the Popup box that appears on the right, type in the name of the style. Click OK.

Select the new Style that you named, select Paste from the Lower Menu. When the Layout appears on the right, select Save Library and click OK in the popup box that tells you the Layout has been saved.


To resize your Layout, check your Quilt Worktable Settings as shown below:

In the top menu, select Quilt and in the dropdown menu, select Quilt Worktable Options.

In the Quilt Worktable Options menu, select All Styles under Layout Options. Be sure that the option “Maintain existing block sizes when resizing layout.” is UNCHECKED.


To resize your Layout, click Layout in the top menu. Calculate the new size of your quilt by calculating the width and height of the finished block sizes in the Center Rectangle of the Custom Layout quilt.

Pay attention to the boxes in the menu that are marked as shown. Check or uncheck as needed.

Fall QAL Week 5 – Accent Blocks

This is a big week because we are going to tackle Accent Blocks. These are what I would call “Inside Border Blocks” and they are half the size of a regular block. The following image shows a diagram with the Accent blocks identified. We will spend this week and next week on these Accent Blocks. Next week we will add the small corner blocks. Then the only thing left will be to add a solid border and finish your quilt.

Click on QAL at the top of the page and you will find the instructions.

Diagram Showing Accent Blocks

I have written instructions and diagrams for some simple Accent Blocks and also for two blocks that are for more experienced quilters. In addition, the instructions include images of the overall layout with the different Accent Blocks. Please read the instructions all the way through. Ask questions in the AccuQuilt Qube Facebook group if there is anything you do not understand.

I can’t wait to see what you do with these blocks.

Saturday Stitches – October 8, 2022

This text came late last night. The youngest granddaughter loves the corner to corner crochet blanket I made for her. It was started when she was tiny. Between piecing a lot of quilts and a lot of crochet and some tendonitis, it was delayed a couple of years. It is so wonderful to see her enjoying it. It’s not as long as I would like, but it was planned for a much smaller child – LOL! The yarn color is called “Cancun” and is no longer available – but isn’t it beautiful?

It’s Saturday which means for the rest of October we will be doing youth baseball. Games are at 9:00 and 10:30 and requires us to be there 30-45 minutes early. Today’s temps are in the 50’s and low 60’s during game time so sweatshirts are in order. For those of us who live in the mid-Atlantic, that’s chilly.

Are you doing any Halloween or Fall stitching? Show us what you’re making with a post on the Blue Feather Quilt Studio Facebook page.

Fall 2022 QAL Week 4

Airplane Block #3

This week’s block is the Airplane Block and it is made with one of my favorite block subunits which I call the Bird in the Corner Half Square Triangle. There are two light/color Birds in the Corner and two medium/color Birds in the Corner in this block. One of the fun things about it is that you stitch the straight side of a background half square triangle to either side of the bird. This is an image of the block and a link to the instructions.

Week 4 Block 3: Airplane Block