2025 Cherrywood Challenge - the Abyss and Storytime Start

One of my favorite things to do when we go to Yuma, Arizona

is to hop over to Ontario, California

to go to 

Road To California Quilt Show 

Cherrywood Fabrics was displaying the entire collection of Abyss Challenge

I have entered this challenge for 9 years in a row 

and

 8 of my entries were lucky enough to be chosen to travel.

My entry for Abyss was part of the travelling tour this year! 

It started it's journey at International Quilt Festival in Houston

and

will travel all year to other shows 

There are so many amazing quilters

 I am so honored to be part of such stunning works.

Check out some of my favorites

The workmanship in only 20' square,

 using the same bundle of fabric

and

your imagination!

 The techniques varied from applique to piecing and everything in between!

Seriously talented people...I tell yah! 

Look at this picture in a picture in a picture...just wow!

The lost city behind this amazing octopus ...so detailed! 

I did not buy the bundle for this year's challenge.

The theme is Storytime and I was just not inspired.

But after being at the show and seeing all these works of art...

I thought ....I can do this! 

So I purchased the bundle...then realized I had THREE weeks to complete this!

Even more of a challenge is the fact that I was lightly equipped with a small sewing machine. 

Not much thread.

Oh and did I say....

THREE weeks to get this job done! 

I found an inspiration on Pinterest and ran with it. 

I began to layer starting with the background and working my way forward

Little by little

Started to add some thread painting,

 even though my machine I had with me was not cooperating.

I always start bigger than I need,

 because it shrinks up when you start adding all kinds of thread painting and stitching. 

Piece by piece...I never know how much is 'too much'

A little boy dreaming of reaching the stars, 

castles and Kings,

Teddy Bears and bouncy balls

and

sailing the ocean blue!

Added a few sparkles to add to the magic and voila...

It's been submitted and now we wait....

Christa 

2SQ

Spinning Wheel QAL - Construction Time -

 I hope you are not stir crazy with the amount of HST's in this quilt!

Hope you are taking your time and enjoying the process!

There is no rush! 

The info will always be right here! 

The road might seem long but there is an end in sight!!

It's about the journey....

I cut all my other pieces in the pattern

and

using my trusty Press and Seal,

 they are corralled in my trays.

I am the kind of quilter who likes to see some progress from all this work.

To switch it up, I made up a bunch of block components.

I line up my pieces needed for this component like this 

As you know, I am a fan of chain piecing

I like to stitch both sections of the block, one after the other

I make sure that there is a different HST on each block

I will do quite a few of them and cut them apart in sections of two 

To make nesting seams easier,

 I like to press one half to the left and the other to the right.

I absolutely love using Flatter Spray Starch by SoakWash

It makes all these seams lay flat as can be!

Spinning your seams really helps,too!

Check out this quick little video on how to do that

Spinning Seams

Just love a perfect little square in the center on the back

Stock piling my components....

I could not resist putting a completed block together

I laid out each component as per instructions around a wonky star

Sewed them all up....

Doing the same for the second row of components, 

Voila....

One VERY large block completed

24.5" x 24.5"

Only 8 more to go!

Patience Grasshopper....we are getting there!

Christa 

2SQ

Half Square Triangles 2.0..... The Saga Continues!

I hope you had a chance to try the previous HST tutorials....

As I said...

 There are a ton of ways to do HST's. 

It worth a try to see how your brain handles 

and 

likes (or dislikes)the process of each way! 

Another way I use Press and Seal in my quilting world.....

I wrap my trays or design boards(small ones) with it

It makes these trays of components easy to stay organized !

Perfect to take them with you, if you are going to retreat or YUMA, AZ!

This next way of HST's is great if you have smaller pieces or strips of fabric.  

If you are more of a Strip quilter, 

this next method might be right up your alley!

I like this version because they are all 2" HSTs with the dog ears already cut off

I cut my strips - 2" by WOF(or whatever length)

One dark and one light - right sides together. 

Sew down each side of the strips.

Press and starch before cutting! 

Place your ruler(any size) on the strip on a 45 degree angle

Line up the stitch line with the 2" line on each side

(Blue line is the stitch line)

Cut on either side of your ruler....

You can flip your ruler to the top 

or

continue on from the bottom

The first cut is waste 

I love that the dog ears are already nipped off

It's a great way to use up any strips of fabric you have in the project as well.

Perfect little HST's

Blossom Heart Quilts has a great blog post on strip HST's

This second example also eliminates the dog ears as well

You will need a dark and a light 2.5" square

Stack right sides together and stitch on all four sides. 

Cut diagonally corner to corner 

and

 each corner can be nipped off

Voila!! 

Check out this video for 4 HST's at a time! 

HERE

So many options....so many HST's

How many have you made so far??

Christa 

Second Story Quilting On Etsy