Step 3 - Center Blocks of Stars in the Valley QAL

This has been a great time to have a QAL 

when 

you live in the North Pole 

(Ok ...Canada)

and

there is a 3 day long blizzard!

It really piled up out there

but 

the cows pulled through with plenty of bedding!

My son, Jeremy's dog Diesel has been BORED out of him mind.

He normally is outside so this small elephant of a dog

has

taken to the couch for the last few days. 

We are on to step three - The centers of our blocks! 

You will need your 6 1/2" background squares

and

3 1/2" colored squares

I am using blue Bliss wideback by @northcottfabrics 

and

Diamond Dots wideback by @wilmingtonprints

These will be square in a square blocks. 

A little tip I got from a friend for keeping your iron board clean

and

getting crisp seams was to put a piece of freezer paper

with

the wax side down and press on this till it gets worn out. 

I find it makes a world of difference keeping the heat in your blocks

for

crisp pieces! 

Another this notion I love is Diagonal Seam Tape 

by

 @cluckclucksew

 You don't have to draw your lines on your pieces

I thought Sherri at @quiltinglife does a fabulous job showing how to use it! 

Check it out! 

I have a few rolls in stock if anyone needs one !

If you prefer to draw the lines....

No pressure! 

You sew down the center line on each square...

Or stitch corner to corner if you have the tape installed.

Either way works great! 

It's tricky to get pics sometimes as I have a supervisor named Lucy!

She is also dying for attention

and

figures if I am sitting down I should be spending it with her! 

Eventually.... 

You get your first set of corners sewn on the center block! 

I like to take the pieces cut off from the sides

and

sew them together as they are free HST's for another project! 

Do the same to the other side 

 

You will have 13 center blocks! 

It's an easy step! 

After all, it's Easter and most of us are on cooking duty! 

but seriously, I am loving all your participation in this QAL!

The blocks are looking incredible. 

All the color combinations are amazing!

Great Job, Charlene! 

This purple is a wide back by @PBTextiles called Day Dreams.

This navy and the background are two widebacks 

by 

Westrade Textiles

This quilt takes a lot of fabric so it's very efficient to use widebacks!

I loved this meme Leanne created....

There is actually 156 HST's....

so 

it's actually 87.36 years! 

LOL

You are all doing fabulous and I hope you are having fun!

Anyone can join our Facebook page to see the fun!

It is Stars in the Valley QAL

Thanks for the meme, Sylvia! 

I hope everyone had a great Easter with friends and family! 

Nice to get back to some normalcy! 

Now bring on Spring... I am ready! 

Christa 

 

Border creek's QAL 2020

Border Creek Station is one of my favorite pattern companies.

It is another one of my favorite Canadian companies.

In these Covid times, 

I have come to appreciate that fact even more.

Don't get me wrong....

I have some favorite American companies and stores, too.

Just 30 minutes from my house is an amazing quilt store 

in 

Crosby, North Dakota.

Pleasant PHeasant Fabrics

You have no idea how much our group misses Tamara!!

We have even zoomed with her a few times now.

She gave us a tour of the goodies we are missing.

Shipping to Canada is RIDICULOUS!!!!

We even asked the border agents if we could meet at the border

but not cross..

Just throw the packages of fabric over the line!!

NOPE. PERIOD.

Some day.....the border will open again.

WE soooo miss you Tamara!

Anyways... enough of my rant....

I usually do a pattern and move it on out!

But

 I have done a few of Border Creek's a couple of times. 

My all time favorite for ease and fast construction is 

Stars in the Valley

Twice complete and still wanting to do it again!

Every year they do a Quilt Along

This year it's a runner called Let's Get Frosty.

It's a free pattern. 

They sell kits or you can use your own fabrics.

Lord knows, I have a stash!

They make it into bite size portions so competing is pretty easy!

This one has lots of little pieces but I still enjoyed it!

Even if I had to do it Twice!!

This version....

Wrong.... Geese are supposed to be dark!!

Right....

I was going to leave it as is...

But I couldn't do it!

My dilemma was I had limited blue fabric

but

I pieced some together and you can't even tell!!

Thanks for the fun!

Ready for a Christmas feast!

 

For four....if your Covid rules don't change.

Christa

 

Border Creek Station Advent Quilt

How cute is this Mystery Quilt 

from

 Border Creek Station

I have made many quilts from Border Creek Station.

It's nice to have such a talented Canadian Quilting company!

They did such a fabulous job of packaging each block

into

it's own day of the month.

A quilter's advent calendar!!

So far so good...

I have been keeping up...

as I fit these in between finishing up Christmas gifts

Each block is 9" finished

Some of them use triangle papers to get the half square triangles

It's kind of fun to try new techniques 

I am working on day 9

at the moment....

Sashings....

I think this is going to be really cute when finished!

Christa 

Ok.... I Lied....

Now that we are done combining.....

I have been trying to do a bit of sewing....

With the help of Lucy!!

Some of my sewing was a bit rushed....

How?!?!?!? 

Better.....

This block is brought to us by  Border Creek Quilt Along

I am using a 10" layer cake of Laurel Birch Twilight.

I can get all the pieces I need for each block 

but

one square has to be pieced

(as seen in the middle right square).

That is what quilting is supposed to be about!!

This is what I have so far....

And like a crazy fool....

I am also doing a quilt in Tim Holtz Eclectic Elements.

How can one resist?

I am loving them both!!

Have an amazing long weekend!

I know I am going to!!

Christa