Happy New Year! I’m excited what 2019 has in store for me and for my business, and there’s no better way to start it all off than with the official Month One post for the Sunset Isle quilt along – the row of the month sampler quilt that we’re making this year in collaboration with Ava & Neve.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check out the announcement blog post here for the full details. Sign ups for the fabric bundles are now closed, but the pattern subscription will remain open – upon payment you’ll be able to download the current month’s pattern, and on the 1st of the following month you will receive the next installment.
For Sunset Isle, I challenged myself to step outside of my triangular comfort zone and step away from making every row a variation of half-square triangles and flying geese 😉 And what better time to start than with row 1?! January’s row is made up of six blocks – in my head, I’ve been calling them “building blocks”… or perhaps even Ultimate Jenga, ha!
The pattern includes instructions for using Liberty precuts/a mixture of prints and also yardage if you’re using just one fabric for the whole row. I selected 6 different red Liberty prints from my stash, including one Liberty solid for something different! There’ll be a few solids sprinkled throughout my quilt, and if you’ve subscribed to the fabric bundle option, you’ll have some too.
When it comes to fabric choices, I usually steer towards the blender end of prints, but that’s not usually possible for Liberty… so I’m pretty impressed that I could find such full reds in my stash! I also love how Liberty’s reds range from deep rose red through red tomato and all the way to slightly pinky ones. A nice variation of tones.
Tips for Month 1
When working with skinnier strips like these, it’s important to keep on top of your seam allowances. Err on the side of a scant seam, which means that your needle is sitting slightly closer to the edge than the full 1/4″ (i.e. the edge of the fabric is just inside the marked 1/4″ line on your sewing machine).
It also really is important to press the seams open as you go, as instructed by the pattern. This not only helps your blocks sit flatter, but at the end your quilt top will end up being more smooth and easier to quilt.
Other things to note
It’s never too late to join in! You can sign up for the pattern subscription for just $24 for the year (once-off payment) and receive the current month’s pattern right away.
To hang out with other QALers, come and join the Sunset Isle QAL group on Facebook to connect with everyone else sewing along! Share your plans, fabric pulls, progress and we’ll be there sewing and cheering along with you.
On Instagram, you can use #sunsetislequilt to share your project with us all, and feel free to tag us in the image too – @blossomheartquilts and @ava_and_neve – as that helps us find them all more easily.
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