Crossroads Quilt Along ~ Block 3

 Introducing the Friendship block in our Crossroads Quilt Along journey. There were a quick and easy blocks to piece. The Friendship block instructions were release April 15th. The next set will be released May 15th. This quilt is offered for free from The Fat Quarter Shop, but they encourage you to make a $5 donation each month to March of Dimes. A beautiful quilt for a worthy cause. It's a win win. And the fabrics you get to work with Strawberry Fields Revisited. Ahhhh.

We used these three beauties along with our background fabric this month. I still just love those strawberries!

At this stage in my quilting journey I'm not a fan of pressing seams open, but that could always change, and I know that many quilters like it. I chose to not to do them this time around. I get bulkier corners, it's true, but I like being able to match those seams up a little bit faster. 

For these I pressed towards the beautiful prints.

And for these I pressed towards the prints as well. I didn't grab a picture, but for the Flying Geese I pressed to the top goose. This makes it so all my seams can be sandwiched in together and I get nice points.

All the beautiful blocks so far.

Don't forget to go to the March of Dimes site to make your donation!

Happy Stitching.

Jen

Crossroads Quilt Along ~ Block 2

The Crossroads Quilt Along Block 2 from The Fat Quarter Shop, is the Diamond Block. Download the free pattern instructions here. And while you are there click on the link to donate to the March of Dimes. A $5 dollar donation is all they ask for sharing the instructions for this beautiful quilt.

The beautiful fabrics we get to work with this month, again from Fig Tree Quilts, Strawberry Fields Revisited.

I used the Tucker Trimmer (no affiliation) on my half-square triangle blocks. Let me just put in a plug for this tool. I have been testing Pattern 7, and there are a lot of half-square triangles. This tool made it so quick and easy. Without all of the ruler lines I hardly had to think about what I was doing. I LOVE this tool. And I owe my fabric store owners at Fabrics Plus a huge apology (or a bottle of wine) for not listening to them sooner. A lot sooner. 

Back to the blocks. I did add 1/8 of an inch to the fabric I cut out for the HST pieces. I much prefer to make them larger and then trim them down. Either I'm not a very accurate sewer, or I'm too much of a perfectionist, but I LIKE that perfect HST. 

 This has to be my favorite piece of the entire block. I love these little square in a square pieces. So darn cute!

I make sure to sew with the piece up that has the point. That way I can make sure I don't take that point off with my stitching. Nothing makes me happier then a pointy point. (Unless it's that perfect HST.)

All of the beautiful blocks so far. 

392 units

My own Pattern 7 went out to testers today. I'm so excited to have another of my patterns close to publishing. After stitching up all 3 sizes myself, and making the 3 diamond blocks, I have now made 900 HST units in the last 2 weeks. That is a crazy number!  If you need to feel like you have accomplished something, add up those HST units!

Block 3 for the Crossroads Quilt Along comes out April 15th.

Happy Stitching!

Jen

Crossroads Quilt Along ~ Block 1

The first block, The House Block, is out! If you are using the kit available from The Fat Quarter Shop, you will be using these four beautiful fabrics from Strawberry Fields Revisited from Fig Tree Quilts, along with the background. Aren't they just scrumptious? I am totally in love with the strawberries on pink. Of course I am partial to green, especially this green. And then that yellow with the sweet rosebuds. I love it all!

I have to share this picture with you.

I love a selvage with a cute little something on it. The strawberries alone are adorable. The added words take you to another place. "On a sunny afternoon she skipped through the strawberry fields." I can see a little girl, dress and hair blowing in the wind, skipping through the fields. I love warm summer days.

Before cutting these out I sprayed my fabric with starch. I use Best Press, non-scented, but you can use whatever starch you like. I find, especially with Block of the Month type patterns, that starch helps keep the smaller pieces from stretching and throwing your blocks off. 

Yes, I am missing "D". I did cut them out, but somehow they didn't make it into the family photo.

You will see lots of pictures with all the pieces cut out, and labeled very prettily with letters. I know myself well enough to just stick with writing them down on scrap paper. I would lose those pretty letters in a New York Minute. "Organized" is not my middle name. So plain slips of paper it is.

I have a picture of the pieces out and ready to become these beautiful houses, but I had the chimney piece flipped and I didn't want to confuse you. Thankfully, I sewed them correctly. I did rip out the pink and yellow chimney strips, twice, to get that chimney to line up, and I am happy with how these turned out. 

I love this green!

But these strawberries!! Yum!

There is still plenty of time to join the fun! Head over to The Fat Quarter Shop blog to get all the information and to download the house pattern. Each month, on the 15th, the a new set of instructions will be posted. They just ask that you donate $5 to March of Dimes for each download. What could be better, a free pattern and helping sweet little babies? 

Happy Stitching!

Jen