Quilt Along - Week Two

Welcome back for Week Two of the Oh My, Scrappy Stars! quilt along....

Just wanted to share my progress first.  Hope you will be spurred on to complete this week's task after having seen my 1/3 of a quilt top!

I hope you are all doing fine.  I did hear from one member last week - asking about fabric choices.  Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is anything in the instructions you need help with!  I am looking forward to getting to know everyone who has indicated they are quilting along.

And I would like to introduce you to each other before I give the next instructions this week.  Aside from myself (of course) these are the current Quilt Along members:

On Flickr known as Sherry Wollard.  Sherry's blog is named "Quilts, Fabric and Thread Tales" and can be found at http://quiltsfabricthreadtales.blogspot.com

 - I met Sherry online shortly after starting my blog and we have been following each others blogs, lending support and encouraging comments on each others works, and have developed a wonderful friendship!

On Flickr known as Karyn Low.  Karyn is a member of the Google+ Quilting community and can be found at https://plus.google.com/111020180044123861180/posts

 - Karyn and I are both members of the Google+ Quilting community.  It has become a great place to meet others who are interested in quilting.  You can post questions, share your latest project, share blog posts, tips, etc.  A very friendly and supportive community!

On Flickr known as LatteGirl40.  Sandy's blog is named "Upstairshobbyroom" and can be found at http://upstairshobbyroom.blogspot.ca

 -  I just met Sandy since announcing the quilt along.  So we don't yet know each other well, but I do know she is a Canadian, eh!  Unfortunately, Sandy has indicated that she will not be participating at this time, but perhaps in the future.  It seems she has taken on sew many projects this summer she can't keep track of them all! Lol!

On Flickr known as kimethameliea. Kimetha's photostream can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimetha/ 

 - Kimetha and I really don't know each other either.... Kinda just bumped into one another on Flickr!  I am sew glad she expressed an interest in joining the quilt along, too.  Hope working on this project will give us the opportunity to get better acquainted!

Nancy-Rose has not yet, as of yet, joined the Flickr group.  Her blog is named "Life is a Stitch" and can be found at http://thethriftyquilter.blogspot.com

 - Nancy-Rose found the quilt along post and signed right up!  Another friend who is new to me!

On Flickr known as Heygiz00.  Julianne's blog is named "Quilting with Calicos" and can be found at http://quiltingwithcalicos.blogspot.ca/

  - Julianne also mentioned she wanted to join the quilt along.  And I am sew glad she did.  She is a serious Quilt Alonger!

Hope you will all take some down time from quilting this coming week and take a visit to the others in the group.  Introduce yourselves and say hello!  Check out their blogs and photostreams.

Now... On to the instructions for Week Two of the Oh My, Scrappy Stars quilt along!

Oh My, Scrappy Stars! Quilt Layout

Section One: This is row 1 to 4 found at the top of the quilt.

Let’s break it down.  These are the pale star sections.

And there are a total of 3 of each of these pale stars around the outside edge of the quilt.

In STEP 1, you will be making strip sets for these nine patch sections, as shown below, 3 of each colour combination.  But do not sew them into the 9 patch square as shown... Leave them in sets of three, as shown on the right.

These are samples of the Half Square Triangles (HST) needed to complete the pale stars.

See STEP 2 for making the HST’s.

 

This is a close up of row 1 to 4 in the portion between the blue star and the yellow star.

It contains 12 neutral squares in row 1, 10 in row 2, 12 in row 3, and 10 in row 4.

There are 3 of these portions in the first section.

Making all of the Neutral rows in the quilt will be covered in STEP 3.

Section Two: This is row 5 to 16.

There are 9 star blocks in the quilt that show off the feature fabric in a large square in the center.

Of these 9 blocks, 5 will have the brown accent fabric around the large center square and 4 will not. All of the HST squares needed to complete these blocks will be covered in STEP 2. 

Section Three: This is row 16 to 20.

The Pale coloured star blocks have already been covered. They are made in STEP 1 and STEP 2.

There are two other star blocks in this section.  And there are four of them in the quilt top altogether.

Making these star blocks will also be covered in STEP 1 and STEP 2.

From here the pattern begins to repeat.  So head to STEP 1 and we’ll begin.

STEP 1:

To make the nine patch sections for the light coloured stars, you will need 3 strips of each colour: Pale Orange, Pale Blue, Pale Green and Pale Yellow.  These strips are 2.5” wide.

With right sides together (RST), sew a strip set of Orange-Blue-Orange and a strip set of Blue-Orange-Blue. With RST, sew a strip set of Yellow-Green-Yellow and a strip set of Green- Yellow- Green.  Press all seams open.

Trim the end of the strip sets square, using your rotary cutter and acrylic ruler.  Crosscut into 2.5” segments up to the middle fold.  Then turn the strip set around, trim the other end square, and continue to crosscut into 2.5” segments.

To make the nine patch sections for the four Feature Fabric and Brown Accent stars, you will need both of the 2 ½” strips of Feature Fabric and the one 2 ½” wide strip of Brown Accent fabric.  Take the longest Feature Fabric strip and cut it in half, to make two 21” long sections.  Do the same for the Brown Accent fabric strip.  With RST, sew a 21” long strip set of Feature-Brown-Feature.

Take the remaining Brown Accent strip and cut it in half, to make two 10 ½” long strips.  Cut a 10 ½” piece from the remaining Feature Fabric strip, and with RST, sew a strip set of Brown- Feature-Brown.

Press all seams open.  Trim the end of the strip sets square and crosscut into 2.5” segments.

STEP 2:

To make the Half Square Triangles (HST), you will follow the general instructions found on the following two pages.  Each pair of 3” squares will result in two completed HST’s.  For example – One Pale Blue 3” square and One Neutral 3” square will make Two completed 2 ½” HST squares.

Keep it scrappy while you organize these pairs. Mix it up.

12 pairs of Pale Blue and Neutral  (Note: DO NOT use the DARK Neutrals for use with the Pale colours)

12 pairs of Pale Orange and Neutral

12 pairs of Pale Green and Neutral

12 pairs of Pale Yellow and Neutral

16 pairs of Red and Neutral

14 pairs of Medium Orange and Neutral

14 pairs of Light Orange and Neutral

14 pairs of Medium Yellow and Neutral

14 pairs of Light Yellow and Neutral

8 pairs of Blue #1 and Neutral

8 pairs of Blue #2 and Neutral

8 pairs of Blue #3 and Neutral

8 pairs of Blue #4 and Neutral

8 pairs of Blue #5 and Neutral

8 pairs of Green #1 and Neutral

8 pairs of Green #2 and Neutral

8 pairs of Green #3 and Neutral

8 pairs of Green #4 and Neutral

5 pairs of Blue #1 and Brown Accent

5 pairs of Blue #2 and Brown Accent

4 pairs of Blue #3 and Brown Accent

4 pairs of Blue #4 and Brown Accent

4 pairs of Blue #5 and Brown Accent

5 pairs of Green #1 and Brown Accent

5 pairs of Green #2 and Brown Accent

4 pairs of Green #3 and Brown Accent

4 pairs of Green #4 and Brown Accent

Making Half Square Triangles

For the purpose of this diagram the right side of the fabric is shown in pink, while the wrong side is shown in white.  Please note that the fabric squares should be ‘sandwiched’ with right sides facing together, and line up on all sides as accurately as possible.  The diagram does not show this accuracy for demonstrative purposes only.  

#1:  Take a color square and a neutral square and ‘sandwich’ them together with right sides facing together as shown in Figure A.  Using a pencil and ruler, draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the neutral fabric, from the top corner to the bottom corner as shown in blue in Figure B.  This is your guide line.  Sew a ¼” seam on the right of the blue line from edge to edge as shown in red in Figure C. 

Chain piece your HST's by continuing these steps shown in Figures A, B and C for about 10 other pairs of squares, sewing the seams, and without cutting the thread.  At the end of the last seam, turn your chain of sandwiches around and sew back along the opposite side of the guide line on each sandwich square.  Remove the chain of squares from machine, bring them to your ironing board and clip the threads between the sandwiched squares.  Your squares should all look like the one in Figure D.  Press to set the seams.

 

#2:  Having sewn two seams across the diagonal of each sandwiched square, and pressed them all to set the seams, it is now time to cut them along the blue guide line as shown in Figure E.  Now trim each of the resulting triangles to size using your acrylic ruler.  Your unfinished square is 2 ½”.  Measure 2 ½" from the seam to the corner, and make sure the seam is at a 45° angle to the sides, as shown in Figure F.  The seam will line up with the dots on your ruler.  Trim the square. 

Now open the triangle and finger press the seam open.  Press the seam open with the iron.  Flip the unit over and re-press it on the right side.  From the right side of the fabric, your square should look like Figure G.  Trim the fabric points (dog ears) so that you have a neatly finished square, as shown in Figure H.

I know this is a TON of work, sew don't get all bent out of shape if you don't have time to get it all done in the coming week.  Everyone does not work at the same pace.  But please do upload some pictures to the Flickr Group!  I'm getting quite lonely over there!

 

And feel free to send me a comment or email if you have any questions.  Remember you can always find the complete instructions and schedule by clicking  on the Quilt Along tab on the right hand side at the top of the blog.

 

See you again soon!