Pop Star QAL The Final Parade!

Welcome everyone to another year of celebrating the end of my annual QAL, on the auspicious birthday of that famous Canadian, my Dad. 😍🥳

It never fails! June 15 seems so far off when the final steps to put the flimsy together are posted. Then suddenly it's here and it seems it was only a week ago, not a month, that that post happened. Such is the way of things though. My own quilt has been done for a few days. I had planned to post my quilt on June 14, giving it its own well-deserving post. I got some good early morning shots on June 14 as I'd had to wait a day while it dried on the design wall for blocking purposes. Then the evening turned out to be picture postcard perfect, so a trip to my happy place, Seacliff Beach and Leamington Marina walk was in order for a few glamour shots. I will link up the post here. Here is a sneak peek!

The light was perfect. More photos to come. Blue was my dad's favourite colour. I think he'd have loved this quilt.

Pop Star - Borders and Quilt Top Assembly

Are you ready?! We just have to make one giant nine-patch and two borders, and we will have our quilt top! I am loving the fabrics and colours I am seeing on Instagram. Thank you all for joining in with another QAL. Let's get to it!

I can't tell you how gratifying it is to see the quilt on that little graphic, the one I put into EQ8 a few months ago, come to life! I also can't tell you how annoyed I am that I somehow got off my original schedule of posts, which were all supposed to be on Sundays. When I did the one for Hands2Help, I had to move the Pop Star over to Saturday, and then I just continued posting the steps on Saturdays!🤭 Even though I am finished with menopause, it is not finished with me, muddled brain-wise. So here we are, back to Sundays.

Pop Star - Centre Star Unit

Have you put your four pop star units on your design wall to admire all week as I have?! Well this week we are going to fill in the centre.

Betcha can't wait out the week to put the whole quilt together, just sayin'...

Pop Star Centre Units

I have heard from quite a few people that they really enjoyed making No Waste Geese from step 1, either for the first time, or using the method once again. I love it because there are no triangles to trim off and guiltily toss. If you're like me, you save them to sew back together for another project (but sometimes they languish). With this quick method there's just a little trim for each geese unit. Now that I think about it, I should have used the eight-at-a-time method for the HSTs....file that away for the next pattern! (which has been tech-edited as you read this, and awaits me looking it over)

Eleanor Burns devised the No Waste Flying Geese. I love her work and her attitude and sense of humour. I had the pleasure of attending Benartex's virtual Fabric Show this past week, and she was there! As bright and funny as ever. Her latest line is Judy's Bloom, out in fabric shops right now. I had another pleasure: I was asked if I wanted to make a project to showcase her line, and of course I said yes! You can view the post here, and see the quilted tote bag I made, and enter the giveaway. I've used it already to take to yoga and got compliments on it. So spring-like!

Back to this project! Let's sew some Pop Star centre units!

Pop Star Step 1 Sewing

Welcome back! And a Happy St. George's Day to all of you. He is the George who slew the dragon, and is the patron saint of England, as St. Patrick is the saint for Ireland. It was always very important to my mum to remember and to celebrate, by wearing red and wishing her kids and grandkids a happy St. George's Day. 

This week we are finally starting to sew! Be sure to read all the way to the end of the post, where you will find a linkup for linking up your fabric pull, or your pieces all cut and stacked all pretty, or perhaps this first step complete! I'll leave it open until mid-week. There may just be a wee prize of some Baby Pop Star fabric sent to one lucky linker-upper.😙

Personally, I can't wait to see the fabrics start coming together; they're so pretty on the graphic, and even more beautiful in person.

Pop Star Cutting Directions

Today we are cutting up our fabrics, and wow, have I seen some beautiful combinations! Remember to tag me on Instagram @mmmquilts and use the hashtag #popstarquiltalong and #popstarquilt The #popstarquilt hashtag has several different Pop Star quilts within it, quite the surprise when I went on it. I decided not to rename mine since it was always Pop Star (actually Popstar), from when I first designed it four years ago.

I must say I am thrilled with how much people like my design. When I first made the quilt, back in May 2018, several people asked if there would be a pattern, and I thought, really? Other people would like to make this? That in itself was a thrill. Well, here we are four years later, and it has come to life, so to speak, and people like it! So thank you. Here is the link to purchase the pattern, though you do not need it if you are participating as the instructions will be posted weekly right here.

Pop Star QAL Fabric Requirements and Pattern Release!

Welcome! I have been hearing from several about their fabric pulls, and/or potential pulls, and half of the fabrics pulled but in rethinking mode now... It's so exciting! I absolutely love seeing the same pattern in different fabrics, different colours, different values. It just fascinates me, always has.

There are two sizes to this quilt, baby, which finishes 40.5" square and throw, which finishes 60.5" square. You can probably make the baby from stash, and if you're like me, you can probably make the throw from stash too! But hey, it's always good to 'just check out' what the LQS has got in right now, right? Or maybe use that Christmas gc you got? 

Baby Pop Star

I made the baby version of my Pop Star quilt so I could write and test my directions before having Yvonne of Quilting Jet Girl tech edit the pattern. This is one of two sizes you can make in the annual quilt along here on the blog.

Beautiful Benartex Designer Fabrics.