Rainbow Neighbourhood - My Quilt

When I finally put my 2017 Rainbow Scrap Challenge house blocks together into the throw, I knew that was my second choice for a quilt layout using my rainbow houses blocks. I knew I wanted to create a happy neighbourhood (Do you hear Fred Rogers? I know I do.) It took some time, but I knew if I let it sit and percolate on the back burner of my brain, it would be good. And it is.

I looked back in my graph book of design ideas and I see several iterations and possibilities of a quilt using the blocks. Exactly how I came up with the one that is the twin, I honestly am not sure, but I do know I didn't want a traditional setting; I wanted the houses to be not in rows, and I wanted neighbourhood elements such as a picket fence (which did not come to pass in the end).

A huge thank you to Island Batik for sending me the navy marble blender yardage for background, and for the 'Broken Glass' line of fabrics as well as several other Basics and Blenders fabrics.

Rainbow Neighbourhood Final Parade

It’s here and I am late to post this! (Smacks self in forehead) I remembered… and then promptly forgot. My own quilt is not completely finished but the linkup for flimsies and finishes that I have on the June 15 post and also here below was originally open until midnight July 1. I may just extend it through the weekend though; what do you think? Canada Day is an auspicious day to end the celebration of the ‘Famous Canadian’ 😉 upon whose birthday this QAL usually ends, but I think he’d be just fine with a wee extension. 

I actually have stuck to the decision to do an all-over design. Well mostly!

Rainbow Neighbourhood House Block #8

First of all Happy Victoria Day! I hope, if you get the holiday, that you get to spend some or all of it doing something you absolutely love. I started my day off with some quiet sewing, finishing up my eighth house, in my favourite colour, blue, while listening to the busy birds, singing, calling and chirping. Ahhh.

If you are making the throw, you will have just one house left to make after this week! If you are making the twin, you have two left along with two heart blocks and some pinwheels.

Rainbow Neighbourhood House Block #7

What fun it was to see all the gorgeous house blocks linked up last week! I am thrilled to see all the creativity just bursting forth in your houses. I love hearing how much fun you are having choosing fabrics, fussy-cutting, even purchasing a bit of special fabrics or colours to incorporate.

I was away all last week visiting Brianne and Brady and friends and family in Alberta, so I did not sew one single stitch. It was a wonderful week! Last week was the halfway point with a linkup and two prizes on offer.

Rainbow Neighbourhood Mid-Point Link Up

Welcome to the halfway point of this year's Quilt Along! It is such a joy to see all the pretty, interesting, unique, themed houses popping up everywhere! By now everyone should have five houses made. If you are making the twin, you also have four large tree blocks made.

Did I mention that there will be a prize chosen for those who link up their five houses? Don't stress if you don't have all five done yet; the linky will be open all week, until midnight Saturday, so you've got time, my friend. Breathe.

Rainbow Neighbourhood House Block #5

We are at the halfway point of making house blocks!

For those of you making the throw, once you have House #5 done, you are more than half way because there are only nine houses to make. For those of you making the twin, you have ten houses to make. This week we aren't making any extra parts for our neighbourhood, so it's an easy week!

Rainbow Neighbourhood Quilt Along - House Block 4

Welcome to week 4 of the Quilt Along!

It looks like everyone is finding the house blocks pretty quick to put together and having fun with all the choices to personalize them. Be sure to check out the hashtag pool #RainbowNeighborhoodQAL as well as #RainbowNeighborhoodQuilt to see everyone’s progress. Be sure to use those hashtags when you post your blocks on Instagram and tag me @mmmquilts. 

Rainbow Neighbourhood QAL - House Block 3

Hello, and welcome to week 3 of the Rainbow Neighbourhood QAL. First things first: I have a little surprise for you: last week I invited everyone to link up their first house block, and eight people did. I know there are more people quilting along, and I'm hoping that those who have bought the pattern (five this past week!) will join in too. Well, I recently won 50 fat quarters from The Fabric Nook, and so I am sending one off to Kathleen in Maine! More sharing to come!

All right, let's talk about making a third house.

Rainbow Neighbourhood QAL: House Block #2

It's almost like Christmas morning the day this post goes live and I start to see the house blocks being linked up. I'm thrilled by those I've seen so far on Instagram and blogs. It is such a thrill when I turn a design I sketched out on graph paper into real live fabric, but when I see others make my design, it is even more of a thrill. As I noted last week, the pattern has virtually endless possibilities for making it your own unique quilt, and already I've seen 'outside the box/block' thinking! Andrée added a sidewalk to her first block, breaking up the lawn, and Rose has decided to not do various stars on all of her houses...but you may have to wait for a bit to see what she's been up to, that rebel.

Rainbow Neighbourhood QAL Official Kick-Off!

And....(drum roll)....welcome!!🎉🎉🎉 to my seventh, yes seventh(!) annual Quilt Along here at mmmquilts. Thank you so much for being here and for those of you participating, a huge virtual hug of gratitude for your time and enthusiasm. As per usual, the QAL starts on a special day, April 3, with the flimsy due on another even more auspicious day, June 15. What's with these special days, you may ask yourself? You've never heard of them? Well, long-time participants well know, and probably mark their calendars as my dad did, for the June 15 date for sure. However, if you are new, allow me to explain before I give you your homework for the week!

Crystal Constellations

I am really pleased to share my finished throw, which I made during this year's Pop Star Quilt Along. From the title of this post, you know I named it Crystal Constellations.

A beautiful evening by the Leamington Marina for a glamour photo

The fabric line I used, supplied by Benartex Designer Fabrics, is Amanda Murphy's newest, out in stores this month, 'Holiday & Winter Jewels'. That's a link to the lookbook. The fabric has a little bit of bling in the form of silver sparkle throughout. Subtle, just how I like it.

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 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. 

Pop Star QAL Schedule and Sponsors

Welcome to the kickoff post for my sixth annual Quilt Along! You are on the Main Page for the QAL. This year we are making Pop Star, a quilt I originally designed four years ago for an Island Batik challenge when I was an ambassador. It feels good to get the design finally written up!

Here is the graphic for the hop. Feel free to copy it and post it on your site! Spread the word! That is the throw which I will be making during the QAL. It uses a new line by Amanda Murphy, 'Winter Jewels' for Benartex Designer Fabrics. The line will be out to quilt shops in May/June 2022.

Postcard from Sweden Quilt Along Final Parade!

In some ways it seems forever ago (January) that I announced that I was going to host another PfS QAL and in other ways, I can't believe it's mid-March, the Ides of March... and time to show off our finishes!

Instagram has been lit up with a rainbow of gorgeousness. I know I've really been enjoying seeing everyone's progress. Be sure to check out the hashtag #postcardfromswedenqal2022 if you feel like brightening your day! Today is the day we show off our finished quilts (finished flimsies are welcome too) and today is the day to enter the drawing for some fabulous grand prizes.