Camden Road Quilt Along Annoucement

Looking for a good quilt along to start the year?  Cindy of Hyacinth Quilt Designs and I are going to be hosting a quilt of my new pattern Camden Road.

The Camden Road Quilt Along will run from January 28th - March 24th, 2020.  The Camden Road pattern contains instructions for baby, lap, and twin sizes and you can make any size you would like during the QAL.

Post on social media with #CamdenRoadQAL to share your progress with the other quilters.

How many blocks you should aim to complete each week depends on the quilt size you are making, we will have 5 weeks of block making, followed by 3 weeks to catch up on blocks and sew the quilt top together.

You do not have to follow the number of blocks per week, if you prefer you could make all of the flying geese one week, the corner units another week, etc.  The only link-up for prizes will be at the end of the quilt along with the quilt top and/or finished quilt so make the quilt in your preferred method and pace. 

Baby size - 9 blocks - aim for 2 blocks/week

Lap size - 20 blocks - aim for 4 blocks/week

Twin size - 30 blocks - aim for 6 blocks/week

Pattern

The Camden Road pattern is available in the Meadow Mist Designs pattern shop for 25% through January 28th using the code CAMDENROAD.  The code will only work on the Camden Road pattern and only in my shop (not on Etsy).

Camden Road Digital Pattern

Camden Road Printed Pattern

QAL Schedule

You can find all of the quilt along related posts on the Camden Road QAL page.

Tuesday January 7th (today) - QAL Announcement and Fabric Requirements
January 14th or 21st - Prizes Announced
Tuesday January 28th - Official QAL kick-off
Tuesday February 4th - Weekly in-progress post
Tuesday February 11th - Weekly in-progress post
Tuesday February 18th - Weekly in-progress post
Tuesday February 25th - Weekly in-progress post
Tuesday March 3rd - Weekly in-progress post
Tuesday March 24th - Parade and Prizes


Prizes

We will have a bunch of great prizes announced within the next week to win if you link up with the parade with a quilt top or finished quilt for the March 24th reveal.



Fabric Requirements

Kits

Bear Creek Quilting Company and Needle & Foot Fine Fabrics have come up with some wonderful quilt kits options.

Bear Creek Quilting Company

The Bear Creek Quilting Company has put together two quilt kits:

Rosewood Kit (this kit will make up to the twin size)

Amethyst Garden Kit (this kit will make up to the twin size)

Needle & Foot Fine Fabrics

Quilt Kit 1 - baby & lap sizes

Quilt Kit 2 - baby & lap sizes

Quilt Kit 3 - baby & lap sizes

I hope you decide to join in!!  If you have any questions, you can leave them in the comment section below or e-mail me at MMDmysteryquilts@gmail.com

New Printed Patterns Available

I just got a batch of printed patterns back from the printer and got them listed in my shop.

Printed versions of the new patterns Disappearing Oranges and Spinning Stars are now available and they are at the introductory price of $9 through Wednesday at midnight.

Printed versions of Camden Road and Arrow Point Path are now also available.  The official Camden Road QAL announcement will be tomorrow and in it will be a coupon code for Camden Road (which will work on both he digital and print versions).

You can click the pictures or links below to be taken to the new printed patterns...

Spinning Stars

Disappearing Oranges

Arrow Point Path

Camden Road

EQ8 ++ Snap Grid Options Tutorial

I love EQ8 by the Electric Quilt Company and use it to design almost every single one of my quilts.  I have had the chance to teach EQ8 to a number of guilds, at QuiltCon, and at the EQ Academy. 

I have just been given the opportunity to partner with EQ over the next few months to help spread the word and teach more about EQ8.  What does that mean for you?  More blog posts filled with tips and tricks for EQ8, behinds the scenes looks at my design process, giveaways, and more!

Today, I would like to show you a little feature of EQ8 that I learned when I was teaching at the EQ Academy...did you know you can customize your grid display?  You can change both the size of the grid dots and the color.  You can make the grid larger and darker to make it easier to see or smaller and gray to make it blend in more with the background.

Here is the default setting for the grid display: small, green grid dots.

To change the grid...

On the left hand side of the screen, click on the Worktable Options icon shaped like a gear (it is the bottom icon).

This brings up the Drawing Board Setup window.  Click on Snap Grid.

You can change the Grid Display from Small grid dots, to Medium grid dots, or Large grid dots.  You can also select from 8 different colors.

Here is my new grid setup with medium grid dots in a magenta color.  I find that this combo is very easy to see when I use my smaller (and less bright) lap top screen instead of my stand alone monitor.

I hope that you have found this tutorial to be helpful!  If you have ideas on what you would like EQ8 tutorials on, please leave them in the comments below.

The Electric Quilt Company is generously offering a special coupon code for my readers.  Use can use EQ8CHERYL for 20% off of their entire website, ElectricQuilt.com (EQ8, EQ8 upgrades, books, add-ons, etc.). The code is good until March 31, 2020.

Mosaic Mystery ++ Quilt Top Assembly

The mystery is revealed!!  This month the instructions are to sew our blocks into a quilt top!!

There will be a separate post with more information about the reveal parade but the two most important things are:

1.     Entries (link not available yet) for the reveal parade are due Thursday, March 5th by midnight EST, giving you two months to work on your quilt.

2.     Both quilt tops and finished quilts can be entered into the reveal parade and be eligible for prizes.

Mosaic Mystery Quilt Links:

• Links to all previous months' instructions
• Facebook group
• Non-mystery quilt option
• Sponsors & Prizes

Now that the Mosaic Mystery Quilt has ended, you can find a easy to print, full version of the pattern for sale in my pattern shop.

Full pdf Instructions of Mosaic Mystery Quilt

Row Assembly

Be careful to match the orientation of the blocks with the illustrations and press all seams open.

ROW A

Sew together the following blocks and pieces to make a row A measuring 3 ½" x 48 ½".  Repeat to make a total of 2 row A.

2 B/bg HSTs 3 ½" x 3 ½"

2 bg/C right-hand half geese blocks 3 ½" x 6 ½"

2 bg/C left-hand half geese blocks 3 ½" x 6 ½"

1 bg/B flying geese 3 ½" x 6 ½"

2 bg rectangles 3 ½" x 6 ½"

ROW B

Sew together the following blocks and pieces to make a row B measuring 6 ½" x 48 ½".  Repeat to make a total of 3 row B.

2 A/bg flying geese 3 ½" x 6 ½"

4 house blocks 6 ½" x 6 ½"

2 bg/C SiaS blocks 6 ½" x 6 ½"

1 A/bg SiaS block 6 ½" x 6 ½"

ROW C

Sew together the following blocks and pieces to make a row C measuring 6 ½" x 48 ½".  Repeat to make a total of 4 row C.

1 bg/B right-hand half geese block 3 ½" x 6 ½"

1 bg/B left-hand half geese block 3 ½" x 6 ½"

4 diagonal blocks 6 ½" x 6 ½"

3 house blocks 6 ½" x 6 ½"

ROW D

Sew together the following blocks and pieces to make a row D measuring 6 ½" x 48 ½".  Repeat to make a total of 2 row D.

2 bg/C flying geese blocks 3 ½" x 6 ½"

4 house blocks 6 ½" x 6 ½"

2 A/bg SiaS block 6 ½" x 6 ½"

1 bg/C SiaS blocks 6 ½" x 6 ½"

Quilt Top Assembly

1.       Sew together the rows to make the quilt top, pressing the seams between the rows open.  The quilt top (before borders are added) should measure 48 ½" x 60 ½".  

For borders, press all seams open or towards the borders.

2.       Cut a bg fabric strip 2 ½" x WOF in half, sew each half bg fabric strip to a full bg fabric strip 2 ½" x WOF, and trim to the average height of the quilt top, approx. 60 ½".  Sew bg fabric borders onto the sides of the quilt top.

3.       Cut a bg fabric strip 2 ½" x WOF in half, sew each half bg fabric strip to a full bg fabric strip 2 ½" x WOF, and trim to the average width of the quilt top, approx. 52 ½".  Sew bg fabric borders onto the top and bottom of the quilt top.

4.       Sew 2 border strips 4 ½" x WOF together and trim to the average height of the quilt top, approx. 64 ½".  Sew borders onto the sides of the quilt top.

5.       Cut a border strip 4 ½" x WOF in half, sew each half border strip to a full border strip 4 ½" x WOF, and trim to the average width of the quilt top, approx. 60 ½".  Sew borders onto the top and bottom of the quilt top. 

The finished quilt top should measure approx. 60 ½" x 72 ½". 

Finishing

1.  Make backing: Remove selvages from backing fabric, cut into 2 pieces (approx. 69" x WOF) and sew backing pieces together along the trimmed selvage edges using a 1/2" seam, pressing the seam open.  Trim backing to approx. 69" x 81".

2.  Layer the quilt top, batting, and backing.   Baste and quilt as desired.

3.  Cut the binding fabric into 7 strips 2 ½" x WOF.  Trim off selvages and sew together end-to-end to make the binding.  Bind and enjoy your quilt!

Be sure to share your quilt on Instagram and other social media using #MosaicMysteryQuilt and #MeadowMistDesigns.

Many thanks to the generous sponsors of the Mosaic Mystery Quilt!

Hobbs Batting | Bear Creek Quilting Company | Quilting Jetgirl | Sew Fresh Quilts

Quilter's Planner | Needle & Foot | Fat Quarter Shop | BackSide Fabrics

Cooking Up Quilts | Paintbrush Studio Fabrics | Honey, Bunny, and Doll | Make Modern | Tish's Adventures in Wonderland

OLFA | Aurifil | Busy Hands Quilts | Whims and Fancies | Meadow Mist Designs

Spinning Stars & Disappearing Oranges Pattern Releases

Looking for a new quilt pattern to start the new year with?  I am happy to announce the launch of two new patterns, Spinning Stars and Disappearing Oranges.

Spinning Stars Pattern

Disappearing Oranges Pattern

Both patterns are available my shop and on Etsy.  You can save even more if you buy multiple patterns by using a coupon code (these coupon codes work for both my shop and Etsy):

TWOPATTERNS - $2 off the purchase of two patterns
THREEPATTERNS - $4 off the purchase of three patterns

Spinning Stars was originally published in Modern Patchwork in late 2017.  The pattern is a geometric, paper pieced pattern with a secondary star pattern that emerges as the quilt top is assembled.  Spinning Stars is an advanced beginner to intermediate level pattern and assumes basic paper piecing skills. 

Disappearing Oranges was originally published as a pattern of the month by the Modern Quilt Guild.  This is a modern pattern that was designed using the Subtracting for Minimalism technique. It is designed for a confident beginner or intermediate quilter.

While the pattern contains instructions to make the cover quilt as shown, feel free to change up the colors, block placement, and number of blocks to make the quilt design your own. 

Spinning Stars Pattern

Disappearing Oranges Pattern