Welcome to the Sienna Burst Quilt Along!
I am so thrilled to be sewing along with all of you. This will be a fun filled 8 weeks and at the end hopefully we all come out with a beautiful quilt we can enjoy for years to come!
HOW TO STAY INVOLVED THROUGHOUT THE QAL:
- Be sure to have signed up for the weekly e-mails. If you haven't, join here. It's not too late!
- Follow the #siennaburstqal hashtag on Instagram. That way you can see what everyone else is sewing and stay involved. Search for the hashtag on Instagram and hit the FOLLOW button. Easy peasy!
WEEK ONE
GETTING STARTED
1. There are over 310+ people participating in this QAL so let's start this off with introductions! Post a photo of your beautiful face and let us all know a little bit about yourself. Make sure you are using the #siennaburstqal hashtag so everyone can say hi!
2. Post a photo of your fabric pull (if you have one yet). Some of you already have your fabric decided while others are still figuring it out. Posting your pull may inspire others too.
3. Use the coloring pages that were provided in the first e-mail. This will help you decide color placement if you feel inclined. This pattern is really a mix and match pattern so some of you may not find this helpful. Up to you!
4. Make sure you purchase the pattern if you haven't yet.
5. Order up on fabric. You will need 16 FQs OR 1/4 yard cuts as well as 4 yards for the background fabric. We will start cutting next week. If you have your fabric already, I would recommend starching and ironing this week.
PLAN YOUR QUILT
I will be making the throw size version which is 16 blocks and finishes at 68" square. If that feels like too much to commit to but you still want to sew along, choose the wall hanging size!
Decide what size you are making. You can even customize the quilt to whatever size you prefer. It is block based. I won't give you the background requirements but I can tell you that whatever number of blocks you want is also the number of FQ or 1/4 cuts you need.
- 68" x 68" throw size: 16 blocks = 16 FQs OR 1/4 yards - all info provided in pattern
- 52" x 52" throw size: 9 blocks = 9 FQs OR 1/4 yards
- 52" x 68" throw size: 12 blocks = 12 FQs or 1/4 yards
- 36" x 36" wall hanging: 4 FQs or 1/4 yards - all info provided in pattern
COLOR VARIATIONS
There are so many wonderful color palettes out there and I have made up several ideas to just give you guys some ideas if you're struggling. You can do a mix of all prints, all solids or a mix of both!
This is roughly the color palette I will be using in my Blueberry Park 3 prints by Karen Lewis. I also have curated an all solids bundle with Fabric Bubb that you guys can get if you want to do this in all solids! You can buy it here. I also think it would be fun to make this same palette with a black background fabric.
These two palettes play with similar colors and tones. You could do a pink/coral/peach/yellows palette or you could do a blue/teal/green/grey palette. I want to make all the versions.
Here is another example of how different a version can look with a white background compared to a darker grey background. This one reminds me of summer. Use reds/corals/pinks/yellows/blues.
Another fun option that I don't give material requirements for in the pattern is doing the same color palette for each block. The first option is the exact same block and fabric placement repeated 16 times. And the second option is the same color palette for each block but the fabrics change placement. This is so fun! For both options to be safe, I would just get a yard of 4 different colors (most likely will have extra) plus your background fabric and whatever color you use for your cornerstones.
MY QAL PROGRESS
I will be making my quilt with Kona White and 16 FQs from Karen Lewis's new line Blueberry Park 3 which ships in May.
So far I have starched, ironed and cut all my FQs so I could make my test block.
This week is all about planning out our ideas and ordering fabric if needed. If you are anxious to get going and you want to set yourself up for success I would go ahead and starch and iron your fabrics this week. Next week we cut!
Homemade starch recipe (originally given to me from Lindsey Neill of Pen + Paper Patterns):
- 1 part vodka (cheap strong proof)
- 3 parts water
- spray bottle
- essential oil (I love Lavender) to make it smell nice - I add usually 5-10 drops of oil depending on how much I'm making
PRIZES PRIZES PRIZES
Throughout the QAL there will be weekly prizes for posting and participating on Instagram. And there is a grand prize at the end! I am still lining up the giveaways but you don't want to miss out. To name a few contributors... Fabric Bubb, Modern Handcraft, Initial K Studios, Emily Dennis, Pen + Paper Patterns, Knot and Thread Designs and even more!
IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN IN!
These first two weeks are really about planning and cutting so we won't even start sewing full blocks until week 3. You can join now and still be ahead of the game! We would love to see your face and your talent on the #siennaburstqal hashtag. Click on the link HERE to join now.
If you already got the Week 1 e-mail, you are good to go!
Don't forget to pick up your pattern too!