Welcome to Week 1 of the Everett Star SAL! This week we will be chatting about different inspiration ideas, mock ups, color palettes and Everett Star Design Styles. The Everett Star Quilt has two different blocks - the Diamond Block and Cross Block and you can make the quilt in three different Design Styles. Next week we will be cutting our fabrics and organizing our blocks.
BASIC INFORMATION
- Be sure to purchase the Everett Star Quilt Pattern - PDF or Printed Pattern
- We will be making the Throw Size which is made with 9 Everett Star Blocks and finishes at 60" x 60"
- We are making the FQ Frenzy Design Style with uses 18 FQs for the Everett Star Blocks and then (2) 1/2 yard cuts for the HST Border. We have a kit so you can make one alongside me - the Wildflower Kit.
- The SAL is hosted here on our website but our community based sharing is on Instagram! Be sure you post your photos with the #everettstarsal hashtag, tag @thencamejune and the account is public so we can see your progress.
KICK OFF GIVEAWAY!
We thought it would be fun to start the Everett Star SAL with a giveaway! We are going to giveaway one Everett Star Quilt Kit - Cover. The kit includes the 24 FQs we used to make the cover quilt top! To enter, you just have to be signed up for the SAL. That's it! One lucky person will be randomly chosen from the list and the winner will be announced next Friday, January 18th. It is open worldwide too!
POST TO INSTAGRAM
Week 1: Introduce yourself and post a photo of your fabric pull and/or your coloring page if you haven't finalized your fabric yet. Be sure to use the #everettstarsal hashtag and tag @thencamejune to be entered into this week's giveaway.
You must post by Thursday January 18th at 11:59pm PST to be entered into the Week 1 giveaway. Each week starts fresh on Fridays and the previous weeks post won't count for the next week's prize.
The weekly prizes will include a custom 10 piece FQ bundle curated by Meghan and a TCJ bandana! You will be contacted when you win and then you get to let me know the color palette you are interested in - all blues, neutrals, rainbow, etc. And I will take your idea and build you a bundle! You get to also tell me if you want all solids, all prints or a mix. I can't wait to specially curate a new bundle each week! And yes, this is open to International participants.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE EVERETT STAR QUILT
The Everett Star Quilt Pattern is made using two different blocks - the Diamond Block and the Cross Block. Regardless of the Design Style chosen, these two blocks are repeated in each size. The Design Styles are as follows: FQ Frenzy, FQ + Yardage and Yardage + Gradient Star. In both the FQ Frenzy and FQ + Yardage Design Styles, each block is made using only TWO fabrics. When you are making the Yardage + Gradient Star Design Style, you use two fabrics except for the center star which is made with an additional 4 fabrics. The construction remains the same throughout all Design Styles. Here is a visual breakdown:
I have created several mock ups to show you different fabric combinations and color palettes in each Design Style.
FQ FRENZY DESIGN STYLE
The FQ Frenzy Design Style is made using only FQs for the star blocks. Each block requires 2 FQs and will not have any gradient center star. It is also up to you if you want to make the HST Border using more FQs or yardage or a combination of both.
The first mock up shows a mixture of prints and solids. Also you can see I made the HST Border uses yardage and I made the darker yardage be the side that touches the blocks and the lighter one is on the exterior perimeter.
The second mock ups show all solids. And the HST Border is made again from yardage but this time I made the darker fabric the exterior perimeter fabric and it sort of "frames" the entire quilt.
The third mock up shows slightly lower contrast solids in the blocks. The HST Border is made from one set of only yardage (the golden color) and the second set of HST fabrics is using (3) FQs.
The fourth mock up shows a mixture of solids and prints and the HST Border uses two yardage fabrics.
FQ + YARDAGE DESIGN STYLE
The FQ + Yardage Design Style uses a mixture of FQs and Yardage to create the Everett Star Blocks. You will need (9) FQs and 2 1/4 yards of fabric. Each block will be made with (1) FQ and cuts from yardage. The yardage and FQ position changes between the Cross and Diamond Blocks and this creates a fun speckled look.
The first mock up shows the Yardage in Starry and the 9 FQs in a variety of cool blues and greens. The HST Border is made using yardage.
The second mock up shows a directional yardage with solid FQs. Please note the directional fabric would NOT look directionally correct like this mock up, the lines would go vertical and horizontal. The HST Border shows yardage in two prints.
The third mock up shows a Starry print in yardage with solid more warm and punchy FQs. The HST Border is one half yardage and the other half is FQs.
The fourth mock up solids all solid fabrics with the FQs being in a variety of pinks and peaches. The HST Border is made from yardage and the fun gingham pop.
YARDAGE + GRADIENT STAR DESIGN STYLE
The Yardage + Gradient Design Style uses two main colors for the majority of the Diamond and Cross Blocks. But the center star is now made using an additional 4 fabrics to create a gradient. It is up to you if you want the HST Border to also be from the main two fabrics or if you want to add a pop or maybe use colors from the gradient star.
The first mock up shows a gradient star that sort of reverse bursts? I made sure the small center square was a blue to compliment the main two colors. And then the rest of the colors add a fun exploding quality to the design and a pop of color. The HST Border is made using the same 2 fabrics in the blocks.
The second mock up shows almost the same thing as the first mock up. Except, the center star follows more of a similar color palette to the two main colors with only a pop in the star points in the bright blue.
The third mock up shows the main two fabrics in prints. The gradient star starts dark in the center and gets lighter towards the points. The HST Border matches one of the fabrics of the blocks and then a different fabric is used for the second set. I did make sure the other fabric was similar in color to the main fabric in the blocks. It's a fun way to make it modern but still use a few other fabrics.
The fourth mock up shows the idea of the HST Border and the Gradient Star matching and complimenting each other. The HST Border really frames the entire quilt. So fun!
HALF SQUARE TRIANGLE BORDERS
The HST Borders is the final cherry-on-top-of-the-ice-cream to me for this quilt. And you can use either yardage to in two different fabrics, multiple FQs or a combo of yardage and FQs. And you can also play with the fabric placement once the HSTs are made. I wanted to show you a few mock ups of the same quilt but with slightly different HST Borders. Maybe one of these will catch your attention and help you decide which route you'd like to take!
The first two show two different yardage cuts to make the HST Border. The first mock up shows the darker fabric being in the one to touch the blocks and burst away from the blocks. The second mock up shows the reverse where the darker fabric turns towards the blocks and give a fun frame. The only different is the HST orientation when sewing it to the blocks themselves. So fun right?!
This next set shows using dark yardage for one fabric set and then a combination of 3 FQs for the second set. Between the two mock ups, the FQs change from 3 blues to 3 pinks. Also, I switched having the dark fabric on the exterior of the quilt in the HST Border and having the dark fabric burst from the blocks. Every option adds a final gorgeous touch to the quilt!
DIRECTIONAL + LARGE SCALE PRINTS
DIRECTIONAL FABRIC: If having directional prints all face the same direction is very important to you, DO NOT use directional prints in this quilt. I personally don't mind when it is a basic or geometric print - angular or stripes. I think it's kinda fun and adds to the variety in the top to have stripes go opposite directions randomly. But, if it were a cute print of people walking and then they end up sideways or upside down, it might bother me. Choice is yours.
Also, you CAN use directional prints in Everett Star but there isn't an easy way to prioritize directionality. I will be sewing with a couple of directional prints during the SAL.
LARGE SCALE PRINTS: Large Scale prints will not show up super well or clearly in the Everett Star Quilt. There is a lot of smaller piecing to create an entire Everett Star Block. Although, I don't mind larger prints getting cut into smaller pieces but it still creates a fun visual in the quilt when you are standing further back. They will still read as the same print even though the pieces are small.
WHAT WE ARE MAKING
We are going to be making an Everett Star Quilt entirely out of print fabrics, a first for us! I curated a gorgeous collection of floral and ditsy style prints that give a real feminine vintage vibe. I am so excited! You can also purchase the Wildflower Kit in the shop!
Here is the mock up I created, I may stick to this exactly or I may change up my fabric pairings in the 9 blocks. I am thrilled with the HST Border fabrics though - love gingham and a deep floral.
EVERETT STAR COLORING PAGE
The Everett Star Quilt Pattern includes coloring pages. This is a great way to play around with different color combinations and ideas for your own Everett Star Quilt. You can download the FREE coloring pages here.
EVERETT STAR QUILT KITS + BUNDLES
We have four specific Everett Star Quilt Kits available in our shop! Also, we have several FQ Bundles that would look amazing in the Everett Star Quilt pattern!
