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Week One - 26 Nov-2 Dec, 2020 (or, join us as soon as you can - late arrivals welcome!)
A huge, happy hello to you all! Thank you for participating in my very first QAL. I'm so excited & can't wait to share our "Everything Goes" quiltmaking journey. There will not only be new stitching friends to be made, but also plenty of giveaways & some exclusive QAL special offers.
As I have already flagged, this QAL will be at a relaxed pace. It's generally a busier time of the year, but also a time for relaxing & enjoying time with those we love (potentially via Zoom this year!). While there are targets for each week, it is your quiltmaking experience, so "Everything Goes" - if you are running behind, that is perfectly okay; if you forge ahead, then that is perfectly okay too. Your quilt, your pace. This QAL is not so much about keeping up, it's about connecting with other quiltmakers & sharing the journey.
Some general housekeeping: we are each other's cheer squad. I don't think it needs to be said, but let's leave our differences at the door & simply encourage one another, be kind & be helpful.
So, let's get Week One underway!
This week's Instagram homework:
print the first page of your pattern (if you haven't already bought your pattern, you can get it here)
pull some fabrics that you plan to use in your quilt - this could be a pile of scraps, or some pre-cuts, any fabric at all - just remember that Everything Goes!
style a colourful picture that includes both the first page of the pattern + your fabrics (no pattern in your picture will deem you ineligible for giveaways)
share the picture on Instagram, with an introduction & hello to other QAL participants, that includes: your name, a little about you as a quiltmaker & what excites you about making this quilt
important: remember to use the hashtag #everythinggoesquilt in your post
This week's "Everything Goes" target:
this week is all about getting ready to sew, sew, sew! So, begin by sorting through your scrap stash (as per the pattern instructions). Have fun with this, dig deep & throw in some treasures, as well as some that you really don't like - they will surprise you in this make. Remember - variety is the key, not too much of any one fabric.
iron your fabrics as you go - this ensures a better finish
cut your corner squares & strips - I just began with a whole stack of strips, occasionally topping them up as I went
fill some bobbins in readiness - this is a great project for using up your odds & sods thread
tend to your machine - clean & oil, & consider changing the needle
I'm excited! I hope that you are too!! Remember, that the "I Am In" giveaway will be announced both here & on Instagram on December 1, 2020 - so be sure to check for that announcement.
From These Clever Hands, to Yours...
Jo xo
