2023 Sew Along Information
Let’s talk 2023 Sew-Alongs. =) There are so many fun ones happening next year. I have some fun ones planned as well in addition to participating in others.
First up, my 2023 BOM is Sunny Patches. I shared about this BOM a couple months back when I was sharing about my Sunwashed fabrics. The Sunny Patches BOM will be kicking off on Saturday, March 18.
Sunny Patches is an 8 month BOM and uses a Jelly Roll plus some additional fabric.
You can download the fabric requirements for Sunny Patches here.
Here is a peek at what the layout for this quilt will look like:
This BOM is a confident beginner to intermediate skill level. For almost all of the blocks, there is an intermediate option as well as a simplified option. Another fun thing about this sew along is that once all of the blocks are made (the jelly roll blocks and the mystery blocks), they are ready to be sewn together. There is no additional sashing/borders as you can see above. It is going to come together so nicely at the completion of the sew along. The finished quilt size is 69″ square. Of course, if you wanted a larger quilt, it would be an easy one to add borders to.
Just as with the Oh, Happy Day! sampler sew along and the Beautiful Day Mystery BOM, I will be sharing video tutorials for the blocks. I plan to share them monthly on Saturdays once the BOM kicks off. To receive email notifications of my blog posts, you can subscribe on the left side of the blog under “subscribe to blog via email”. This is handy if you want to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the sew along posts. You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel to stay up to date on videos released there.
Speaking of Sunwashed fabrics, another quilt along that I am participating in is the Bountiful Quilt Along. This is the quilt that I designed for Fat Quarter Shop for the 2023 charity quilt along benefitting Make A Wish. It’s not too late to reserve your kit using Sunwashed fabrics just like pictured above. The kits can be pre-ordered here. The kits do sell out so if it’s something you know you’d like to have, it would be a great Christmas gift idea. =)
I am going to be sewing along but I’ve chosen to use mostly Dwell fabrics by Camille Roskelley.
I will be donating my quilt to be auctioned off as I have the last two years so I wanted to use something different than the fabrics Kimberly is using for her quilt (which will also be auctioned). She is making her quilt using Sunwashed.
I did a digital mock-up of the Bountiful quilt using Dwell fabrics and I think it will be so lovely.
I will be sewing along and sharing my blocks here during the Bountiful Sew Along. Not a lot of information has been released just yet but this is the page to bookmark. The fabric requirements, block patterns, and cross stitch patterns (yes!–there will be a Bountiful Stitch Along as well) will be released on that page. The fabric requirements are set to release in January unless $20,000 is raised prior to then.
Just a pretty scrappy mix using Strawbery Jam, Lollipop Garden, and Chantilly
The other sew-along (scrap-along) I will be hosting is the very casual Scrappy Irish Chain scrap-along. This will mostly be happening over on YouTube where I will be sharing my blocks as well as an initial video tutorial on how to make the blocks. We will be using this free pattern. Note: There are some cutting updates needed for this pattern. Additionally, you will need 3 yards of background fabric.
Under cutting instructions, you need (24) 2.5″ x 6.5″ rectangles not (24) 6.5″ x 6.5″ rectangles. The (10) strips 2.5″ x WOF are your binding strips. Under block assembly in the first step, you need 12 pink squares (instead of 4) and 4 white squares (instead of 12). In step 2, you will only need (65) 2.5″ scrap squares (not 66). I will be talking about these updates in the first video I release in this series. Right now, my plan is to release that first tutorial video on Saturday, January 7. The goal of this sew along is just a fun way to use up some of our scraps!
I shared a video chatting about all of these things over on my YouTube channel this morning if you’d like to hear a bit more about any of them. What sew-alongs are you participating in next year?
I’m definitely doing the Bountiful QAL though I bookmarked the Jolly Jabber landing page (https://blog.fatquartershop.com/announcing-the-bountiful-charity-quilt-along/) for that instead of the FQS web site page (which I’m sure the blog will link to so same thing)
I’m going to think about your Sunny Patches mystery but as usual I don’t want to decide on a mystery quilt till I know what the mystery is 🙂
I love the Strawberry Jam line – is that collection of scraps for the Irish Chain Scrapalong? I wasn’t sure from what you wrote.
Corey, did you do the digital mockup of Bountiful in a different colorway using EQ8? Will you share the EQ8 project file (*.pj8) if so? I would love to mock it up using one of my other fabric choices (either Beautiful Day or maybe Robin’s Cottage Bleu with all those butterflies) I can draw all the blocks myself if I must but if you have the *pj8 file and will share it like you do with the fabric requirements I’m sure I won’t be the only one happy to have a head start on choosing my fabrics! After all Bountiful isn’t a mystery QAL 🙂
Thanks for always sharing useful info and tips with us.
Sarah
Those fabrics aren’t for the scrappy Irish Chain sew along but you can see the quilt I made using them here: https://corianderquilts.com/happy-scrappy-baskets-quilt-a-new-quilt-pattern/ I always love a good scrap quilt!
Yes, I do use EQ8 often when designing my quilts. Since I designed the quilt for FQS, it was easy for me to swap out the fabrics using Dwell! I haven’t ever shared my project files so I’m not sure that I would, but I’ll mull it over for sure.
When I shared my Sewcialites2 file, first I deleted all fabrics but my one fabric line I was using (Words to Live By from Gingiber) and then I deleted all motifs, blocks and other stuff that was not specifically attached to Sewcialites. I renamed the *.PJ8 file to something I could identify and that was the one I shared via private email (not messaging) I don’t want to make you uncomfortable though, so I will simply redraw the blocks myself and save them into my Favorites as a new library called “Bountiful” 🙂 I love some of the features of EQ8 now that I have the hang of them but man I have been trying to learn this since 2017!! Also I did write to FQS asking them if they would be sharing a *.PJ8 file for the Sewcialites QAL before I went and created one. I also offer them to have mine to post but I never heard back about either of those queries. Thanks for the reply, Corey. AND the Bountiful design of course 😀
I think the first version I had of EQ was 5 maybe? I remember working my way through the entire book that came with it one lesson at a time. I don’t know if they still provide that book as it would be so much easier to do video or online lessons! That was not an option when I was learning the program. There is definitely a learning curve to it but it’s so handy once you can start using the program. Now, I find myself using both EQ as well as Illustrator depending on the design. EQ works so well for most designs!
Yes that was probably my biggest impediment to learning EQ, I had been using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator since 1990 (version 1.2 of each) and was extremely comfortable and accustomed to certain procedures for creating drawings and managing patterned fills (like fabrics) so when EQ did things in an utterly alien way I had trouble letting go of my expectations. There is a great book (so it looks from the ad for it) on sale at FQS, they posted the link in the Sewcialites Lounge, but I didn’t find any of the online tutorials helpful and the videos were frankly a joke–again, compared to learning materials and “tour” videos from Adobe which has been my software standard of comparison for decades. I like EQ for what it is but it’s not easy to learn. I cannot imagine any ever saying otherwise 😉
P.S. I love the happy scrappy baskets! such a good way to use up scraps 🙂
I am so excited and happy you are doing another BOM. 🥰
I was not able to see the sneak peek of the layout. 😢
Have a wonderful day and Thank you for making me smile this morning with the good news about the BOM.
Arlene
The sneak peek just came up on my IPad. 🥰
Oh good!…it must have just needed a minute longer to load up for you! I think it’s going to be fun to be sewing along with all of you again!
Oh, I love the Sunny Patches and I will be joining that one! I also will be participating in Sherri McConnell’s BOM as well. Thank you for sharing your talent with all of us!
We are going to have so much fun sewing up our Sunny Patches quilts!
I am so excited to join you in another quilt along! I am looking forward to participating in Sunny Patches when your beautiful line of fabric, Sunwashed, is available!
Sunny Patches is going to be so much fun!
Oh my! Corey, you make it so hard to stick to my plan! My plan was no new QAL in 2023 and to work on the numerous projects I have kitted up. But your BOM looks so pretty! And the charity SAL would make a perfect gift for my sister with the flowers and butterflies in remembrance of our mom. Plus I have so many scraps I need a scrappy project that is a SAL to give me motivation. Decisions Decisions.
If you do decide to hold off in 2023, I plan to leave the Sunny Patches info up so you could work on it in the future! =)
Oh, that is good to know! Thank you, Corey! I’ll probably end up sewing along for all 3. Lol
Just ordered my Bountiful kit! I loved Goodness Grows💖. Looking forward to making this one as well!
Goodness Grows was so much fun!
I am definitely doing the Scrappy Irish Chain QAL. Not that I have a scrap that needs culling, because I am a fairly new quilter…but I just live scrappy quilts and will have a blast choosing some amazing fabrics for it. 😁
I love scrappy quilts too…they are so much fun. =)
Can’t wait to join in on at least one of these sew alongs. The scrappy Irish chain is a likely choice. Thanks for all this inspiration!!
Many of us have scraps to use!
Looking forward to these sew alongs, my choice is Scrappy Irish Chain. I definitely have enough scraps to chose from.
I have so many scraps to use up!
How difficult is the Sunny Patches going to be? Does it involve any paper piecing? I love the fabric. I don’t enjoy a lot of small (under 2” sq) piecing.
This is what I said about it up in the blog post: “This BOM is a confident beginner to intermediate skill level. For almost all of the blocks, there is an intermediate option as well as a simplified option.” I think that is accurate…if you opt for the simplified versions, there would be less piecing. And there is no paper piecing.
An Irish Chain has been on my list for a very long time. Thank you, so glad to be sewing along.
Will you give us the fabric yardages for the Dwell Fabric? I really like it with more blue….Thanks, Lisa
The yardage requirements for the Bountiful quilt along will come out in January.
Corey, will stabilizer be used for the jelly roll blocks in the Sunny Patches quilt? It looks like the jr blocks get cut in half diagonally and I’m just worried about sewing through all of that bias.
No stabilizer will be used. I think once you see how those blocks are constructed you won’t be concerned but, you could wait to join in until those blocks are released. I plan to share that right at the beginning of the sew along so that they can be worked on throughout.
I love watching your videos – brightens my day every time. Very excited to sew along with you on these sew alongs. I will make time to do all three! Thank you so much for your beautiful designs!
I look forward to sewing along with you, especially Sunny Patches and the Irish Chain. I’ve been pulling fabrics from my stash for the Irish Chain and am so inspired to get sewing up those blocks. Thank you for all your inspiration this past year through all your videos, your blog, your fabric designs, and especially your new book! I’m looking forward to another year of sewing fun with you.
Love your quilt designs Corey! I plan to participate in two of your quilt alongs this year. I am deciding on which fabrics to use. I bought a bunch of your buttercup and slate fabric and that might be one! Thanks Corey!
Yummy new QAL 😉 I try to update a QAL/SAL/BOM list on my blog, and of course, you are in!
I am so glad you noticed the errors in the Scrappy Irish Chain pattern. I plan to try and make this quilt with some left over and coveted Printemps by Three Sisters. I have a pretty big collection of charm squares from this line and have been searching for the right project that will efficiently use up what I have left. I actually have paired some of your fabrics – the coral pinks, yellows and aquas, to give me enough for this quilt top. So excited to get started!!
I wasnt going to do any QAL’s in 2023 in order to focus on WIP’s… BUT.. I have had this Scrappy Irish Chain on my Bucket List since it came out!! I purchased an acid/electric green solid for the outline fabric way back when! Now to start cutting 2.5″ squares from my scrap piles… see you tomorrow!!
Since I first saw your Sunwashed line, all I can think of is picnic quilt! I plan to sew along with the Sunny Patches mystery BOM. I LOVE mystery quilts & don’t want to spoil the mystery but I want to swap out the white on the Jelly Roll blocks with a darker color that will be more outdoor friendly but still want to use the white for the background in the mystery blocks. Can you estimate how much I would need of the two fabrics to split the background up this way?