Partners in Design's Mystery Quilt Along Is Coming!

Logo Designed by Laura Piland, Slice of Pi Quilts

We are excited to announce that Partners in Design's newest mystery quilt along will begin March 12, 2019! It is called Sew Let's Quilt Along, and it is full of surprises. 

Partners in Design has been working very hard to make this new mystery QAL exciting. You may remember us from our previous mystery quilt alongs I Wish you a Merry Quilt Along and Fall into a QAL. You can read about these QALs here.  Once again there will be free patterns, giveaways from our sponsors and designers, and support from the designers, our Partners in Design Facebook Group and on Instagram #SewLetsQAL. And of course, we will all have a chance to be creative and have fun! However, before we get to the details, let's answer some questions.

Just What Is Partners in Design?

We are a group of quilt pattern designers and bloggers. We met through the 2017 New  Quilters Blog group. We enjoy working together and yet each of us has our own take on quilting. Some of us enjoy piecing, others enjoy applique and still others enjoy paper piecing. I have learned a lot from the members of this group and appreciate their support and encouragement. We also like to team up to create mystery quilt alongs.

Allow me to introduce the people that are working so hard to make your quilt along experience amazing:
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Abbie Danahy @ Sparkle On!
April Adams @ JANDA Bend Quilts
Becca Fenstermaker @ Pretty Piney Quilts
Bobbi Bridgeman @  Snowy Days Quilting 
Jennifer Fulton @ Inquiring Quilter
Karen Thurn @ Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats
Kathleen McCormick @ Kathleen McMusing
Laura Piland @ Slice of Pi Quilts
Sandra Healy @ Sandra Healy Designs
Sandy Maxfield @ SandyStar Designs
Sherry Shish @ Powered by Quilting  

How Does This QAL Work?
We’ve added some new options this time. We thought it would be fun for you to be able to choose between using your blocks in one big quilt or using them in several smaller projects. To facilitate the smaller projects, we’ve broken the quilt along into segments. But don’t worry - we’ll still provide ideas for a whole quilt at the end of the quilt along.

​We will be releasing a new sewing-themed block every other Tuesday at midnight Eastern time. Our lovely hosts will share their versions of the block along with tips for success. After each segment, some of our hosts will share a small project idea. At the end, the rest of the hosts will share a full quilt. We will have prizes after each segment, and a grand prize at the very end (more details on that below).

Where Do I Get the Patterns?
Subscribe to my blog on Bloglovin' or subscribe to my email to stay in the loop! I have also created a page called Quilt Alongs.  As each new block is released, I will add a link to it on that page. You can bookmark it for easy access, or find it by clicking the Quilt Alongs tab at the top of the blog.

What's the Schedule?
Since it’s a mystery, each block will be a surprise. Stop by the designers’ blogs to see the new block at midnight Eastern time on release dates. All of the block patterns will be free until September 24, 2019.
Segment 1: March 12 to May 21

• March 12 - Block 1: Sandra Healy @ Sandra Healy Designs
• March 26 - Block 2: April Adams @ JANDA Bend Quilts
• April 9 - Block 3: Sherry Shish @ Powered by Quilting
• April 23 - Block 4: Bobbi Bridgeman @ Snowy Days Quilting 
• May 7 - Block 5: Abbie Danahy @ Sparkle On! and Segment Project Suggestions
• May 21 - Segment 1 Prize Winner Announced

Segment 2: May 21 to July 16

• May 21 - Block 6: Jennifer Fulton @ Inquiring Quilter
• June 4 - Block 7: Karen Thurn @ Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats
• June 18 - Block 8: Sherry Shish @ Powered by Quilting
• July 2 - Block 9: Kathleen McCormick @ Kathleen McMusing and Segment Project Suggestions
• July 16 - Segment 2 Prize Winner Announced

Segment 3: July 16 to September 10

• July 16 - Block 10: Laura Piland @ Slice of Pi Quilts
• July 30 - Block 11: Becca Fenstermaker @ Pretty Piney Quilts
• August 13 - Block 12: Sandy Maxfield @ SandyStar Designs
• August 27 - Block 13: April Adams @ JANDA Bend Quilts and Segment Project Suggestions
• September 10 - Segment 3 Prize Winner Announced

The End: September 24

• Grand Prize Winner Announced
• Last Day for Free Block Patterns

Why Are There 13 Blocks This Time?
We will have 12 blocks that each finish at 12” square, and we will also have one larger block that finishes at 18” by 24”. That gives us a lot of options for how we use them!

For a big quilt, you could put the large block in the center and the 12 smaller blocks around the outside. Or you could put the large block off to one corner or side and fill in with the smaller blocks. At the end of the quilt along, several of our hosts (including me) will provide layouts that use all of the blocks.

​Don’t want to make a whole quilt? No problem! The rest of our hosts will be sharing small projects as we go. Their projects will use all of the blocks from each segment, so there will be no shortage of ideas.

Who Are the Hosts?
This is another way we’re changing things up a bit. We will have 7 full-time hosts that will be quilting along the whole time. We will also have three part-time hosts that are just joining us for a segment or two. Whoever is hosting will share their versions of the blocks along with tips for success.

Quilt Hosts
These ladies will share their blocks and tips every week for the whole quilt along. At the end, they will share a quilt layout that uses all of the blocks.
April @ JANDA Bend Quilts
Becca @ Pretty Piney Quilts
Bobbi @ Snowy Days Quilting
Sherry @ Powered by Quilting

Project Hosts
We have three full-time project hosts. They will share their blocks and tips every week for the whole quilt along. After each segment, they will share a project idea that uses the blocks from that segment.
Abbie Danahy @ Sparkle On!
Karen Thurn @ Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats
Sandy Maxfield @ SandyStar Designs

We also have part-time hosts joining us for individual segments. While they are hosting, these ladies will share their blocks and tips. They will also share a project idea at the end of their segment.
Segment 1 (March 12 - May 21): Kathleen McCormick @ Kathleen McMusing and Sandra Healy @ Sandra Healy Designs
Segment 2 (May 21 - July 16): Jennifer Fulton @ Inquiring Quilter
Segment 3 (July 16 - September 10): Kathleen McCormick @ Kathleen McMusing

What about Fabric?
I decided to have some fun and play with the Salem Quilt Show fabrics by  Meg Hawkey of Crabapple Hill Studio for Maywood Studio. See the photo below. I think this will make a fun and wild quilt! I chose 9 fat quarters in coordinating colors for the blocks. That is more fabric than I will need, but I want to be able to play along the way. I am thinking about using the black fabric for a border. We'll see. I may need to add a little brown as well.

My Fabric Pull

What Techniques Will We Use?
​One of the best parts of the quilt along is getting to practice different techniques. Our blocks will be made with traditional piecing and fusible applique. We will also have small amounts of hand embroidery and other embellishments. Don’t be afraid to try something new! We know we will have beginners quilting along, so we’re planning to provide plenty of support. There will be tutorials for anything out of the box, and the hosts will give tips to make each block as easy as possible. The hosts and participants in the Facebook group are great at answering questions. And you’re always welcome to tweak a design to fit your comfort level. 

How Do I Share My Progress?
My very favorite part of a quilt along is seeing what everyone is making. We have several great ways for you share your work:

Facebook - The Partners in Design Facebook Group is open for all of our quilt alongs. You'll find a great community of fellow quilters ready to cheer you on.

​Instagram - Please use #SewLetsQAL on all of your posts so we can see them. If you follow the #SewLetsQAL hashtag, you will also see what everyone else is making.
You can find me on Instagram as #janda_bend_quilts.

What about Prizes?
We will have a prize package at the end of every segment, as well as a grand prize at the end of the quilt along. The prizes are open to all participants that are at least 18 years old.

Where to Enter There are three places you can share your blocks to be entered in our prize drawings:

• Facebook - Share in the Partners in Design Facebook Group.
• Instagram - Share with the hashtag #SewLetsQAL.
• Blog Linky - The hosts will include a link-up on their wrap-up posts at the end of each segment.

See below for specific instructions for the different prizes.

Segment Prizes To be eligible to win a segment prize, you need to make all of the blocks from that segment. Share a photo or photos of your blocks (in a single post) to be entered.

Grand Prize To be eligible to win the grand prize, you need to make all 13 blocks from the whole quilt along and turn them into a quilt or other project(s). Quilt tops don’t need to be quilted, but projects do need to be finished. Share a single post that shows all of the blocks in a quilt or project. It doesn’t matter how many projects or what projects you make, or how many blocks you use in each project as long as you show that you’ve used all 13 blocks in a finished project or projects.

Important Note To keep the contest portion of the quilt along fair and fun for everyone, only quilters that use all of the designers' blocks (in a quilt or project(s)) will be eligible for prizes. Likewise, our segment prizes will only be open to those that make all of the designers’ blocks for that segment.

Fabulous Sponsors

Logo Designed by Abbie Danahy, Sparkle On!

We are really lucky to have some amazing sponsors on board for this quilt along! Please check them out as thanks for supporting us.

Bluprint
Dear Stella
Everything Mary
Island Batik
Prym
Shabby Fabrics
Timeless Treasures
Warm Company

Additionally, many of the block designers are donating quilt patterns.

How  Do I Join?
It's easy! Just follow my blog (or any of the other hosts' blogs) and you will see when each block is released. Make the block with your own fabrics and share it so we can all cheer each other on. The information will be posted on the Partners in Design Facebook Group.
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The more people that participate, the more fun it will be. If you decide to join, please tell your friends. If you're on Instagram, save the quilt along graphic and share it with #SewLetsQAL. If you're on Facebook, share this blog post or a post from the Partners in Design Facebook Group with your friends. If you're a blogger, tell your followers and link back to this post. And most of all, leave me a comment so I know you're in!

Hope that you join us! 

This post was originally published on JANDA Bend Quilts.