A New Quilting Mystery Revealed:

QAL by the Sea

Starting Tuesday, August 4th at 8 AM (note time change from previous QALs), the first block for this nautical themed Quilt-a-Long will be revealed. 

Yes, Partners in Design are back and have a full line-up of free, fun, ocean and beach inspired, 12.5″ blocks for you.

Look for weekly inspiration from these Partners in Design hosts.

Karen @ Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats

Sherry @ Powered by Quilting

Becca @ Pretty Piney Quilts

Sandy @ SandyStar Designs

Abbie @ Sparkle On!

Laura Piland @Slice of Pi Quilts 

Jennifer @ Inquiring Quilter

You’ll also be inspired by this designer during:

Segment 2: Sandra @ Sandra Healy Designs 

Plus from these Partners when they post their block:  Kathleen McCormick @ Kathleen McMusing, April @ JANDA Bend Quilts and Bobbie @ Snowy Days Quilting.

Join Us:

Beginning Tuesday, August 4th at 8 AM EST following the schedule below until all 12 blocks are released.

Block patterns will be free from the designers and available on their blog until December 1st at 8 am Eastern time. 

Schedule:

Segment 1: August 4th to September 8th

• August 4 — Block 1: Becca Fenstermaker @Pretty Piney Quilts — Find Block One There
• August 11— Block 2: Jennifer @ The Inquiring Quilter —Find Block Two  There
• August 18 — Block 3: April @ JANDA Bend Quilts — Find Block Three There
• August 25 — Block 4: Sherry @ Powered by Quilting — Find Block Four There
• August 25th — Segment 1 Wrap-up and linky provided for prize entry
• September 8 7:59 am Eastern time — Deadline to enter picture for Segment 1 Prize
• September 8: Segment 1 Winner Announced

Segment 2: September 8th to October 13th

• September 8th- Block 5: Sandra @ Sandra Healy Designs  — Find Block Five There
• September 15th – Block 6:  Bobbi @ Snowy Days Quilting — Find Block Six There
• September 22nd – Block 7: Laura Piland @Slice of Pi Quilts — Find Block Seven There
• September 29th – Block 8: Kathleen McCormick @ Kathleen McMusing — Find Block Eight There
• September 29th – Segment 2 Wrap-up and linky provided for prize entry
• October 13th 7:59 am Eastern time — Deadline to enter picture for Segment 2 Prize
• October 13th– Segment 2 Winner Announced 

Segment 3: October 13th to November 10th

• October 13th – Block 9: Karen @ Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats  — Find Block Nine There
• October 20th – Block 10:  Sandy Maxfield @Sandy Star Designs  — Find Block Ten There
• October 27th – Block 11: Abbie @ Sparkle On! — Find Block Eleven There
• November 3rd – Block 12: Karen @ Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats — Find Block Twelve There
• November 3rd — Segment 3 Wrap-up and linky provided for segment prize and linky provided for Grand Prize
• November 10th 7:59 am Eastern time — Deadline to enter picture for Segment 3 Prize
• November 10 Segment 3 Winner Announced

Grand Prizes

• Deadline is December 1st at 7:59 am Eastern time 
• December 1 Grand Prize Winner Announced

If You’ve Quilted Along Before,

We Have a Few Changes

Change in Pattern Release time:

The free patterns will be released at 8 am Eastern time (instead of midnight) and will remain free through the duration of this QAL.

Change in Segment Format:

Each pattern in each of the three segments will be released one week apart (instead of two) with a 2 week break between segments allowing you time to catch up and post a picture of your finished blocks.

Change in Requirements to Enter for Prizes:

Sew each of the 4 blocks in each segment and post one picture which includes all 4 of those blocks by the deadline to be entered for that segment prize. You do not need to make the blocks into a project but if you do, the one picture has to show those blocks on the project(s).

Sew ALL 12 blocks and post one picture which contains all 12 blocks. You do not need to complete a quilt top or make several smaller projects but if you do, the one picture must show all 12  blocks.

Change in number of prizes for each section:

Two prize packages (instead of one) for each segment and for the Grand Prize: One for USA participants and one for International participants. BE SURE to list where you are from, USA or INTERNATIONAL, when posting your picture so we’ll know in which drawing to include you. 

 Learn from Each Other and from the Hosts

The hosts will post construction tips and techniques. Be sure to visit their blogs.

When you finish a block, share it on our Facebook group or post a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #qalbythesea. We enjoy seeing and commenting on each person’s finished blocks. See below to find out how to enter to win awesome prizes. 

We Couldn’t Do This Without These Wonderful Sponsors!

There will be chances to win prizes from these sponsors.

Quilter’s Dream Batting Quilters Dream Batting proudly presents premium quality quilt batting that will provide warmth, drape, volume, definition and support to your quilt through generations.  Made with pride in the USA.

Everything Mary Thoughtfully-designed sewing & scrapbooking storage designed with you in mind. Well-crafted storage solutions to help organize our customers homes & their lives. We help people love what they do & love where they live.

Island Batik Island Batik is a manufacturer, importer and distributor of cotton batik, rayon batik and hand-printed cotton from Indonesia. Originally established in 1997, Island Batik’s mission is to share the ancient cultural art of batik and hand-dyed fabric with our many valued customers around the world.

Shabby Fabrics Shabby Fabrics is an online quilting shop for fabric, notions, patterns, & kits. We’re your source for face mask supplies and helpful tutorials.

And more, including original PDF patterns from our Designer’s. Watch for the listing in each segment of additional sponsors.

Due to the demanding cost to ship to Canadian and International addresses, the International prizes will be e-patterns and/or an e-magazine that will be sent in electronic format only. International prizes may be from companies other than what is shown in the sponsor logo.  

To enter for prizes:

Segments: Participants can enter the prize drawing by sharing a single photo with all the completed segment blocks on Facebook on the Partners in Design page, Instagram using #qalbythesea, or on any of the hosts blog linky party at the end of each segment.

Grand Prize:  Share one photo showing all 12 of your completed blocks, as above.

Please note: To qualify for an entry for the Grand Prize or the segment prizes, please make the blocks using the designer’s pattern. You may embellish and personalize them but your block should still be recognizable as sewn from the given patterns. Substitutions are not counted as an entry. For example if you decide to sew a pattern found elsewhere for one of the blocks, it will not qualify you for an entry for the prizes in that particular segment or for the grand prize. You can still do it the way you want but to be included in the prize drawings, you’ll have to follow the rules.

Prizes are open to everyone who is 18 years old and older.

 

Let’s Get Started

Gather your fabrics and meet me on August 4th at 8 am Eastern time for the first block. I’ve already selected my focus fabric.

I’ve decided to showcase a few sky and water fabrics from my stash collection as well as some pretty blues. 

I’m adding red, white, and a bit of yellow, brown, tan, and black. 

Of  course, I’ll add a bit of rick rack to accent some (maybe all) of the blocks.

What I Learned Today:

1. This is going to be a FUN quilt along!
2. Sewing a “vacation by the sea” will have to do for this year. This sewcation will be fun.
3. There are many ways to write Ric Rac such as Rick Rack, Rickrack, Ric-Rac, or Rick-rack.
4. No matter how one writes Rick Rack, I think those ziggy zags make a pretty accent.  
5. I struggle with time management. I’m always thinking that I can get way more done in the time I allot to a particular project than I actually do.
6. I may have taken a vacation from blogging but I’ve been busy learning something each day.
7. Giving feels so good. When life ground to a halt in March, I kicked myself into gear and sewed many masks to give to people in my village.
   

   I used this fun seascape for mine. I used the plastic wired closure from a bag of coffee to help shape the bridge of the nose.

   

   A tropical print was perfect for Tu-Na Helper’s mask. While we received a large donation of 1/8″ elastic to use for the village masks, I also made many with ties including ours.

Question: Have you lived by or frolicked in the sea? When we were newly married, Tu-Na Helper and I spent three months near Rye, New Hampshire in a cute little cabin right beside the ocean while he worked on the submarines . A hurricane welcomed us there the first night and the ocean got quite close to the cabin door! I was swept up in the beauty of the water, rocks, and waves as well as the smell of the ocean. It was great fun to climb on the rocks and see what came in with the tide. 

Thanks for stopping by and do come again.

Karen, Tu-Na Quilts