Welcome to the eighth block reveal
for the QAL by the Sea!

This QAL is brought to you by Partners in Design: Where Friends and Fabric Meet.

Presenting: Mariner’s Compass

This 12.5″ (unfinished) block pattern was created by Kathleen McCormick of Kathleen McMusing. You can download it free

HERE ON HER BLOG from now until December 1, 2020 at 7:59 am Eastern time. After then, the patterns in this QAL may not be available anymore or may be available for a small fee through the designer. Don’t delay, download them today.

Tips and Tricks to Constructing this Block

1. Flip Out. When you just can’t find the right shade of fabric, flip it over and look at the back side. You might be surprised to find just what you need.
   

   I didn’t want to introduce pink to my color palette. When I flipped the red over, the back side was perfect to use! Who else has done this?

2. Under Pressure. To help release the paper easily, just lay the finished paper piece block on your leg and using the back of the seam ripper, gently press along the stitched line. It will come away easily.
   

   Caution! This only works when you put your block on your knee or leg or another soft surface. Otherwise, it can damage the block. My leg is very soft-no problems occurred using this method on this block or the many others I’ve done this way.

3. Right vs. Wrong. Always press paper piecing on the right side of the fabric not on the paper side. And never use steam, water, or starch during the pressing. The ink on the paper can bleed onto your fabric or your paper can become distorted. If you want to use starch, starch the fabric before the cutting and sewing process.
4. How do you eat an elephant? OR How do you put this block together? One piece at a time! Don’t despair. This is an easy paper piecing pattern but it can seem overwhelming if you don’t have a lot of paper piecing experience.
   • Choose fabrics that are not directional.
     

     Do as I say not as I do. I chose two directional fabrics. Even with lots of paper piecing experience, I made a few mistakes until I was satisfied.

   • Make one piece at a time.
   • Enjoy the process.
5. Be Creative! Remember if you are entering the giveaway, only make minor changes to the pattern. We should still recognize that you used the designer’s pattern for the block. Embellishments are encouraged.
   

   It’s a beautiful Mariner’s Compass block but something is missing.

   

   Rick Rack makes a perfect frame.

    See These Hosts for More Construction Tips

Look for bi-weekly inspiration from these bloggers.

Karen @ Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats — Thanks for stopping by.

Sherry @ Powered by Quilting

Becca @ Pretty Piney Quilts

Sandy @ SandyStar Designs

Abbie @ Sparkle On!

Laura @Slice of Pi Quilts

Jennifer @ Inquiring Quilter

Join this QAL

You can join in anytime. Find the complete schedule here. This QAL is divided into three segments each containing four blocks with a two week break between segments for a chance to catch up. Blocks are released on Tuesday mornings at 8 am Eastern time until all 12 blocks have been released. You’ll find the schedule for segment one below.

After you’ve sewn your block, share a picture of it on our Partners In Design Facebook page, or on Instagram with the hashtag #qalbythesea. We, as well as others who are quilting along, want to see them and be able to comment and encourage each other.

Segment 2: September 8, 2020 — October 13, 2020

(Find the blocks for Segment 2 on these Partners in Design blogs)

September 8 — Block 5: Sandra @ Sandra Healy Designs — Heads or Tails?
September 15 — Block 6:  Bobbi @ Snowy Days Quilting — Stars at Sea
September 22 — Block 7:  Laura Piland @Slice of Pi Quilts — Waves
September 29 — Block 8: Kathleen McCormick @ Kathleen McMusing — Mariner’s Compass
September 29 — Segment 2 Wrap-up and linky provided for prize entry
October 13 7:59 am Eastern time — Deadline to enter a picture containing all four of these blocks for the Segment 2 Prize package
October 13: Segment 2 Winner Announced
October 13: Segment 3 begins with block 9 (That’s one of the two of mine that will be available. I am so excited!)

Enter to Win Segment and Grand Prizes

Entering to win is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

1. Everyone (You must be 18 to be able to enter to win prizes) gets to participate. There will be two prizes awarded for each segment and for the Grand Prize: U. S. and International. You do NOT need to have a blog to enter.
2. Make all four of the blocks in this segment provided to you free of charge for this event. Use your own fabrics and embellish them as you like. If entering the giveaway, the blocks should definitely be recognizable as made from these free patterns. Take one picture with all of them included. Finished projects or a quilt are NOT a requirement for entry.
3. Post one picture that contains all four of your blocks and tell us if you are US or Abroad by 07:59 AM EST, October 13, 2020 either on
   • Partners in Design Facebook page  OR
   • Instagram with the hashtag #qalbythesea OR
   • Hosts blog Linky party found in the wrap-up post at the end of each segment. **Be sure to comment if you live in the US or Abroad so we know which entry to put your block in. We will not have a separate announcement post for you to use this time. Please post in the main channel where you’ve been posting. 

The Grand Prize is going to be amazing! To enter just make, take and post one picture that contains ALL 12 blocks (they don’t need to be made into a finished quilt top or projects but if you do, be sure that all 12 blocks can be seen).

Segment 2: Prizes and Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors for the following prizes for Segment 2!

One U.S. Winner Receives:

• A Fat Quarter fabric bundle of the Island Batik line Cascadia by Claudia Pfeil.
• Quilters Dream Poly batting;  a throw size 60” x 60”.  Dream Black is a beautiful true black quilt batting that enhances the integrity, richness, and warmth of vivid and dark fabrics and ‘quilts like a dream’.

One International Winner Receives:

• A six month subscription to the e-magazine Make Modern. A magazine for quilters, by quilters, filled with beautiful patterns and articles to inspire quilters like us to make more modern quilts!
• A PDF pattern of your choice up to $10.00 from these designers:

Laura of Slice of Pi Quilts
Sandra of Sandra Healy Designs

Don’t Miss Out on My Previous QAL by the Sea Posts

Tu-Na Quilts: QAL by the Sea Block 7— Waves

Tu-Na Quilts: QAL by the Sea Block 6 — Stars

Tu-Na Quilts: QAL by the Sea Block 5 — Fish

Tu-Na Quilts: QAL by the Sea Segment 1 Wrap-Up

Tu-Na Quilts: QAL by the Sea Block 4 — Sun

Tu-Na Quilts: QAL by the Sea Block 3 — Signal Flags

Tu-Na Quilts: QAL by the Sea Block 2 — Turtle

Tu-Na Quilts: QAL by the Sea Block 1 — Seashells

Tu-Na Quilts: Announcing the Next Quilt-a-Long with Partners in Design — Introduction and a look at my fabric selection.

What I Learned Today:

1. Summer went by way too quickly.
2. I shall miss these two grandsons when I leave for my AZ home in a few weeks.
   

   Caught you, Tu-Na Helper! You’re supposed to be watching the boys instead of looking at your phone.

3. I am exhausted. Tu-Na Helper and I have been working on apples from our orchard for two weeks now. All the trees except one have been picked. We’ve dried a bunch and have more to do. We’ve made apple compost (pie filling for the freezer) — thanks to a blog reader who gave me the recipe a few years ago. We’ve made lots of applesauce; probably more than we can use in a year. Tomorrow we will make apple cider. Read more about our apple adventures here.
   

   We make cinnamon apples and plain ones.

4. I miss having my friends around. Because of Covid, there will be no cider-making parties at our house this year. Tu-Na Helper and I will do it all ourselves. We’ve made hundreds of gallons each year, this year we’ll be lucky to make 20 by ourselves.

Question: Do you have a sense of direction or do you rely on GPS to find your way? I know the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. I live in the north in the summer and the south in the winter. But when I am indoors, the only directions I know are up and down.

Thanks for stopping by and do come again.

Karen, Tu-Na Quilts

If you enjoyed this post and would like to read more about me click here. If you don’t want to miss any blocks for the QAL by the Sea, please consider following me by email, Bloglovin or WordPress; just subscribe using one those options found in the sidebar (or below on a mobile device) on this blog, Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats.

At this time, I am not affiliated with any of the items, products, services, or shops that I picture or talk about here on Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats. I just happen to like and use them.

©2020 Karen Thurn Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats

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