Great Pixie Quilt-along - everything you need to know

I've participated in two quilt-along's (QALs) this year for the first time in absolutely ages - 

• the Urbanologie QAL hosted by Sew Kind of Wonderful
• the Eads QAL run by Carolyn Friedlander

They were two very different quilts, but all the QAL images and variety in everyone's projects  on social media kept me motivated.  I even found the feeds of some amazing quilters from around the world while at it.  Bonus!

While I was stitching away on these other projects Sharon McConnell of Color Girl Quilts and I began cooking up a plan to kick off the Great Pixie QAL.

The Pixie Medallion is a gorgeous, fresh take on a traditional medallion quilt.  There's lots of familiar blocks like flying geese, and shoo-fly, and the design lends itself well to just about any type of fabric that takes your fancy - traditional, contemporary or modern fabrics.

The quilt uses rotary cutting and machine piecing techniques. Sharon's clever approach to the centre star also means there's no Y-seams, and the project really lends itself to time-saving techniques like chain piecing. 

 The Pixie Options

I promise, this is achievable.  Sharon and I have made sure there is plenty of time to work on each section.  We've even allowed a bit of elbow room over the busy Christmas and New Year period.

If you don't think you have time to make the full Pixie Medallion, you can still join in the fun and make the small Bountiful Star version which is 45" square; so perfect for a cot quilt or wall hanging.  

There are three different ways to join in the fun:  

1. Complete the full 71 x71 inch quilt (top only) by 31 March 2018
2. Make the 45 x 45 inch Bountiful Star variation (top only) by 30 Nov 2017
3. Finish your 45 x45 Bountiful Star variation (quilted and bound) by 31 March

I will be posting details of prizes soon - so watch this space.  Seriously though, I will feel like a winner when Pixie is done anyway.

To participate in the QAL and be eligible for a prize, all you need to do is post two photos each month.  Show us a progress shot - of your fabric pull,a picture of your blocks or border in the making, and then another photo of the completed round at the end of each month. 

Don't forget to include #greatpixieqal hashtag on Instgram and Facebook so we can find you.

If you miss a month - that's OK.  We don't judge, because we know that sometimes life throws the odd curve ball.  Just catch up when you can, and keep posting as Sharon and I and the rest of the Pixie QAL community will be your personal cheer squad.

The Pixie QAL schedule

October 2017 - Centre star

We will be working on the centre star, all of those shimmery half square triangle and the setting.

November  -complete the snowball  border

We will be squaring up the centre star and attaching the first two spacer strips (intermediate borders 1 & 2), and then the snowballs for Border 1.   (For those folk who are making the Bountiful Star variation, you're quilt top is done and you have 4 whole months to get it quilted.)

December - Shoo-fly blocks

Make a start on the blocks for border 3.  Aim to make at least half the blocks.

January - catch up and attach shoo-fly border

Once you've finiished your NYE champers, get to work and finish making your shoo-fly blocks (if you didn't get them done last month).  Stitch your border 3 blocks onto  your centre and we will also be attaching that next spacer strip ( intermediate border 2) and squaring up again.

February -  Border 3 Flying geese 

I promised this would be achieveable. In March we will just be stitching the first three rows of geese - the ones that are coloured orange, pink and orange rows with the light backround.

March - Border 3 again 

Almost there folks!  Finish the final round of flying geese ( the navy and green one), attach it to your quilt and you will be done.

Need a pattern?

We have hard copies of the pattern booklet in stock.  You can pick one up here

For those of you who prefer digital patterns, you can purchase one from the Color Girl Quilts website.

The A4 booklets are great value as they're printed in full colour. There's heaps of handy full-colour diagrams - great if you are a visual person like me.  

There's also a handy diagram of the quilt at the back so that you can break out your colouring pencils and markers and audtion some colours. (Though if you're like me you'd just copy that page in case you change your mind)

Our version here at The Next Stitch is going to be super scrappy.  Basically because I have so many new fabrics on the shelves, that once I started the fabric pull I just couldn't stop.  Even our background is going to be scrappy as we are diving into our stock of low volume prints

Here is my initial fabric pull.  I may chop and change a bit as we go along (because, hello - it might need more Washington Depot); but I am crushing on theser cirtus and berry tones at the moment.

If you love a good scrappy background as much as I do, our low volume fat 1/8 bundles will give you plenty of variety as there are 30 different fabrics, and will be more than enough background to make the full 71" square quilt.  You can check our bundles out here

If scrappy isn't your thing a solid fabric could be super.  We have an extensive range of Kona Cotton colours.  You could grab your white and grey backgrounds, or any other colour combo for that matter for just $76 and then dive into your stash for the focus prints

Check out our Kona collection here.  There's over 80 colours to choose from and more on the way!

Need help?  Feel free to send me a photo of your favourite fabrics to shop@thenextstitch.com.au and I can help you develp a custom bundle you will love.

Did I mention the prizes?

Keep your eyes peeled on social media for details of our #greatpixieQAL prizes.  All of the details will be revealed in the next few days!