Welcome to WEEK 1 of the Stars and Stripes quilt along!

Welcome to the Stars and Stripes quilt along official kick-off!   It’s Week 1 and I’m so glad you have decided to join in.

(quick note: this is a rather long email - if you need to get the cliff-notes version, jump down the the one sentence in RED.)

Our weekly assignments will run Monday-Sunday each week.  And as you already know, your assignment for this week is pretty simple:

1 – gather your fabric and pattern

2 – post a photo of it, along with the hashtag #starsandstripesqal

 (I pulled my fabrics from my scrap bins, my friends bins, and my stash!)

A few things to keep in mind over the next 4 weeks:

Monday Updates

While these emails give extra info and tidbits, you will want to also check-in with me every Monday on Instagram, to see what the prize for the week is, and to see who the winner of the previous week’s prize is.  That will be announced ONLY over on my Instagram account.

Working Ahead

If you want to work ahead, do so!  It never hurts to get a jump-start on things. 

Just remember to take photos as you go, so that over the next 4 weeks you can post those photos during the appropriate week in order to be entered into the weekly giveaways. (the 4 weeks are: fabric, cutting, blocks, and quilt top) 

Be generous with your contribution!

Whether it’s with IG photos and stories, encouragement, advice and tips – please share!  I’ve been amazed at the wide range of people we having joining this group – many first-time-quilt-alongers (is that a word?) to very experienced (almost professional!) quilters.  This is a great place to share advice and tips, or a simple word of encouragement to others.  You’ll be amazed afresh at the simple fact that when you give, it comes back to you tenfold.

Your Goals

If you’re here simply because it’s a fun thing to be part of, that’s great!  But if you have a few things in mind that you’d like to accomplish, take a moment to ask yourself what your goals are for this quilt along?  Is it having a finished quilt top by the end?  Meeting some more quilting friends? Learning a new skill?  Growing your IG account? Or maybe being the one to encourage new quilters in their new-found love of quilting?

If you make yourself stop for 60 seconds and think about what you want to accomplish or get out of something, the chances of it happening are much more likely. You will find yourself being more purposeful in certain things if you take the time to think about what it is that you want beforehand!

I would like to personally challenge you to think of TWO goals for this time, and share them this week when you post on IG!  I would love to hear what’s on your heart, and I know others would too.

When I asked for feedback on what you all love about quilt alongs, and here’s a few of the responses:

-       The camaraderie of sewing with friends

-       Motivation to finish a quilt on time

-       A group working together on the same project

-       Seeing the variety of what others are making (on the hashtag)

-       Learning new tips

-       Meeting new people who love the same thing I do

-       Being a part of a community that is creating and has the same goal as you do

-       Prizes that give additional motivation

Well I think that about wraps it up for this week!  I feel honored to be on this quilt-along journey with you, and that Camille had enough faith in me to let me lead it.  You know this is my first quilt along too?  Now let’s have fun and do this!