I Wish You A Merry Quilt-A-Long!

I wish you a merry quilt-a-long, I wish you a merry quilt-a-long, I wish you a merry quilt-a-long, and a happy new year!  I'm already caroling for this holiday season!  Join me along with a dozen other bloggers in this fun quilt-a-long adventure this fall to get a Christmas Quilt done before Christmas!

So what exactly is a Quilt-A-Long?

A Quilt-A-Long (or QAL) is a quilt you make following a host who posts each step on a schedule.  You share your progress and in this case you will get entered into some pretty awesome prizes!  There are some QALs that are set to make a known quilt and others (like this one) that are a mystery, where you won't know what the quilt looks like until the very end!  There is no charge to enter the QAL and the patterns will be posted for free from each designer.  Make one or all of the blocks!

Why would you want to join?

• You love Christmas and want to make a Christmas quilt before the holiday gets here.
• You love meeting new quilters/designers/bloggers!
• You love to try new things.  These blocks will be incorporating different techniques with support of the hosts and designers to help you along each step of the way.  This quilt is for experienced and new beginners alike.
• You love to win prizes.  If you complete a block prior to the next block release, you'll be entered to win a prize. There is also a grand prize for the finished quilt.
• You don’t want to be left out!  (We're a fun bunch of ladies from around the globe.)

How can I participate?

There are several ways in which you can participate in all the fun!

1. If you are on Facebook: Join the "I Wish You a Merry Quilt-A-Long" Facebook Group. Each Designer will be posting links to their tutorials there, and it will be used as a place to ask questions and post photos of your finished block for prizes.
2. If you are on Instagram: Use the hashtag #iwishyouamerryqal on your finished block to be entered to win.
3. Each Designer will have a Linky Party on their block tutorial post so you can link your progress to their blog to be entered to win.

How much fabric will I need to complete this quilt?

This is a tough question.  Each block will be 12" finished, and there will be 12 different blocks. I will be planning on using my scraps to make this quilt with a color palette of red, green, white, yellow, and blue from my stash. I figure I'll need approximately a yard of each.  I will need scraps of black, orange, and brown for embellishments.  Plus, Laura from Slice of Pi Quilts says, "If you plan to put your blocks together to make a quilt top, then I suggest 1 yard for sashing and 1 yard for a border. To finish the quilt, you will need 4 yards for backing (or 2 yards of extra-wide backing), a twin size batting, and 1/2 yard for binding."

What is the schedule?

The fun kicks off Tuesday, August 1st with block tutorials released every other Tuesday.  There are 2 dates that will have 2 blocks releasing the same day.  If you forget, don’t worry!  I made a quick links page to each tutorial that will be updated with each new block release. I will also be posting here for each block release!  The last block tutorial will be published December 5th to give you time to finish off the quilt before Christmas!

What are the prizes?

We've line up plenty of prizes, and the list isn't finalized yet. It's best to keep an eye on the Facebook group, as we will begin sharing the prizes there soon. Prizes include patterns, batting and other products from The Warm Co., thread from Aurifil, a gift certificate to The Fat Quarter Shop, signed quilt books, precuts, and much more. International participants are eligible to enter for all prizes.

I want in!  What's are my next steps?

Yippee!  First, go ahead and join our Facebook page so you'll know when the next block tutorials will be released.  Second, gather your fabric you'll want to use on your quilt.  The QAL starts August 1, 2017 so you have about 2 weeks to get hyped!  Finally, invite your friends to join in on the fun!  Share the quilt-a-long graphic on Instagram and use #iwishyouamerryqal. Share this blog post or a post from the Facebook group on your own Facebook account and in your quilty groups. The more, the merrier!

Who all is running this QAL?

All the bloggers who are participating in the QAL met through the 2017 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop.

Some of us will be sewing along and making every block, too. These quilt-a-long hosts will share tips and tricks for each block, plus you'll get to see the same block in many different fabrics. Hosts will be there every step of the way to encourage you to finish the quilt.

Abbie at Sparkle On (Host)
April at JANDA Bend Quilts (Host + Block 2 Designer)
Becca at Pretty Piney (Host)
Bobbi at Snowy Days Quilting (Host + Block 9 Designer)
Diane at Cwilt Fabrics & Haberdashery (Host + Block 10 Designer)
Jan at Cocoa Quilts (Host)
Jennifer at The Inquiring Quilter (Host + Block 4 Designer)
Karen at Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats (Host)
Kathleen at Kathleen McMusing (Block 11 Designer)
Laura at Slice of Pi Quilts (Host + Blocks 3 & 12 Designer)
Sandra at Sandra Healy Designs (Block 6 Designer)
Sandy at Sandy Star Designs (Host + Block 7 Designer)
Sherry at Powered by Quilting  (Host + Block 5 Designer - That's Me!)
Sola at Alice Samuel's Quilt Co. (Block 8 Designer)
Vanda at Quilt in Piece (Host + Block 1 Designer)

I hope you'll quilt along with us! Can we count you in?

I can't wait to sew with you!

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