I am so excited! We are all starting together on this amazing adventure called All the Diagonals Sew Along :)
This week is really easy. It is more about getting your quilt vision ready than having a full schedule.
It is primarily an information week, but if you want a prompt, it will be to post your fabric selection. More details at the end of the post :)
This post is part of the All the Diagonals Sew Along! See all posts.
Do you have your pattern ready?
Of course the first thing you need, is the All the Diagonals pattern. If you haven’t bought your copy, please do so now :)
The pattern is now available in English and German so make sure you get the correct version. For 20% off use the coupon from the Sew Along newsletter. Not signed up yet? Join the Sew Along newsletter.
Tip: Transfer to iPad/tablet
If you are like me and have an iPad/tablet, you might also want to transfer that file there, so that you can easily check things later on.
Quilt Size & Colorway
Will you pick one of the ten quilt designs?
There are five quilt designs in the pattern – plus two colorways. So you have ten versions to pick from where you do not need to do any calculations. I am assuming most of you will decide on one of the ten and go with that.
Still stumped? Check out the mock-ups I designed for the “Rainbow” aka gradient version – there are rainbow but also other fun colorways included.
But back to size and layout. Of course, you could also plan out your own version. If you are sticking with the 5″ or 6.5″ block size, you at least do not need to recalculate the fabric requirements for those. But you could change it up by adjusting sashing & border sizes or you can create a new layout. But in that case, you will need to re-calculate the fabric requirements for the background yourself ;)
You could also scale the pattern templates. Please be aware, that if you change the template size, the necessary amount of fabric will change, too! If it is just a small downward adjustment, you might not mind, but if you scale the template by a lot, I recommend redoing the fabric planning or “winging it” with a fitting WOF strip. However, that will take the benefit of having that part figured out away from the pattern. But I know a few of you do have fun with things like that ;))
If you finish a top or at least the 42 blocks during the Sew Along you are eligible to win a prize!
Tip: Print out the templates
You can also use this week to get your templates printed. It is just a small step if you can print them at home but might be a bigger task if you need to go to a copy shop. But I am sure you will be happy to have it checked off!
Organization
How do you stay organized?
In general, I am organized by nature but sometimes … psssst. So I was wondering what we all could do to start in a neat fashion that will help us stay that way throughout.
Tip 1: Keep your project together in one box/container or basket
I use clear plastic boxes that I can stack on my shelf. But use whatever you have on hand.
But it helps if you keep it in one place whenever you switch to something else and thus do not scatter it all over your sewing room!
Tip 2: Label your pieces
Labels are included in the pattern. You can print them and cut them out. You can then pin or clip them to your stacks of fabric pieces directly after you cut everything. Alternatively, you could also use a sticker like an address label or a Post-it note.
Please do not show measurements in any online photos as they are part of the pattern. You could blur that part of the picture or cover it with something. Thank you!
Tip 3: Use Ziploc bags or clear sheets to store a set of pieces
It might also be nice to store each set of background pieces in one zip lock bag or a clear sheet. If you prefer to mark the bag with a sharpie, I have read, that you can remove the text with nail polish or rubbing alcohol to reuse it. No need to unnecessarily waste plastic.
On Another Note: I love to clean up my sewing space and maybe even finish a WIP before starting something new. So that could also be an inspiration for this week before we start to get into the full schedule.
Weekly Prompt
Fabric Selection
I hope very much, that you will post your progress throughout the Sew Along and that we can have a fun community event here on the blog and on Instagram – liking, commenting, answering questions, and maybe helping with decisions. But there will be no obligation to post a picture for a prompt. So if you get ahead or fall behind, you can always post whatever you feel like and also have plenty of time to catch up. The only mandatory IG post will be of the “finish” at the end so that I can put your project in the hat for drawing the prizes :)
Nonetheless, I know it is nice to have some goals and IG post ideas. So for this week, it is fabric selection.
For your post on Instagram please use the #mm_allthediagonals. Due to current changes with the hashtag feeds, please also tag me directly @mellmeyer. And leave a comment on the weekly Sew Along post on my feed so that everyone else can find you too!
My Own Progress
Quilt Size & Fabric Selection
I hope you are also curious to know what I decided on ;)
Well, it is not really “new”. When I first planned for the rainbow version and did all those additional mock-ups, I fell in love with the First Light version. So I got the fabrics and they have been patiently sitting in their box waiting for this time.
These were the original planning pictures. I picked slightly different fabrics but it will overall be very similar.
In terms of size and layout I decided on the 5″ block size with the “Simple” layout. Like the Throw version but smaller. This is a version not included in the pattern, but it should fit nicely on my wall in the sewing room.
So I will have to do some math on the background and sashing/border portion but I am totally fine with that. Let me know, if you would be interested in this version too. I might be so nice as to include my findings ;)
So, are you ready? What have you picked and which tasks are you still planning to do before next Sunday? Any other tips you want to add? I am looking forward to your comments!
And if you want to post your fabrics, remember to use #mm_allthediagonals. Due to current changes with the hashtag feeds, please also tag me directly @mellmeyer. And leave a comment on the weekly Sew Along post on my feed so that everyone else can find you too! As we do not know each other yet, how about we add a few facts about ourselves. I will do an IG “Five Facts About Me” post, too.
Still haven’t signed up for the newsletter? Do it now, that way you can’t miss any new posts and information :)
See you next week!
Best wishes
xo Melanie
