Hey everyone, welcome back! I hope you’re having a great day. I’ve been working on getting things squared away as I prepare to head up north with Nick for a little bit of together time this weekend. It’s a gorgeous bluebird day here and I can’t wait to take advantage of the nice weather. We have some fun activities planned and I’m definitely anxious to get going but as usual, there are a few important things we need to talk about before I can go off the radar for a couple of days.

First thing’s first – let’s talk Sewcialites 2. It’s Friday so that means it’s time for the next block release! If you can believe it we’re already to Block #16, “Christmas Star“ by one of my favorite Moda sisters, Corey Yoder. If you have ever used any of Corey’s vibrant, eye-catching patterns or fabrics you’ve already had a taste of her fun, cheerful creations, and contemporary style. Not only is Corey an accomplished fellow fabric designer for Moda, she is also a regular contributor to quilt magazines and the author of her own book, “Playful Petals.” Another beautiful Jill of many trades who I am proud to call my Moda sister!

I’ll warn you now, Corey’s block “Christmas Star“ is one of the most difficult blocks in this series. It has four colors and a lot of pieces including half-square triangles, flying geese, flying geese with corner squares, and square in a square. That being said, I highly recommend using triangle paper when doing this block to make sure your half-square triangles are accurately sized. If you need to stock up, you can get my custom Primitive Gatherings Triangle Paper by clicking HERE! To get the full pattern instructions for “Christmas Star” click the button below!

This block has intricate and beautiful piecing with lots of opportunity to show off your favorite fabrics. As far as color and fabric placement goes, you could do four different colors, two different colors and two different shades, or maybe all one color in four different shades. If you choose to use stripes or directional prints be sure to pay attention to which way they are going so they are consistent with one another and make visual sense. Whichever route you choose be sure to go slow and take it a step at a time. It will be worth it!

How are your blocks coming along? If you’ve been following along you know that for my blocks I’m using my Garden Gatherings fabric line, leaving out the five tans. For this block I chose to go with the four-color route using red, orange, yellow, and green. For the background I used a selection from the Garden Gathering Shirtings Collection, #49176 15 – a cream fabric with an adorable tiny mustard/orange floral print. I love how it turned out!

One of the things I love about this quilt-along is that you can do it on your time, however your schedule allows. Plus, many of the blocks are fairly simple to make and can be done in an afternoon so catching up is easy. You can always find previously posted blocks on the Sewcialites 2 Landing Page. You can also visit the Sewcialites 2 Block Archive on my blog which is listed in the main menu of links at the top of the page.

Newly released blocks are posted on Kim’s blog The Jolly Jabber, along with a video tutorial on her YouTube Livestream the same day. Each designer will also post their own block to either their blog or their website on that day as well. I will also be posting each block release here on MY blog every Friday for your convenience. Fabric requirements and all block patterns are on the  Sewcialites 2 Landing Page, which you can access by clicking the link below. If you’d like to get automatic updates on Sewcialites 2 you can subscribe to the blog by signing up in the Email subscription box by visiting the Landing Page, or by subscribing to the YouTube channel by clicking HERE.

The next thing I want to mention before heading out is a little thank you perk we have in place for our customers this weekend. Now through Sunday, February 19th, 2023 you will receive a FREE pattern download for my “Winter Gnomes Pillow” when you make a purchase online or in the shop!

Aren’t they cute? Even though we’re ready for spring, winter’s not giving up quite yet so I thought it would be fun to celebrate it with these adorable gnomes. This wool on flannel project is the perfect way to cure the winter blues. Sporting a snowflake, skis, and a delicious Peppermint Patty, these frosty Gnomes know how to party! Finished, “Winter Gnomes Pillow“ measures 18″ x 24″.

Alright stitchers, it’s time for me to give away some prizes and then hit the road for Vay-cay land. As always, thank you so much to those of you who leave comments for me here on my blog. They mean a lot to me and my staff, and help us stay on top of things in the forever changing algorithm of social media. In other words – thank you! This week prizes are going out to Carol E. and Audrey M. – Congratulations! Note: I do not post last names or email addresses for your privacy, so if you think you’re one of the lucky winners this week please be sure to check your email. You can also contact Heidi at heidin@primitivegatherings.us if you have not already received a prize confirmation letter from her. If you think you are a winner but have not received a prize confirmation email, be sure to check your spam folder – it’s not often but our emails will sometimes end up there)!

Well friends, I’m off! As I mentioned earlier, Nick and I are heading up to the Northwoods of WI to spend some time with friends and family playing in the snow. I’ll do my best to get some pictures but no promises… What I will do is catch you all next week! Until then have fun and have a great weekend. See you soon! ~Lisa