O’ Say Can You Sew – Clue #6

Hey everyone! I just wanted to pop on quickly and say happy Labor Day to all of you! I hope your weekend has been full of family, laughter, and fun – and of course, good food! I know for many of you the highlight of the weekend is the release of Clue # 6 of my O’ Say Can You Sew Mystery Quilt-Along, so here we go! By this point, I’m sure I don’t need to remind you of your adoration for half-square triangles – I mean, what’s not to love? LOL! I know how much you’d appreciate cutting another thousand or two, but sadly you’ll have to make do with a much more simple task this month when it comes to this clue.

If you tuned into my LIVE show on STITCH with Lisa Bongean last Thursday you were lucky enough to get a quick sneak peek of Clue # 6  I showed you that all you need to do is simply cut 128 -3 1/2″ squares, which will then become part of 32 total 9″ blocks. Easy right!? Ready to make it happen? Click the button below to download your FREE printable PDF of Clue # 6 !

Considering how fast and easy Clue # 6 turned out to be, it’s almost like having an extra month to work on Clue #5 if you happen to be still tackling all those half-square triangles. You’re welcome! Along with the sneak peek, I also showed you my progress on Clue # 6  and gave you an idea of what my finished blocks are looking like. If you missed the show don’t worry, you can always watch the replay by clicking HERE!

Starting to run out of scraps? No problem! Jess put together some fat quarter bundles that will be perfect to supplement your stash. We have blues bundles of 12 fat quarters for $30.00 per bundle (that’s two FREE! – get those by clicking HERE!), and cream bundles of 12 fat quarters for $35.00, which you can grab by clicking the button below! We are currently no longer offering reds in these special OSCYS bundles due to low stock, but that shouldn’t be a problem if you’re all caught up. Starlight Gatherings is also blues and creams and would be perfect for upcoming clue #7. Hint-hint – It will be lots of creams again….with a little blue.

Remember, Clue # 6 is available as a FREE download now through Monday October 3rd, 2022. After that, it will be available to purchase on our website for $5.00. If you’re just joining me on this Quilt-Along there is still plenty of time to catch up! Links to all released clues are listed in the O’ Say Can You Sew Clue Archive, which can be found in the main menu at the top of this page. New clues are posted on the first Monday of every month. Once the current month’s clue is posted, the prior clue is no longer free but can be purchased for a small fee of $5.00. For more visual learners I will also be posting a video tutorial of each clue on my STITCH with Lisa Bongean YouTube channel every month, so be sure to check that out as well! You can watch the Clue #6 tutorial by hitting the STITCH button below!

I hope you all enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend – especially now that you have Clue # 6  to stitch on! “Long” weekends go way too fast, don’t they? We’ll be back in the studio bright and early tomorrow for Shop Talk with Shelley at 9:30 a.m. CST. Shelley is back after welcoming her newest grand baby last week, so we’re excited to hear all about that. She’ll also be talking about any announcements we might have, the upcoming Great WI Quilt Show, and more – join us! Until then, have a great day and happy stitching everyone! ~Lisa

O’ Say Can You Sew – Clue #3

Are you sewing along with me and my O’ Say Can You Sew Quilt-Along? If you are, I hope you have a stack of blocks finished after Clues #1 and #2, because Clue #3 is here and ready to go! Remember – as I mentioned in Clue #2, this project can be done super scrappy or you can take a more planned approach. Anything goes! If you’re doing the more controlled version, along with Clue #2 I also gave you a hint to help you prepare for Clue #3 – which means if you’re on track you should already have four 3 1/2″ squares of the cream fabric you chose to be the controlled element, cut and set aside.

Clue #3 seems easy after doing Clue #2! All you have to do is piece the units together into three rows, and then sew the rows together (press the seams open if you wish). Side note: I don’t usually square or trim my blocks down, because I know that if I stay accurate with my quarter inch seam allowance while cutting, I’ll end up with nice 9 1/2″ square blocks every time. Alright, that’s your homework for the month! You’re simply piecing and sewing together thirty one 9 1/2″ finished blocks… Easy-peasy!

For a printable PDF and full instructions for Clue #3, hit the button below! Clue #3 is available as a FREE download now through July 4th, 2022. After that, it will be available to purchase on our website for $5.00.

If you’re just joining me on this Quilt-Along there is still plenty of time to catch up. Links to all released clues are listed in the O’ Say Can You Sew Clue Archive, which can be found in the menu at the top of this page. New clues are posted on the first Monday of every month. Remember, once the current month’s clue is posted, the prior clue is no longer free but can be purchased for a small fee of $5.00. For more visual learners I will also be posting a video tutorial of each clue on my Stitch with Lisa Bongean YouTube channel every month, so be sure to check that out as well! You can watch the Clue #3 tutorial by clicking HERE.

Sticking with the red, white, and blue motif but starting to run out of scraps? No problem! Jess put some nice fat quarter bundle options together that will be perfect to supplement your stash. We have blues, whites, and creams available in bundles of 12 fat quarters for $30.00 per bundle (that’s two FREE!), and red bundles of 8 fat quarters for $24.00. They’re also great for any Independence Day projects you might have in mind, and with the 4th of July right around the corner now is a great time to stock up!

Speaking of red, white, and blue… Even though we continue to receive Hogs for Heroes Flag blocks in the mail daily, we still need more! I’m super impressed with the fantastic response we’ve had to this mission so far. THANK you a thousand times to those of you who have already sent in blocks! The only reason we’re so successful with our fundraising efforts for WI veterans is because of you!!! For those of your unfamiliar with this current mission, let me give you the details. My goal is to produce and collect as many Flag blocks as possible by June 15th, 2022. We will then be using the Flag blocks collectively to create a larger, future project that will generate even more funds for Hogs for Heroes!

If you would like to participate in helping to raising funds for Hogs for Heroes by making and donating blocks to this charitable mission, click the link below for the pattern and instructions to get started! One is great but if you feel like making more we’d love it!!! We’re close to hitting our goal but not quite there yet. Every block counts! Please send your finished piece(s) to us no later than June 15th, 2022. Once you’re ready to submit your donated pieces, please package and send your blocks to:

Well I hear it’s another rainy and muggy Monday in WI, which is ok. We can always use the rain. I’m sure that by the time I get home it will even more green and lush than it was when I left last week! For now I’ll have to put up with the sunny skies and 80 degree temps here in Temecula, CA where I’m teaching at the Sew Treasured retreat for Dru today. As much as I’d love to be toes in the sand on a beach somewhere, this trip is mostly for work with no time to play. I will be back home to WI mid-week.

Before I go let’s announce some comment winners! Karen R. and Sue H. – You are the lucky prize winners for your comments here on the blog last week! As usual, I am not posting last names or email addresses for your privacy, so if you think you’re one of these lucky winners please check your email! You can also contact Heidi at heidin@primitivegatherings.us if you have not already received an email from her. She will use your email address to confirm that you are in fact the winner (in the case that there is someone with the same initials, she will determine the correct person with matching email credentials)! If you didn’t win this week, keep leaving me those comments. It’s only a matter of time before it’s your lucky day too!

You can also win prizes by commenting during Shop Talk with Shelley LIVE on Tuesdays at 9:00AM CST, or during Stitch with Lisa Bongean LIVE on Thursdays at 1:00 CST. Give us a shout out! We always love to hear from you. Have a great day everyone! ~Lisa

Always Remember…

Hi everyone. Just popping in to wish you all a safe and restful Memorial Day as we all take time to remember those who have fallen in honor of our freedom. I hope your weekend was full of love, laughter, family, and friends…and of course good food! It finally kind of feels like summer is here in WI. I will see you all tomorrow at 9AM CST for Shop Talk.” Shelley is on vacation so I’ll be hosting! Click the link below to tune-in. See you soon! ~Lisa

O’ Say Can You Sew Mystery Quilt-Along – Block #1

Do you have piles of scraps stacking up that are just waiting for a project? I don’t know about you, but it drives me a little batty to have a bunch of unused pieces of random fabric laying around. I look at them and keep thinking… I need to make something out of those! That’s why I decided to do a Quilt-Along based on using leftover scraps! Get your sewing machines ready because today officially marks the first clue release for my Oh Say Can You Sew” Mystery Quilt-Along!

You might remember me talking about my Mystery Quilt-Along during, Stitch with Lisa Bongean a few times over the last couple of weeks. If you missed it, let me tell you about the details. I’m calling this Quilt-Along, Oh Say Can You Sew because I have so many reds, whites, and blues leftover from previous projects (American Gatherings Quilt-Along, my American Gatherings book, and Stars & Stripes to name a few). I thought it would be a fun way to get an awesome patriotic quilt out of simply recycling my scraps. I also thought it would be entertaining to make this a mystery project – meaning you are not going to know exactly what you’re making until it all comes together in the very end! I think it’s exciting, can you handle the suspense?

Now don’t worry, I know it’s scary to jump into a project without knowing what the final results will be, but you can trust me – I would never have you make something that I didn’t have 100% confidence in. What I WILL tell you about this quilt is that it’s a pretty good size. It will be two blocks with a scrappy sashing. If you are using all scrap pieces for this project, be prepared to use up a lot of them!

How the Oh Say Can You Sew Mystery Quilt-Along works is simple and fun. On the first Monday of every month we will release a new FREE clue (there is no specific time that I will be releasing the clue – please keep an eye on the blog throughout the day)! There will be seven clues released in total. When the clue is released it will be posted not only here on my blog, but also on our YouTube channel, “Stitch with Lisa Bongean.” Each clue will be available to download as a printable PDF FREE for one month. When then next month’s clue posts, the previous clue will no longer be available for free, but can be purchased to download through our website for $5.00 each. You can download the first clue by clicking the button below!

As you might have already seen, for the first clue you will be making 31 blue and cream 9 patches. These can be done with 1 1/2″ strip sets or 1 1/2″ squares (I did all strip sets for my quilt because that’s what worked best for the scraps I have). They can be the same or different on each side. The only “rule” is that you need to pay attention to value. In other words, where I have dark pieces on my quilt, you put dark on yours. And where I put light pieces you put light. If you follow this rule it will all work out perfectly!

If you don’t have red, white, and blue scraps but would like to make a red, white, and blue quilt, Jess put some fat quarter bundle options together for you that will be perfect for that. We have blues, whites, and creams available in bundles of 12 fat quarters for $30.00 per bundle (that’s two FREE!), and red bundles of 8 fat quarters for $24.00. These bundles are also great to supplement your stash if you don’t have enough scraps to complete the project.

What makes this Quilt-Along even more fun is that anything goes! If you don’t want to do a red, white, and blue quilt that’s ok! You can use any scraps you’d like on this project. Just remember to pay attention to value when deciding on your fabric placement.

I really encourage all of you to get in on this fun Quilt-Along! Spring cleaning is upon us – what better way to use it as an excuse to QUILT more?! LOL Let’s get those scrap bins emptied out to make room for what else, but more scraps ! This project really only requires a little bit of sewing time each month, so don’t be afraid to dive into this one. You’ll still have time for other fires, I promise!

You can follow along as I turn my scrap bin into a masterpiece by watching me on my YouTube Channel, Stitch with Lisa Bongean every first Monday of the month where I’ll be “cluing you in” to the next clue on my list! As always, make sure to “like” and comment during our LIVE broadcasts, along with here on my blog posts and facebook for a chance to win a prize! Let me know if you plan to join me for my Oh Say Can You Sew Mystery Quilt-Along!If so, are you planning to do red, white, and blue or another color scheme? Let me know! …and don’t forget! Tomorrow is our first “Shop Talk with Shelley”! Tune in for that at 9AM CST by hitting the link below! See you soon! ~Lisa