I'm so thrilled you're here as Week 1 of the #cosmicxmasQAL begins! Are you new to quilt alongs? If so, I encourage you to read this introduction post so you don't miss out on all the pros (there are no cons c; ) of joining this quilt along.
Just a reminder, this is completely free! You don't need to sign up! You just stitch with us! You can check these posts any time because they will always be available for free and public viewing on the blog!
Our Sewing Schedule
The QAL is beginner and fat quarter friendly. It'll be a speedy 5 weeks (maybe even shorter for some). It officially starts November 12th 2022, but some of us take forever to pick fabrics (maybe only me), so let's start thinking about fabric selection...
Week 1, Pick Fabric (November 12th) - Prize Sponsors: Pink Peony Creations + Sewcial Distance
Week 2, Cut Fabric (November 19th) - Prize Sponsors: Domesticity + Corinne Sovey
Week 3, Create Blocks (November 26th) - Prize Sponsors: Cecivas Creations + Brimfield Awakening
Week 4, Assemble Quilt (December 3rd) - Prize Sponsors: Wander Stitch Company + TannaMade
Week 5, Finishing (Quilting + Binding) (December 10th) - Prize Sponsors: Miss B's Quilting Studio
This sewing schedule would allow one to have enough time to comfortably complete a throw sized quilt, though you are free to make any size you like. You must submit a finished throw or bigger quilt top to be eligible for the finishing quilting prizes (Wander Stitch Company, Cecivas Creations, + Miss B's Quilting Studio).
Picking Fabric for the #cosmicxmasQAL
Please note that you do not need to use Christmas/Holiday prints for this QAL! I chose "xmas" because it was catchy!
As you can see in the above chart, one just needs FQs (fat quarters = 18"x21") or 1/4 yd cuts! Many quilt-along participants have mentioned to me that they were able to use scraps for this too! This quilt is also an excellent stash buster (I'm sure you have a leftover holiday fat quarter bundle lying around...).
Fabric Selection Tips
Run to your local quilt shop! The best eyes belong to the staff who work there (they're seriously blessed). They probably have the fabric you're looking for there too - the best kind of fabric. You walk out feeling super accomplished and excited to take on the new project! You'll say to yourself, "My local quilt shop rocks!" (Do I sound super biased?)
Peruse Pinterest. Some of the best bundles we curate in the store were sourced from Pinterest! We find inspiration from sources outside of sewing/quilting. The inspo can be found in interiors, styled photo shoots, graphic design, and so much more! I especially love searching up: "color palettes". This will give you tons of results. Kick it up a notch by adding an adjective to describe the color palette you're looking for: "bright neon color palette". Share what you find!
Let your Stash Whisper to You. Have you heard of, "Shop in Your Closet First"? It's when you literally shop in your closet before you decide to shop elsewhere. For some, it can be overwhelming to walk into a shop and be exposed to so many different options! Even though we run a shop, we are not enablers (only sometimes)! Since this quilt is so FQ friendly, just select a bundle or a few FQs you already have! The feeling of being overwhelmed can be a barrier to starting a new project instead of inspiration. Look at what you have and listen to what your stash is telling you!
What is Everyone Else Doing? If you're not afraid of Internet stimulants, head out and look at what other people are using on social media! Or, what other people have done. This quilt pattern has been out for a while, so you can check out Modernly Morgan's page on IG! Or, search the #cosmiccrush.
Our Fabric for the #cosmicxmasQAL
My favorite fabric friends, we saw Jolly Darlings and Jolly Basics by Ruby Star Society about 8 months before its release, I KNEW we needed to make a quilt out of this collection. It's not too Christmas-ey and it had such a bright and jolly color palette that offers yummy-ness to the eyes.
We combined both Jolly Basics + Jolly Darlings so that we could have really unique prints while also allowing our eyes to "rest" on basics that coordinate with those unique prints without dulling the overall color story.
Jolly Basics by Ruby Star Society (click photo to view collection)
I sorted each print with "Lights" and "Darks" in mind. Meaning, I wanted to make sure I had an even amount of light colored fabric and dark colored fabric in each block to allow contrast. It was fairly easy to do considering that each block only needed four different fabric choices. Just like many other Ruby Star Society collections, this color palette blended effortlessly. I did not need to exert a huge amount of effort or create something new to make something beautiful (which is OK! One doesn't always have to reinvent the wheel to have a K.O. project, take it easy on yourself).
However, the real challenge was choosing the right prints to go together in a block. In my head, I said, "The red octopuses don't make sense next to red snow babies," Why? For me, the motifs were too similar in size which didn't offer me any variety. I like contrast in my pattern/prints. There are tiny allover designs, large motifs, and geometric prints in this collection. I wanted smaller prints paired with larger prints, or geometric prints paired with something more organic! You decide which pattern/print looks best next to each other, it depends on the collection! It also depends on the way your brain likes things (I'm not neurotypical, so when it looks funky to me, it may not look funky to everyone. It will bother me a lot if I leave it a certain way, teehee).
I had to consider color and print in tandem with each other. If you're not interested in doing all this hullaballoo, we still have a few kits available!
There's a coloring sheet available with the pattern (I did not see it till too late)! You can audition colors with the coloring sheet and see what works best for you without making a mess of your fabrics. The table in the shop had all my fabric laying out for 3 straight days! Sometimes, making a mess might give you your best solution! Let yourself be creative!
Week 1 Sponsors and Prizes
We have two awesome shops sponsoring our first week~! These shops are both women-owned and have fabulous taste!
Pink Peony Creations, Fabric Shop
-> Ms. Jamie has curated beautiful AGF collections along with other modern, elevated prints and different wovens and textures. She has also recently added Fableism, sprouted wovens to her shop (I'm very excited for these)!
Instagram: @pinkpeonyfabrics
Website: CLICK HERE!
Sewcial Distance
-> Mel's shop is a Ruby Star Society junkie (like many of us) with splashes of other fun colorful prints like Tula Pink. She also has tons of EPP inspiration on her page!
Instagram: @sewcial_distance
Website: CLICK HERE!
How to Win
Post a pic to Instagram or Facebook. The photo prompt for Instagram this week is to post a picture of your sew along progress. Use #cosmicxmasQAL in the caption.
You must have a public Instagram/Facebook profile to participate.
Each photo posted is an entry and you can enter as many times as you want in a single week. Once the week is over, those posts do not count in the next week's giveaway. Every week we start fresh.
Your photo must be posted between Wednesday November 16 and Wednesday, March 23. The winner will be picked randomly from all qualifying posts and will be contacted privately on the 23rd. Good luck!
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