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Have you heard the news? I’m thrilled to announce that AccuQuilt Cutting Expert Pam Heller and I (AccuQuilt's Creativity Expert) are hosting our very first sew along together, making the GO! Row House Runner!
Today, we’re kicking things off with this blog post and a live event (if you missed it, check it out below). Then, we’ll be sewing together with you - live - the next three Fridays at 12/noon CT.
Videos of the live events will all be available in AccuQuilt's Video Gallery as well as on our YouTube channel and Facebook page after the events, so if you can’t watch live, you can still join in the fun!
What’s a Sew Along?
A sew along is a group of quilters (in our case) from all over the world making the same project at the same time! We’ve carefully selected this pattern because:
- It’s easy enough for new quilters, with enough options available for seasoned sewists
- There are plenty of great skills to learn or practice, like making Flying Geese, sub-cutting shapes, and more
- The pattern uses the GO! Qube Mix & Match 12” Block, but we’ll talk about how you can use any Qube size
- It’s flexible, with lots of ways to “make it your own”
“Sew” Let’s Get Started!
You can find the free, downloadable pattern for this project here. Once you have your pattern, it’s time to think about size and what Qube you plan to use. To make it easy to sew along in any size, the pattern download includes directions for each size of Qube!
Pam and I will be sharing sample blocks made in all seven Qube sizes as we go along, but our full projects will be made using the 12” size.
If you aren’t familiar with our Qube system, it’s all based on eight dies that all will work together to make over 72 different blocks and more. Here’s a video to help you get familiar with the GO! Qube System:
The finished size of the project when made with the 12” size will finish to 83” x 21”. The beauty of this project is being able to easily change your finished size. If you want it longer, add another tree unit to each end. If you want it shorter, leave off the tree unit on either end, and so on. If you choose to make the project with everything the same except the size of Qube used, here is what you will make:
- GO! Qube Mix & Match 10” Finished Block – 71 1/2” x 19”
- GO! Qube Mix & Match 9” Finished Block – 65 1/2” x 17 3/4”
- GO! Qube Mix & Match 8” Finished Block – 59 1/2” x 16 1/2”
- GO! Qube Mix & Match 6” Finished Block – 46 1/2" x 12 1/2"
- GO! Qube Mix & Match 5” Finished Block – 40 1/2" x 9 1/4"
- GO! Qube Mix & Match 4” Finished Block – 33 1/2" x 8 1/2"
If you choose to use one of the smaller Qubes, you may want to use your finished project as a table topper, a table runner, add more blocks, or additional borders – it’s all up to you and your imagination!
NOTE: If you are using one of the smaller sized Qubes, I would suggest switching to narrower border strips, which will reduce the size of your finished project. That is, unless you would choose to add a second row of tree and house units along the bottom of the runner, possibly facing the opposite direction? This would make it a wider, more substantial runner.
Fabric, Fabric, Fabric
Okay, I admit it, I just plain love fabric, but choosing colors of fabrics for a project can be difficult sometimes, which is why we developed GO! Quilt. GO! Quilt is a free design tool on AccuQuilt's website where you can change the fabrics and colors of thousands of patterns with a click of your computer mouse before you make a single cut. The GO! Row House Runner pattern is already in GO! Quilt, just waiting for you and your creativity.
To get started with changing the colorway of this runner in GO! Quilt, go to accuquilt.live and log into your account. This will allow you to save and print your creation. Once there, simply click on the blue “Create New Project” button in the middle of the page. At this point, you can type the pattern name into the “Search Pattern Library” box to find the pattern. Click on the picture of the project and it will open a picture of the project with very neutral colors (pictured below).
Time to Play!
Now, here’s the fun part! Click each numbered box to change the color in the design. If you want, you can also select actual fabrics from many of our fabric company partners, your own fabrics, or ones from your local quilt shop by taking a picture of each fabric and uploading it.
Want to try it in all pastel colors? How about a monochromatic look or totally scrappy? Maybe seasonal? What a fun way to change up your bedroom decor! Once you’re in love with your design, print it out and gather up your supplies!
NOTE: If you are making changes to the basic pattern, it will impact the amount of fabric needed to complete your project, so you will want to adjust accordingly.
“Sew,” What’s Next?
It’s easy to get started!
- Print the free GO! Row House Runner Pattern (or save to your computer)
- Register for all the sew along events on the Events page. Even if you'll be watching them later and not live, registering puts you in the running for door prizes!
- Plan your project with GO! Quilt
- Gather your supplies including your fabric, GO! Fabric Cutter, and Qube
After today, we’ll have three other live sessions for this sew along series. These sessions will all be recorded and available for playback:
- Friday, October 14: Part 1 – Cut and Sew Tree Units
- Friday, October 21: Part 2 – Cut and Sew House Units
- Friday, October 28: Part 3 – Assemble and Personalize Your Project
One Pattern, Many Options
Pam and I have chosen different paths for our projects, but again, both of us will be using the GO! Qube Mix & Match 12” Block.
Pam's fabric choices include fun prints from Bee Basics by Lori Holt for Riley Blake. Her background fabric is Spotted by Zen Chic for Moda Fabrics.
My fabrics feature various Christmas prints from Peppermint Bark by Basic Grey and Cheer & Merriment by Stephanie Sliwinski, both for Moda, Winter Wonderland by Heather Peterson for Riley Blake, and Cup of Cheer by Kimberbell for Maywood Studio.
Have a Few Questions Already?
Since this is our first sew along, we have answers to some more specific questions since they relate to the GO! Row House Runner pattern instructions.
What are Flying Geese?
Flying Geese are blocks made with a center quarter square triangle and a half square triangle on either side of the center. You can make Flying Geese units using Shapes 4 and 5 in any size Qube.
What is Sub-cutting?
For the trunk portion of the tree, you will need to cut strips using a GO! Strip Cutter Die and then use a rotary cutter and ruler to “sub cut” smaller rectangles.
What is Fan Folding?
Fan folding is when you take a strip of fabric and lay it back and forth over a selected shape. Remember, you can only cut six layers of fabric in one pass through a GO! Fabric Cutter.
What is "WOF?"
This term refers to a Width of Fabric strip. You will cut your strip from the selvedge edge to the other selvedge edge.
If you have more questions, please ask them during the other parts of the sew along! We will have a live moderator asking your questions for Pam and I to answer live. If you can't watch each part of the sew along series as they air, feel free to leave your questions as comments on the corresponding blog post! One of our team members will reply to your comment to answer your question.
Sharing
Part of the fun with a sew along is seeing what everyone else is doing! Be sure to post pictures on social media as you “GO!” along and use the hashtag #AQSews so that we can all inspire each other! We can't wait to see your progress!
So, gather your supplies and sign up for Friday's event! Since we want it to be fun, you can count on a few door prizes to be given away. We can't wait to get started!
