It’s back!!!
The 2024 Quilters’ Playcation Adventure Sewalong starts next Tuesday, January 9. Weekly, for 49 weeks, I will lead you through a free, live improv quilt block tutorial. Like 2023, this year’s instalment of the Adventure Sewalong has a theme. Rainbows will be our inspiration, our guide, our joy on this playful adventure. Seriously, who doesn’t love a rainbow?!
DETAILS
Tuesday
10 AM Mountain
Starts January 9
Live on Instagram @cheryl_arkison
Saved to You Tube each week
COLOUR SCHEME NOTES
With a rainbow theme the colour scheme seems kind of obvious. That doesn’t mean you have to go with the obvious though. Not all rainbows have to be deeply saturated. Those are gorgeous rainbows, for sure, but you have a lot of other options.
Pastel or low volume in rainbow order
Neutrals
A colour combo you love, not even in rainbow order
A favourite fabric bundle that deserves to be used
Monochromatic in value gradiation
Analogous colours like red, pink, and orange, for example
Use your scraps as they come to you
You will need a background colour as well. It doesn’t necessarily have to be white or black, either. Think about this background as a good complement or highlight to your rainbow.
Solids or prints will both work, you always have that choice. I would simply recommend that you use one or the other, not both. The exception being that your background can work as the opposite, as strong frame for your rainbows.
FABRIC REQUIREMENTS
The total fabric needed will depend, in large part, on your block size. The bigger the block you make, the more fabric you will use. We will take advantage of any scraps as much as possible, so know that you will be maximizing your fabrics.
Start with 1-2 meters/yards of each of your rainbow fabrics. Mix and match, as needed. Same for the background.
If you buy fabric for this sew along, as I did for one of my versions, take note of any fabric colours or names. Save them somewhere you won’t lose them. Then, if necessary, it will be easier to repurchase fabrics.
SIZING
One of the reasons I went with 49 weeks this year is that 49 blocks gives us a nice 7 x 7 quilt block layout if you make square blocks. You don’t need to make all the blocks, but if you do, then this is what you will end up with.
How big you make your blocks is up to you. As you will hear me say many times, you will want to make at least a handful of blocks before you decide on a final size. But if you want to aim for a certain size finished quilt (at some point) then here are some sizing suggestions for you:
6.5” blocks = 42” square quilt
8.5” blocks = 56” square quilt
9.5” blocks = 63” square quilt
10.5” blocks = 70” square quilt
12.5’ blocks = 84” square quilt
Simply use this as a guide. It’s pretty easy to do the math, or even ignore the math, no matter what size you blocks end up being!
Like I always say, come to play without the expectation that your make HAS TO BE SOMETHING. So come, have fun, make a block or not. You are under no obligation to turn what you make into anything.