Shine Quilt Sew Along: Week 2: Finalize Fabric Selection

The Shine quilt sew along includes lots of added tips and videos to help you make this modern quilt pattern. This fat quarter quilt pattern is beginner friendly and focuses on improv sewing. suzyquilts.com #modernquilt #quilting

Hello, Sunshine Crew, and welcome back to another fun week of the Shine quilt sew along! If you're thinking to yourself, "Didn't we pick fabric last week? I'm ready to cut!" 

You're right and ahead of the game. Because this global pandemic we're in has caused fabric shortages and backorders in the quilting world, I thought some of you may need two full weeks to decide and purchase your fabric, especially since many of you may be purchasing online.

If you're new to purchasing fabric online, check out my list of The Best Fabric Shops Online!

Shine is the third design in this 2020 series. If you missed our previous sew alongs, check out all of the posts from Grow and Thrive in the Sew Along tab. There's no official sign-up for this sew along because I want you to be able to come and go as it fits into your schedule. It's also because these sew along blog posts will live forever here on the SQ blog in the Sew Along tab. 

Shine Sew Along Schedule

If you are brand new to sew alongs, or if this is the first time you're hearing about the Shine sew along, check out this detailed post filling you in on what a sew along is, how to get involved, and what prizes you can win!

Trending patterns!

One thing I will mention is that if at any point you have questions that need immediate answers, I highly recommend joining the Suzy Quilts Patterns Facebook group and asking your question to the group. I will also have LIVE videos on Instagram and in the SQ Patterns Facebook group every Thursday night at 7:30pm central.

The Shine quilt sew along includes lots of added tips and videos to help you make this modern quilt pattern. This fat quarter quilt pattern is beginner friendly and focuses on improv sewing. suzyquilts.com #modernquilt #quilting
The Shine quilt sew along includes lots of added tips and videos to help you make this modern quilt pattern. This fat quarter quilt pattern is beginner friendly and focuses on improv sewing. suzyquilts.com #modernquilt #quiltingfabric

Shine Sew Along Week 2 Tasks

You have two tasks this week. The first is to figure out your fabric and quilt layout (if different than the original pattern) and the second is to cut out your background fabric. The background fabric needs to be sliced into thin sashing strips and border strips.

Now back to fabric...we talk a lot about fabric in the Week 1 post, so I encourage you to check that out if you're still wondering what to do. After sitting with my fabric for a week I decided to make my quilt totally scrappy so it looks a bit like this mockup from the pattern.

The Shine quilt sew along includes lots of added tips and videos to help you make this modern quilt pattern. This fat quarter quilt pattern is beginner friendly and focuses on improv sewing. suzyquilts.com #modernquilt #quilting

To achieve this look, I will deviate from the pattern in two ways:

  1. First, I will add some background strips to my blocks so that's there's just a hint of negative space in each one.
  2. The next way I'll change things up is instead of making 4 blocks at a time from start to finish (like the schedule indicates in the sew along), I will cut strips from all 16 FQs just like in the pattern instructions and video (the private link in the PDF pattern found on page 3). Before sewing any blocks together, I'll mix all of my strips up, keeping the shorts strips together and the longs strips together. I'll then create piles of short strips and long strips according the the number of strips needed to make the blocks.
The Shine quilt sew along includes lots of added tips and videos to help you make this modern quilt pattern. This fat quarter quilt pattern is beginner friendly and focuses on improv sewing. suzyquilts.com #modernquilt #quilting

Can you picture it? My background fabric is called A Little Rain in Natural by Wishwell for Robert Kaufman Fabrics. It looks weirdly yellow in this link, but it's a nice natural color. Actually, it would probably just be easier if I showed you a picture. I haven't ironed my fabric yet, so try to ignore the wrinkles...

The Shine quilt sew along includes lots of added tips and videos to help you make this modern quilt pattern. This fat quarter quilt pattern is beginner friendly and focuses on improv sewing. suzyquilts.com #modernquilt #quiltfabric

What do you think about my scrappy dreams for this Shine quilt? Can you picture it?

The Week 2 Sponsor & Prize

This week's sponsor is Cottoneer Fabrics, an online fabric shop that specializes in beautifully curated bundles. Cottoneer is generously donating a $100 gift certificate to the winner this week.

How to Win

  • Post a pic to Instagram. The photo prompt for Instagram this week is to post a picture of either your fabric and/or mockup OR an introduction photo telling us about yourself. Use #ShineQuiltSA in the caption. 
  • You must have a public Instagram 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 12:00 a.m. CT on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 and 1:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday, October 6, 2020. 
  • This prize is open internationally.
  • The winner will be picked randomly from all qualifying posts and announced at approximately 4:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday, October 6, 2020.
The Shine quilt sew along includes lots of added tips and videos to help you make this modern quilt pattern. This fat quarter quilt pattern is beginner friendly and focuses on improv sewing. suzyquilts.com #modernquilt #quiltfabric

3 thoughts on “Shine Quilt Sew Along: Week 2: Finalize Fabric Selection

  1. Robyn says:

    Love it, and also that you are deviating from the pattern with this scrappy version. 😯 Gives us rule breakers more confidence to do it our own way. 😎

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