Summer Moon QAL: October Blocks

This past weekend I stitched up my October blocks for the Summer Moon Quilt Along with Fat Quarter Shop. This month’s assignment includes three pretty blocks: Checkerboard, Darting Birds and Nonsense. I’m sewing from my stash, and my blocks feature a mix of prints by Lella Boutique and Corey Yoder, who are two of my favorite Moda designers.

I went rogue and broke the rules on the Checkerboard block, but I had a good reason. I wanted to use the alphabet script from Corey’s Yoder’s Strawberry Jam collection as my neutral for this block. The problem was that the pattern called for the on-point checkerboard squares to be made using a method which would create seams in the neutral areas. This would would have disrupted the alphabet script I wanted to use. So, after a bit of math and testing on my part, I figured out that if I cut the colored and neutral squares at 1 7/8”, I could lay them out and join them in a Granny Square fashion and then trim the block to size. (Remember, I am only sewing the 6 1/2” blocks, so I do not have the math figured out for the smaller and larger blocks. You certainly don’t need to break the rules as I did. There is nothing wrong with the directions as written in the book!)

I have never made a Darting Birds block before, but I really love it.  It is so sweet and whimsical, and it was a snap to make. As I was sewing, I imagined how darling this block would be repeated in a baby boy quilt, with many shades of blue birds. (An idea to keep in the hopper for “someday.”)

The Nonsense block is another very pretty block which should have been easy to construct.  However, I admit that I was tired and not paying close attention to the pattern. I had to dig out the old seam ripper twice to correct my mistakes. Oh well, we all have sewing days like that. Once I got it sewn correctly, I was so happy with the end result!

Summer Moon is a sampler quilt designed by Carrie Nelson and It’s Sew Emma (the pattern company of Fat Quarter Shop). The quilt along began in May and runs through February 2020. You can jump in at any time.  If you don’t feel like sewing along, I still highly recommend this book. There are 24 blocks you could mix and match to your sewing heart’s delight!

Thanks for stopping by to see my progress.  Here are links to my previous posts:

Summer Moon QAL: September Blocks

Summer Moon QAL: August Blocks

Sumer Moon QAL: July Blocks

Sumer Moon QAL: June Blocks

Summer Moon QAL: May Blocks

Summer Moon Quilt Along: Will you join me?

~Taunja