Checking the mail this week has been fun, with wonderful blocks arriving for the National Sew Day.  Tomorrow, From My Carolina Home is hosting a Quilts of Valor Sew-In at Beginnings Quilt Shop in Hendersonville, NC, an all day event to make blocks and tops for Quilts of Valor.  We’ll have refreshments, and hourly door prizes!  Plus Beginnings will open early at 9 am, and have a special sale that day too.  If you are local, come in to see!!

So far, 42 blocks arrived from our star block drive, thank you so much!!  If yours isn’t shown here, don’t worry, I’m headed to the post office again this afternoon to pick up any that may still come in time.  I’ll draw a winner for mail-in blocks on Sunday after the event. Any arriving after that will still be used in future quilts.  Thank you so much to all who made blocks!!

Thank you so much to Suzanne Crane, Maggie Burns, Janet Kosmicki, Debbie Bowmer, Amanda Ranck, Irene Dison, Ruth Jones, and Nancy Blanchard for all the blocks shown above and below.

Here is the pattern we will use for our sew day, utilizing all the star blocks sent in and designed in EQ8.  I call the pattern “To The Nines” because it uses two different sizes of nine-patch.  “To the nines” is an English idiom meaning “to perfection” or “to the highest degree” or to dress “buoyantly and high class” (Wikipedia).  Since most of our quilts are made from donated scraps, I did the cutting and fabric requirements that way.  The pattern lends itself well to assembly line work, having someone cut, while others sew, and then others assemble tops. It also works well to make kits for the stars, and sew at home 9-patch blocks.

I did another mock up with more neutrals in the large 9-patches, which makes the overall design a bit less busy.   I  like both ways, and you can choose what you like.  The pattern contains cutting information for both colorways.  Although the pattern is shown with the Nine Patch Star, all the star blocks will be used.  I think we will have enough for at least six tops, with nine patch stars on some, and samplers of multiple star designs on others.

Get the pattern on My Patterns page.

For locals, and those within driving distance, giving the project just one hour of your time will qualify you to win one of the fabulous door prizes!  Or, you can sew at home and bring your blocks to the event to be entered in the hourly drawings for some fabulous prizes at the event that will thrill you!  The first 15 people in the door at 9 am and ready to work will receive a Hobbs Wool or Cotton/Wool Blend Batting 18-inch square sample, large enough for a table topper.  The first 15 people after 1 pm will also receive one!!  Door prizes will include a queen size Quilter’s Dream batting from Quilter’s Dream, Quilt Modern Curves and Bold Stripes and Ombre Quilts 6 Colorful Projects books from C&T Publishing, Aurifil Threads, a Wool Press Mat, Ultimate Presser Foot Set, and a Sew Bright sewing machine light kit from MadamSew, along with a special gift pouch of goodies, coffee mug and more from me.  Yes, you must be present to win.

Bring your sewing machine, or use one of ours
We’ll have irons and cutting tables set up for you
Use our scraps, help cut fabric, iron patches, and help assemble too!!
Refreshments all day – coffee, tea, water, donuts and more!
Stay an hour or stay all day!!

There are two prizes for those sharing on our Facebook group, Friends of From My Carolina Home.  Share your sewing at home, or your sewing with your local group on Saturday to qualify.  If you are not currently a member of our Facebook group, click on the link and select “join group”.  Remember, you must answer the questions or you will be declined by the moderators.  The questions are simple, you agree to follow the rules of the group, and to be an active participant.  It doesn’t matter if you’ve been a follower for years, or just now found the group.  Spambots don’t answer questions, so this keeps the group free of spam, and only open to those real sewists and quilters.  We want participants who will actively post and comment, creating a lively community. If you have recently been declined, try again and this time answer the questions so the moderators can approve you.  For those inviting your friends to join our group, please do not use the ‘invite member’ links on the sidebar, they don’t get the questions and will be declined.  Instead, send them this link – https://www.facebook.com/From-My-Carolina-Home-348482372259042/ – and then say click on ‘join group’.

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow if you can make it, or on Facebook, sewing for our veterans.  Are you sewing this weekend?