Get ready for a fun fortnight of ideas and projects to jump start your holiday sewing for your own pleasure and for gifts. I have a new table topper design that we will start today, and sew over several days. Then I have more projects to make for gifts or for yourself. It will be two weeks of fun, and it starts today! This is a Mystery Quilt Along! But don’t worry, we’ll reveal the design this week. So, put on a Christmas movie, watch the Hallmark channel or Great American Family channel for round the clock Christmas theme movies until the end of July, or dig out that cd collection and just listen to your favorite carols for a couple of days of sewing and crafting bliss. I have to say, the Mrs Miracle movies with Doris Roberts have been a cut above the crowd this season. There are always the DVDs if I run out of things to get in the spirit.

I know you want to know how much fabric to have on hand to complete the whole table topper project, and here is the estimate:
Gold Fabric – 1/2 yard
Background White – 1 yard
Accent – Fat eighth

Cutting directions for the first blocks are in this pdf download – Bell Blocks
Glossary – HST = Half Square Triangle, QST = Quarter Square Triangle
BG = background fabric
Note that these blocks are 10-inch finished size.

Pull the gold 3-1/2-inch square and one of the BG 3-1/2-inch squares. Cut in half diagonally, then half again to make 4 triangles of each color. We have to do this in this manner to get all the gold on the same side of the white.

Arrange the HSTs with the gold on the bottom and the white to the right.

Sew together. Cut the remaining two 3-1/2-inch BG triangles in half, and lay out with the HSTs to form QSTs, all the same. Square to 2-1/2-inches

Match the HSTs with the remaining BG 3-1/2-inch square, sew diagonally to make four QSTs. Square to 2-1/2-inches using your favorite ruler. I like the Deb Tucker Triangle Trimmer (shown on left) as it has diagonal lines in both directions to get the tip of the QST in the middle in just the right place. If you don’t have one, use a square ruler, aligning the point in the middle on the 1-1/4-inch point.

Pull the eight 3-inch squares in both gold and BG, and make HSTs using the Chain Piecing Method. Square to 2-1/2 inches.

Lay out block. Watch the placement of the HSTs.

Sew the two rows of three squares at the top together. Press the seams opposite.

Then sew that unit to the larger gold piece. Add the accent strip to the bottom and then the final gold strip.

Sew HSTs to the long BG strips.

Sew block units together.

Make 4 Bell Blocks. Blocks should measure 10-1/2-inches at this point.

Have fun sewing today, the next step comes tomorrow!!

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PS – We have baby Carolina wrens!! They hatched on Saturday afternoon or evening.

Shop July Fat Quarter Shop July specials! Take 20% off the Basic of the Month Grunge Basics by Moda, 30% Off the Notions of the Month from Taylor Seville, and book of the month Strawberry Garden Quilt Book. Take 30% off featured Patterns of the Month from Jen Kingwell! Then, check out Today’s Flash Sale and see the Precuts of the Week!! Check out the new holiday project bags by It’s Sew Emma. Pre-order the Limited Edition Christmas travel mug from Fat Quarter Shop. Modern red and teal on a pink background, it has cute motifs with the look of a vintage quilt.