March 28th
EXPLODING HEART QUILT-ALONG - Step 4
Hello Quilt-Along Friends!
What an incredible experience this is! SO MANY of you have joined us for this QAL. The pairing of the fantastic Exploding Heart pattern by Slice of Pi Quilts with our amazing Wooden Spools Community - has resulted in a TON OF FUN! The variety of finished quilts we are starting to see is so inspirational! So many versions of the Exploding Heart - each one unique and so beautiful! Just Wow! Thank you all so much for joining us. Remember - this isn't a race! Take your time, even start NOW if you want! Enjoy the journey and share your completed quilt top with us!
- Bring it in for Show 'n Tell (we'll take a photo!)
- email us a photo (info@woodenspools.com)
- Send us a photo on Facebook or Instagram
There's no deadline for this - we'll start posting photos in time for our Letter H Newsletter (After all, H is for Hearts ❤️)
March 13, 2021
EXPLODING HEART QUILT-ALONG - STEP 3
by Rachael
I know some of you have gotten excited and have already put your Exploding Heart quilt top together, but if you haven't yet, that is the next step.
(Still sewing blocks together? That is fine! Take your time & enjoy the process.) If you are ready to lay out your blocks, there are a couple different ways to go about doing that. I don't have a design wall big enough to accommodate this project. Instead, I used a piece of batting spread out on the floor. I laid out my blocks according to the map in the pattern, then fidgeted with placement and orientation. I then carefully rolled up the batting with the blocks inside until I was ready to sew. I unrolled a little bit of the batting, just enough to expose a row or two of the quilt, and then sewed those blocks together. Amy didn't do all that. She picked the blocks for each row as she went, just making an effort not to have two of the same fabrics touching. She made her rows and then sewed them together as she went. It seems that is one of the wonderful aspects of this quilt: ANYTHING goes and EVERYTHING works!
Have you been dreaming of how you will quilt your quilt when it is all finished?
Check out Mary's stunning straight lines! 
I did my first ever pebble quilting design in the heart outline with my trusty old Bernina.
Amy's was quilted by Wendy from Purple Tutu Quilting with a fun all-over heart design in a beautiful green thread.
How will you do yours? Got another way? Do whatever feels right to YOU! This pattern is a great way to experiment with trying something new, or using an old standby method. And if you haven't been to the store in the last week or so, you have missed a real treat. Mary figured out the math and did a mini! Yay, Mary!
...by Mary
Creating a smaller version of a large quilt is an intriguing challenge! Instead of the Exploding Heart squares finishing at 4.5”, how would they look if they finished at 1 1/2”? It isn’t that hard since you only cut fabrics in two sizes. When the pattern says to cut fabrics 4.5”, cut them 2” instead. When the pattern instructs you to cut blocks 5.5”, cut them 2.75” instead. Follow the pattern directions for sewing together and cutting, but trim the blocks to 2”. It will be really cute! You'll need a yard of fabric for the background. My mini version finished at 28" square!
When you have finished your Exploding Heart Quilt - email us a photo (info@woodenspools.com) or post to our Facebook or Instagram pages and we will put together a virtual show 'n tell at the end!
Also - don't forget that BONUS INCENTIVE from Wendy, of Purple Tutu Quilting. Wendy is participating in the QAL and has this longarm quilting offer for you: If you and Wendy BOTH finish your tops by April 10th (Wendy's day at Wooden Spools) you'll receive 10% off longarm quilting for your Exploding Heart Quilt! If YOU finish but Wendy doesn't - you'll receive 20% OFF!
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...by Rachael
EXPLODING HEART QUILT-ALONG - 2nd Step
... by Rachael
February 27th
Hello Friends!
Now is the time! You have gotten your pattern, your fabrics are cut and ready to sew. It is time for the next step of our “Exploding Heart” quilt along!
(Don't have your supplies yet? Click here for PATTERNS and FAT QUARTER BUNDLES). It's not too late to get on board!
It has been so fun to see the fabrics that people are gathering to make this awesome
quilt! Share your fabric choices or current progress with the group by posting photos to our Facebook page, or on Instagram using #explodingheartqal. And it has been fun to hear about how people are planning to make this quilt their own by making some changes. Some people are going to use a scrappy background, one customer is going to do the math and make it half size, some people are planning on adding a border! I think this is the mark of a really great pattern: it will give us the tools to make it as written, or it will inspire us to make changes to make it our own.
For the next two weeks you will be making ALL the blocks for your quilt. It seems like a lot, but, trust me, it will go fast. You can sew all the blocks and then square them all up. Or you can do like I wish I did: make all the “B” blocks, and then square those all up, and then do the “C” blocks... (It is a lot of trimming to wait until the end to square them all at one time.)
Here is one thing Mary, Amy, and I learned about this next part: The blocks are oversized which makes it easy to square everything up perfectly. Don’t you hate it when your blocks aren’t square and there isn’t enough to trim it to make it right? I don’t think you’ll have that problem here. Wondering about squaring up blocks? Check out this video tutorial using the RULERS we sell here in the shop! (shown below)
Creative Grids Basic Range 6" Square $17.99
Elisa's Backporch Square Me Up Ruler $16.95
Oh, remember that offer from Wendy, of Purple Tutu Quilting? That BONUS INCENTIVE? The wonderful (big-hearted) Wendy, of Purple Tutu Quilting, is participating in the QAL and has this longarm quilting offer for you: If you and Wendy BOTH finish your tops by April 10th (Wendy's day at Wooden Spools) you'll receive 10% off longarm quilting for your Exploding Heart Quilt! If YOU finish but Wendy doesn't - you'll receive 20% OFF! ❤️😍 Go, Wendy, Go...but maybe go slow 😜!
UPDATE 2/27: We have it on good authority (from Wendy 😉) that she is running a bit behind on her QAL - she just got a couple of custom quilting jobs - so that means it's looking even better for you to finish your quilt by April 10th and (if Wendy isn't done by then) you'll get 20% off of longarm quilting on your Exploding Heart!!!
It's not too late to join it! Here's the first post about the QAL below:
Grab your fabric and pattern and get started now!
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February 14th
EXPLODING HEART QUILT-ALONG ... by Amy
I find February dreary. I know—it’s only 28 days (this year), and VALENTINE’S DAY, but it’s cold and winter and ack! SO! To fight the drearies (or maybe to celebrate YOUR favorite month), let’s do a Quilt Along!! Mary, Rachael, and I have made this fantastic pattern called “Exploding Heart” by Slice of Pi Quilts, and we LOVE it! We did the pattern designer's QAL - and decided we should do a shop QAL too! So, it’s time for you to get on board!
Here are the “rules.” The Wooden Spools QAL will run for 6 weeks starting NOW!
We will chat about and send along updates in the next two newsletters. This pattern requires 15 fat quarters and background fabric (4 1/2 yards), and we have bundled up some fat quarters for you! (20% off thru 2/28) Just grab a bundle and pick your background fabric! We are also selling the pattern. You will have two weeks until the next newsletter to pick out your fabrics and get your squares cut. The cutting instructions on page 2 of the pattern will explain how many squares and what size. Feel free to take photos of your progress and post on the Wooden Spools Facebook page or on Instagram with #explodingheartqal. We’d love to see everyone’s progress! Let’s get quilting together!
February is American Heart Month, too! ❤️
Here's a BONUS INCENTIVE: The wonderful (big-hearted) Wendy, of Purple Tutu Quilting, is participating in the QAL and has this longarm quilting offer for you: If you and Wendy BOTH finish your tops by April 10th (Wendy's day at Wooden Spools) you'll receive 10% off longarm quilting for your Exploding Heart Quilt! If YOU finish but Wendy doesn't - you'll receive 20% OFF! ❤️😍 Go, Wendy, Go...but maybe go slow 😜!
