Sparklers Quilt-Along: Week 4

Welcome to Week 4 of the Sparklers Quilt-Along!

This last week was spring break for all 5 of my kiddos, and it was glorious having everyone home.  The weather was in the 70’s and we ate dinner outside multiple times, all the food I had in the fridges and pantry is now gone, I made sourdough sandwich bread 3 times (I’m just learning, so it’s been a little on the dense and gummy side, and I burnt 2 loaves while we were packing barn quilts), but eating it toasted with some of my sister’s homemade blackberry jam was one of the favorite activities of the week for college and high-schoolers alike.  

Oh, and Hannah (16) got her wisdom teeth out on Monday so she had to just watch the rest of us eat it for the first few days.  

Today everyone is back to school, and the house is so very quiet. Routine is something I thrive on, but so are the weeks like the one we just had: ceaseless noise, a constantly dirty kitchen, late nights talking, and also working together as a team (we packed all the barn quilt orders on Saturday).

Before we jump into the quilt along stuff, I just have to say — you are all doing such an amazing job. I’ve been seeing your progress photos coming in, and it is so fun to watch your fabric choices come together. Every quilt already has its own personality, and it makes me so proud of you and the things you’re learning and the enjoyment you are getting from quilting.  Way to go!

Here are just a handful of photos from the week (I forgot to include them last week) – I wish I could share more, but we will do it again next week too!

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This is one of the most exciting weeks in our quilt along, because all of those HSTs you’ve been working on are about to come together into pinwheel blocks — and this is where you really start seeing your quilt take shape (and those secondary little pinwheels begin to appear.

Here’s what we’re focusing on this week:

• Finish trimming your HSTs
• Lay out and pair your HSTs into pinwheels
• Sew your pinwheel blocks together
• Press your blocks

Building Your Pinwheel Blocks

Once you finish trimming the rest of your HSTs, it’s time to start laying them out into pinwheel blocks.

This is where you get to enjoy all that variety you created with your fabrics — and no two blocks will be exactly the same. And if you waited to assemble your HSTs like we talked about last week, you’ll have the maximum amount of variety to choose from, which really gives your quilt that beautifully scrappy look.

If you’d like to see how I quickly pair my HSTs into pinwheels (so each block has a nice mix and you don’t end up with similar fabrics together), there’s a QR code in your pattern that links to a short video showing exactly how I do this.

Sewing Your Blocks

As you begin sewing your pinwheels together, focus on:

• Matching your seams carefully (I usually just pin at the middle intersection to make sure all 4 middle seams intersect well.)
• Letting your seams nest together (you’ll love how this works out!)
• Sewing with a consistent seam allowance (the ¼” seam you’ve been perfecting!)

Pressing Your Pinwheels

When pressing your pinwheel blocks, you can choose what works best for you — open or to one side.  I typically press in a way that allows the center to lay as flat as possible, and I like to gently swirl the seams at the center to reduce bulk. It’s a simple technique, but it makes a noticeable difference.

I’ve included a QR code in the pattern that links to a short video showing exactly how to do this if you’d like to see it in action (or click HERE).

Progress & Feedback

A few of you have shared, along with your progress photos, things from the pattern or quilt-along that you’ve really enjoyed or found helpful – and I’ve loved hearing your feedback.  It’s so valuable for me to know what parts you’re connecting with and what you’re finding most useful as you sew.

I would love to see your pinwheels coming together. Share your blocks inside the Facebook group or tag me on Instagram — it’s so fun seeing everyone’s project!

Next week we’ll start laying out our quilt blocks, and you’ll really start to see the full design come together.

Have fun sewing this week!

Julia