It’s time to start the Pasture QAL!!
You can get the pattern here
and you can get the FQ bundle I used with or without background fabric or you can use your own stash or FQ bundle
The pattern uses the 12″ QUBE set but you can also follow it and rotary cut OR use a different QUBE set and follow the cutting directions as they are the same shapes for each QUBE you’ll just use less fabric than for the 12″ QUBE- there’s a chart on the last page which shows approx. yardage 🙂
As you can see I used the farm FQ bundle that has fabrics from Michael Miller, I just thought those cows and piggies and chickens were ADORABLE and had to have the fabrics!!
Label your FQs 1-10 and keep a note of which is which for the pattern
Here’s what I chose
A = Cows, B = Brown Wire, C = Beige, D = Grey, E = Green, F = Black, G = Brown plaid, H = Yellow, I = Pink, J = Chickens
I’ll show some pictures of the cutting but it’s the best to follow the FQ charts in the pattern as some of the FQs really use MOST of the fabric, so the cutting have to be placed on the right spots. You’ll see what I mean when you have the pattern 🙂
When I’m showing one block per week, you may want to cut all the pieces out of that specific FQ and put the pieces aside for the future blocks, it’s up to you.
I’m NOT starting in block order, I started with the largest die for the background fabric, so this week it’s block #5 which uses fabrics D, F, J and the background fabric
When cutting pieces, I love to fanfold the fabric and lay it on the die, here it’s folded so there’s 4 layers of fabric to cut out 8 of shape #5
with fabric J, I did the same thing but folded it in half AGAIN so there’s 8 layers, only the GO BIG can cut out 8 layers at a time!
If you want to cut all the pieces from fabric D, F and J is up to you otherwise cut just 8 of shape #5 with fabric D, 1 of #6 with fabric F, 12 of shape #5 with fabric J, then 4 of shape #4 with the background fabric, here because shape #4 is only cut 4 times with the background fabric, I used the WOF strip and cut out more of the other shapes. (2 of #3, 4 of #1 or as many as I could fit on the WOF)
Here’s the shapes for block 5!
Start sewing the pieces together like this, I always do as much as I can in one sitting before pressing the seams (open) so here there’s 4 D/J HSTs, one F #6 square with D triangles around it and then 4 flying geese with the background #4 triangles and J #5 triangles
When all these pieces are done they look like this
Then sew together into a star block like this.
For fun I tried to see what I could fit on 10″ squares, I show in the pattern that you can use the 4″ QUBE and 10″ squares, but I tried the 5″ QUBE and it ALMOST fit, so the chart shows 1/8yd per fabric so that seems right, I fudged things a bit and made it work with some of the pieces.
I did finish all the blocks, again because I was moving stuff around for the 5″ blocks 🙂
If you are sewing along and want to share a picture, you can email me the picture or tag me on instagram @bealeequilter or use the #pastureQAL2023
Have fun! The next block will be next Monday