12 Days of Christmas in July Blog Hop - Day 3!!! And Giveaway Alert!!

Hi, all!

Day three of the 12 Days of Christmas in July blog hop is here, and if you're anything like me, there are ideas and possibilities bouncing around in your head like popcorn!!  And to think, we've only just begun!

Today we have three great bloggers for your enjoyment.  First up is Carole, who blogs at From My Carolina Home.  She's been here before, and last year was so much fun, I for one can't wait to see what she has to share with us this year!  And then there's Jamie of L'Fair Quilts - she has such a fabulous idea, I know for sure I'll be making one too!  And Karen from Tu-Na Quilts, Travels and Eats has just what you need to get into the Christmas spirit.  You'll find a giveaway today, too, while visiting the day's blogs - remember to enter!

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I hope you're finding it easy to keep up with the quilt-along, but remember, there will be catch-up days to either give you a breather or allow you to get back on schedule.  I want to show you the third color-way I came up with for this quilt, which I think would be good for a Quilts of Valor quilt.  I checked, and it falls, size-wise, within the parameters they request.  

Today we will start assembling Block A.  Gather up the 48 HSTs you made yesterday, 48 Fabric C 4.5" squares, and 12 Fabric A 4.5" squares.  Make four equal piles of 12 of both the HSTs and the Fabric C 4.5" squares.  

Lay out a 9-patch block with the Fabric A triangles pointing out at the corners, the Fabric A squares in the center, and the Fabric C squares at NESW.  SPEED TIP:  I stack up all the parts for all 12 blocks on top of each other so I don't have to stop and lay out the next block after finishing one.  That's why you made stacks of twelve of the HSTs and Fabric C units.

Step 1:  Take the top right HST and lay it face down over the top center Fabric A square. Pick it up and sew the right hand seam.  WITHOUT CUTTING THE THREAD, lay the second row Fabric C square face down on the center Fabric A square and chain piece, sewing the right hand seam.  Repeat with the bottom row, and now you can cut your thread.

Step 2:  Open up the piece you just made and lay it face down on the left column of blocks, lining up the right hand side of the sewn strip with the right hand side of the unsewn left column.  Now you can see how they will attach to the right column of blocks.  Chain piece those squares to your sewn unit from top to bottom, and cut the thread.  You should now have a 9-patch piece that looks like the one pictured above.  This is called "webbing" the block, and is a really useful technique to hold all your pieces together while making multiple blocks.  Repeat for the remaining 11 blocks, and you're done for the day!

Tomorrow we'll press what we've done so far and finish constructing the blocks.  I recommend waiting for pressing instructions so that your quilt goes together easily!!

Two quick things - some readers have kindly pointed out some things that were missing in the cutting directions, so if you haven't already done your cutting, you may want to refer back to the first post before doing so.  And if you want to print out these posts as a PDF, it's easy to do.  Just click on the title of my post so that you are in that specific post rather than just on my blog in general, and then you will see a green button under my sign-off.  Click on that, and it will bring up a PDF that you can print off or save.  Easy-peasy!

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And that's it for today!  Be sure to check out today's bloggers, if you haven't already, and find and enter in today's giveaway!

Saturday, July 14th

Joy @ Days Filled With Joy

Selina @ Selina Quilts

Sunday, July 15th

Joanne @ Everyone Deserves a Quilt

Jan @ The Colorful Fabriholic

Monday, July 16th

Carole @ From My Carolina Home

Jamie @ L'Fair Quilts

Karen @ Tu-Na Quilts, Travels & Eats

Tuesday, July 17th

Sharon @ Vrooman's Quilts

Mary @ Made by Marney

Wednesday, July 18th

Cindy @ Stitchin' At Home

Karrin @ Karrin's Crazy World

Thursday, July 19th

Christina @ Christina's Handicrafts

Sherry @ Books, Hooks, Sticks, etc.

Danice @ Homespun Hannah

Friday, July 20th

Kristi @ Confessions of A Fabric Addict

Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts

Saturday, July 21st

Marian @ Seams To Be Sew

Meloney @ Mel's Quilting Blog

Sunday, July 22nd

Anja @ Anja Quilts

Moira @ Quilted Snail

Monday, July 23rd

Brenda @ Songbird Designs

Amy @ Sea of Estrogen

Bonnie @ In Stitches With Bonnie

Tuesday, July 24th

Kathy @ Kathy's Kwilts and More

Summer @ Summer Lee Quilts

Wednesday, July 25th

Susan @ Quilt Fabrication

Brandy @ Pampered Pettit
Jean @ All Points of the Compass

Hugs!

Sarah