Marching Stars!!! and Finished (or not) Friday!!

Happy Friday you all!!!

And Happy Almost 4th of July!! We actually have a fireworks show to go to tonight - I am so excited. We went last year and it was incredible - the Southeast Weld Fire Dept puts it on - and its amazing!!

This is my finish for this week!!

It is the Winter Mystery that I designed and we ended up calling it Marching Stars!

(its free under the tabs above)

I finally got it Quilted, and it got bound - and!! If you go to the Weld County Fair in July - you will probably see it!! Hopefully they will have the ability to display full quilts this year - they are so much better in all their glory!!

This week has also been a little crazy - we have our Vehicles in the shop! Our Truck made a strange noise as we were fully loaded ( as in horses!!) and it wouldn't shift, so we figured out how to limp along to the Fix it Shop (shout out to First Class Truck and Auto in Evans CO) 

We had to call someone with a truck to come get us, since we had the horse trailer - so we switched out trucks and left ours - something with the transfer case. Then!!!

I was delivering Quilts in my car and I heard a strange noise. I was about 5 miles from First Class so I thought I would just head there, but before I could even go 1 mile my car overheated and it cussed at me and told me to shut the engine off.   I complied  - and called a tow truck.

I have one Ranch pick up left - but its not an every day vehicle..... fingers crossed it loves us for a bit. This hasn't happened in a long time - that we are *Stuck* per say haha!!

Ah well - that means more quilting time right??? What all did you get up to this week? Do you have amazing plans for the 4th of July?  A lot of my friends have decided to sew - that is not a bad idea!

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Marching Stars QOV ( aka Winter Quilt along) and!! Finished ( or not!) Friday

Happy Friday!!

Hope your week has been wonderful!!! 

I finally finished my own Marching Stars!!  I am so glad - and I am not sure where(or even why!!) I stalled out - but! we are done now!!

You can find the Pattern to Marching Stars Here: All the steps

We have been trying to teach Pound Puppy to be a SnooperModel too.... but she hasn't quite got the hang of it!!

That is my Big Accomplishment for the week.. I'll be back to tell you about our QOV presentation we had yesterday, and  We have a competition this weekend... so I won't be able to get into the Orange yet for the Rainbow scrap challenge - but its on my list! 

Did you know today is May 1st?  May Day!! when we were little kids my Mom would help us make little baskets full of goodies and we would go deliver them on my grandparents porch... thinking we were sneaky - we would ring the bell and hide.  

I think we forgot that Moms car, parked out front of their house probably gave it away ha!!

How has your week shaped up?

Any Extra Rain to send our way?

Quilts finished?

New Projects Started?

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Week 6 and the FINALE of!! The Winter 2026 QOV QAL!!

 

Week 6 of The Winter 2026 

Quilts of Valor Quilt a Long

 By Quiltygirl©

Quilt Size: 60 x 76 inches

Today we are finishing the quilt!!!

You have your inner top done – it should measure 48 inches by 64 inches. I would always recommend measuring, so you can make adjustments to the measurements of the border if needed.

For the Left and Right Borders – you will need

• ·         2 BLUE 2 ½ x 64 inch strips
• ·         2 White 2 ½ x 64 inch strips
• ·         2 RED 2 ½ x 64 inch strips
•  

If your quilt is longer or shorter than 64 inches – adjust your sizes.

 

For your top and bottom borders you will also need

• ·         2 BLUE 2 ½ x 48 inch strips
• ·         2 WHITE 2 ½ x 48 inch strips
• ·         2 RED 2 1/1 x 48 inch strips

Again – if your quilt width is different – adjust the size’

I stitched mine together as a strip set – I then applied the longest borders (so the right and left sides)

THEN!!!

You will need to make TWO 6 ½ inch (6 inch finished) STARS – Blue stars with a white background.

If you do the Bonnie Hunter Method – you will use a 3 ½ inch Blue Square for the center, 4 - 2 inch squares for the corners, and 2 inch strips for the Flying geese.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6f6XIpd0Uk

If you do the 4 at a time flying geese method – for each star you will need

https://www.diaryofaquilter.com/fast-flying-geese-sawtooth-star/

·         1 -3 ½ inch Blue center square

·         4 – 2 ½ inch blue squares for the wings on the geese

 

·         4 – 2 inch WHITE corner squares

·         1 – 4 1/4 inch White square for the geese

You will also need to make TWO NINE PATCH SQUARES

For each block you will need 9 – 2 ½ inch squares;

·         3 blues

·         5 whites

·         1 red

Lay it out like the photo above>

 

Because I have already applied my long borders – I will add these blocks to the edges of my top and bottom borders and apply them – and BAM!!! We are done!!!

For the PDF version of this tute - CLICK HERE 

hope you have enjoyed this QAL!!! And I hope you already have a QOV group that you stitch with - if you don't go to QOVF.ORG and click Who is in my area. Use the two letter state id ( like CO for Colorado) and you will see the list of groups - join in !! We are nice ;-)

now it is time to do a fabric purge - so!! you will want to check my Etsy and Ebay sites soon... you may find something YOU REALLY need!! haha!!

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Week 5 of the Winter Quilt of Valor Quilt a Long

 Is here!!!

We can see the finish from here !!!

PDF File available HERE

Week 5 of The Winter 2026 Quilts of Valor Quilt a Long

 By Quiltygirl©

Quilt Size: 60 x 76 inches

The LAYOUT

You have now made ALL of the blocks – it is time to lay out the inside of the quilt (we will do the final borders in the next step!)

Here is the Layout –

I then stitch them in rows, and then stitch the rows together. I know there Are fold that can web them and that is a great way too !!

 

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Week 4 of the 2026 WINTER QOV Quilt a Long

 You do see the light at the end of the tunnel right? A few have already finished and I love them!!

Lets Dive in:

Week 4 of The Winter 2026 Quilts of Valor Quilt a Long

 By Quiltygirl©

Quilt Size: 60 x 76 inches

 

This week we are making SIX White Stars with a BLUE Background and SIX White Stars with a RED Background; Each star is 8 ½ inches

There are so MANY ways to make these stars – I had fun trying both ways, but this week I am doing them with the Easy Angle and Companion angle. Strips are my friends

If you have not used this method before – Bonnie Hunter has a great Tutorial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6f6XIpd0Uk 

 

WHITE:

·         Cut12 : 4 ½ inch squares (Center of the star)

·         Cut 48 PAIRS of wings –

o   I cut 4 – 2 ½ inch WOF strips and used my easy angle to cut the pairs

PRETEND THE FABRIC IS WHITE!! I didn’t take Photos

 

 

 

 

 

 BLUE: PRETEND THE PHOTO IS OF BLUE

·         Cut 24 : 2 ½ inch Squares (for the corners)

·         Cut 24 : Geese 

I used 2:  2 ½ inch WOF strips to get the geese – this is also in the same tutorial as above. 

RED:  PRETEND THE PHOTO IS OF RED

·         Cut 24 : 2 ½ inch Squares (for the corners)

·         Cut 24 : Geese  :

If your doing it this way – here are all your pieces:

 

Make 6 Sets for 4 Flying Geese Units: FOR EACH COLOR!!!

 

 

 

Each Flying Goose will measure 2 ½ x 4 ½ inches. I did trim mine – I had very little to trim, but I like to check just to make sure.

Then lay them out like so:

and stitch together:

I stitch them like a 9 patch – into three units, then press and nestle the seams. I try really hard to press to the dark, but What I really want is a Flat unit. So that being said – have fun! Haha

You will be making 6 of these units In BLUE and 6 in RED – for a total of 12 Stars

 

 

You can also make them the 4 at a time flying geese way –

Here are a few other tutorials:

Try making them the Four at a Time Method using Amy SmartsTutorial

Or Quilting JetGirls: Four at a time tutorial 

You are wanting to make the star in an 8 ½ inch unfinished, or 8 in finished size

And you will end up with 6 White Stars with the Blue background and 6 White stars with the RED background

DOWNLOAD the PDF file HERE

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Week 3 of the Winter 2026 Quilt a Long

 

Week 3 of 

The Winter 2026 Quilts of Valor Quilt a Long

 By Quiltygirl©

Quilt Size: 60 x 76 inches

 

Image A

 Printable PDF HERE: 

Week 3:  12 RED and WHITE 4 patches and 12 BLUE and WHITE 4 patches;

Each 4 patch is 8 ½ inches unfinished

 

RED and WHITE 4 patches:

Cut 3 – wof 4 ½ inch strips of your Red and of your White

Sew strips together lengthwise, and press to the Dark

sub cut into 24 -  4 ½ inch 2 patches. (Image B)

Pair the 2 patches together(Image C), alternating the colors to make TWELVE 4 patch blocks

BLUE and WHITE 4 patches:

Cut 3 – wof 4 ½ inch strips of your Blue and of your White

Sew strips together lengthwise, and press to the Dark

sub cut into 24 - 4 ½ inch 2 patches.

Pair the 2 patches together, alternating the colors to make TWELVE 4 patch blocks (Image A)

 

Image B

Image C

This will give you 12 Blue and White 4 patches, and 12 Red and White Four patches.

Happy Stitchin'

A few of you have emailed about past mystery patterns - those can be found here : AlyciaQuiltygirl

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Week 2 of the WINTER 2026 QOV Quilt A long

 

Week 2 

of The Winter 2026 Quilts of Valor Quilt a Long

 By Quiltygirl©

Quilt Size: 60 x 76 inches

 

 

 

Week 2:  SIX RED Stars with a White Background; Each star is 8 ½ inches unfinished

There are so MANY ways to make these stars

This week I am making them the Four at a Time Method using Amy Smarts Tutorial

https://www.diaryofaquilter.com/fast-flying-geese-sawtooth-star/

I liked this method too, although my scrap system is not set up for it.  I used Scrappy Chunks of fabric –

RED (Per Block – so multiply by 6 for if you are making all the blocks the same)

·         1 – 4 ½ inch Square

·         4 – 3 x 3 in square

White

·         4  - 2 ½ inch squares

·         1 – 5 ¼ inch Square

 

1.       Take all your RED 3 x 3 inch squares and draw a line diagonally down the center.

2.       Take 2 of the 3 x 3 squares and place them on the 5 ¼ inch white square

3.       Stitch on each side of the diagonal line.

4.       Once stitched, slice down the line you drew and press the Reds out

 

 

Next take a 3x3 inch square and place it on the piece you just made like so:

Stitch on each side of the diagonal line

Slice down the line and press open – You will do this on both pieces – and when you slice open – you will have FOUR flying geese.

Mine did need a little trimming on the top of the reds – but it wasn’t too hard.

 Each goose is 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches

 

 

 

Now it is time to put the stars together- Just like last step, I laid them out:

And stitched them together. You will be making SIX of these blocks. Red Stars, White Background.

 

Here is another 4 at a time flying goose tutorial  from Quilting Jet Girl ( Our geese are 2 ½ x 4 ½ inches unfinished )

https://quiltingjetgirl.com/2022/09/30/updated-four-at-a-time-flying-geese-tutorial-and-sizing-tables/

 

I am not sure if these took less time than the Bonnie Hunter Method, but I know they didn’t take too long. Again – I set everything up the night before so that I can get at least 15 minutes of stitching in before going to work.

 If you liked the Bonnie Hunter method from last week – here is the tutorial to follow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6f6XIpd0Uk 

The PDF Can be downloaded Here: DOWNLOAD 

So for those of you in the NOCO area - I am the *speaker* at the LNCQ Guild meeting on March 2nd. If your coming, I'd love to meet you!! 

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Week 1 of the 2026 Winter QOV Sew Along

 Welcome to Week 1! (click here for PDF version) !!

I hope a lot of you are joining in!! I am ready for some stitching!

Week 1:  SIX Blue Stars with a White Background; Each star is 8 ½ inches

There are so MANY ways to make these stars – This week I am doing them with the Easy Angle and Companion angle.

If you have not used this method before – Bonnie Hunter has a great Tutorial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6f6XIpd0Uk 

 

BLUE:

·         Cut 6 : 4 ½ inch squares (Center of the star)

·         Cut 24 PAIRS of wings –

o   I cut 2 – 2 ½ inch WOF strips and used my easy angle to cut the pairs

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHITE:

·         Cut 24 : 2 ½ inch Squares (for the corners)

·         Cut 24 : Geese  

I used 2:  2 ½ inch WOF strips to get the geese – this is also in the same tutorial as above.

 

Make 6 Sets of 4 Flying Geese Units  - Each Flying Goose will measure 2 ½ x 4 ½ inches. I did trim mine – I had very little to trim, but I like to check just to make sure.

Then lay them out like so:

and stitch together:

I stitch them like a 9 patch – into three units, then press and nestle the seams. I try really hard to press to the dark, but What I really want is a Flat unit. So that being said – have fun! Haha

You will be making 6 of these stars:

 

Notes from Me!

I am trying to make this a super easy Quilt a Long - these 6 stars didn't take me that long, but I get 15 minutes of stitching time each morning before I go to work, and I set everything up the night before. That way I sit down and have a solid 15 minutes.

There are MANY ways to Make the Flying geese units - so next step I am going to try a different method and see if I am just as fast. 

These are two that I have found: 

• 4 at a time Flying Geese from Quilting JetGirl
• Fast Flying Geese from Diary of a Quilter

The PDF for this Step Can be Found here  Week 1 PDF

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2026 Winter QOV Quilt a Long

 As you can tell - I have NO NAME for this quilt. All the Stars and Stripes and Patriotic names have been used ( in my mind) and I don't want to repeat - so! As of this moment... It is Nameless...

Here is the NEW Quilt we will be Stitching - and the Fabric Requirement are in this Document.

I am going to make the stars with the White Backgrounds all Scrappy so I can use some of my chunks of Patriotic Fabrics. At this moment I am planning on making all the white stars backgrounds the same as the Half Squares that surround them... but who knows... As I get going, I might have an Epiphany!!

You are welcome to sew along, or sew ahead - either way - I will be releasing One Step A Week.

I am going to try to keep those steps to an Hour or less. And I think I planned out 6 steps. Each Wednesday < until we are done> a new Step will be released. 

PDF Version CLICK HERE

if you want to join in on the conversation and photos of others working along - join us at :

https://groups.io/g/MysteryQuilts4Military

Hope you will have fun and join in!! I would love it if you wanted to share on your blog too, just please link to this post - not the google doc.

 I would love it if you would send people here to get their own copy  and not share the actual Patterns on your own blog ;-)  Thank you so much!

Enjoy!!!

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