Nested Churn Dash QAL

I love a good quilt along!  Last December my sister, my daughter, and I did the Penny Patch QAL together, and boy was that fun!  We used Skype to help my sister, who was new to sewing, and her quilt turned out so pretty!  Now she’s a quilter too, with several more quilts under her belt since then.  And this past spring, CeLynn’s quilt inspired me to jump right into the Triangle QAL.  So it doesn’t surprise me that a few weeks ago I saw Izzy’s Nested Churn Dash and I was ready to start another QAL!

While my husband was away, one of my tires sprung a slow leak (of course) and I had to fill it with air a few times myself—let’s not even go into how the first time the air pressure kept going down as I was filling it, because I never pushed the button on the pump!
Luckily there was a Good Samaritan in the parking lot who showed me how to do it.

Yesterday my husband took the car out for an oil change and to get the tire fixed.  He took one of our kids with him, the other two were watching a movie.  Could I get the 24” block made before he got home?  It was a race against time!

Cutting the pieces was a snap!  I easily followed the chart in the pattern.  Having some quilting experience really helped here because I totally understood what I was cutting and how it would go together in the end.

Making the HSTs was a breeze too.  The directions allow a lot of room for trimming.  This is where a white marking pencil comes in handy.  I think the background color is Kona charcoal, but I’m not 100% positive.  It’s a very dark gray.

And there you have it—I got exactly halfway through the piecing before I heard the garage door open, which was about 90 minutes.  Not too shabby!  I wasn’t thrilled to be stopping, but I knew there’d be more sewing after bedtime.

I love the way it turned out!  It’s kind of like looking into a tunnel.  I was thinking coral for the binding.  What do you think?

The points came out nice and crisp.  After making this block I can say that it is the perfect project for someone learning how to do patchwork.  From deciphering the cutting chart, to following HST directions, to piecing the block, the basics are all covered and the end product can be used in a quilt, for a pillow front, or as a wallhanging.

Info on the QAL can be found on Quilt Jane’s Blog.  There are so many gorgeous photos of nested churn dashes from many talented quilters showcased there.  The pattern is only $2, worth every penny, and there’s still time to join in!  2-3 hours is probably all you’d need from start to finish to get the block itself done. 

Thanks to everyone who left feedback about my scrappy quilt.  I feel much better about it now.  It’s all pieced together and is ready for quilting.  Hopefully some crinkly texture will make it even better.  Have a wonderful Fourth of July week!