Transparendo Sewalong - Final Week 15

Welcome to our final week of the Transparendo Sewalong! We hope you have enjoyed the sewalong posts and sewed along with us! We enjoyed this journey with you.

 

Verena from einfach bunt Quilts  and I love sewing your blocks and look forward to seeing your finished quilt top in our Transparendo Sewalong (#transaprendosal). 

 This week's hashtag is #transparendosalw15 for Week 15, Fished Quilt Top. 

 Please sign up for our newsletters to keep on top of the sewalong.

Sewalong Schedule

Here is a short recap of our sewalong schedule over the last fifteen weeks. We hope you have enjoyed all of the quilts blocks and the final quilt.

Post your progress on Instagram with the hashtags: #transparendosal and the week -  #transparendosalw1 (week one, etc.) for your chance to be entered into a drawing. If you don't have instagram, you can send me a photo with your fabric selection at 72 dpi with a resolution of 800 pixels or less. The following Sunday, one lucky recipient will be chosen at random. Our sewalong is open internationally, so get out those sewing machines ladies (and gents)!

 

Email Karen with your weekly photo assignment. 

Email Verena with your weekly photo assignment. 

Week 15 Prize

Our final prize for sewing all Transparendo Transparency Sampler Quilt blocks and the finished quilt top is a full version of EQ8 sponsored the wonderful folks at the Electric Quilt Company. To enter your finished quilt top with all blocks and borders, photograph and forward to me or post on Instagram using the hashtag - #transparendoswalw15. Good luck to everyone who participates. We've enjoyed seeing your blocks week for week and can't wait to see your final quilt top.

If you would like to purchase the program, we have a PROMOTIONAL CODE to receive 25% off the software. Enter EASYPATCHWORK25 at checkout. If you live outside of the US, you will be sent a physical item in the mail. After you receive the package, you will be informed how to download and install the software on your system. Please follow the Electric Quilt Company on Instagram and subscribe to their newsletter for other great deals. 

Week 15 - Finished Quilt Top

I am so excited to share with you my finished quilt top! I decided to switch it up a little and add color to the last border strip. This was really hard to achieve wanting to symmetrically add the patches to the outside, because there is such a wonky number that it won't divide evenly. So, I added from the middle outwards evenly as much as I could.

Finished Quilt Top - Week 15 in the Transparendo Sewalong - #transparendosalw15

Our Sponsors

We are so happy to announce our fabulous sponsors!

Gold Sponsors:

• Robert Kaufman Fabrics
• Quilter's Dream Batting
• Steidl & Becker / Taylor Seville
  
• Adlico - AGF
• Goldschmied Klär
• easypatchwork
• einfach bunt Quilts

Platinum Sponsor

 The Electric Quilt Company

The wonderful folks at the Electric Quilt Company are sponsoring our Finale Prize of one full version of EQ8 at the end of the sewalong Week 15. To enter your finished quilt top with all blocks and borders, photograph and forward to me or post on Instagram. If you would like to purchase the program, we have a PROMOTIONAL CODE to receive 25% off the software. Enter EASYPATCHWORK25 at checkout. If you live outside of the US, you will be sent a physical item in the mail. After you receive the package, you will be informed how to download and install the software on your system. Please follow the Electric Quilt Company on Instagram and subscribe to their newsletter for other great deals. 

The winner of this week's drawing will be announced by Verena on Instagram! You will be contacted shortly about how to collect your prize. Thank to all for participating. We look forward to seeing your beautiful blocks next week as well.

Please participate in next week's drawing. Take a photo and post for all of us to see on Instagram or send to me [email protected] or Verena with a resolution of 72 dpi no larger than 800 pixels. One lucky participant will be chosen at random. The giveaway is open internationally. Void where prohibited. Open to quilters 18 years of age and older. Good luck to all. Thanks for joining us!

Transparendo Sewalong - Week 14

Happy Second Advent! Are holiday decorations are still happily stored away, but hope to change all of that this afternoon after the blog post is finished. 

If you are new here, thanks for stumbling across my website and blog, especially the Transparendo Sewalong. Transparendo is the newest quilting book featuring a modern sampler quilt using transparent quilt blocks to make a comfy-sized sofa quilt ~ 60" x 80".

We are entering our second to last week of the sewalong. The pattern is setup with the easiest blocks first followed by more difficult blocks; the difficulty increases with each block. You have two weeks to finish up your quilt or sew one of the alternate blocks if you decided to swap one out.

Are you sewing along with us? Enter your finished quilt top for the random drawing in Week 15 for your chance to win a full-version copy of EQ8 sponsored by our platinum sponsor - The Electric Quilt Company.

Verena from einfach bunt Quilts  and I love sewing your blocks and look forward to seeing your finished quilt top in our Transparendo Sewalong (#transaprendosal). 

 This week's hashtag is #transparendosalw14 for Week 14, Bonus Blocks. 

 Please sign up for our newsletters to keep on top of the sewalong.

Sewalong Schedule

We are wrapping up our sewalong with two weeks to go. You still have time to start and finish the quilt top if you hurry. The following week we will be sewing a bonus block if you prefer and then you still have time to sew all of the blocks together into a quilt top.

Post your progress on Instagram with the hashtags: #transparendosal and the week -  #transparendosalw1 (week one, etc.) for your chance to be entered into a drawing. If you don't have instagram, you can send me a photo with your fabric selection at 72 dpi with a resolution of 800 pixels or less. The following Sunday, one lucky recipient will be chosen at random. Our sewalong is open internationally, so get out those sewing machines ladies (and gents)!

 

Email Karen with your weekly photo assignment. 

Email Verena with your weekly photo assignment. 

Week 14 Prize

In Week 14, we have a fat quarter selection sponsored by Robert Kaufman Fabrics of Kona Solids used in the Miami Palms version of Transparendo. The fabrics arrived a little later than expected, so I couldn't use them in the sewalong quilt. Verena and I also also threw in coordinating fat quarters fabrics from the sewalong quilt. What can I say, they all match and coordinate very well together.  It looks like I have a standard color scheme when designing the quilt.

We also have our final set of Taylor Seville - Magic Pins sponsored by Steidl & Becker 

Week 14 - (Bonus Blocks) 

There are three different bonus blocks in the pattern to use as alternate blocks. They range in difficulty level. Here is what the quilt would look like if all three blocks were used. 

I really wanted to make the Radar Signal block, because I feel it shows a very interesting transparency effect. it is also my own design! However, my holiday schedule is starting to get booked up quickly, so this week I chose to make one single bonus block - Delicate Knots. This block was inspired by the quilt block found in EQ8 - Simple Knot which is found in the Electric Quilt Library and is another Nine Patch block. Do you see the nine quadrants? I added the transparency squares where the two fabrics overlap.

This block would typically be made with templates, but I wrote to the directions for easy patch assembly with larger pieces which would allow the block to be cut-to-size later when finished. 

The square the block up, place a large 12 1/2" quilting ruler or larger over the block and find the 6 1/4" center point from two adjacent sides. Cut the two adjacent sides consecutively, rotate the block and then line up the 12 1/2" mark on the lower corner in the opposite side of the block. Of course, you can line up the 6 1/4" mark again as a reference point, but we want the block to be 12 1/2".

Here is my Delicate Knots finished quilt block using the current fabrics for our sewalong.

Delicate Knots - Bonus Block 2, Week 14 in the Transparendo Sewalong - #transparendosalw14

My Tip This Week

I have a healthy tip for you this week. In 2023, I have made a commitment to myself to get healthier (and happier). One daily routine I have added is eating a regular breakfast of oats in the morning. Who would of thought there are so many different ways to enjoy a healthy breakfast of protein, antioxidants and healthy oils. Here's my favorite recipe.

Breakfast Oats Single Portion:

3-5 tablespoons old fashioned oats

1 teaspoon chia seeds

1 teaspoon bran

1/2 teaspoon flaxseed (ground)

1 teaspoon flaxseed or linseed oil

150 ml or grams of low fat dairy or non-dairy product such as skyr, greek yogurt, quark, buttermilk. almond milk

1/2 apple, banana, fresh seasonal fruit or handful of berries

1 tablespoon chopped, ground or sliced nuts such as walnut, almonds, peanuts, pistacio, coconut flakes

Mix first six ingredients together and let sit for 30 minutes to thicken. Add the fruits and nuts on top. Enjoy thoroughly. Individual portion ranges from 300 - 450 calories.

Our Sponsors

We are so happy to announce our fabulous sponsors!

Gold Sponsors:

• Robert Kaufman Fabrics
• Quilter's Dream Batting
• Steidl & Becker / Taylor Seville
  
• Adlico - AGF
• Goldschmied Klär
• easypatchwork
• einfach bunt Quilts

Platinum Sponsor

 The Electric Quilt Company

The wonderful folks at the Electric Quilt Company are sponsoring our Finale Prize of one full version of EQ8 at the end of the sewalong Week 15. To enter your finished quilt top with all blocks and borders, photograph and forward to me or post on Instagram. If you would like to purchase the program, we have a PROMOTIONAL CODE to receive 25% off the software. Enter EASYPATCHWORK25 at checkout. If you live outside of the US, you will be sent a physical item in the mail. After you receive the package, you will be informed how to download and install the software on your system. Please follow the Electric Quilt Company on Instagram and subscribe to their newsletter for other great deals. 

The winner of this week's drawing is Renate again! You will be contacted shortly about how to collect your prize. Thank to all for participating. We look forward to seeing your beautiful blocks next week as well.

Please participate in next week's drawing. Take a photo and post for all of us to see on Instagram or send to me [email protected] or Verena with a resolution of 72 dpi no larger than 800 pixels. One lucky participant will be chosen at random. The giveaway is open internationally. Void where prohibited. Open to quilters 18 years of age and older. Good luck to all. Thanks for joining us!

Preview

We look forward to seeing you next week! I'll talk about what went wrong when sewing my quilt top together. Stay tuned.

Please leave a comment below and tell everyone that your are sewing along. Be supportive and comment and contact other participants. We would love to hear your thoughts. Take care of yourself and keep on sewing happy. 

Transparendo Sewalong - Week 11

Welcome and thank you for joining us for the eleventh week of the Transparendo Sewalong. I have to admit, I am wondering if anyone is actually reading these sewalong blogposts? Writing a few words in the comments section below can't be that hard can it? Although a lot of the information below is a repeat of the previous weeks, it takes a good three hours to write a blogpost with informative information, good graphics, consistent content and interesting prizes.

Are you sewing along with us? You still can jump in and make 12 blocks for the quilt top as shown in the book and enter your finished quilt top for the random drawing in Week 15 for your chance to win a full-version copy of EQ8 sponsored by our platinum sponsor - The Electric Quilt Company.

Verena from einfach bunt Quilts  and I love sewing your blocks and look forward to seeing your finished quilt top in our Transparendo Sewalong (#transaprendosal). 

 This week's hashtag is #transparendosalw10 for Week Ten, Block Nine. 

 Please sign up for our newsletters to keep on top of the sewalong.

Sewalong Schedule

What is in store for you over the next fifteen weeks? Take a look at our line up. Each week there is a fun, new assignment to complete. The blocks accelerate in skill level with each new block and build upon previous blocks. Learn all types of new skills such as flying geese, nesting and twisting seams, and cutting extra-large pieces of fabric for squares and triangles.

Post your progress on Instagram with the hashtags: #transparendosal and the week -  #transparendosalw1 (week one, etc.) for your chance to be entered into a drawing. If you don't have instagram, you can send me a photo with your fabric selection at 72 dpi with a resolution of 800 pixels or less. The following Sunday, one lucky recipient will be chosen at random. Our sewalong is open internationally, so get out those sewing machines ladies (and gents)!

 

Email Karen with your weekly photo assignment. 

Email Verena with your weekly photo assignment. 

Week 11 Prize

In Week 11, we a wonderful Dream Bamboo Batting, crib-size, sponsored by our friends at Quilter's Dream Batting in Virginia, USA.

In addition, we have a set of Magic Pins from our friends at Taylor Seville Europe sponsored by Steidl & Becker.

Week 11 - (Block Ten) Sails in the Wind

Block Ten no longer belongs to the easy, cheesey, flipping easy blocks. This one is advanced due to all of those points that need to line up! Don't worry. You got this. Just take your time and allow yourself the patience to finish the different segements. Press in the direction as outlined in the instructions. If that doesn't work, press however you want. Remember, those are just guidelines. 

This block is based on a 12" Mosaic block found in EQ8. As an added bonus, I am going to walk you through the process of how to recreate this block in the Electric Quilt Software. Are you ready? Let's get started!

This is my final block using the current fabrics for our sewalong.

Sails in the Wind - Block 10, Week 11 in the Transparendo Sewalong - #transparendosalw11

Our Sponsors

We've been working really hard behind the scenes to bring some amazing prizes to our participants. We are so happy to announce our fabulous sponsors!

Gold Sponsors:

• Quilter's Dream Batting
• Steidl & Becker / Taylor Seville
  
• Adlico - AGF
• Goldschmied Klär
• easypatchwork
• einfach bunt Quilts

Platinum Sponsor

 The Electric Quilt Company

The wonderful folks at the Electric Quilt Company are sponsoring our Finale Prize of one full version of EQ8 at the end of the sewalong Week 15. To enter your finished quilt top with all blocks and borders, photograph and forward to me or post on Instagram. If you would like to purchase the program, we have a PROMOTIONAL CODE to receive 25% off the software. Enter EASYPATCHWORK25 at checkout. If you live outside of the US, you will be sent a physical item in the mail. After you receive the package, you will be informed how to download and install the software on your system. Please follow the Electric Quilt Company on Instagram and subscribe to their newsletter for other great deals. 

The winner of this week's drawing is Beate! You will be contacted shortly about how to collect your prize. Thank to all for participating. We look forward to seeing your beautiful blocks next week as well.

Please participate in next week's drawing. Take a photo and post for all of us to see on Instagram or send to me [email protected] or Verena with a resolution of 72 dpi no larger than 800 pixels. One lucky participant will be chosen at random. The giveaway is open internationally. Void where prohibited. Open to quilters 18 years of age and older. Good luck to all. Thanks for joining us!

Preview

We look forward to seeing you next week, where we will be showcasing the Splendid Alps!

Please leave a comment below and tell everyone that your are sewing along. Be supportive and comment and contact other participants. We would love to hear your thoughts. Take care of yourself and keep on sewing happy. 

Transparendo Sewalong - Week Nine

Hi everyone and thanks for joining us for another edition of the Transparendo Sewalong. We are here to share with you the ninth week with another fun block assignment. Make all 12 blocks, sew together the quilt top as shown in the book and enter your finished quilt top for the random drawing of all participants in Week 15 for your chance to win a full-version copy of EQ8 sponsored by our platinum sponsor - The Electric Quilt Company.

Verena from einfach bunt Quilts  and I are really excited to support you and our quilting community with tips and tricks and well as soon good old fashioned quilting fun with our Transparendo Sewalong (#transaprendosal). 

 This week's hashtag is #transparendosalw9 for Week Nine. 

 Please sign up for our newsletters to keep on top of the sewalong.

Sewalong Schedule

What is in store for you over the next fifteen weeks? Take a look at our line up. Each week there is a fun, new assignment to complete. The blocks accelerate in skill level with each new block and build upon previous blocks. Learn all types of new skills such as flying geese, nesting and twisting seams, and cutting extra-large pieces of fabric for squares and triangles.

Post your progress on Instagram with the hashtags: #transparendosal and the week -  #transparendosalw1 (week one, etc.) for your chance to be entered into a drawing. If you don't have instagram, you can send me a photo with your fabric selection at 72 dpi with a resolution of 800 pixels or less. The following Sunday, one lucky recipient will be chosen at random. Our sewalong is open internationally, so get out those sewing machines ladies (and gents)!

 

Email Karen with your weekly photo assignment. 

Email Verena with your weekly photo assignment. 

Week Nine Prize

In Week Nine, we have another lovely set of Taylor Seville Magic Pins, 1 x Fork Pins and 1 x Extra-long Pins sponsored by Steidl & Becker (Wholesale Distributor) 

 

 

 

and one Art Gallery Fabrics - AGF Pure Solids Color Card to reference all of your future quilts sponsored by Adlico. 

 

Week Nine - (Block Eight) Spinning Dice

This block uses a the classical Shoe Fly quilt block. One Shoe Fly is shown at 100% and another is reduced by ~ 50% and overlaid on top of the original block. Do you see the transparency and how it changes the colors?

This is how the block looks mocked up in EQ8 with the colors used in the current sewalong quilt.

Simplified Version

When I designed this quilt block, I wanted the center block to stand out. The use of a third color challenges the viewer to go out of their comfort zone to see more color transparency and complexity. That is why I changed up the color in the middle. Of course, you can work with just two colors in the example below if you want. It is easier to visualize the transparency. 

Here we have the finished block. Yay!

Spinning Dice - Block -Eight in the Transparendo Sewalong - #transparendosalw9

Now you can see all eight blocks that we have completed in our sewalong.

Here are a couple of mockup quilts I designed with the help of EQ8, my favorite quilting software for designing quilts.

This Week's Tip

Enjoy your downtime especially your vacations! I know this isn't a sewing tip, but you should always know when to treat yourself to a break. We were on vacation last week in the Black Forest, here in Southern Germany. The typical fall weather didn't slow us down either. It was great to get away from the daily grind to enjoy the wonderful Black Forest scenery and hospitality. Everytime we visit, I am bombarded with beautiful ideas for a "Schwarzwaldquilt." What would it look like? What could you envision?

Sponsors

We've been working really hard behind the scenes to bring some amazing prizes to our participants. We are so happy to announce our fabulous sponsors!

Gold Sponsors:

• Quilter's Dream Batting
• Steidl & Becker / Taylor Seville
  
• Adlico - AGF
• Robert Kaufman Fabrics
  
• Goldschmied Klär

Platinum Sponsor

 The Electric Quilt Company

The wonderful folks at the Electric Quilt Company are sponsoring our Finale Prize of one full version of EQ8 at the end of the sewalong Week 15. To enter your finished quilt top with all blocks and borders, photograph and forward to me or post on Instagram. If you would like to purchase the program, we have a PROMOTIONAL CODE to receive 25% off the software. Enter EASYPATCHWORK25 at checkout. If you live outside of the US, you will be sent a physical item in the mail. After you receive the package, you will be informed how to download and install the software on your system. Please follow the Electric Quilt Company on Instagram and subscribe to their newsletter for other great deals. 

The winner of this week's drawing is Sylvia! You will be contacted shortly about how to collect your prize. Thank to all for participating. We look forward to seeing your beautiful blocks next week as well.

Please participate in next week's drawing. Take a photo and post for all of us to see on Instagram or send to me [email protected] or Verena with a resolution of 72 dpi no larger than 800 pixels. One lucky participant will be chosen at random. The giveaway is open internationally. Void where prohibited. Open to quilters 18 years of age and older. Good luck to all. Thanks for joining us!

Preview

Join us next week for my favorite block in this series - The Disappearing X Block!

Please leave a comment below and tell everyone that your are sewing along. Be supportive and comment and contact other participants. We would love to hear your thoughts. Take care of yourself and keep on sewing happy. We look forward to seeing you next week, where we ill be showcasing the Double Nine Patch block!

Transparendo Sewalong - Week Eight

Hi there and thanks for joining us for the eight week of the Transparendo Sewalong. We are so excited seeing everyone's blocks on Instagram. Please check them out under the hashtags, visit other's accounts and leave some love in the form of some encouraging and thoughtful words.

Each week, we have a random drawing of those participating. Enter your photo to be entered. Make all 12 blocks, sew together the quilt top as shown in the book and enter your finished quilt top for the random drawing of all participants in Week 15 for your chance to win a full-version copy of EQ8 sponsored by our platinum sponsor - The Electric Quilt Company.

Verena from einfach bunt Quilts  and I are really excited to support you and our quilting community with tips and tricks and well as soon good old fashioned quilting fun with our Transparendo Sewalong (#transaprendosal). 

 This week's hashtag is #transparendosalw8 for Week Eight for the seventh block in the book. 

 Please sign up for our newsletters to keep on top of the sewalong.

Sewalong Schedule

What is in store for you over the next fifteen weeks? Take a look at our line up. Each week there is a fun, new assignment to complete. The blocks accelerate in skill level with each new block and build upon previous blocks. Learn all types of new skills such as flying geese, nesting and twisting seams, and cutting extra-large pieces of fabric for squares and triangles.

Post your progress on Instagram with the hashtags: #transparendosal and the week -  #transparendosalw1 (week one, etc.) for your chance to be entered into a drawing. If you don't have instagram, you can send me a photo with your fabric selection at 72 dpi with a resolution of 800 pixels or less. The following Sunday, one lucky recipient will be chosen at random. Our sewalong is open internationally, so get out those sewing machines ladies (and gents)!

 

Email Karen with your weekly photo assignment. 

Email Verena with your weekly photo assignment. 

Week Eight Prizes

In Week Seven, we have another crib size batting - Quilter's Dream Green made from 100% recycled plastic fibers from our favorite batting company - Quilter's Dream Batting based in Virginia, USA.

 

In addition, we are giving away another set of Magic Pins from Taylor Seville sponsored by Steidl & Becker. 

Week 8, Block Seven - Blinded on the Freeway

This week, we are making the Blinded on the Freeway block which is a spin-off of another one of my self-designed blocks - Freeway originally released under Logs & Channels. 

Based on Original Block - Freeway

This was my quilt and bee block. I was very honored to have the blocks sewn by my German-speaking bee mates last year 2022. The block was a bit more challenging for my beemates, because I through in an inset seam. : ) They need to be challenged every now and again. I knew they could do it too and they did!!

I was unedecided about a name for the block and quilt. 

Logs & Channels

Freeway

Life's Maze

Which name do you like the best?

This block uses log cabin piecing which can be a little tricky but is also very rewarding. The advantage of log cabin piecing, is that you don't have to pin a lot. You sew strips together that should always match up to the next segment. You can easily see if your seam allowance is accurate or not. A big disadvantage of sewing log cabin blocks is that they can get wonky pretty quickly if you are not careful. That's why I advise to finger press as much as possible and press or set your seams only when necessary. Otherwise, you will stretch or distord your seams giving way to potential wonky blocks.

Follow the direction on this block and all of your seams will nest nicely without hassle. I have to admit, when sewing my own blocks, I love the fact that all of the information is listed - patch dimensions, cutting instructions, construction methods, step-by-step instructions, pressing directions, etc. Sometimes, I even skip over my own advise. It bites me in the rumpus later when something doesn't match up. Yes, I even complain to the designer/writer in my head. I am so happy to know though, that my quilt testers rocked this pattern. Everything is perfect! 

Thanks so much to Ulrike, Verena, Sandra, May, Martina and Kerstin who helped sew, proof and provide the best feeback ever!

Blinded on the Freeway - Block Seven, Week Eight in the Transparendo Sewalong - #transparendosalw8

Here are some cool quilts I whipped up with the block.

Here are a couple without the transparency and a slightly modified block.

This Week's Tip

Trying to achieve a true scant 1/4" seams throughout your quilt blocks is a daily challenge. You may want to invest in a 1/4" metal or adhesive strip guide for your sewing machine or practice with three - 1 1/2" strips of fabric. Sew them together and see if you have 3 1/2" in the end. If not, you may want to adjust your seam allowance. Practice, practice, practice with three, six or even twelve - 1 1/2" strips to perfect your true 1/4" seams. 

Sponsors

We've been working really hard behind the scenes to bring some amazing prizes to our participants. We are so happy to announce our fabulous sponsors!

Gold Sponsors:

• Quilter's Dream Batting
• Steidl & Becker / Taylor Seville
  
• Adlico - AGF
• Goldschmied Klär

Platinum Sponsor

 The Electric Quilt Company

The wonderful folks at the Electric Quilt Company are sponsoring our Finale Prize of one full version of EQ8 at the end of the sewalong Week 15. To enter your finished quilt top with all blocks and borders, photograph and forward to me or post on Instagram. If you would like to purchase the program, we have a PROMOTIONAL CODE to receive 25% off the software. Enter EASYPATCHWORK25 at checkout. If you live outside of the US, you will be sent a physical item in the mail. After you receive the package, you will be informed how to download and install the software on your system. Please follow the Electric Quilt Company on Instagram and subscribe to their newsletter for other great deals. 

The winner of this week's drawing is Renate! Congratulations! You will be contacted shortly about how to collect your prize. Thank to all for participating. We look forward to seeing your beautiful blocks next week as well.

Please participate in next week's drawing. Take a photo and post for all of us to see on Instagram or send to me [email protected] or Verena with a resolution of 72 dpi no larger than 800 pixels. One lucky participant will be chosen at random. The giveaway is open internationally. Void where prohibited. Open to quilters 18 years of age and older. Good luck to all. Thanks for joining us!

Please leave a comment below if you are participating! 

We look forward to seeing you next week, where we will be showcasing the Spinning Dice block!