Snowalong Week 1!

Welcome to the Snowalong Sew-along!  The first snowflake pattern is ready to share and I’m excited to see what you create with it.

First, let’s review the Snowalong basics.

1. You don’t need to sign up.  Just download, sew and share.

2. I will write a blog post every Monday, today through November 3rd, sharing a link to one of my snowflake paper piecing patterns.

3. Each pattern will be available free of charge for two weeks.  Please note that the patterns are for your personal use. If friends would like a copy, please encourage them to come download their own copy. Thanks!  (The pattern link will stay active past the two week period for anyone who is late to the part and would like to purchase the pattern.)

4. Sew up as few or as many snowflake blocks as you wish.

5. Share! Every Monday starting next week, the weekly Snowalong post will include a “linky”.  Those of you with blogs can write a blog post about your snowflakes and share a link to them in the linky so we can all go admire your work.  If you have piecing tips to share, by all means include those too.  I’ll include instructions on how to link up in next weeks’ post.

6. Those of you without blogs can join the Snowalong Sew along Facebook group and share pictures and tips there.

7. Have fun! (This is an important one.)



OK, now for the technical “how to get the patterns” part

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UPDATED June 23, 2019:  The patterns are now available for purchase as part of Snowflakes Sampler Set 1 or Snowflake Blocks Complete Set, both in my Etsy shop.  

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Easy!  If you run into problems, email me or leave a comment and I’ll try to help.  Just remember that if you comment anonymously or are a “no-reply” blogger, I can’t reply privately.



Finally, because we’re all chomping at the bit to get sewing, let’s talk about the pattern

1. The templates include a 1/4” seam allowance around each section.

2. Make sure to set the printing to “no scaling” or actual size.  The box on the template page should measure 1”.  If it doesn’t, the size and the seam allowances of the templates will be off.

3. Depending how you place your colors, you can make at least 3 different versions of the block.  There are diagrams showing you the 4 versions I came up with for this week’s pattern, but I’d love to see any others you come up with.

4. You'll need about 1/8 yard of white for the snowflake per block, and about 1 yard of background for every 5 blocks (1/8 yd per block is not quite enough, but 1/4 yd is much more than you need.)

5. Don’t feel you have to stick to blue and white!

6. You can use whichever paper-piecing method you like.  Come back on Tuesday if you would like to see the freezer paper method I am using.  And if you want to cut the templates apart for individual patch templates and then sew all those pieces together in the traditional way…you’re much more ambitious than me!

One template design, 4 different snowflakes!

Enjoy!