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My friend Meredith has a quilt shop in Centralia, Missouri….and, she designs patterns. And, she has two kiddos. And, she teaches piano lessons. She’s a busy lady!

Starting today, I am featuring one of her patterns for sale in my store.

Why?

Because, I always get nervous when I buy a pattern. I don’t want to commit to a project with tough, complicated directions.

I want to buy a pattern that someone said, “Oh, I made that….you can do that one!”

I made this pattern myself & I’m here tellin’ you: you can do this one! If you love this pattern – feel confident buying it. Click on over to my online store it is $8 with $1.50 shipping.DSCN8060

From one quilter to another, it is so do-able!

Dashing

I finished this lap-sized quilt top last winter (during a blizzard). I haven’t gotten around to machine quilting it yet (waiting for another blizzard), but I am happy with the finished top.

I love the old-with-the-new concept in this design. Churn dashes are very traditional block but, when paired with the modern, clean lines from the rectangles, the whole design is very fresh. This was my first experience making church dashes, it was fun to learn the simple piecing technique.

Another thing I like about the lap size version of this quilt is that there are no borders, I think it adds to the modern look.DSCN8124

While the rectangles in this quilt may look overwhelming, it is actually quite simple. The way Meredith designed the pattern, each color (6 fabrics for the lap, 8 fabrics for the queen) is given a letter. The strips are cut WOF. Then, they are cut into a range of lengths. After cutting, you just follow the diagram. It is quite simple!

Two Tips for Dashing

  1. I suggest that after you cut the rectangles for this quilt, you start & finish it in one location. I moved a few times: from college, a visit to John, to my mom’s home, back to South Dakota. It is much simpler just to clear off some table space & get rolling!
  2. I also suggest that you put all of the pieces in order for one row, double check it with the diagram, and then go to machine and piece that whole row. This makes the process faster.

To purchase Dashing, please visit my shop. It is $8 with a $1.50 shipping fee – a great price for two sizes in one!DSCN8121

Thanks for reading!

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3 Comments

  1. Alicia Hancock

    I used this pattern for my emerald challenge quit. I didn’t get the quilt done in time, but I loved how it turned out! I am finishing it with prairie points. I will finish it eventually! 🙂

    Reply
  2. Michele

    This is fun pattern! I have made a couple using the pattern as written and a couple modified. Actually, Sylvia showed me one modification using 5 inch squares substituted for the churn dashes. Very fun and quite quick after the cutting and labeling. I am a big fan of borders, so like on most all my quilts, I added a border. ( It helps square it up, too!) Like I mentioned, it is addictive and I didn’t get much else done after starting.)

    Reply
  3. Meredith

    Your quilt looks great against the South Dakota snow! I have another suggestion…make a fabric cheat sheet! I tape a small scrap of each fabric onto a piece of paper and label it with the corresponding letters. The second time I made this quilt, I organized my cut fabric into piles according to rectangle length, not fabric print. Then, I just had to glance at the cheat sheet. That seemed even easier. Happy sewing!

    Reply

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Hey, I’m Sierra Shea! I am so glad you are here. 

Where do I start with writing to introduce this blog? At the beginning, I suppose: I’ve been writing on various platforms online since 2013. I started blogging shortly after moving to South Dakota.

I am a mother and a maker at heart. I’m so grateful to be married to John and mother of three: Joslyn, J.D. and Jesse.

I am a self-taught decorator and designer. I am a brand new shepherdess and a Spiritual Director.

I love living in South Dakota, even though the winters & the wind can be a near-daily struggle.

Blogging is a grounding force in my life and it helps get me out of my head, unstuck and moving in the directions I always hoped I’d be going!