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Hi everyone and welcome to the Courting Sew Along! There will be four weeks of Sew Along. Week 1 - Fabric choices Week 2 - Making the Hearts Week 3 - Making the blocks and troubleshooting Week 4 - Assembly and borders All you need if you would like to stitch with me is the Courting pattern. That's available here. If you are a StitchyMItes member, you have a discount code so don’t forget to use that! StitchyMites also have a little bit of extra info this week to help you along, and a video about foundation paper piecing too. If you would like to become a StitchyMite its just $5 AUS a month, and you can join here This week for the Sew Along we are going to chat a little bit about your quilt size, and fabric choices. Really the first thing. You need to decide is how large you would like your quilt to be. The pattern gives you sizes for King, Queen, Single, Throw and Cot sizes, and each needs a different number of strips and amount of fabric, and several have a different block size. Once you have decided what size you are making, go through your pattern with a highlighter and mark the measurements and numbers for your quilt size on each page, so that you can’t get lost or confused. My quilt is made in colours I like to call “squashy”. That's my highly technical term for not having a lot of contrast. The fabrics that I used in my “white” selection all have white backgrounds, but they all have coloured patterns on top. The fabrics that I used for my “pink” selection are all soft - medium pinks, and a few hot pinks, with not a lot of contrast between them on the whole. This results in the pattern running across the quilt quite clearly, but not being very sharp, which is the way I planned it. Courthouse Steps quilts are traditionally quite sharp in their contrast though! A Courthouse Steps block is what we are making in this pattern, with of course the addition of my little heart in the centre. A Courthouse Steps block is kind of like a Log Cabin, except that the strips build outwards on alternate sides of the centre square instead of wrapping around it, like the Log Cabin block does. Because of this symmetry, the strips look like a set of stairs, which is how the block got its name - although where the original Courthouse was is anyone’s guess. The block pattern dates back to the 1700’s in the USA, however stitched and folded Log Cabin and Courthouse Steps patterns were wrapped around mummified cats, dogs and other animals in ancient Egypt, so there’s no claiming that as a first I’m afraid. The Courthouse name did originate in the USA though. If you’re interested in reading more about the history of cat mummies with quilts on them (how could you not be?!), Barbara Brackman has a wonderful post about it so I won’t expand on her expertise - you can find it here https://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/2021/12/cat-mummies-log-cabins.html I digress. Here are some examples of antique Courthouse Steps blocks. You can see that the contrast is rather more in most of them than in mine. The best example really is the wonderful black and red one here, which is actually by a Gees Bend quilter - it’s not at all symmetrical or perfect in its construction, but isn’t it wonderful? And that sharp edge contrast between the colours really shows the pattern off. All that to say, don’t be afraid to stray from the pink and white path when choosing your fabrics. You could choose navy and very bright white, red and yellow, or even put your strips in rainbow order across the quilt for the pink, and make your “white” strips all black! I would love to see what you all get up to in choosing your fabrics, so please make sure and post your choices on instagram using the hashtag #courtingquilt, or join my Facebook group Sarah Fielke Quilts and post your choices there. Sew alongs are always much more fun when you can see everyone else’s progress, so please don’t be afraid to share. Have fun getting your fabrics together this week, and don’t worry if you aren’t quite there - next week we are making the Heart blocks so thats really all you need to have in hand before then. If you want to get organised for next week, you will need some foundation paper for your heart piecing - I sell the Carol Doak brand of paper and I have plenty in stock! Have fun and don’t forget if you’re having trouble you can always send me an email sarah@sarahfielke.com See you next. Week Sarah x

Hi StitchyMites, welcome to Wednesday :) Today is the day that the Courting Sew Along starts! While its open to everyone, I thought you might like some little extra insights on things you can do with the pattern to make it suit the fabrics you already have or things you might especially want to use. The post for the Sew Along today is all about choosing. your fabrics - however if you're thinking of doing one of the slightly different layouts below you'll want to know that before we start making the Heart blocks next week. Essentially, the centre square is 2" finished - so if you don't like the idea of hearts, or are making the quilt for a little boy for example, that square is sitting there waiting for you to pop something else in there and change the plan up. I especially like the idea of appliquéing a circle (or fussy cutting a big dot) right into the middle - it will give the layout some punch and focus, like the heart does but without as much effort or without being too cutesy. If you have any of my BOM template sets, you'll find lots of the smaller circles will fit into that square. Using my Perfect Circles method they will be quick to turn and stitch down! Another option is to make that centre square a continuation of your colour scheme. This works better if you are using a lot of contrast in your colours - for example, navy blue instead of the pink and a sharp white. 2 What you will find is that the navy makes much more of a continued wave across the quilt, uninterrupted by the distraction of the heart and the middle of the block. This won't work nearly as well though if you try to do it where the white fabric should go in my layouts - it will look more like a big H, as the three 2" pieces at the centre will all run in a line. A third option is to fussy cut all the centre squares from the same fabric, in a different colour. In my pink and white layout for example, a red fabric would be great but so would green or yellow. If you have something you love like a little bee on a Heather Ross fabric for example, its a lovely way to showcase that. If you would rather fussy cut one of your big Kaffe or Tilda flowers, or a dump truck for a little boy, you can expand the centre square to 6 1/2" cut. Once you have cut your centre squares, simply leave the first row of piecing for the pink and the white fabrics, and begin to stitch your strips with Row 2 of the white, then build the blocks as per the pattern as its written. It will give you a more open looking block, but its a nice way to feature something or to personalise the quilt for someone special. Of course if you want to get really detailed, you could always piece a little something into the centre of the block - some triangles, or a square in a square, or a tiny star for example. Thinking about all these things has made me want to make another quilt with a 6" star in the middle of the strips... must. restrain. self..... Anyhoo I hope these ideas give you something to think about if you're joining the Courting Sew Along! If you are and you haven't bought your pattern yet, don't forget that last weeks post has a StitchyMites only discount on the pattern in it, that expires today. Happy sewing peeps and see you next week - and thank you so much to those of you who sent get well messages and cards, you're all so sweet and thoughtful and I appreciate you so much! Have a great Wednesday Sarah x

All you need is the pattern, available for PDF download only at my website (a paper pattern is available wholesale!) The pattern comes with sizes for king, queen, single, throw and cot, and access to a video tutorial on making the hearts. A link to the first Sewing Along post will be up tomorrow. There will be four weeks of sew along- choosing your fabrics, making the hearts, making the blocks and border and assembly. It’s going to be fun! Pattern available from here StitchyMites members, don’t forget you have a discount code! (Information on becoming a StitchyMite is also at my website)

What is StitchyMites? StitchyMites is a subscription club for all things Sarah Fielke and a bunch of other stuff besides. ​ Each week there will be a new post on the StitchyMites club website that is just for StitchyMites members. You will have access to extras that aren’t available to non-members, early access to sales and other signups, and get the inside scoop on things before they’re public. ​ I’ve been playing with how to do this for a long time! It’s like a blog, but so much more. Choose your payment plan StitchyMites Monthly Membership $ 5 5$ Every month Australian Dollars Join now StitchyMites Annual Subscription $ 60 60$ Australian Dollars Valid for 12 months Join now What is included every month? Sarah, what in heaven’s name is a StitchyMite? How much does it cost? Your StitchyMites subscription will open on Wednesday, September 20, with the Spooky Town Sew Along pattern. You can read more about that in the Sew Along link at my website. The Sew Along is free to anyone. The pattern for the Tiny Town quilt is available at my website, and everyone MUST have a copy of the pattern to participate - but there is a really sweet Halloween version that non-members will need to pay $10 for. StitchyMite members will get the pattern as part of their subscription, along with some demo videos about English Paper Piecing and applique that the other sew along members will not have. ​ You will also have free access to my Christmas Ornament Swap should you choose to participate - there is usually an AU$5 admin fee, but if you’re a StitchyMite that is waived. If you DO want to participate, don’t sign up for the swap yet because you will be given a special code to remove your fee on Wednesday. ​ After the stitch along is over, every week there will be something new: Sometimes it might be special access to a new pattern (like Spooky Town!), Sometimes discounts on existing programs (like the Christmas Swap!). Sometimes there will be a post about new fabric I’ve seen, new quilting tools, someone I follow online who I think is amazing, or a new book. Occasionally, a few of those things at once! I might write a story. There might be a block pattern, a little applique project, a tutorial video, a video show and tell, a special sale code… we might even have a few Zoom chats. ​ Whatever it is, it will always be a bonus. Also, you’ll have the inside scoop on new things before I make them public - sneak peeks of new designs and programs that are just for the StitchyMites Vault. Sound like fun? ​ StitchyMites does NOT include access to any current or future Block of the Month programs.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep. Many stitches before we sleep. BIG WOODS BOM Learn the fine art of hand appliqué from the extraordinary quilter, teacher, designer, and author Sarah Fielke as you stitch along with Tula Pink. Join Now STOP, THIEF! BOM Now Open Join Now Sew Surfside Retreat Date - August 23 and 24, 2024 Location - Recreation Centre Annex, Avalon Beach, NSW, Australia Purchase tickets now Where to Quilt Gallery Quilt Eye Candy Inspiring Customer Quilts To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Customer Award Winning Quilts To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

QUILT INSPIRATION Sarah Fielke Quilt Gallery A gallery of Sarah Fielke hand made designed quilts and projects. A 25 year exploration in colour, design and technique. Inspiring Customer Quilts To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Customer Award Winning Quilts To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.