Yay! Today I have another patchwork group for my Positivities quilt ready to share. It’s one of the easiest assignments in the year-long block-of-the-month, and it’s our first. If you join us, this is what we’ll be sewing in January!

First, fabrics. This block uses only two solids from the quilt’s 9 base solids: Plum and Peacock. All 9 base solids are sophisticated Tilda solids, and you can already buy them in one fell swoop at Sojo Fabric. The rest of the fabrics? Scraps! The pattern suggests that you use scraps in orange, copper, purple and cream.

Now Expansion group has some very simple foundation paper pieced blocks. That’s how we sew perfectly pointy triangles without sweating. Foundation paper piecing is a sewing method that is totally worth learning. I will be walking you through step-by-step in January. Expansion is a great place to learn it, and it will come in handy for other Positivities blocks too!

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At the center of the Expansion group is a four-pointed star, the same style as those in Star Web group. This star is a bit larger and expands into a second layer of points. Below I am showing it laying on top of the Peacock solid, which is the background fabric for Positivities. Or, at least, that is the one that I am using. You can choose your own set of 9 base solids, perhaps even using solids you have in your stash. I always applaud using up what you already have.

You might wonder why there is a sort of cut-out missing at the upper left corner of the block? Yes, that does seem odd in this context, I agree. That’s so because Expansion nestles beside another Positivities patchwork group, creating an overlap effect. That’s the style of my modern samplers - scattered and overlapping design elements, this time floating on a consistent background fabric.

So, here it is: the Expansion group for Positivities quilt. Easy peasy and fast to sew!

Next time I chime in about Positivites I will be showing the full quilt mock-up so that you can see how everything works together. Exciting!

Registration opens January 3rd. We begin fresh with our first block in January! Click below to stay in the know via email.

As much as I loved sewing this and have enjoyed designing and developing this quilt, I am equally looking forward to sharing the positive messages that connect with each group. My last block-of-the-month had a ballet theme, which emerged naturally from my background with ballet. This time the quilt reflects the current transformative season of my life.

When life turns on its head, you are faced with so many choices and so many feelings. Creativity definitely helps me stay grounded and positivite. Each month we will reflect together on a positive theme. With Expansion it is about connecting with our needs, dreams and preferences and finding the courage to own them, instead of always giving in to pressure to just “go along” with what everyone else wants. Yes, we should take up space in our own lives. There’s nothing shameful or selfish about that. On the contrary, it creates a foundation from which you can love others best.

I hope you will join us!

xoxo,

Rachel