Longing for a bright, bright Sunshiny Day?
Not the ‘middle of a heatwave’ kind, but the fresh, clear, ‘after the rain’ kind. The kind where you open the windows and let the breeze flow through. Where you feel your body and mind start to shake off the fuzzy, stuck-inside feeling. Where the noise of various devices and cabin-fevered kids switch off or dissipate outside. And suddenly you have a quiet mind, and a quiet moment to enjoy some stitching.
It’s my favourite kind of day, and there’s been far too few this year! And so I’ve decided to create my own sunshine, a collection of happy quilt blocks to sew with a quiet cup of tea or a glass of wine once the kids go to bed, or when the rare, magic hush of 3 homeschooling kids, reading, settles in the living room, or when, for the first time in 6 months, I could finally sit and have a coffee with a dear, old friend. A quilt to mark and remember little moments of joy, but also to create them, perhaps during those dreaded zoom meetings, time stuck in quarantine, waiting for appointments, or on a commute. A prayer for long-missed family, hands kept busy to settle a wandering mind, or the constant scrolling. A portion of your life where there is beauty and order and progress and certainty. A quilt is kind of magical that way.
Join the Sunshiny Day Club
Sunshiny Day quilt is the new 2021 quilt club by Tales of Cloth. Join us for an 8 month sew-along, 1 month for preparation and inspiration, 6 months of stitching beautiful blocks, and 1 month for finishing your happy quilt! During the course of the sew-along, you’ll receive 8-10 emails full of instructions, sewing and organisation tips, and photos from the group.
We’ll sew 3 different blocks based on the 8 point star, named “Dawn”, “Noon”, and “Dusk”, and we’ll hear stories, reflections and quotes about the different times of the day and what they’ve meant to people throughout history.
I’ll share my best advice for choosing prints for small piecing, using a quilt to sort through and use up your scraps, how to organise your quilt preparation in a way that maximises progress, and how to troubleshoot if you find yourself stuck or uninspired.
Prizes and the like!
One of the best things about a club is having a little brown paper package arrive each month, right? And so because we can’t have that option this year, I decided to throw in something a little extra. Each envelope in the paper kit will have a surprise little gift included with the papers to enjoy each month. They may include clover clips, needles, thread, fabric scraps, discount codes or vouchers, and more! Of course, you can open up everything once it arrives and see what’s there, but I knew there’d be some of you that would just love to spread out the joy, opening each envelope at the beginning of the month and enjoying the little extra something.
And Prizes! Share your Sunshiny Day progress photos with the hashtag #sunshinydayquilt to be eligible for prizes sponsored by me and Hillstitches!
Options to suit every stitcher
This year we have a range of club options to suit every budget and stitching style!
Quilt kit with the lot!
I’m so excited to have Emma from Hillstitches offering fabric bundles for those who are just starting out with a stash, or for those who want to treat themselves to a beautiful new stash-building bundle of useful prints. Fabric will be purchased through the Tales of Cloth shop and shipped with the kit to save shipping and handling. Add it to cart when you buy the EPP kit or digital membership to have everything you need to make your whole quilt!
All fabric cuts are metric 8ths and 16ths which are slightly larger than imperial. Pieces in the bundle will 10” x 11” (fat 16ths) or 10” x 22” (fat 8ths) which will fit the 9 1/2” background squares.
Choose between:
Fat 8th Bundle: 50 prints and 24 low volume* - (9 1/4 yds total) - enough to make the whole quilt top**.
Fat 16th Bundle: 50 prints and 24 low volume - (4 5/8yds total) - the perfect stash booster to fill in around your favourite scraps and stash pieces.
*Low Volume means prints that have a white or pastel background colour with a low-contrast print.
**This depends on how much fussy cutting you enjoy! And it assumes you’ll use the same print multiple times throughout the quilt.
Photo by Bec of @skyberries
BYO stash
Sunshiny Day is the perfect stash/scrap buster! If you want to make this quilt to make a dent in your scrap pile, or you have a special collection in mind, grab the EPP kit!
Includes:
All the papers to make the quilt top, split into 6 monthly envelopes
Optional acrylic templates
A free, new and exclusive Shape Window
Extra monthly stitchy gifts
Complete pattern and extras delivered in monthly emails
All packaged together in a beautiful recycled card gift box
For the Free Spirits!
Calling all hand-piecers! Or perhaps you own your own cutting machine? For the first time, we’re offering club membership as an email-only option for those who prefer to cut their own paper templates or who don’t English Paper Piece.
Includes:
Complete pattern and extras delivered in monthly emails
Option to purchase acrylic templates and Shape Window separately
Frequently Asked Questions:
I’m new to English Paper Piecing. Is this the right quilt for me?
If you’re not a perfectionist, yes! If you’re happy to learn and improve throughout this quilt, I think a beginner could really enjoy this experience. I’ll include clear diagrams and photos in the monthly email instructions, and the occasional video, plus links to my older tutorials or alternative methods from others. This quilt includes English Paper Piecing, applique, and machine piecing. If you’re made a quilt or two before, used a rotary cutter and sewing machine, and have some experience in hand sewing or embroidery, you’ll be able to make this quilt. We’ll start at the easiest block, and move through to the trickiest.
Is the price a monthly payment or just one off?
Just one off! The prices listed here cover the whole kit and/or membership for 2021.
When do sign ups close?
Sign ups are open from 23rd November - Midnight 4th December (Melbourne time). They are 20% off, as part of our Black Friday Sale until November 30.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes! We ship all around the world, using Australia Post’s tracked shipping service. Before Coronavirus, this service usually took around 10 days to get most places around the world. But with the dramatic reduction in commercial flights, packages are now taking 3-6 weeks. That’s why we’re holding off shipping till after the Christmas rush, and waiting a few extra weeks after shipping to get started.
What happens if I purchase the club kit with another EPP kit or paper pack?
Any items added to your cart with the club quilt will ship with the club kit, unless you ordered the digital membership only. If you’d like the extra items earlier, please put them through checkout separately.
Will the club/templates be available for sale throughout next year?
Nope! Sign ups for the club will only be open from 23rd November till 4th December. After that, sign ups will close. Traditionally, kits have then been available to everyone once the club is finished, but I haven’t decided if I’ll do that, or run it as a club again in 2022. Get in now if you’d like to sew the Sunshiny Day quilt in 2021!
What happened to monthly instalments?
In past years, we’ve charged monthly, and sent out a little package of papers each month. This year we decided to send the club all out at once so that we didn’t need to worry about parcels arriving on time. But! Your kit will still include 6 little, clearly labelled packages, one for each month of EPP. For this reason, we’re only taking a complete, upfront payment for the club, rather than monthly instalments.
Do I need to keep up? Or restrain myself from jumping ahead?
Not at all! For this quilt, you are your own boss. Stitch as it brings you comfort and joy. For those joining in with the digital club membership, printable templates will be sent out in the 1st, 3rd, and 5th months of stitching.
Can I change my mind?
Yes. Before the kits are sent out in January, you can change your mind and get your money back. Simply email us at hello@talesofcloth.com for a refund. We will retain a 10% administration fee to cover any materials bought for your kit, and for processing the refund.
How much stitching will I do per month?
We’ll stitch 8 blocks per month for 6 months, and use the 7th month to sew the blocks together and finish our quilt. 8 blocks a month averages out at about 2 blocks a week, which is a gentle pace. You can choose the fabrics, cut, and baste the shapes for 2 blocks, and then hold them in an easily accessible zip lock bag to stitch throughout the week.
What is a digital club membership?
If you prefer to hand piece without paper templates, or to cut your own papers, you can sign up for the ‘Digital Club Membership”. You’ll get printable templates for each of the blocks, and all the monthly emails. The digital portion of the club is automatically included in the kit price. You do not need to purchase it separately.
Can I buy the digital club membership, but then decide I want pre-cut papers after all?
Yes! If you’ve changed your mind before we send the kits out in January, email us at hello@talesofcloth.com and we’ll give you a discount code or cancel your precious order. If you decide later, the club email will include a special link to purchase papers throughout the year if you change your mind. Please note though, pre-ordered kits will include a special little gift for each month. Kits bought after these are shipped will only include the papers and, if required, acrylic templates. The kit will not be available to non-members throughout the year.
What can I look forward to in the monthly emails?
So much!!! ;)
I’ll include complete instructions, diagrams, pictures and the occasional video.
You’ll receive links to my EPP tutorials and tutorials from other makers that show alternative processes.
I’ll share inspiration from the #sunshinydayquilt hashtag, and the winners from that month.
Printable templates for all the blocks and a colouring-in sheet.
Each month I’ll share my favourite tips for organising your EPP, working through times when you’ve stalled, fussy cutting and choosing fabrics for small piecing, and using a quilt to sort and enjoy your scraps and stash!
What happens if my package doesn’t arrive, or is damaged?
We guarantee all packages, replacing any items lost or damaged during transit. If your package hasn’t arrive in 6 weeks in Australia or 3 months overseas, we’ll recut it and send it to you for free. Even with the pressure on the international mail system during the coronavirus, we haven’t had to replace any packages this year. If your papers are lost or damaged after they have arrived, feel free to get in touch and we can cut more for you for a small fee plus shipping.
Why are we not starting till March 2021?
The timing of things is a bit more spread out this year due to Coronavirus. We’re taking pre-orders in November and shipping early-mid January. This gives us time to order all the materials required to make your kits, and means that the kits will ship out after the Christmas rush.
International customers usually make up about 75% of our club members! So starting the sew along on March 1st, 2021 allows time for all the kits to get to their homes, ready to begin.
What can I do while I wait for my package?
gather your fabric and other requirements (see next question)
start to sort your scraps
replace your rotary cutter blade!
finish up a WIP or two
clean your bobbin tray ;)
grab a seperate EPP kit on sale to stitch while you wait!
What are the fabric requirements?
At least 25 FQs for the round blocks and corner squares. That’s without fussy cutting.
Background squares - (48) 9 1/2” squares = 3 ¼ yds
Backing fabric - 4 ¼ yds
Binding fabric - ½ yd
What else do I need?
sewing machine
rotary cutter, quilt ruler and cutting mat
glue stick (I use a small Bostik brand)
needle and thread (I use Bohin Milliners 9s, and Aurifil 50wt)
zip lock bags
iron and ironing board
pen or pencil for marking fabric
wadding/batting
Can I share the monthly emails with a friend?
The monthly emails included in the club are a paid-for service that take a lot of (wo)man hours and support from my family. Please don’t share any of the digital products included in this club. Thank you!
How am I eligible for prizes?
Anyone who shares photos of their Sunshiny Day Quilt progress on Instagram, using the hashtag #sunshinydayquilt will be eligible for the monthly prize! The prize winner will be announced in the monthly newsletter.
Why do you call yourself eco-friendly?
we laser cut our paper and acrylic shapes to order so we have hardly any waste.
we use 100% recycled, unbleached paper shapes and packaging.
we don’t use any single use plastic. We use plant based cello to protect our packages during transit and send all of your orders in cardboard envelopes rather than plastic satchels. You can throw our cello wrapping in your compost! We use scrap wadding rather than bubble wrap, if needed, to protect acrylic templates or other fragile products.
we shred all our paper waste leftover from cutting shapes, and add it to our compost to use in our garden or feed our worms. They love shredded paper!
our home-based business is run on solar power.
