The Jingle Bell Pines Block Party is going strong with Block 6- we are over halfway there!! Kate Colleran (of Kate Colleran Designs) and I are compiling tips to help you complete your Jingle Bell Pines Quilt one block at a time for the holidays! We post tips (and more) every Thursday on Instagram and delve a bit deeper on our blogs.
We are joined by @alisonsexpressions (on Instagram) – she’s making the quilt right along with us as well, using Thatched and Dotty Thatched from @modafabrics! Loving her take on this project!

For more information on getting started (it’s not too late!) – visit my blog post here!

Today’s block is the Tree Farm Truck! It’s the star of the quilt, and it is a large and somewhat detailed block, with that comes lots of pieces!
The pattern is written in sections to help keep you organized while you sew. But what else can you do to stay organized so that you keep sewing (plus it keeps that “overwhelm” at bay!)?
1. Label your pieces by color. You can identify your pieces with sticky notes or small squares of paper or even blue masking tape.

2. Keep your colors together. Make it simple – re-useable baggies work well, or binder clips. I like to keep all of my block pieces on one tray so that I know where everything is!

3. Lay out the sections and take a photo on your phone for reference. This really helps when you want to stop and work on the project the next day.
4. Work on only one section at a time, to keep your workspace tidy. When I am keeping my stitching area organized, it helps during times when I have just a few minutes to sew; I know exactly where to find my project and where I left off.
To help you get organized, we came up with a downloadable set of labels and a color guide for reference, just for the Jingle Bell Pines quilt! Click here to grab yours!

How about the Tree Farm Truck Block with different backgrounds? You can always change it up! So here is the Tree Farm Truck with a navy background – this really evokes that holiday feeling when the tree arrives!

And here is the truck with a creamy taupe background – wow – that truck really pops on that background!

Next week is block 7 and we’ll be ready to share some valuable tips with you that you can use on other quilts, too!
Until next time – have fun sewing your Tree Farm Truck block! Hugs! Kris