Are You Excited Yet? Quilt Concert 2023 FAQ: All You Need to Know

Quilt Concert 2023, Twinkle Twinkle, starts on June 9th, 2023. Lots of information is on the announcement and design reveal blog post, but today we are answering more questions- some you may not even know you have!

What is the size of the quilt?

Twinkle Twinkle is 60″ x 72″- a generously sized lap quilt.

What is the difficulty level of the Quilt Concert Quilt?

The quilt is designed to be easily created by a confident beginner quilter. This year we are focusing on foundation paper piecing, which is a technique you may or may not have encountered before. To help you out if this is a new technique or one you haven’t used in a while we are providing instructional videos to go with each block.

The best part of foundation paper piecing is that once you learn a few simple techniques, you can construct any foundation paper pieced quilt!

Where does the Quilt Concert design come from?

Most of the blocks in the quilt are public domain designs found in Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns. We have chosen the blocks based on their cohesive designs and how well they lend themselves to foundation paper piecing. Together we figured out the quilt math, developed the templates, and wrote the patterns to help you recreate the blocks. While most of the blocks used in Twinkle Twinkle are traditional blocks, some components have been adapted or created to enhance the overall design of the quilt.

I missed a block!!! What do I do now?

All block patterns are available for download once they are released on Friday mornings. The free download is available until the end of the day on the following Thursday.  Once the next portion of the pattern is released, the previous set of instructions goes up for sale on Lissa or Cassandra’s Etsy shop for $2.50. These individual pattern components will be available through the end of the quilt along. There will be links to the blocks on our websites so they’ll be easy to find.

You can also purchase the complete pattern starting Friday, June 2, 2023, on Quilt Pattern Mart or through Lissa or Cassandra’s Etsy shops. This will allow you to work ahead in case you have any fun travel plans over the next few months!

I LOVE your color choices! What fabrics did you use?

We use Painter’s Palette solid fabrics in our quilts.  Cassandra has made fabric bundles available for purchase in both her Daylight colorway and Lissa’s Twilight colorway. They have sold out once, but are available again, so order quickly if you are interested!

What is the PJ Jam Party?

Every Friday night during the quilt along, Lissa and Cassandra will host a Zoom sew-in. The atmosphere will be very relaxed, so show up in your jammies with your favorite bedtime snacks! We may share recipes, we may have some fun games planned, or we may have a dance-off. You’ll only know if you show up.

New to the PJ Jam for 2023

We have invited our amazing sponsors to join us during many of our PJ Jam Sessions. They will share lots of fun information about the prizes they contribute and more!

The weekly winners will also be announced during the PJ Jam! If you can’t make it that night, we will still inform you via Instagram direct message, but who wants to wait?

Is the PJ Jam Party an exclusive invite-only extravaganza?

The link to each week’s party will be sent via our newsletters, so you have to subscribe to get the link. 

Do you have to sew the current week’s block at the PJ Jam Party?

You can sew whatever you want! Or not sew at all! Cassandra and Lissa are available to help with any questions. But this is just a fun way to hang out together. (You don’t even have to participate in the quilt along to join in the fun!)

Is there going to be music at the PJ Jam Party?

Maybe? Maybe not? Lissa has been known to break into song when something said reminds her of a Broadway show tune. Just be aware she is tone-deaf and that it doesn’t stop her from belting out at the top of her lungs. 

Will there be prizes?

YES!

We have so many wonderful supporters sponsoring prizes again this year. Make sure you check out the Sponsor Post to hear about all of the fantastic prizes!

How do I enter the giveaways?

Blocks are released Friday morning, you have until the following Thursday at 11:59 pm (EST) to post your completed block on Instagram. Your Instagram must be public so we can see your posts, and you should check the rules each week to ensure you have the correct hashtags. Each post must include the following:

• The hashtags – #quiltconcert2023 and #quiltconcert2023weeklyprompt (include the digit number of the block or pattern component title)
• You must follow Cassandra (@cassandra.beaver), Lissa (@lovinglylissa), and the sponsor of the week.
• You must include what country you are in.  Many of our prizes are U.S. only, but we do also have prizes for international.

If we pull your name and you miss any of the above, we move on to another person.

How do I know I won, and what do I do if I do win?

First, you do a Winner dance and submit a video to (hahaha. No, but I almost had you there)

Winners will be notified via Instagram DM from Cassandra or Lissa by Saturday night at 11:59 pm (EST). The winner has until Monday 11:59 (EST) to claim their prize. 

You guys are the best, and I want to be a sponsor too!

Oh my goodness, yes!!!  We would love to have you as a sponsor.  Have your people contact ours* and they’ll hash it out.

*We are our people so just email us.

Who are you people?

Cassandra Ireland Beaver of The (Not So) Dramatic Life is a pattern designer, teacher, and blogger based
in west-central Ohio. She has a BFA in Painting from Washington University in St. Louis, and an MFA in Scenic Design from the University of Connecticut. Cassandra uses her training in art and design to create work that merges modern, traditional, and art quilting aesthetics. Her award-winning quilts draw inspiration from nature, architecture, and art. Cassandra’s work has appeared in numerous magazines and is included in the book, Modern Quilts: Designs of the New Century. The National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky has four of her quilts in its permanent collection. She is currently a BERNINA Ambassador and an Aurifilosopher.

Lissa LaGreca has a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Houston and a Bachelor of Science from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. After several seasons in the costume department of the Houston Grand Opera, Lissa and her husband left Texas for NJ, finally settling in Ohio with their three children.

Quilting became a creative outlet as she raised her children. She’s not finished raising them yet but has been able to devote more time to quilting and design in the past few years. Lissa has been published in Make Modern Magazine and has had her quilts juried into numerous AQS and Quiltfest shows, Quiltcon, and The Great Wisconsin Quilt show where she was awarded an Honorable Mention. 2

Lissa is a quilter, pattern designer, AccuQuilt GoGetter, and co-designer of the Quilt Concert Series annual quilt along.

For more information, check out the following posts:

• Quilt Concert 2023 Announcement
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Sponsors and Prizes
• Cutting Instructions
• Block 1: Pinwheel 
• Block 2: Crossed Canoes
• Block 3: Small Business
• Block 4: Wheel of Fortune
• Block 5: Guiding Star
• Block 6: Perpetual Motion
• Block 7: Lucky Star
• Block 8: Flying Saucer 
• Block 9: Diamonds in the Sky 
• Assembly Instructions
• Quilting Suggestions
• Quilt Concert Curtain Call