

That's all I got for you today...carry on!
Melissa
Hi Everyone! Just wanted to direct your attention over to Donna's blog, Donna's Lavender Nest, to check out the next stop in our QAL: Midland/Odessa! You can also enter to win some awesome Aurifil thread while you are over there!
Pub. by Johnson News Agency, Midland, Texas. "Tichnor Quality Views," Reg. U. S. Pat. Off. Made Only by Tichnor Bros., Inc., Boston, Mass.
Be sure to visit Cristina's blog, Pretty Little Quilts, on Monday to see her Big Bend block (which is awesome)! Oh, and looks like we will be closing on the new house next week (fingers crossed!) and here is a sneak peek that I shared on instagram yesterday!
Hi ya'll! I'm Jada and I am here today representing Lubbock, TX. I was born and raised in Texas, and have lived here most of my life. I spent about 11 years in Houston, and then moved North of Dallas, where I have lived for 13 years. I have a husband and 2 year old son that keep me busy, and I find time to squeeze in quilting when I can! I have many friends who live in Lubbock that assisted me in the "information gathering" portion of this blog post and I cannot thank them enough!
Most of you guys will have a specific reason for visiting Lubbock, because as you know, there's not a whole lot out there in West Texas, but I promise, Lubbock is a lot more fun than you might expect!
First, you can always tour Texas Tech. The campus is beautiful and even if you have no reason to go there for college, you can learn a lot of great history about the city and fun things to do while on these tours.
You could try visiting the Buddy Holly Museum or go to the Stars and Stripes Drive-In Theatre. Both of which are super cool :). There is also the First Friday Art Trail, McPhearson Cellars, and the Texas Tech football games.
If you're hungry, there are a ton of great places to eat! One of the places I am most excited to try on my next visit is called Cagle Steakhouse. These guys are family owned and they serve beef from their own ranch! How cool is that?? Thanks Erica for the recommendation!
Another one that is high on my list of "To Try Restaurants" is One Guy From Italy. Apparently their pizza is incredible, and they have 2 locations to choose from in Lubbock. You could also try West Crust Artisan Pizza if One Guy is too busy, or you could check out some of the other restaurants that many Lubbock locals frequent such as: Triple J's, Caprock Cafe, Harrigans, or Blue Sky Texas.
Although Lubbock may get a reputation for being a sleepy West Texas town, there is plenty of nightlife to keep you entertained. Whether you want a club with music for dancing, or a laid back bar that's open late, Lubbock has it. Just to name a few, you should check out Cricketts Bar, Chimys, Mesquites, the Roof, and Cafe J.
Don't forget to check out J&B Coffee to stock up on caffeine before checking out the quilt shops!
Speaking of Quilt Shops, one of my favorite fabric designers, Vanessa Goertzen, told me about a great little shop called Cottage Fabrics! In addition to carrying a lot of great fabrics, they are also one of the local Janome dealers for that area. Be sure to check them out!
If you enjoy a little paper crafting with your quilting, Snippits! is a great place to check out as well. They cater to scrapbookers and quilters, so it's a great place to find some kindred spirits, or if you're like me, where you can find someone to scrapbook all those great pictures while you're busy making quilts!
Now, onto what you've all been waiting for, the Texas Road Trip Lubbock Quilt Block!!
I decided to incorporate a little "Southwestern Flare" into this block, while still keeping it modern and fun with the fabric choices.
This block is made entirely of HSTs, which happen to be some of my favorite blocks. They are so versatile and by just turning them or rearranging a tiny bit, you can have an entirely new quilt block. I chose to make mine 4 at a time, so I will be showing you guys a new way to make HSTs, that I actually prefer. And bonus! No marking required!! I know, I was hooked after trying it once.
For this block, you will need:
(4) 5-inch white squares
(3) 5-inch teal squares
(1) 5-inch pink square
This is where it gets strange if you are not familiar with the "4 at a time HST" trick. Place one white square and one teal square RST and stitch all the way around the square, closing it up completely
Repeat this process with your other 2 teal fabrics, and your 1 pink fabric.
Next, line up your ruler diagonally across one of your stitched together blocks and cut, but DO NOT PULL THE PIECES APART FROM EACH OTHER.
Turn your ruler and cut from the opposite corner diagonally across the block again, and now you should have 4 HSTs. Repeat this process for the rest of your blocks.
Now you will press your HSTs before you trim them down to be sewn together. I personally would press the seams open since this is such a small block, as this will help reduce bulk at the seams.
Once you have pressed your seams, it is time to trim your HSTs to 2 inches.
Just for reference, you should have 12 white/teal HSTs and 4 white/pink HSTs.
After all of your pieces are trimmed to 2" it is time to assemble your block! Begin by sewing your rows and refer to the picture above to ensure you have the correct placement.
Now that you have all of your rows sewn, go ahead and press your seams open before sewing your rows together. After pressing your seams, you can begin to sew the rows.
I usually am not a "pinner", but for blocks this small, I make an exception. And bonus points if your pins match your fabrics!!
Once your rows are sewn together, press your final seams...
and get ready to reveal your adorable Lubbock block!
And there you have it! I hope you have enjoyed making this block as much as I did and that your next trip to Lubbock exciting and fun. Thanks for joining me on this journey and I cannot wait to see what you guys create.
Of course there is a great giveaway with this Quilt Along (see picture below)! To enter, go to my Instagram (BlackVelvetStitches) and follow me for one entry (or let me know if you are already a follower), and comment on the picture of my Lubbock block telling me your favorite book for a second entry! That easy! If you are not an Instagrammer, leave a comment on this blog telling me your favorite book for one entry. The giveaway will be closed Saturday, June 21st at 9 p.m. CST and a winner will be announced Sunday, June 22nd on the blog and my Instagram!! -Jada
GIVEAWAY CLOSED - congrats to @chelengeorge over on Instagram!
It has been so exciting seeing everyone's first quadrant come together! We are so humble by all the participants riding along!
Here is my first quadrant! Eeek! I just love it in April Showers!
Now it's time to travel to west Texas and you can go here to download the second quadrants pattern printout!
We will continue our trip tomorrow in Amarillo with Aoife at thREDhead and then Lubbock with Jada guest blogging here on my fabric relish on Thursday!
See you tomorrow!
Melissa
Hi Y'all! We are cruising over to historic Fort Worth today with Jodie and Lindsey at Fort Worth Fabric Studios! Make sure to head on over to check out their Fort Worth block and some fun touristy facts about cowtown!
Also, be sure to come visit on Sunday to get the pattern for the second quadrant!