Come and Join us for
A Brand New Year of our Traditional Sewalong 2026!
With award winning author and quilter Sarah Payne
In January 2025 we launched our first every year-long Traditional Sew-Along, It's been so successful we've decided to do it again, this time with a different pattern, the beautiful quilt you see here!
If you're new to Quilting, want to expand your skills, or perhaps you like the idea of joining an online sewing group and playing together once a month, you've come to the righ place.
Read on for full details!
Quilty adventure, anyone? 🧵💫 Join our You’re a Star BOM and stitch your way through 12 months of stars, seams, and sparkles. You in?
Join us and by the end of 2026, you’ll have a dazzling 72" quilt and a basketful of techniques you’ll use forever.
We’ll start gently with Half Square Triangles and the sweet Friendship Star, before building up through Quarter Square Triangles, Flying Geese, Pinwheels, English Paper Piecing, Y-seams, Foundation Paper Piecing, and even the legendary Mariner’s Compass. Each month brings something new to try, plus plenty of tips, tricks, and encouragement to help you along the way.
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The best part? We’ll be using Quilt As You Go (QAYG) – so no wrestling with a giant quilt under your sewing machine. You’ll piece, quilt, and join as you go, keeping everything manageable and fun.
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By Month 12, you’ll be adding borders, binding, and all those finishing touches to create your very own star-studded masterpiece. Whether you’re a confident beginner or a seasoned quilter looking for a year-long treat, this BOM will grow your skills and leave you with something truly spectacular. See below for the FULL 12 month schedule.
So, are you ready to join me on this sparkling journey? Because honestly, you’re already a star – this quilt just proves it!
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Do I have to join by January the 1st 2025? What if I have just found this page and it's later than that?
You can join our club at any time. We are going to be creating a different block every single month. So if you are reading this in March (for example) 2026, you can still come along, all of the content from January 2026 through to December 2026 will be on the membership page. The entire content is going to be available until the end of June 27, so whenever you start your journey, you can watch EVERYTHING and have time to catch up!
N.B If you wish to pay monthly you will need to join by the end of January, we remove the monthly option at the end of January, but you can pay for the whole year at any point as the content remains in place. Just click the join now button!
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So, how does this creative journey work?
It's so easy, after joining up you will be able to access the members page then. Just use your email and a chosen password, on the members page and you'll see the access code to our live monthly meeting (they are always on the first Wednesday of the month apart from New Years Day!) You will also get the link for the pattern of the block of the month and all the previous live Zooms and patterns to date!
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Can I join from anywhere in the world?
Yes! Just like any of the other content on our website, you can join from anywhere and pay in your own currency. We have a great American and Canadian following already here at CraftyMonkies, so just press the join button!
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Do I have to watch at set times?
If you want to join us live, then yes. We will have a live Zoom on the first Wednesday every month lasting approximately 1.5 hours (it will more likely be 2 hours with chatting!) It will be at 7pm UK time on each Wednesday we go live. BUT, if you can't make it live, don't worry, the Zoom class will be recorded and listed on the members page for the entire month and you have access to the content for a whole 18 months until 30th June 2027! You can in effect go at your own pace across the 18 months!
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Do I have to make all the blocks and follow the pattern
No and No! Sarah created this beautiful quilt in order to be able to teach you the many techniques needed to create an traditional quilt. But you can decide what you want to create. You might not want to make a quilt, you might just want to come and learn techniques! You can choose which blocks you want to make!
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Do I get the patterns for free?
Yes! As soon as you sign up you will see the pattern on the membership page. The pattern would normally cost £12.50 per month for the 12 blocks, but you get each month for FREE within your year long membership. So thats a pattern and an interactive Zoom class for just £125 for the year!
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How long is the subscription?
If you want to join us for the whole journey it's 12 months, but we will give you 6 months to watch the footage. The videos will be available until 30th June 2027.
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How much does it cost?
If you pay for the year in one single payment it's £125.00. Monthly its £12.50 x 12 months (but you would need to sign up for the monthly option at the end of January 2026.
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Can I reach out if I'm stuck?
Yes of course! We can pass anything onto Sarah and she will happily answer your questions. Just email us hello@craftymonkies.com You can also reach out on Instagram or Facebook.
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Is 18 months long enough?
Yes! Past students of Sarah have easily completed the quilt across 12 months!
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What exactly do I learn?
LOTS! Please see under the three pictures below the entire 12-month course listing in full!
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What do I need?
This quilt pattern uses approximately 6m of coloured fabric and 4m of background fabric.
You will also need a rotary cutter, ruler and cutting mat, an iron, a sewing machine and a sew kit.
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Will I have to quilt a large quilt?
Quilting a large quilt can be a little daunting, especially if it is your first quilt. So to make life easier for you, we will be using a Quilt As You Go (QAYG) method. This means you will be quilting each block and then put them together in the final quilt, fully finished. Easy peasy!...​​​​​
The detail images featured on this promo page for Sarah Payne's Traditional Quilting Sewalong Course, starting in January 2026, are from a quilt made by one of our dedicated
CraftyMonkies subscribers, Sharon Blacker. We think you'll agree, Sharons work looks absolutely stunning and YOU too can create something equally fabulous by signing up today!...
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Kudos & thanks to Sharon for the use of these images!
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Ready to find out exactly what you will learn?
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You’re a Star – Block of the Month Course Outline
This Block of the Month (BOM) is a 12-month quilting adventure designed to build your skills step-by-step. Each month introduces you to new techniques, tips, and tricks, while you create a stunning quilt using Quilt As You Go (QAYG). By the end, you’ll have a beautiful 72" square quilt – and a whole new set of patchwork and quilting skills under your belt!
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Month 1 – Half Square Triangles & the Friendship Star
We start gently with the basics: mastering Half Square Triangles (HSTs) and piecing your very first block, the classic Friendship Star. A perfect warm-up with tips on pressing, seam allowance, and accuracy.
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Month 2 – Quarter Square Triangles & the Ohio Star
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​Take your triangle skills a step further with Quarter Square Triangles (QSTs). These form the backbone of the timeless Ohio Star, one of quilting’s most enduring blocks.
Month 3 – Flying Geese & the North Star Block
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Learn to make crisp and accurate Flying Geese units – a versatile building block in patchwork. You’ll use them to stitch the radiant North Star Block.
Month 4 – Half Square Triangles & Pinwheels
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Return to Half Square Triangles with confidence, this time spinning them into lively Pinwheel blocks. A joyful, movement-filled design.
Month 5 – English Paper Piecing & the Diamond Star
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Slow it down with some hand-sewn English Paper Piecing (EPP). You’ll create a sparkling Diamond Star block with precise points and portable stitching.
Month 6 – Y-Shaped Seams & the Large Starburst Block
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Tackle the “scary” Y-seam! You’ll discover that with patience and tips, they’re nothing to fear. Use your new skill to assemble a bold Large Starburst block.
Month 7 – Foundation Paper Piecing & a Flying Geese Border
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Dive into Foundation Paper Piecing (FPP) to achieve perfect points. We’ll start with manageable blocks and build a dynamic Flying Geese border.
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Month 8 – More Foundation Paper Piecing & Two More Blocks
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Grow your FPP confidence with two additional starry blocks. More precision, more sparkle, and lots of opportunity to play with colour.
Month 9 – Even More Foundation Paper Piecing & One More Block
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By now, FPP will feel like second nature! You’ll put it to work with one last dazzling star block to complete your FPP journey.
Month 10 – Half Square Triangle Explosion!
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A celebration of HSTs! You’ll use all your practice to create a striking yet simple block that looks far more complex than it really is.
Month 11 – The Mariner’s Compass
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One of the most admired and recognisable quilt blocks of all time. Using foundation techniques, we’ll stitch the breathtaking Mariner’s Compass.
Month 12 – Borders & Finishing Techniques
Time to bring it all together! Learn how to:
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Join your QAYG panels with sashing
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Add borders and square your quilt
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Bind (straight and shaped)
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Add labels and finishing touches
Celebrate your year’s work with a quilt that shines as brightly as the stars that inspired it. ✨
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To gain access to the CraftyMonkies Year-Long Traditional Sew-Along With Sarah simply click on the Join Today button below - this will take you to the next step, which enables you to choose a Pricing Plan sign-up & pay your subscription online for this fabulous, one-of-a-kind CraftyMonkies adventure!
Pay just £125.00 to access your Member Page on whenever you join!
