Melissa, the streak of sunshine one is done tube style, and it's similar to trip around the world. Hope something works good for you for this :)

here's one pdf for you hope it's the right one?! HUGS, Julie
http://www.berninausa.com/media/knowledgebase/projects/pdf/prj0012_6d8.pdf

Barb, would there be VERY EXPLICIT instructions on the "tube style" somewhere??

Ladies,

I emailed a couple friends of mine who have made this exact pattern before. I drew it out on graph paper and color coded it and everything. I'll be using 5 1/2 inch strips to make this quilt. I've calculated the yardage. Sewing it together may be a bit of a challenge, I don't really understand the whole "tube" thing.

I also saw that Wally World had exactly the fabric I wanted. Red, White, Blue and a multi-American Flag print. I'll be putting their Department of the Army for the backing, binding and perhaps some pillow cases.

The quilt will be fore my step-son who is and MP in the Army and was just sent to Iraq last weekend for 18 months. I hope I can have his quilt done before he gets back!

M

Maybe I can help. Sew your strips together. Take the first strip and sew it to the last strip. This is what makes the tube. After that lay it on your cutting mat and cut across the tube and then you have what looks like rings. Just unpick the seam allowance and you have a strip.Does that help make it any clearer? Hope so.

Wow Vicki! I totally understood that. I didn't realize there would be a bit of unsewing involved. It's easy to understand when explained like that. I believe the light has just turned on!!!

M

Until I read it I didn't relize it was possible to strip piece this pattern because of it having to be staggered. I thought you had to just sew all the blocks together or make a zillion set of strips. So I learned something today besides how much I don't want to work and how much I want tobe home sewing.

I just wanted to let you know that I'm posting the pics from the Stairway to Heaven, as I go, on a different thread. It's called Stairway To Heaven Part II.

I've gotten a lot done and am now ready to sew the "tube". I wanted to thank everyone so much for their invaluable input.

M

I finished the Stairway to Heaven top tonight. I've been working on it since July, it just got moved around a bit since then. Happy to say it's finished. Since it was on my list to finish in 2009, I'm putting it in the What's Next in Pictures thread. I thought since you were nice enough to help me, I'd bump this up so you could see the finished top.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/posts/list/15284.page