Introducing Starfall! The 2026 sew along quilt from Cake & Ale, same premise as Orbit... but with more block variations and project options!
 
Originally designed to have 365 feature stars (one per day) and a contrasting border, I was a little worried that there wouldn't be enough people as crazy as me to tackle such a big project in a year. Using the same concept, but with the time poor makers in mind I designed up "block a week" and "block a month" options! Now, just because they are listed as per day / week / month project, you don't have to do your Starfall project the same way. You just may love stars and want a star quilt, well, why wouldn't you?
 
If you are interested though, there will be a quilt along going in 2026. Irrespective of how you choose to work this project, daily / weekly / monthly. Blogs are monthly so if you would like to sew along with me, I would treasure your company. If you are curious about this, feel free to snoop through the Orbit Blogs - there were only four of us, but I loved the journey.

Back to the quilt design! The pattern includes 8, six pointed star designs and more will be released to sew along participants during the year. While this project was being prototyped I have 11 stars, and only elected to include 8 (some still need the bugs worked out). Eight is a nice number though, one for each day of the week and one for special occasions??

Now why block a day you ask? This is my journal, just as a blanket and not words trapped in a book. I keep record of special events, projects I am working on, and my day. Sometimes I choose a fabric that calls on that day, some times I add a bright print to combat a dark mood.

It lets me play with fabrics I am unsure of as well... we all have those stray fabric pieces that we don't know what to do with. Pop them into a quilt like this! Or your scraps, the majority of the fabric in the sample wall hanging is left overs from various makes. I love using every, last, scrap.

Some other possible options for documenting your year could be:
Celebrating the seasons, or daily high and low temps.
Mood - at home and work (could be depressing)
Music or podcast. 
Pages read in your book? 
Something novel - Caffeine consumption, Netflix episodes binged etc It really is endless what you can come up with.

For my Starfall 2026 I will be coming up with some specific colours to represent events that are just for my reference, my own way to secretly code my year.
 
A note about the templates. To make sure all of the quilt blocks work well together, I have had to do some fine editing on the individual template styles. When you have a diamond made up of 2- 4 pieces needing to slot in next to a diamond made of one piece a little magic needs to take place. Otherwise you end up up having to force your seams when you assemble the rows, it is amazing how much fabric and cardstock can mess with the overall size of a block. So if you line up your templates on Star Six, they will look smaller than Star One, but once they are basted and sewn they will end up the same size.

Meterage / yardage requirements for the projects. I am hoping that for a project like this you would consider using your stash or scraps, you only need small sections for each star and it is such a wonderful way to keep fabric out of landfill.  Like Orbit, I am working with a mix of stash for the feature stars as well as buying in enough yardage for the "joiner" diamonds and the contrast border - which for my BOD quilt will be black with metallic for the joiners and black with brights for the border stars.
 
Block a day project - 98" x 124"
Feature Stars 7.5 m / 8 ¼ yd
Joiner Stars 3 m / 3 yd
Border Stars 1.5 m / 1 ½ yd
Batting 102" x 128"
 
Fabric Meterage Guide - Mini Quilt Both Options (Aprox.)
Feature Stars 1.75 m / 1 ⅞ yd
Joiner Stars 1.5 m / 1 ½ yd
Border Stars 2.5 m / 2 ½ yd

Fabric Meterage Guide - Wall Hanging Both Options (Aprox.)
Feature Stars 0.5 m / ½ yd
Joiner Stars 0.65 m / ⅝ yd
Border Stars 1.75 m / 1 ¾ yd
 
This PDF includes;
• FIVE Project plans. One block a day, two block a week and two block a month projects.
• Basic “how to” EPP Instructions.
• Print at home templates for each star variation - eight in total.
• Assembly instructions.
• Generic basting / quilting / binding instructions.
• Colouring in sheets.
• Journal page to track your blocks over the year.
 
From your stash you will need;
• Fabric for your project.
• Supplies to Glue or Thread baste E.g. Sewline (glue sticks also work in a pinch).
• General sewing supplies (Needle, sewing thread, thimble, rotary cutter and mat etc).
• Card stock for your templates.
• Craft safety knife and ruler or sharp paper scissors.
• Template plastic (optional and for hand sewing templates).
 
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: A lot easier than you would think! Beginner friendly. If you do get stuck, just reach out on socials or email hello@cakeandale.com.au 

 
*** FAQ's ***
 
What weight card stock is best?If you can print on card we recommend that a stock 200GSM - 250GSM be used, it needs enough bulk to hold the sides up but you also need to work within your own comfort zone.
 
Do I really leave the papers in? No!! Unlike our other patterns these templates definitely come out!
 
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Welcome to Cake & Ale! Our mission is all about combining the charm of traditional quilting with a fresh, modern twist. We're here to bring you patterns that you can lovingly handcraft using techniques passed down through generations. But guess what? You don't need to dedicate weeks to these projects – you can finish them up in just one weekend!
 
Now, if you're new to the world of hand sewing, don't worry. We've got your back. We're all about something called English Paper Piecing (EPP). This technique involves wrapping fabric around paper templates, kind of like creating a snug little fabric hug around them. This gives you the foundation to create these seriously intricate and spot-on shapes.
 
Once you've got these fabric-covered templates, it's like putting together a puzzle. You stitch them up, piece by piece, to form a work of art that looks like you spent ages on it. It's like magic, but with needle and thread.
 
So, whether you're a seasoned stitcher or just dipping your toes into the world of hand sewing, we're here to provide you with patterns that marry tradition and innovation. Get ready to create pieces that will leave everyone thinking you're a crafting rockstar!