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bugaboowritings · 4 years

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Date My Best Friend, You Dumb Cat - Superhero Accidental Reveal Fic

Alya Found Out Adrien's Secret and is MAd that He Isn't Doing His Homework

So... I had this piece in my head since I saw that old Instagram post about Alya and Adrien being partners for a school project and that comic about Adrien and Alya having an accidental Reveal when their glamour dropped.

May make this a series.. Also have this same thing but with Chloe - Check them out! ( 1 ) and ( 2 )

And then with Marinette/Ladybug and Adrien - ( 1 )

Two months, one week, three days, and seven hours since the new semester started.

Two months, one week, and twelve hours since Miss Bustier assigned the first group project.

Two months, one week, eleven hours, and forty minutes since Alya Césaire and Adrien Agreste were randomly selected to be partners.

Four minutes after that, Alya teased her best friend mercilessly if she wanted to trade partners.

Two years, six months, two weeks and twenty-three hours since Ladybug and Chat Noir first appeared in Paris.

Two years, six months, and three weeks since Alya met her best friend, Marinette Dupain-Cheng on the first day of school in a new town.

Two seconds since she discovered Chat Noir’s identity.

Two years, six months, and two weeks since Marinette confessed to Alya about her crush on a certain blond she thought Marinette strongly disliked.

Seven seconds since she found out about Chat’s secret identity.

Two years and five months since Alya decided to investigate the real-life superheroes patrolling the city.

Eleven seconds since the mask and the magical spandex fully disintegrated off her skin.

What happened only moments ago played as if someone clicked freeze-frame on this point of Alya Césaire’s life as her miraculous glamour dropped.

Leaving Alya Césaire in the cold alley as Rena Rouge vanished into thin air. Ending the superhero illusion when her suit reached its five-minute limit.

The dazzled Lady-blogger watched the little coy Fox God of Illusion twist their expression in amusement. The corners of their mouth turned up in a sharp smile, playfully flicking their tongue at their user.

“Oh, this is going to be fun explaining to the Leader Lady.”

“You’re-! ADrienN!” Alya choked.

“How- OH MY GOD! You’re- Oh my god!!” She stuttered, barely grasping what was going on as she tripped over her words while the fatal conclusion hit her gut. Her stomach felt hot and twirled in knots. Her cold, clammy hands traveled to her curls, locking her fingers in her hair as she pulled strands away from her face. Not believing what she just witnessed.

Alya swore on this day that she went brain dead before her eyes widened and readjusted to the dark atmosphere. Without her mask, Alya was left without her magical night vision, forced to focus on the scene organically while her glasses slowly dipped off the bridge of her nose.

The gears clicked and ground in Alya Césaire’s observant mind, jumping faster to conclusions than a gun could fire a bullet into a clear sunny day. Pinning ideas and theories then shuffling around clues that could make this sound believable to herself. Even as she sat there, sitting in the middle of the alley-way trash bin, watching the aftermath of the Miraculous unfold.

GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of course, she JUST HAD to make the grave mistake on dropping into the same alley that Chat Noir did.

AND OF COURSE!!-, she did it without thinking it through! Not while the adrenaline levels spiked up in the blood in her veins, giving her this deadly sense of invincibility. The same feeling that made her fearless when she leaped over buildings and dropped from heights that could kill her and her courage.

However, in the heat of the moment, there’s no time left to worry when her necklace gave an urgent beep. Alya remembered thinking that she had more time to spare, yet the second she blinked -her orange suit was already peeling off her body. Causing her to lose her footing in mid-air which led to one of the most ungracefully landings she has ever made. Drawing blood as she scraped her hands hitting the brick wall and almost breaking her neck if she hadn’t landed in the stuffed dumpster or pushed her feet under her weight to cushion her fall. Her sweatshirt returned back on her body and her hair was no longer crimson red, but tree bark brown with fading colored tips.

Then with a loud THUMP, BOOM, and CRASH, a commotion that surely woke up the surrounding neighborhood and scared off any stray cats in the area, the two heroes fell out of the sky and landed into their civilian selves.

Of course, Alya didn’t realize she wasn’t the only one that crash-landed in the alley until it was a second too late to do anything about it.

Untangling herself from the garbage-bins tagged with graffiti and unsettling stains, Alya puffed and huffed, holding her breath to trap the last bit of fresh air she had stored in her lungs. Only to gasp for air, not because of the grime and disgusting odors around her but she noticed the glow and gleam of green and black across from her.

Alya swore that she covered her eyes, for her sake and his- but she recognized that voice as it groaned. Along with those familiar orange shoes that kicked up and around, same with the sweats with a familiar logo stitched on the side.

The Gabriel Brand.

Gabriel Agreste.

THE Gabriel Agreste.

One of the top lines in fashion.

Practical clothing but at expensive prices.

A-And that! What he was wearing was part of a new street-wear! One only rumored to exist and if so- it wasn’t hitting the stores for a figure of a few months!! (Thank you, Marinette for your vast knowledge of fashion and launches and your endless rambles about them.)

Yet, how could-!? How could this sly cat have access to the brand or rumored collection!? How could this leather-wearing flirt have the cash to have anything with the Agreste brand on it?

Was he some sort of business partner? A loyal customer with benefits? Heir to a company that has ties with the Agreste? New money or old?!

No- that can’t be right. Gabriel wouldn’t just hand off his secret collection unless…Unless it was someone worth giving to.

It wasn’t until the infamous cat raised his head up in a moan that Alya Césaire, local Lady-blogger, saw his face, Chat Noir’s face, without the mask.

As ungracious this whole situation was, this seemed like the only right way to figure out the kitty’s identity.

All thanks to a series of unfortunate events and some bad luck.

Something totally on-brand for him.

The blond brushed his hair with the tips of his fingers before lightly rubbing the sore spot over his neck. Rocking his head back and forth and around to alleviate the stinging. His forehead wrinkled as he groaned once more, knitting his eyebrows together. All before opening his acid green eyes wide at the reporter when she released the breath she held in.

Adrien Agreste being this cocky superhero that swirled and twirled about the city- the same one that wore a bell and slick black leather- explained so little and left so many questions unanswered.

It did, however, explain the little details that she looked over when it came to Adrien Agreste. How he jumped into action when he heard the Akuma Alert, how he didn’t run for his life but quickly claim that he needed to go to the bathroom when a giant semi-monster or Akuma loomed over the city, how he seemed to be a true Ladybug Stan since the beginning it all- even when Paris was barely getting used with their new super-reality, how he checked with Alya after almost every blog post if she uploaded something during school hours, the quick comments and awkward praise given about his alter-ego when the Miraculous Duo came to be the topic again in the lunch table.

The Lady-blogger knew that Chat Noir playing offense when Darkblade came to claim Paris could be a clue, how Chat Noir knew where to take the students when evacuating the school after a nasty Akuma attack when he ‘supposedly’ never been there, and then how Chat Noir called everyone by their name when it was the first time her classmates even had the chance to see him in person and not on a news-recap.

Why Adrien had to miss the grand installment of the Miraculous Duo Statue in the park, but he never really missed it because he was THERE! Chat Noir was in her classroom and she didn’t even-!!

Alya gasped.

“Our project is due before 12!” Cupping her mouth before throwing her hands out to the blond. Yanking him out of the trash by the collar of his jacket.

“Why are you here and not finishing the first draft?!”

Adrien Agreste, still pressed up against the alley wall with his back supported by day-old trash, digested Alya’s words before rolling his eyes. A snarky reply slipped his mouth as he shifted his body into a more comfortable spot after getting squashed in the tight alleyway.

“An evil super villain possessed a child, Alya. I have priorities.”

“And our grade isn’t!”

Adrien tucked his legs under himself as a cat kwami popped out of his light blue jacket. Struggling to get on his feet from the buzz sensation in his legs after his fall, resting his hands on the dirty concrete before showing more of his superhero persona.

“Again priorities, Alya!” He uttered, ruffling his hair as he took their current situation in.

Stretching his arms as he stood up to his full height. His hair, messy and tangled, suede one side to the other as Adrien shook his head.

“I can’t leave my Lady alone when a crazed toddler is on the loose.”

----

Who would have guessed?

That the Cat with the dangerously charming grin was the same boy that can’t go out with his friends if work intervened or when his dad flatly said no to his face through a tablet held by his black-suited assistants. The guy that would merciless flirt with the red heroine (he still drinks respect women juice tho) was outside of the world of superheroes and villains, a guy that never went out on a proper date with anyone before.

God, this would surely make a great article.

Alya Césaire had uncovered one of the biggest secrets in Paris, all in a matter of some lucky seconds. Not because of her totally-awesome journalist skills, but all because of dumb luck.

Wait-.

She just lost her secret identity too.

--Ladybug is going to kill her.

Alya got sick and pale when she thought this situation over, not with her Lady Blogger brain, but with her superhero ego. Forgetting how her project was late or the fact if she didn’t return home quickly her family would worry if they didn’t find her in bed at this hour.

Ladybug is going to kill them.

No-... she gonna take away their miraculous FIRST so they then don’t have a chance to fight back and THEN kill them. Most likely after her speech about breaking the most important rule of being a superhero.

“Keeping your secret identity a secret.”

Alya groaned into her hands as the memory of Ladybug’s lectures and advanced fighting skills played in her head.

She is so dead.

Letting that fact sink in before taking in a big deep breath.

“It’s fine,” she can work with this. She can bounce back. She can just explain this to Ladybug without losing her chance at being a Miraculous Holder. It’s gonna be fine-

Parting her hands from her face to see Ch-Adrien pull out a little container of cheese for the black kwami nagging and floating by the blond’s head. The tiny god grinned as it nibbled (inhaled) on that snack as it hovered over his Chosen’s shoulder.

Alya screamed in her palms once more, making her peace on earth.

---

Alya thanked Adrien for the slice of cheese. Handing it to Trixx to get him ready for another transformation. The duo decided that it was better to wait it out for their Kwamis rather than try to walk home in the middle of nowhere in the dead of night.

Once Alya came over the shock of finding out Chat Noir’s identity, she bit her tongue before asking any questions. Taking in what was behind the mask, a good observation was key for a reporter since that can tell more than questions itself could.

His hair was different, it wasn’t the right length (when thinking of his magical alter-ego). Nor did it curl by his ears, but it still had that ‘swish’ and ‘fluff’ texture. His eyes were still that acid green color but seemed more on the light shade and looked more ‘natural’ and ‘safe’ compared to the huge, glowing cat eyes he had before. The same eyes that scared criminals in pit black or lit up a night sky. His face’s silhouette matched the pictures of the hero’s. His jaw was the perfect shape and his height was exactly the same, give or take the added milometers from his boots. Yet, it seemed so weird to see this.

There, Chat Noir peeled away left Adrien Agreste. Laying against the tagged-up walls and using the crunchy trash bags to break his fall and now as bean-bag chairs as he laughed at something his Kwami whispered.

“You’re Chat Noir.”

It was the first sentence she said without coughing or yelping. Scaring Adrien to just hear Alya speak in her stern tone, ruining the silence he thought they (unspokenly) agreed to keep. Nevertheless, Adrien should have known that the quiet could only last for a while before Alya recovered and spit questions with a blink of an eye.

It was too good to be true if he thought they could just forget about this and walk away.

The golden boy bit his bottom lip in what seems to be a mixture of shame, embarrassment, and a dash of amusement. Giving Alya a shy smile before shrugging his shoulders.

“Guess the cat is out of the bag,” Adrien, no, Chat Noir grinned.

The Lady-blogger had to stop the burning need to deck him so hard.

A thin, yet toothy smile appeared before losing it when Cha- Adrien’s kwami, a tiny grumpy cat-god with two white-ivory fangs that stood out in contrast with his deep purple fur, asked for more cheese before showing the rest of his sharp teeth in an attempt for a wide innocent smile.

It was terrifying.

“GOD!” Alya cried, rolling her eyes as her fox kwami fled to talk to Chat Noir, wait no, Adrien’s kwami. Still not over that her classmate was part of the Miraculous Duo. The reporter gasped for air even harder as she reached another conclusion.

“I knew it was you! AH! Ha! I knew it in the beginning!” Alya uttered, switching from frustrating sounds to a laugh that made Adrien question the report’s ability to handle and process all this before Alya pumped her fist up before cursing the universe out loud. Her painted nails rubbed circles on her temples while she munched on this memory in her own flashback.

“I-urgh! I knew! I knew you looked too much like Chat Noir, too much to call it ‘chance’. But no!- Marinette brushed me off. Telling me ‘That’s too good to be true!’- and now!” Tossing her hands out to the blond and his kwami.

The undeniable evidence that landed on her plate.

“Here you are! Both Chat Noir and Adri-“

A cold hand cupped on Alya’s mouth. Stopping her from shouting even louder or even finishing her sentence. Pushing her back to the old brick wall.

The Lady-blogger instinctively fought back, her hands reaching for the fingers over her mouth, but she stopped herself before she scratched the blond or bit his hand (or worse, spit in it).

“Alya,” Adrien hushed. “I know that you know this- but you can’t tell anyone about this. Living or dead- Not a soul, not in any journal entry, not on your blog or to Nino, ever. Not even to Marinette.”

Alya nodded at the sudden serious tone.

“Bad enough that Hawk Moth is still out there with his eye out for our heads. If you or I get akumatized it’s gonna be game over for Ladybug and Paris. You understand that, right?”

Alya shoved his hand away.

“First off, your hand smells like Camembert. Gross.”

“Second,” she sighed. Letting her fingers press against the creases of her forehead before sliding down to her cheek.

“. . .Does Ladybug know?”

Adrien’s fingers tugged on his hoodie string as he nibbled on his lips. His nose crinkled in dissatisfaction.

“We planned to reveal ourselves when Hawk Moth’s gone and defeated . . . “

“How noble.” Alya snorted.

Before Alya could ask anything else, Adrien beat her to the punch. His voice filled the air as cars in the background beeped at each other at the late ride home or to work.

“My turn with this interrogation.” Moving his face a little closer, Adrien Unaware-of-Boundaries-Because-He-Was-Locked-In-A-House-His-Whole-Life Agreste frowned.

“What do you mean by ‘I knew it” and how does Marinette think- wait, does she know that you’re Rena? Alya did you-”

Alya pushed Adrien a step off before rolling her eyes.

“Of course not!” She scoffed.

“I tell Mari everything, but - But Ladybug trusted me with the miraculous and I kept my secret and promise to her.” Twisting her leg in anxiousness before quickly commenting, “ Well it was a secret before THIS happened.”

----

~Study Session at the Library. Be here by 2

~Same table as always

Adrien clicked on the message, typing out a quick response and a time change. Sweeping his hair back, happy with what he wrote after rewriting twice and finally pressing send.

-2:15, but I’m still in the locker room. I’m there by 2:30, tops.

Alya hummed as she saw the little dots on Nino’s phone before disappearing again and then reappearing with a new message. Huffing through her nose before typing a response back.

~It’s due this week and we are out by 3:45.

Adrien pulled his clothes from his locker before hearing the soft buzz of his phone in his gym bag. Groaning in defeat before typing out a dull reply.

-K.

---

Peeling another sticky note to add to the right corner of the book, not before uncapping her thin felt-tipped marker as Marinette scribbled a slanted question. Looping her y’s and not paying attention to the clicks towards the table since it could just be Rose asking for another pen from Alya. However, a chair scraped across the wooden floor and a gym bag thumped on the ground which sent vibrations up the table. Making her jump, pulling back her hand before she accidentally drew a huge line down the page of her textbook.

“Thanks for organizing this session, Alya. I’m glad that we managed to meet up even with my schedule.”

Marinette continued to scribble in her sticky notes. Her handwriting got sloppier as she wrote faster. Her anxiousness escaped from her in her blush and in her quick penmanship. Exhaling sharply, catching Nino’s attention only to lose it as his dirt-colored eyes noticed his best friend. Tugging his headphones off his ears.

“Dude, nice to see you finally make it to one of our ‘nerd meetings’.”

“Hard with my Father and all my tutors back home. Are you gonna finally let me play Mega Strike on your phone or wait until your phone is at 5 percent like last time?”

“Adrien, it was one time!”

“SHH!” the librarian hushed. Quieting the boys and they slowly mellowed in their chairs. The librarian broke his stare and returned back to the paperwork on his desk. The boys broke their silence and the tension in the table as they couldn’t help the chuckles that came up their lips when they looked at each other. Bring back that light environment when the boys nudged each other playfully. Chuckling under their breath as Adrien set his pens and books out from his school bag.

Marinette tried her best to keep her eyes on her paper. She can’t be blushing and rambling like she always did. But God, this was gonna be so hard to do since old habits die hard. As hard as she gripped her pen while she carved the words on her notebook page. The music in her earbuds crashed with her emotions. The lofi beats weren’t calming her; it just made her feel like she was on the wrong station. Debating to switch her playlist to something quicker and louder to make her concentrate on her work and not on something more captivating. . .

WAIT,,, NO!!!! BAD MARINETTE! Don’t think that- he is just a friend!!

Pushing her earbuds in her ear deeper in hopes to drown out his laughter. Her finger swiped across stations and then deciding on to Jagged Stone’s new single. Killing the urge to stare at the model or steal looks at him, but surely looking at him couldn’t hurt-

GOD! WHY DOES SHE HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS!?

They’re just friends. And “just friends” doesn’t mean that you should stare at each other’s eyes. “Just Friends” means just friends especially when one of the friends looks like a certain blond and is potentially dating someone else-

A pink pen rolled over her notebook.

Is that- a Ladybug pen?

Marinette tugged on the wires of her earbuds, letting them fall off her ears and pausing the first verse of Jagged’s song.

“Ah-could you guys pass me my supplies?”

Marinette’s blue eyes finally did the thing she prayed she wouldn’t do.

She looked up.

There, Adrien rushed to pick up his pens, pencils, markers, and highlighters as they rolled off the table. Nino was already crouching down, grabbing the ones that fell under his chair’s legs while Alya picked up the ones that came her way.

“I didn’t know they sold ladybug stationery?” The lady-blogger grinned, twirling the pen between her painted nails. Wiggling her eyebrows at the flustered blond who try to brush off her looks with an eye roll. Hoping that if he ignores the blush that came up his face, they won’t comment on it.

“It was in a pack, Alya.” Adrien bit his lip, reaching over to snatching the pen back from Alya. Only to miss her hand completely as she pulled back her arm in the last second. Teasing Adrien with the pen, holding it out of his grasp. Tossing it to Nino when his fingers reached a little too close to the pen. The boys rough-house a minute before earning themselves another scorning from the librarian.

Over the last two years of going to public school compared to the first day he tried to sneak through the front gates, Adrien Agreste would have died on the spot if he got scorned by an authority figure other than his caregiver, well ‘care’-givers, at Françoise Dupont High School - but with time, Adrien Agreste mellowed into the new role of Adrien, the student.

Just the student.

A different persona from the one that lived at home and bloom when entering school grounds. Adrien would say that he’s more care-free and open than before as he learned how to sneak out and what buttons to press when joking with his closest friends. Like how Nino always fell for the “What’s that?” trick- no matter what or how Kagami liked puns even if she frowned or how Marinette would shot a sarcastic remark if given the chance (so Adrien tried his best to set the joke to hear Mari’s slick comments which often ending with an innocent smile before walking away).

So it wasn’t unusual for Adrien to act like this, like a teenager and not some super famous model. Just a student who was currently blushing in embarrassment due to his Ladybug stationary.

“They’re nice.”

The study group turned to the peep in the corner. Marinette swiped her thumb over the magical ladybug clip on the pen.

It felt heavy and good in her hand, it had nice weigh to it. All with a slick design that didn’t seem cheesy or cheap. It’s hard to make polka-dots work nicely, but who would know right?

“I’m more of Chat Noir fan though.” A small smile slipped out as she spun the pen in her hand one last time. Her face softens as she thought about her partner and how cute it would be to have his cartoon face on sticky notes if it didn’t add to his ego. Marinette finally passed the pen to Adrien who unconsciously held out his hand when her hand went out to him.

“Cool,” Adrien answered. Not knowing what to say without giving himself away or boasting about the Miraculous Duo without sounding stiff or awkward.

That little moment was gone as a voice cleared the air.

“So you’re a cat stan now?”

-------

“I didn’t know you dig that type of leather, Mari?” Alya purred as she grinned a little too hard as her joke, causing her cheeks to squish the edge of her amber-colored iris. Narrowing her four eyes at her clueless friend.

“I’m not- why are you making it sound so weird?!”

“I’m not!”

“Yes. Yes, you are.” Marinette rolled her eyes before shaking her head. Quickly stepping down the stairs with the reporter on her heels. Blowing her bangs out of her eyes, reminding herself to trim them when she gets home or when she’s free by this weekend.

“And-stop looking at me like that, Alya!”

“I wasn-”

“I can feel your laser vision from here.”

“Okay, fine! I give, Mari. I can’t lie to you no more.” Throwing her arms around the designer’s neck and tugging her near. Marinette pulled her legs under her before she choked herself with Alya’s hold.

“The truth is- I’m setting you up with a superhero, but can’t unless I absolutely know that you’re into them.”

“. . . .what?”

-------

#alya cesaire #adrien agreste #rena rouge #chat noir #miraculous ladybug #ml Fic #my writings #My writing #my Fic #reveal #marinette dupain cheng #fluff #miraculous the tales of ladybug and chat noir #ml fics #superhero Reveal

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inquiringquilter · 3 years

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Destination Quilt Along - Block 10 Sign

Hi! Welcome to Block 10 of Destination: Quilt Along!

You’ll find the details of the quilt along on the Destination QAL page. Here’s the short version: we’re presenting the blocks for this quilt along in segments. To win a prize, make all the blocks from that segment, then upload a photo of them at the end of that segment.

This is Block 10 in the quilt along and the second block in Segment 3. There are four blocks in this segment, released every week on Tuesday. To enter for the Segment 3 prize, you must finish all four Segment 3 blocks and post a photo of them at the end of Segment 3. The prize winner for Segment 3 will be announced on November 16th. Click here to view the QAL schedule and to learn more about it.

To enter for the Grand Prize you’ll need to make all 12 blocks in the quilt along. You don’t need to make a quilt using the blocks although we’d love for you to! At the end of the quilt along, we will provide several setting suggestions if you’d like to make a quilt.

Block 10: Sign

This week’s block is a road sign! Where will your travels take you? You can imagine any destinations you want, whether real-life or fantasy, and put them together in this block. Perhaps you’ll use your other blocks as inspiration, or perhaps you’ll choose your favorite destinations to feature in this block—the choice is yours!

The designer of Block 10 is Becca @ Pretty Piney Quilts. You can download the pattern from her website.

I’m here to show you my version of this week’s block and to provide tips for making it.

My Fabric Pull

I’m using Island Batiks for my blocks because I love how they look!

When I started to imagine my destinations, my first thought was “Paris, New York, or Rome” because of the song “Gary, Indiana” from Music Man and also because I’ve never been to Paris or Rome and would love to return to New York. Plus I live in Indiana so there’s that connection too.

Next, I thought of the famous MASH sign. I considered selecting some of the cities from the sign but I still wasn’t sure that’s what I wanted to do although I’m a big fan of the show.

Then I thought it might be fun to choose fictional locations from some of my favorite books and I choose Hogsmeade (I have sweet memories of reading Harry Potter with my daughter when she was very young), Pemberley (Pride and Prejudice is my favorite Jane Austin novel) and Hobbiton (I have read Lord of the Rings three times).

I struggled to find a sky fabric that wasn’t too plain and would coordinate with my other blocks. I finally settled on one that I just had enough of. The sign was fairly easy but the letters were hard because I didn’t have the right fabric —solid and contrasty enough with the wood fabric but not too contrasty. I finally found something I liked.

Here’s my fabric pull.

Here are the fabric details of the Island Batiks I used:

Background

Blue with white swirls (Stash Builder strip)

Sign

Carmel (Basics collection) Latte (Basics collection)

My Tips and Tutorials for Making This Block

Here are my tips for making the Sign block.

Cut Your Fabrics Efficiently

The pattern lists the number and size of each cut on the left

Write the number of each size to cut in front of that item in the table on the right. Then you can use the table to both cut your sizes and label them properly!

For labeling my fabrics, I use Alphabitties and Clover Mini Clips. So easy!

To cut efficiently, cut one 3” strip from your Background, then cut the 2-3/4” squares. Cut the remaining part of the 3” strip in half and cut your 1-1/2” units. You’ll only need the 3” strip and one 1-1/2” strip this way.

Make flying geese units perfectly

You make oversize flying geese and then cut them down to size.

Becca uses a technique called Flip Corners to make her flying geese. There are some tricks for getting that corner to flip perfectly. Check out my tutorial.

Trimming the Flying Geese unit is a bit tricky, but easy when you know how. To trim the width to 4-1/2”, place the 2-1/4” mark on the point of the geese and trim one side. Flip the unit around and trim the other side using the 4-1/2” mark on your ruler.

To trim the height of the Flying Geese unit, leave 1/4” at the top near the point for the seam allowance, then trim to 2-1/2” high.

Sew the Arrow Units Perfectly

The sign has three arrows. Assemble the units so they look like this (to of the Arrow Units will look the same)

Before sewing the second side onto the Arrow Unit, be sure to line up the G piece as needed.

Trim or resew your Arrow Units as needed. This will help you make a perfect block!

Sew the Block Together

Layout your Arrow Units so that two of them face the same way. Do this before sewing the block together so you don’t have to unstitch!

As you sew the Arrow Units together, be sure to match up the G piece (the center pole)

Press your block well. I press my seams open so I shorten my stitch length when sewing the block together to give it more strength. I use a wool pressing mat and Best Press to press my blocks.

Don’t trim your block until after you’ve added the applique.

Applique - Trace the shapes

Print out the letter shapes on page 4. Normally I would measure the test square but since there isn’t one, just make sure you print at 100% scale.

Write out the destinations you’ve chosen, and make a list of which letters and how many of each you’ll need.

Trace the chosen templates onto fusible web. I use a light table which makes this process easier. I also like to use up my little scraps of fusible if I can.

Cut the fusible shapes out loosely (1/8” outside the outline). I like doing this so I don’t apply fusible to more of my fabric than I need (I try not to be too wasteful when it comes to my batiks!)

Applique - Fuse the shapes

Fuse the web onto the back of each fabric and cut the shapes out on the line. I found a tiny set of sharp scissors indispensable when cutting out the letter shapes.

I cut out the centers of my letters (such as the center of the O) but you could avoid that hassle and simply trace the center shapes onto fusible separately, and fuse them to your wood background fabric. That way, you can fuse the center of the O for example onto the letter fabric rather than having to cut it out.

APPLIQUES - FUSING TO THE BACKGROUND

Position each letter onto the chosen Arrow Unit and fuse in place. I left at least 1/2” on the edge of the block for the seam allowance and some visible space.

I fused the letters for one arrow at a time. As you can see, my letters barely fit because I used long words so I overlaid the letters a bit where needed to get them to fit.

Appliques - Finish the Edges

Edge-stitch the applique shapes to finish their edges. I normally use a straight stitch and matching thread although you can use a small zig-zag, blanket stitch, or satin stitch to finish the edges.

I use an open-toe foot so I can see where I’m stitching.

I slow down my machine so I have more control.

For stitching curved shapes having a knee-lift that lifts the presser foot without moving your hands really helps you get the job done fast!

If you’ve never machine appliqued before, click here for a step by step photo tutorial.

TRIM YOUR BLOCK

Assemble your block, press well, and trim to it’s final size—12-1/2”.

Thanks for the Tips! Where do I get the pattern?

Drop by Becca’s blog (the Block Designer) to download your free Sign block pattern. Hurry! The pattern is only available for free until the end of the quilt along.

Here are the other quilt along hosts. Drop by their blogs to view their versions of this block and to read their tips for making it.

Jennifer @ Inquiring Quilter (that’s me!) Karen @ Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats Laura @ Slice of Pi Quilts Kathleen @ Kathleen McMusing Sherry @ Powered by Quilting

How Do I Enter the Giveaway?

Our giveaways are open to anyone who is at least 18 years old—US and International citizens. To enter, make all the blocks in a Segment. This is Segment 3. Segment 3 entries open October 19th and close on November 16th, 2021 at 7:59 AM EST.

Please note: While the Partners in Design welcome the customization of blocks by participants, we reserve the right to disqualify entries from the prize drawing if the construction varies significantly from the patterns as written.

If you make all the Segment 3 blocks, you might win:

A six month subscription to Make Modern Magazine!

A PDF pattern of your choice from these Partners in Design:

Sherry @ Powered by Quilting ($10.00 shop credit)

Becca @ Pretty Piney

I’m Missing Some Blocks!

Missing a pattern or two? No problem. Click here for the quilt along schedule with links to my post for each block and the block pattern.

Thanks for stopping by! The next block will be released Tuesday, September 28th. Don’t miss it!

you might also like

Tell me…what destinations will you put on your sign?

#Partners in Design #Free #Featured #Destination QAL

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2019dclmed · 5 years

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Rome - Tues., May 28, 2019

Rome - Tuesday, May 28, 2019

It was another early morning with a 5:47am alarm for our 7:15am PA call time. By now we had a routine of getting ready, eating our room service, taking seasick pills, and packing our backpacks. The forecast was only 64, but no rain. I donned a plaid dress & navy sweater, but stashed my Lauren hoodie & footies (for the bus) in my bag! Luckily, neither were used.

As a reminder of our chosen Port Adventure:

Vatican Behind the Scenes and Panoramic Drive (CV105)

10 Hours to 10.5 Hours

It was about an hour drive into the city and we were dropped off just outside the Vatican City wall. We were led down a Groups path (FastPass), went through security scanners, and then awaited our tickets. (The regular line wrapped all the way down one of the walls and around the corner. Again, unless you arrive prior to opening or have a tour like ours booked, the wait to just get in would be excessive!)

Then it was upstairs for our radio guides, but it was to hear our personal guide, not the Vatican Museums audio guide. Our group was led out to the Gardens, a blissful escape from the crowds. (As uttered on the Disney Cruise Line Blog Podcast, when at the Vatican be prepared to “pack your patience and give up your personal space!”)

The Gardens (requiring a special ticket or with a tour) are quite hilly with all sorts of cement, cobblestone, and rock pathways. (I was happy my new Chacos conquered it all!) One in our group had mobility issues and opted out of a significant portion of the tour. We were told about the history and meaning behind many of these sites, refurbishment of a considerable monument, and the building to which retired Pope Benedict has retired. This area also provided beautiful natural, quiet, and unobtrusive views of the back of both the St. Peter's Basilica Dome and Sistine Chapel. The numerous gardeners were out and about to the point it felt a bit Disney-esque. We regularly got out of the way of the golf carts and 4-wheelers (that I wanted to commandeer)!

This is Kara - I’ll just add that the Gardens were very pretty - made even more enjoyable by the fact the weather was absolutely perfect. I especially enjoyed Pope Pius IV’s building from 1550 and its sunbathing turtles.

Too soon we returned to the outside public area of Vatican City. We stopped in front of a set of six signs, each explaining different part of the Sistine Chapel. I had not seen this on my previous visit. It gave much needed context to the famous painting we were about to view, so this is highly recommended.

Kara here: I agree completely that without the explanations of these signs or some real preparation for the Sistine Chapel, you’re not going to really get all that much from the experience.

Next we were back inside to another “skip the line” point, but still had to traverse through the expansive galleries. (One in our party lost contact with one or two of their four girls, which caused a delay. FYI - tour guides are not your babysitters!)

We were informed the ceiling art is simply lat painting, but they appear 3D! Talk about masterful historic art techniques! Note what looks like “tape” across the giant crack!

This brought us to yet another “skip the line” into the Sistine Chapel. We were there for only about 10 minutes and it was lighter in there than I recalled.

Kara: The three galleries we passed through were candelabra, maps, and tapestry. The tapestry where Jesus’s eyes follow you - FREAKY! While I tend to enjoy museums like this a little more than Gayle, the Disney Cruise Line Blog should go one step further and say that if you’re an introvert or you actually expect to be able to look at something and enjoy doing so while in the Vatican, you’ve come with the wrong expectations. The next picture truly captures why while I’m glad to have visited the Vatican, unless I’m enjoying a private audience with the Pope, I have no need to return.

From the Sistine Chapel we exited almost directly into St. Peter’s Basilica, where our guide pointed out the key highlights. (I was personally relieved at this. Last time I did the audio guide, and like Westminster, tried to do the whole thing. Yet, the monuments here are great in number and I easily lost track if I was looking at the right thing!) We finished around 1pm and were directed to meet back in front of St. Peter’s by 2:45pm.

Kara: I tend to love visiting churches. I’d go back in a heartbeat to nearly every other church I’ve ever visited. There was absolutely nothing reverent or inspiring for me about the shear audacity and grandiosity of St. Peters.

Knowing of this free time, I’d prepared for us to grab a bite to eat. Employing my offline map we sought out the nearby “Alice” for pizza. I’d searched for “good pizza near the Vatican” since we didn’t have a ton of time and thought Kara needed to experience “street food”. While waiting for Kara to get the pizza from this walk-up restaurant, a pigeon “poo-ed” on my backpack! Luckily I had supplies to clean it, but these birds were really aggressive in trying to snatch our food. On top of this the pizza was bad. Really bad. (I have no idea how this “restaurant” was highly rated.) So I felt guilt for leading us here.

Kara: The staff was also not pleasant at all. I didn’t think the pizza was really bad, but it definitely was just food - nothing special.

Next we ventured a few more blocks to “Old Bridge Gelateria” for yes - gelato! (After our Alice experience, I was scared!) It was another traditional walk-up establishment directly across from a Vatican wall. Kara ordered mixed berry, strawberry, & lemon; I ordered dark chocolate and strawberry. When I tossed a tip in their jar, the guys Dabbed! LOL! This gelato was YUMMY (if slightly overpriced - but location, you know) & more than made up for the terrible pizza!

Kara: Back when we decided to do this trip, I tried valiantly for about six months to pick up enough Italian to at least understand the basics. I wasn’t confident but I was really pleased at how kind everyone was as I tried out the language and how gentle they were in corrections of pronunciations. Both Luigi the day before and the guys at the gelato place were really nice to patiently let me try Italian. Nothing like my experience in Paris a few years back. Also, a note for a future trip should one ever occur to Rome - there is currently a great little sandwich and pasta shop right next to the this gelato place.

We returned to our meeting point (one of the official gift shops) where Kara picked up a number of items and I purchased needed postcards.

(A bracelet Kara bought me - to match my nails, of course!)

Due to the high tourist area, the streets surrounding the Vatican were full of pickpockets and street vendors pushing everything everywhere. We felt like a full picnic basket (especially with my checkered dress print) sitting on top of an anthill! Our guide finally led us to the Vatican’s “bus parking garage” and even here we endured musicians asking for money.

Sidenote: We invested in our first pairs of Chacos for this trip - wanting a sandal that would support a lot of walking. Since I customized mine in all silver metallic, and “when in Rome”, I took to calling mine...

At 3pm we began our panoramic drive through Rome, some sites I had seen, but not others. We were back on the ship by 5pm. (This port is HUGE and crazy! It must have taken us nearly 10 minutes to get to the ship after entering the port!)

Kara: As this was my first visit to Rome, I was looking forward to the tour part - even though it was just a bus tour. G and I are both watching the CBS show “Blood and Treasure” this summer and the pyramid was featured in it. Gayle is right about how enormous the port was - the last two photos are ones I grabbed as we were driving back into the port.

Back in our stateroom we found some delectable “VIP” cupcakes from our new bestie Zoe.

Tonight’s dinner was back in Lumiere’s with a new international menu (World of Flavor) we’d never experienced. I made no notes about this and only remember not being impressed. I believe my main course was disappointing salmon; the buffet salmon from embarkation day was better.

Tonight Kara ordered some hard cider, which they brought in a bottle. Not a beer bottle, but rather more of a full wine-size bottle. Okkkkk. The process worked the same that they would re-cork it and bring it back for the next night’s dinner.

The Beef Empanada was actually quite tasty!

The ship’s Cheddar Cheese Soup will never compare to Le Cellier’s, but pretzel bread is always appreciated!

The Sundae was also quite good. (I would have gotten the Sacre Torte, but don’t care for apricot.)

Kara’s normal dessert selection.

We completed our post-dinner tendency of getting ice, shower/hair, and ordering Room Service for cookies (& tonight “chocolate cake”, which was actually mousse, so Kara was NOT happy. Are we confusing this with a previous night???) For some reason the ship left 45 minutes late.

The evening show was “Junnk” (similar to “Stomp”). We’d seen it before and due to our busy schedule decided to watch it on the stateroom TV since they show the nighttime stage shows on the in-room TVs. Lesson learned: They apparently only show the Disney original stage shows (pre-taped) on the TVs, so no show for us!

Tonight was Pirate Night. As much as we wanted to embrace this cruise-specific offering and as the only cruise line having fireworks at sea, Pirate Night is a BIG DEAL! Yet with dropping temps, a wet/rainy environment, and notable winds, Mother Nature was prompting us to stay inside. When we saw the party didn’t start until 10:30pm (& knowing the fireworks wouldn’t go off until almost 11pm), we didn’t even try to pretend we were going. Instead we were barely able to stay awake for the fireworks, which we watched from our balcony (something Disney Cruise Line tells you NOT to do for safety). Yes, I broke a Disney rule. EEK! It’s the only one I break (& do so consistently. SHHHH!!!) We also know which side of the ship to reserve our stateroom just for this reason!

Disclaimer: I (Gayle) am a travel agent with Authorized Disney Travel Planner agency - Off to Neverland Travel. Contact me today for a no-obligation quote!

Next up: Florence, Italy!

#2019dclmed

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travelteatv · 5 years

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On a bit of a whim, Hamilton and I recently booked a trip to Quebec City during Air Canada’s flight sale. It was just for the weekend (flying out Saturday morning and leaving Sunday evening) and we were super excited for the trip to get us into the festive mood. It’s an absolutely stunning place with a lot of history, making it a perfect weekend break.

I had been once before, in late April (a few years back), at which point it was still -1, yep -1 in April. I’m also pretty sure it snowed. This should have got me thinking about the fact that in December, it was definitely going to be somewhat colder than -1.

Nevertheless, ever the optimists, we discussed our plans of meandering around the city, exploring the beautiful European style streets in Old Quebec City and then slipping into some of their fantastic restaurants/bars when our feet got tired.

… While we were there, it was (real feel) -24 degrees. I’m not exaggerating. As I’m sure many people are thinking “this is winter in Canada, what were you expecting, you nincompoop?” (or probably similar words to that same effect) Well, in all honesty, not -24. It had been around -2 in Toronto and at times, around -8. I’m aware it gets much colder in January/February but come on, it’s only just December. Thankfully, many people confirmed with us in Quebec that this was an unusually cold weekend and it didn’t normally get that cold at that time. So basically, we weren’t complete idiots, we were just unlucky.

I’m prefacing this post with that information mostly, in all honesty, in the hope that you will respect all of the exploring that Hamilton and I did actually manage despite the conditions. Perhaps, you’ll even commend us with some kind of brave travellers award. I’ll wait. Plus, a warning in case you are intending on visiting Quebec City during this time – it is possible and it is enjoyable but my goodness, it is cold.

Anyway, I’ll get on with the post now.

SATURDAY

I would first like to say that regardless of what I wrote above, we had a great time in QC.

As well as the quaint streets it is known for, there are lots of churches and beautiful buildings to see in the area which we did wander past but didn’t go inside, plus a Museum of Civilisation but in general, it is just a lovely place to walk around even though it is absolutely freezing. I don’t think there’s enough to do for a week long trip unless you start looking at things outside of the city but for a weekend there is the perfect amount to do and at this time of year, there are plenty of decorations up, music playing, ice skating, santa’s grottos and even some carol singers, which I think makes it a great alternative to a Christmas Market, if you’re looking for one.

CITADELLE

We arrived mid morning on Saturday and got dropped off just outside the Fairmont. From there we trudged through the snow, down to the Citadelle and across the Plains of Abraham, where you can get a great view of the St Lawrence River (which I was surprised to see wasn’t frozen, by the way).

After being outside in the wind for about 30 minutes, we on the other hand, were freezing cold so we rushed down the road and into Le Cafe de Paris. It’s a really sweet little cafe that does bites of food, as well as hot drinks and alcohol. We skipped the food and went straight for Baileys Hot Chocolate. It’s something we always used to have when skiing because it really warms the cockles and having alcohol with a hot chocolate makes drinking at 11am feel a little bit more acceptable.

OBSERVATORY

Once we were back up to normal human temperature, we headed back out into the freezer and up to the Observatory which I really recommend. A) It’s inside and B) It has great views of the city. What I found strange though, was that even on a day like that, it was completely empty. Most of the time, we were the only people up there. All the staff were super friendly, I think because they were glad to have someone to talk to, but it was nice and made for a very inviting atmosphere at what we thought was going to be a big, busy tourist attraction. It only costs $14.75 to go up and you can use that ticket as many times as you want in one day, so you could go up at lunchtime and then return to see the sunset if you wanted.

One thing though – the lift is absolutely terrifying. I’m not scared of heights or anything, it’s just the fastest lift I’ve ever been in. Hamilton and I both genuinely nearly fell down when it started moving. Thankfully we were the only ones in there and no one else saw this happen but good god, there should be a warning.

After that, we braved the cold once more (I think we were getting acclimatised to at this point because it didn’t seem too bad) and walked towards the old town. The day was getting on by this point, so we also stopped for a bite at a snack bar, which I can’t remember the name of but it was cheap as anything and they had huge portions. I mean, it felt like a waste in all honesty because I could barely eat it but that’s hardly something to moan about.

QUARTIER DU PETIT CHAMPLAIN

Until this point we had barely seen any other people walking around the streets and assumed it was because it was so cold, they didn’t want to go outside. As we then got into the quaint streets of the old town we realised it was actually just because they were all there. I guess a lot of people come on day trips, see the famous streets and then leave again.

View this post on Instagram

Back from our weekend in beautiful, snowy Quebec City and feeling exceptionally Christmassy right now! Blog post coming soon ✨

A post shared by Abi – TravelTeaTv (@travelteatv) on Dec 10, 2018 at 9:44am PST

HOTEL LE SAINT-PAUL

Once we had our fill of pretty streets and cold toes, we checked in to our hotel – Le Saint Paul. It is situated by the old port, which makes it a great location. We really enjoyed our stay there but I must say, it was confusing as hell. The reception area kind of seemed like it was under construction, even though I don’t think it was. From that, we assumed our room was going to be a bit crappy, then we got up there and had our minds blown – we had a suite. And it was massive. It had both the biggest bath and bed we had ever seen, plus a big TV, coffee machine and a great view. It also had a shower, which was surrounded by glass meaning if someone showered, you could just see them. We both agreed that it would be great if you were there on a romantic stay but for us it was just a bit weird. If either of us showered/had a bath, we just stayed facing the other way watching TV for the duration.

CHEZ JULES

Now, Quebec is known for having great food, so we looked into this ahead of time and booked a table at Chez Jules. Our reservation wasn’t until 8pm, so we first got a drink around the corner at D’Orsay, on Rue De Buade. On the same road, is a Christmas shop that I believe is open year round where you can buy a myriad of random Christmas decorations and items (like the Santas below), so even if you aren’t in QC during the holiday season, you can still get festive.

Dinner. Was. Amazing. We got a carafe of wine, main meals and then a dessert, and it honestly didn’t break the bank. Nonetheless, the waiters treat you like royalty and it feels like quite a fancy experience. There are of course, fancy fine dining restaurants in Quebec City where you can have that but if you don’t have the money, Chez Jules is a good alternative.

SUNDAY

OLD PORT MARKET

Breakfast was included at the hotel, so we got up at about 9 and went downstairs, then put on basically all of our clothes and walked across the road to the Old Port market. It’s open year round but at this time, it was a festive market so had a mix of food, handmade goods and Christmas gifts/decorations on offer. It felt very local, wasn’t filled with tourists and had a very chill atmosphere. It made me think about how nice it would be to live somewhere like that and wander down there on a Sunday morning to pick up some fresh food for the day.

Sadly we do not live there though and our day continued. We walked back through the Quartier du Petit Champlain and up the steps to the Fairmont. Warning – QC is pretty damn hilly. After living in Toronto, which is exceptionally flat, my legs were likely jelly from walking round Quebec.

FAIRMONT LE CHATEAU FRONTENAC

Right by the Fairmont, is a toboggan run and it is the greatest. It’s only 3 dollars per person per ride, so about £1.80 and is open to adults and children alike. You do have to pull your own toboggan up to the top but that’s part of the fun. The run is actually pretty bloody fast, so we screamed the entire way down and we were absolutely freezing but it is such a great activity, I could not recommend it more.

Plus for the adults, once you’ve done that, you can go into the bistro (Sam) at the Fairmont right next door and treat yourself to a stiff drink in luxury surroundings. Top tip (that we learned the hard way): the view from the balcony of the bar is amazing but you need to book to eat in order to sit there. We sat at the bar because we didn’t book but the waitress said you don’t need to have a full on meal, you can order something small and it’s still ok to sit there.

LE CLOCHER PENCHE

We only had one quick drink at the bar before we had to rush off for our lunch booking at Le Clocher Penche, which was a 30 minute walk (in the snow) away but the food made it worth it. For a set price, you get a hot drink, starter and main, plus great service. We really lucked out with the places we picked for food, I won’t lie; we don’t always book food places but seeing as we were only there for two days, it made sense to pick some nice places to ensure we got to go to them and that we didn’t have to wander the streets figuring out where looks nice.

After this, we had kind of seen everything we wanted to. I think if it was warmer, we would have gone back to the little streets in the old town but we didn’t feel the need to, so instead we crept into a bar and stayed there until it was time to get to the airport for our flight.

What are your favourite things to do around Christmas time?

Abi

@travelteatv

A FESTIVE WEEKEND IN QUEBEC CITY On a bit of a whim, Hamilton and I recently booked a trip to Quebec City during Air Canada's flight sale.

#CANADA #CHRISTMAS #Festive #quebec #quebec city #Travel

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