Heading back to PA to visit Hershey!

By Michelle Renee October 14, 2022

Clue #7 is Hershey Odyssey and dedicated to all those who joined me for Hershey's Quilt Odyssey each year.

Quilt Odyssey, held in Hershey, PA, was more of a Quilt Show than a Retreat, but I often thought of it as a Retreat because most of the quilters would stay on property at the Hershey Lodge. Most of us just called it “Hershey”.

You could select from a range of day classes, and they would set up sewing rooms in the Hotel Tower to allow for evening sewing. The same quilters would return year after year, some for 20+ years. I first attended Quilt Odyssey as a quilter and returned to teach from 2014-2019. Missy, who ran Quilt Odyssey became ill in late 2019 and thus the 2020 show was canceled and has not returned.

I know I’m not alone in stating that Hershey remains my favorite regional Quilt Show and I miss it very much.

For my fabric selection I used a Light that would be ideal for Fussy cutting for my Cheer and Merriment collection, and a "planful" cutting of my Stitched version. Those taking the Clue and Class, I take you through that in the lessons.

Cheer and Merriment

Stitched

Take your time and cut carefully, making the best use of your fabric. Consider performing some fussy cutting for those Square-in-Square units.

Cheer and Merriment

Stitched

Tips for the unit construction:

Unit A - The Non-Mirror Combo Unit

You will want to take your time and read the instructions. You need to draw lines in both directions and then be very careful to sew on the right line until the center of that drawn square, and then stitch over to the left and then down the left side. Repeating that for the other set of lines.

Cut twice point to point.

Press them towards the Medium, carefully

Then stitch them to the Half Square Triangles. Being careful not to stretch the units as you have exposed bias.

These get trimmed up, make sure to trim the most pieced side, the 2 QST first.

Corner Beam - Familiarize your the Corner Beam. If you are new to this unit or it has been some time, I highly recommend you make one first.

Take your time to cut the Center Beam as it is the precision cut of the unit

Right Handed

Left Handed

The second trim is key, make sure to measure all the points mentioned in the instructions.

Right Handed

Left Handed

When stitching these, you always want the beam on top and it needs to be offset. I like to use my Magic Wand to check

After pressing, be sure to turn the unit around, to sew with the Center Beam on tops and make sure you offset again.

Stitch with your best 1/4" seam.

These will will be oversized and need to be trimmed down.

Take great care to line up the point in the proper place and to place the unit in the proper direction for the first cut. I always say "Beam me up Scotty" to remember to put the Corner Beam towards me.