tutorials

2023 Quilt as You Go - Making the Block

January 4, 2023 Kimberlee Tanner

Welcome to the first step in this year's quilt along! We aren't calling this a month, as we are still going to be quilting one block this month, starting next week. But before we an quilt, we need something to quilt! We'll be making 12 identical blocks from all of our scraps, then spending each month finishing them with a different quilting design. After they are quilted, we'll join them together into one big beautiful quilt!

Making the Quilt Block

For Fabric requirements, visit the Main Quilt Along Page

Cutting out the Colored Fabric

First, decide whether you are doing the scrappy version or solid version. We decided to do a spiraling rainbow for our quilt top. You could alternate a few colors, do stripes, checkerboard, really anything!

If you are going scrappy, cut each of the pieces from scraps large enough. If you are using one piece of fabric for the colored sections, follow the diagram below.

For each block you will need:

2 @ 3 3/4" square

24 @ 3" square

1/4 Yard Cut

Fat Quarter

Cutting out the Background Fabric:

Tip: Cut a strip the width of the fabric matching the first measurement. Cut pieces as needed, then cut down the remaining strip for the next piece. Cut the strip the width of the first number if not square (ie for the 3 x 5 1/2" cut strips 3" x WOF, then cut them into the 5 1/2" rectangles).

24 @ 3 3/4"

96 @ 3 x 5 1/2"

96 @ 3" square

48 @ 2 x 5 1/2"

48 @ 2 x 4"

Each section will be 5 1/2" unfinished