The Nancy’s Notions Sampler Quilt Along blocks have all been released and now it’s time to think about finishing the quilt! That’s both exciting and sad, all at the same time. It’s always a little sad when a Quilt Along is drawing to a close, but it’s also super exciting because you have made all of the block needed to finish a quilt. Way to go, you!!
If you haven’t started the Sampler Quilt Along yet, or are only in the middle of it, no worries! You can jump in anytime and finish anytime! It is a laid-back, work-at-your-own-pace kinda project. No deadlines. No sign-up sheets. Just you and some free block patterns doin’ your thing. You can read more about the Quilt Along and get access to all twenty of the blocks here.
So, now let’s talk about what to do next!
First off, it is very important that you square up each of your blocks. You may think that all of your blocks are exactly 12 1/2″ but they may be off by only a little bit. Little bits matter though when you are trying to sew blocks together. Watch the short tutorial below and learn to square up your quilt blocks.
Secondly, decide if you are adding sashing or no sashing. Sashing refers to the fabric strips between each block and each row. You can do a simple sashing or a more complicated pieced sashing. One of the easiest sashings to do make is just a simple sashing like the one pictured below in the quilt by Cindy Valbert.
Simple Sashing Directions
- Cut 49 2 ½” x 12 ½” strips.
- Cut 30 2 ½” squares.
- Sew a strip to both the left and right sides of the first block in each row.
- Sew a strip to the right side of the rest of the blocks.
- Sew your blocks into rows.
- Sew four 12 ½” strips together lengthwise, alternating between strip and cornerstone. Make sure you have a cornerstone piece (2 1/2″ square) at each end.
- Sew a row of sashing to a row of blocks. Alternate sashing rows and block rows until you have used all of your rows.
- Refer to the photo below, if needed.
Thinking about some other types of sashing? Check out the awesome tutorials below for different sashing ideas and inspiration!
Once your blocks and sashing are all sewn together, it’s time to think about borders. Are you going to add a border? The possibilities are endless! The border pictured above is a Piano Key Border. That is made by cutting strips of fabric 1 1/2″ by however wide you want your border to be and sewing them all together. The trick to a great border is making sure that it fits correctly and is not wavy. Watch the tutorial below on how to attach borders to your quilt!
Now that your Sampler is pieced and the sashing and border are on, all that is left is to quilt it and bind it! If you prefer piecing over quilting and are not going to quilt it yourself, did you know that Missouri Star Quilt Co. has a wonderful mail-in quilting service? They sure do! Just ship them your quilt and and they will quilt it and send it back to you! To learn more about Missouri Star’s longarm quilting service, click here!
Also, check out this great article from Nancy’s Notions on quilting your quilt at home on your sewing machine! Click here!
Ready to bind? There’s a tutorial for that too!
Congratulations on finishing the Nancy’s Notions Sampler Quilt Along! What a fun ride it has been! Be sure to send in photos and information all about your quilt to Quilt & Tell on Nancy’s Notions! We want to see them and they may be featured on our website! Learn more about Quilt & Tell here!
