Free Sampler Quilt + Irish Chain Layout

Here it is, friends! I finally finished my 2023 Riley Blake Quilt Block Challenge Quilt. A few months late, but hey! At least it was in the same calendar year. So that's a pretty great achievement right? As promised, in this post I'll be sharing the instructions for assembling the quilt blocks into a finished sampler-style quilt with an Irish-Chain-inspired layout.

Questions and Answers About Sampler Quilt Blocks

First of all, here is all of the information for the 16 quilt block patterns that were included in the 2023 Riley Blake quilt block challenge. The blocks finish at 10" x 10". (They will measure 10½” x 10½” unfinished - or before you piece them into the quilt.)

All of these block patterns were created by different Riley Blake designers and are hosted and offered for free on the Riley Blake website. You will need to access those patterns here.

By the same token - you can use any 10" x 10" quilt blocks to fill the sampler block spots - including repeating the same block for every space. So many options!

I used my 2023 fabric collection Portsmouth to make this quilt. I didn't really have a specific plan going in, just pulling from scraps and yardage I had on hand to make each weeks' blocks. So unfortunately I can't really give you a specific list of fabric requirements for each block.

But it's okay to make it scrappy and make-do with whatever you have on hand!

If you'd like to buy fabric for the variety of blocks, then I recommend getting a Fat Quarter Bundle. Or a couple of 10" Stackers (aka Layer Cakes) to get the variety of prints. (I still have a handful of both in my shop. You can find a list of other retailers here.)

A Rolie Polie (aka Jelly Roll) will not not be enough as there are pieces in many of the blocks that are wider than 2½”.

You will also need 1 yard of background (white) fabric.

For my background fabric I used Riley Blake's Confetti Cotton solid in Cloud. It's my go-to favorite warm white and coordinates best with the Portsmouth collection.

If you are looking for the blue plaid for the outside border, there is still some available from Missouri Star.

You can see all of my quilt blocks here and here as well as find links to the free quilt block tutorials. There are 16 blocks in this year's challenge. As you can see, I only used 13 blocks in my layout so if you choose to make this version, you can choose which blocks you like best. I personally went with the ones that felt the most traditional.

Irish Chain Sampler Quilt Pattern

Fabric requirements for finishing the Irish Chain Sampler Quilt

(These fabric requirements do NOT include the fabric for the 13 pieced sampler blocks.)

• White Background Fabric: 2¼ yards (if getting yardage to include making the sampler blocks get 3¼ yards)
• Red Gingham: ⅝ yard
• Navy Star: ⅜ yard (includes 1st border)
• Blue Plaid: 1 yard (2nd border)
• Navy Gingham: ⅝ yard (Binding)
• Backing: 4½ yards

To go with the 13 pieced blocks, this quilt requires 12 Irish Chain blocks that also finish at 10" x 10".

Since we are making 12 identical blocks, I used strip-piecing methods to save time and piece these blocks faster!

Irish Chain Block Cutting Instructions:

WOF = Width of Fabric

White fabric:

• 2 strips 6½” x WOF
• 6 strips 2½” x WOF
• 2 strips 4½” x WOF
• 4 strips 10½” x WOF

Red Gingham fabric:

• 8 strips 2½” x WOF

Navy Star Fabric:

• 1 strips 2½” x WOF

Red Star Fabric:

• 3 strips 2½” x WOF

Strip-Piecing Instructions

Go here to learn about or review Strip-Piecing techniques.

Strip-set A (make 2):

Sew a Red Gingham 2½” x WOF strip to the top and bottom of a White 6½” strip. Press seams toward the Red Gingham.

Cut strip-sets into 24 units 2½” wide.

Strip-set B (make 2):

Sew 2 Red Gingham 2½” x WOF strips in between 3 White 2½” strips. Press seams toward the Red Gingham strips.

Cut strip-sets into 24 units 2½” wide.

Strip-set C (make 1):

Sew 1 Navy Star 2½” x WOF strip in between 2 White 4½” x WOF strips. Press seams toward the Navy star strip.

Cut strip-set into 12 units 2½” wide.

Block Assembly

Use diagram below to layout 5 strip-set units to be sewn together into 1 quilt blocks.

Press seams away from Strip-set B.

Repeat to make 12 10" x 10" (10½” x 10½” unfinished) Irish Chain Quilt Blocks.

Quilt Assembly

Fabric Requirements:

• From 4 White 10½” x WOF strips, cut 60 sashing strips 2½” x 10½".
• From 3 Red Star 2½” x WOF strips, cut 36 cornerstones 2½” x 2½”.
• 1st Border: Navy Star cut 7 strips 1 ¾" x WOF
• 2nd Border: Blue Plaid, cut 7 strips 5" x WOF (I did scissor cut the plaid strips to keep the plaid straight)
• Binding: Navy Gingham 8 strips 2½” x WOF

Use diagram below to lay out and sew together 5 block rows alternating 5 10½” x 10½” blocks with 6 sashing strips. Press seams toward the sashing strips.

Sew 6 Sashing rows together alternating 6 red 2½” x 2½” cornerstones with 5 white 2½” x 10½” sashing strips. Press seams toward the sashing strips.

Sew rows together alternating 6 Sashing rows with 5 Block rows. Press seams toward the sashing strips.

As you can see in this diagram I only have one repeating star block instead just to keep this simple. But you can obviously replace those star blocks with any 10" x 10" block.

Finishing the Quilt

Use your preferred method for adding two outside borders to the quilt. This is my favorite short-cut method for adding perfect borders.

Backing: cut yardage into 2 pieces 81" x WOF. Trim a selvage edge off one side of each 81" piece and sew together along cut edges. This will create an 81" x 81" backing.

Go here for tips on

• Choosing Batting
• Basting and Quilting your layers
• Go here for tips on How to Finish (or Bind) a Quilt.

This quilt was machine quilted by Melissa of Sew Shabby Quilting using the Woven Wind pattern.

If you would like a printable PDF version of this tutorial you can find one here.

Nautical-inspired quilt in the Rocky Mountains

As you can see, I took the finished quilt with us on a weekend road trip a couple of weeks ago. It was our first visit to the Tetons in years and we loved going back. Such an amazingly beautiful spot.

But the irony is not lost on my that I took the finished shots of this nautical-inspired quilt in the western, rugged rocky mountains. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a good quilt shot in great scenery!

This is a well traveled quilt. In case you missed it, I did take pictures of the quilt top in the land of it's inspiration - the New England Seacost here.

Thanks for your patience while I got these instructions finished and ready to share. It always takes me SO much longer than I hope to write and polish quilt instructions. 😅

As I mentioned you can find the free printable PDF version here. If you make one yourself, I'd love to see it! Share it on my Facebook page or tag me on Instagram @diaryofaquilter.