I finished piecing my Meet the Maker quilt – a free sampler quilt with blocks designed and shared by Riley Blake Designs. I put my own twist on it (I guess I’m kind of a rebel, lol) and have shared all of the links here to make your own quilt with this sampler quilt layout.
This quilt is made up of 5 different star block designs and 1 repeating setting block. I have links to instructions for all six quilt blocks below. I love the way the red Irish Chain blocks create a repeat design that sets off all of the other pieced blocks!
This quilt was made using fabrics from my first two fabric collections, a combination of Gingham Girls and Sunnyside Avenue. The two lines were always designed to play well together and I love the finished result!
Fabric Requirements for Finished Sampler Quilt:
This quilt finishes at 64″ x 84″
- about 2 yards of white background fabric
- 1st border (red): ¼ yard
- 2nd border (navy): 1 yard
- Binding (green): ½ yard
- Backing: 5 yards
This quilt pattern is a great one for using up favorite fabrics and scraps. All of the blocks in this quilt finish at 10″ x 10″, so it would also work for using up orphan 10″ x 10″ quilt blocks too!
Unfortunately the fabric collections that I used for this quilt are out of print. You may be able to find bits and pieces via Ebay or Googling Gingham Girls and Sunnyside Avenue fabric. Another recent collection has very similar colors and would look great in this quilt. That collection is called Sugarhouse Park. You can find it here, here, and here.
Free Quilt Block Tutorials:
Below are the links to the free quilt block tutorials for each block. I made my finished quilt differently from the Riley Blake original. Here is what I made:
Make 17 patchwork blocks using any combination of these 5 tutorials. (Or incorporate any 10″ x 10″ blocks that you like.) All of these blocks are part of the Riley Blake Meet the Makers series.
Block 1 tutorial here
Block 2 Tutorial here
Block 3 Tutorial here
Block 4 Tutorial Here
Block 5 Tutorial Here
Here is my variety of pieced blocks before I assembled them. I loved playing with scrappy color combinations. If you look at them now, you can see that I only used the color red as an accent color in these blocks. That’s because I was planning to use red as my dominant color in my off-setting block. (heh heh! Aren’t I clever?)
The off-setting block in this quilt is an Irish Chain Block. You’ll need to make 18 of these blocks for this throw-size quilt.
Irish Chain Block Tutorial Here
Once all of the blocks are created, lay out the blocks 5 blocks across, 7 rows down. Start with an Irish Chain block and alternate with the star blocks.
Here is how the first two rows will appear. Sew blocks together by rows and press seams toward the Irish Chain blocks. This will help the seams nest together when you start sewing the rows together.
Borders and Finishing Quilt Instructions:
The borders I used for this quilt are as follows:
1st border: cut 6 white strips 2 ½″ x WOF (width of fabric). I also cut 4 navy 2 ½″ x 2 ½″ squares to use as cornerstones for this border
2nd border: cut 7 strips (red) 2″ x WOF
3rd border: cut 7 strips (navy) 5″ x WOF
This is the method that I use for adding borders to a quilt. It’s simple and always provides perfect results. The key is the pinning – don’t skip that part! That’s what will give you nice square quilt without waves in the borders.
Here is the method I use for basting a quilt and preparing it for quilting. You can quilt it on your own machine or by hand. Or, you can do what I did – have it done by Melissa of Sew Shabby Quilting. 🙂 I like that this quilt has a bit of a retro-vibe so I had her do a traditional Baptist Fan overall design.
Here’s a peek at the back of my quilt. I did a pieced back using my red apple fabric and the red hearts from Sunnyside Ave and the woven red gingham from Riley Blake Designs.
There you go! I had fun taking this quilt to a local favorite spot for some beauty shots before all the autumn leaves are gone. Best time of the year!
Post Edit: A few people have asked if there is a printable version of this quilt. This time I’m afraid there is not. The reason this pattern is free is because all of the star blocks are provided by Riley Blake Designs. As such the videos/patterns are their intellectual property, not mine.
But their sharing is what makes this pattern free, so that is the trade off. Thanks for understanding. If you’d like to save this pattern for later use, pin the above image to help you find this post later!
As mentioned, unfortunately the fabric collections that I used for this quilt are out of print. You may be able to find bits and pieces via Ebay or Googling Gingham Girls and Sunnyside Avenue fabric. Another recent collection has very similar colors and would look great in this quilt. That collection is called Sugarhouse Park. You can find it here, here, and here.
Lynne Tilley
That is just absolutely gorgeous. Fabulous! I just love all the colors and, like you, the way the Irish Chain works its way through. Thanks so much for sharing. I’m PDF’ing this tutorial. Thanks!
Laurie George
I love your quilt, Amy! I have made some quilts from your tutorials and have others planned. 🙂 Thank you for sharing your talent!
Sheri
Very pretty! Thanks so much for sharing the tutorials!! I have used your saw tooth star tutorial many times and have made your charm square baby quilt with sashing and got lots of inspiration from your posts! Always look forward to reading your posts. Thanks again!
Amy
You’re welcome. I’m so glad!!
Joanne
Love it! And the background is beautiful!
farmhousequiltsblog
The colors are just so wonderful and I LOVE the way you did the backing…a happy surprise!
Maxine Reisenleiter
It turned out beautifully. Thanks so much for putting all the links in one post because it’s so helpful. I need a new project to work on and I’ve been closely watching your progress. I just love it.
Rosemaryflower
This is beautiful I want to make this quilt now
Betty
Oh my gosh, it is just gorgeous. The colors and the design are perfect. Thank you so much. It is a must for sure.
Jan
AMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! I have poured over these posts. I kept thinking just this week about how I wish I could have them all in one place. I love star quilts and I’ve been watching this from the beginning. Thank you again! Also, would it work to make the star blocks and use a simpler row by row setting for a quilt? I’m not sure my skills are ready for the piecing in your beautiful quilt.
Amy
Yes! I’m sure a Row by Row layout would be wonderful too! The stars really are versatile and fun. I’m so glad you like it!
Susan Thompson
I started making this quilt when I saw you were using your own fabrics, because I had some that I had never gotten around to using. Then I bought all I could find online. I hope to give it as a Christmas gift. I love your fabrics and I love the way they look in this quilt pattern. Thanks for sharing it.
Amy
Aww, thank you, Susan!
Wanda Martens
I would love to make this quilt from a kit of Riley Blake fabrics. Please email me at martenswanda@msn.com if you make these kits available.
Amy
Hi Wanda! I’m hoping to finally cut these kits this fall. I will let you know as soon as they’re ready!
Karen
This is a lovely quilt. I wish it was a kit! I have some of each collection left, but certainly not enough to make this quilt. So pretty.
Rachel
So beautiful! And I love the way you had it quilted. The curves really complement the geometric design.
Vicki
I made a baby quilt with Gingham Girls fabric…. beautiful fabric….one of my favorites……
Adana
I love this quilt! So pretty! I also would like to know where you took these pictures. Please share. ?
RaeLyn Boothe
Amy, I linked my blog, http://www.seamlesspiecing.com, to this post, and your blog, as a gift to my followers. The post will go live Dec 19, 2018. If you want a preview of the post let me know and I’ll email you the text. Thanks for the pattern to this lovely quilt. It looks great in your fabrics!
Liz Rehrauer
This quilt is gorgeous in your fabrics. Of all meet the makers, your blocks were my favorites. I will be pinning this and putting it on to-do list.
Raylene
I just finished my blocks . . . I made extra to make it wider! I am still waiting for border fabric, but I am so happy with the colors!!! Thank You AMy. p.s. I LOVE the new Gretel Line! Have 10″ sqaures coming for a closer look!!
Amy
Ooo, I bet it’s awesome! I’m thinking of making a bigger version in Christmas fabrics. How fun would that be?
And I’m so glad you like Gretel!!
Allison
I would definitely be interested in a kit! Absolutely beautiful work!!! Thank you for sharing.
Glenda Stapp
Absolutely beautiful, I would like a kit if you put one together. Love love love this quilt.
Sherry Moran
If it’s not too late, I am interested in a kit for this, even if it’s only the blocks! I love what you’ve done and red is my
favorite color. Please let me know
Amy
Thanks Sherry! I’m hoping to get around to kits in March. I will keep you posted!
Natalie
The colors are gorgeous! I would be interested in a kit when they are available.
Jeannette Thompson
Love it . Definitely would be interested in a kit. Many thanks for sharing.
Martha Cox
Love love love this quilt. Do you have a kit available.
Stephanie K Foust
I am making quilts for each of my grandkids for Christmas this year. I was wondering how this quilt would look using 1930’s repro fabric?
Amy
I think it would be great!
Rosie
I didn’t see anywhere the width of your last navy border.
Annie
I just love the quilt it is awesome and I love the colors specially the red one of my favorite colors. I would be interested in a kit or just the squares. Thank you Amy I will be looking for more of your patterns.
Nila Wagner
I love this quilt! It’s gorgeous! I would be interested in the kit if it’s available.
Pam Smith
How wide do I cut the Navy border? I only see to cut 7 of them, but it doesn’t mention the width, unless I’m overlooking it!
Amy
Whoops – I’ll fix that. Cut the navy border 5″ wide.
visitliz
I love this quilt and am interested in a kit if it becomes available! Thanks, Amy, for all your beautiful designs.
Amy
THank you so much for your interest – I’m sorry to say I am out of the remaining fabric to make this kit. I can’t put any more together.
Barbara
I actually would love the solid Riley Blake colors as a kit. Any online options?
Gen
I have been following your blog for a couple of years probably – but somehow I have completely missed this post until I was looking at the mystery blocks for this year’s RB quilt. I LOVE this quilt and would love to make it, but I am not finding the fabrics anywhere. Can you suggest a good substitution fabric collection to get a very similar look?? It makes me sad that I can’t try to replicate such a gorgeous quilt! Any suggestions greatly appreciated. Or if there are kits available that might simplify the process, but I assume that at this late date that the kits are gone as well. Thanks for any help you can give!
Amy
I’m so glad you like this one! My Sugarhouse Park collection that came out last year would give you a very similar look. A lot of it is still available from The Fat Quarter Shop: https://shrsl.com/1vxgi or a variety of shops on Etsy: https://tidd.ly/3p7LFBf
Gen
Thank you so much for your help! I think this is going to be my next project! Much more detailed than any blocks I have attempted……so we shall see…..
Janet Hallsted
I love the fabrics used in your quilt. It is beautiful and am interested in getting the kit when it is available. Thank you so much for showing it. Love the colors used.
Amy
Hi Janet! Thank you so much for your interest. Unfortunately the fabric collections that I used for this quilt are out of print as are the kits. (Totally my fault for not updating the post. Thank you for your comment reminding me that it needed an update.)
You may be able to find bits and pieces via Ebay or Googling Gingham Girls and Sunnyside Avenue fabric. Another recent collection has very similar colors and would look great in this quilt. That collection is called Sugarhouse Park. You can find it here: https://tidd.ly/38mAYVQ
sue kantor
Just found this and ❤️❤️❤️!!! Would you be able to tell me how much fabric is required for the blocks? I see background, borders and backing info but not for colors for the blocks. Thank you so much for sharing this gorgeous quilt pattern!