Summer Block Party Quilt Along 2025

 

8/17/25 edited to add: sign ups are now closed and the quilt along for 2025 has ended. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Some of the block patterns are available for purchase in each designer's shop. Find those links below

Block 1: Swim Suit Block by Jen Belnap 

Block 2: Sunglasses Block by Amanda Castor

Block 3: Beach Chairs block by Amy Chappell (link coming soon)

Block 4: Ice Cream Cones block by Andy Knowlton (me!)

Block 5: Beach Finds Block by Gracey Larson

Block 6: Turtle Block by Jennifer Long (link coming soon)

Block 7: Flamingo Block by Bev McCullough

Block 8: Beach Hat block by Melissa Mortenson (link coming soon)

Block 9: Pineapple block by Amanda Niederhauser (link coming soon)

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We're back for another year of the Summer Block Party quilt along! 

We had so much fun last year so we decided to throw another block party! This year there are nine designers collaborating on one fun and free quilt. Each designer has designed a unique summer-inspired quilt block to share. Want to quilt along with us? The fun begins Monday June 23, 2025. 

Announcing the Summer Block Party Quilt Along

Who is ready for a fun and low-stress Summer project? Announcing the Summer Block Party quilt along!

WHAT: Join us in creating a breezy Summer quilt with blocks designed by some of your favorite designers! This will be a mystery quilt of sorts, with the blocks and the final layout being revealed along the way. 

WHEN: Starting Monday June 17 through July 31, 2024

• Each day for 9 days we will email you a PDF pattern for a free 12" Summer quilt block.

• On June 26th we will send you finishing instructions to turn your blocks into a 44" x 58" quilt.

• The fun doesn't stop there! Each Friday in July we will send you free BONUS projects to make with your 12" blocks.

• Sew at your own pace through the Summer!

HOW TO JOIN: It's free to join! Sign up to receive the daily email with the PDF patterns...AND the bonus projects. 

• You only need to sign up once with one designer to get the blocks (All designers will be sending out the same patterns each day).

• Following the completion of the Summer Block Party, you will be subscribed to each of the participating designers' newsletters which are free - and you can easily unsubscribe anytime. 

WHO: Here's the list of designers for the QAL. It's a fun group and I can't wait for you to see the blocks and bonus projects that we've designed!

Amanda Niederhauser  Jedi Craft Girl  @jedicraftgirl

Amy Chappell  Ameroonie Designs  @amerooniedesigns

Amy Smart  Diary of A Quilter  @diaryofaquilter

Andy Knowlton  A Bright Corner  @abrightcorner

Bev McCullough  Flamingo Toes  @flamingotoes

Jen Belnap  The Smitten Chicken  @thesmittenchicken 

Jennifer Long  Sew A Story  @sewastory_jenniferlong

Melissa Mortensen  The Polkadot Chair  @polkadotchair

FABRICS:

We will be using the following fabrics for our blocks, but feel free to use whatever you'd like!

All fabrics listed are from Riley Blake Designs and each block pattern will use the following names to identify fabrics (bold names):

• Background fabric (Stars Seasonal Basic or Riley White)
• Dark Blue (Oxford Blue solid)
• Blue (Cadet solid)
• Medium Blue (Cornflower solid)
• Light Blue (Boy Blue solid)
• Dark Red (Barn Red solid)
• Red (Schoolhouse solid)
• Light Red (Tea Rose solid)
• Pink (Frosting solid)

For those that sign up there's a helpful information sheet PDF available that has the schedule, the QAL details, fabric requirements, and a handy planner sheet so you can plan out your own fabrics.

Remember - the free block patterns can only be accessed by signing up for the QAL; the blocks won't be shared here on my blog. Sign up to receive the block patterns and bonus projects, and we'll get started on Monday June 17th!

edited to add: sign ups are now closed and the quilt along for 2024 has ended. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Clear Sky Quilt ideas + Quilt Along

I think it's so fun to play around with a pattern and try adding in different fabric combinations.  

This week I've been trying out some new ideas with my Clear Sky quilt pattern. The Clear Sky quilt along starts on Monday (August 2!) so I thought I'd share some of these mock ups to hopefully inspire you and help you decide which fabrics to use for your own version of Clear Sky!

Are you joining us for the quilt along? 

You can sign up here!

edited to add: the QAL has ended but sign up here to be notified of any upcoming quilt alongs!

For all of the details and info on the bonus content check out this article

And if you'd like a copy of the Clear Sky pattern, visit my pattern shop

Okay - ready for some inspiration? First of all, here's the very first version of Clear Sky, made for the Love Patchwork & Quilting magazine back in 2020.

Fast Track Quilt Ideas + Quilt Along

 Hey everyone! Just wanted to share a quick reminder that the Fast Track quilt along starts on Monday!

I've been having fun this week mocking up the Fast Track quilt pattern in a bunch of different fabrics and thought you'd like to see some of them!

   Want to join in? Sign up for the Fast Track quilt along here!

edited to add: the QAL has ended but sign up here to be notified of any upcoming quilt alongs!

First of all, here's a peek at what I'll be sewing with for the quilt along: 

This is a bundle of Ombre Fairy Dust (by Vanessa Christensen for Moda Fabrics)* and I've been debating on whether to use the black print or the white one for the contrasting print. I mocked up both versions - which one do you like better? 

**This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) when purchases are made through links found in this post. Thank you!

At first I really loved the white, but the black is so striking!  

(The black print is Ombre Fairy Dust Metallic Soft Black and the white print is Ombre Fairy Dust Metallic Off White ). 

This version of Fast Track (above) is made with Gingham Gardens (Riley Blake Designs). This is such a pretty fabric line!

For all of you solid fabric fans, this is made with Kona Cotton Solids (colors: Butterscotch, Creamsicle, Eggplant, Everglade, Foxglove, Ice Peach, Mustard, Plum, Sage, Salmon, Seafoam, Shell, Lt. Parfait, Sienna, and Coal)

How about a faded beachy version? I love this scrappy look! These are all different light blues and light reds from a variety of Riley Blake fabric lines, paired with a solid white. I love this one - and really want to make one this Summer.

How about a bolder red, white, & blue version? This patriotic Fast Track is mocked up with American Gathering (by Primitive Gatherings for Moda Fabrics)

Here's another scrappy version, with low volume prints and a fun Riley Blake polka dot for the contrasting rectangles. 

This final one is a version that I plan on making, and I even already have the bundle and background fabric ready to go. This quilt uses a line called Golden Hour (Ruby Star Society) and Moda Bella 97. 

It's so fun to see how the look of the quilt changes with different fabrics!  Which one is your favorite? 

And here's one more that I've finished but haven't yet shared here on my blog:

This one was made with a fun bundle that I put together with Maker Valley. The bundles have sold out, but Holly always has a fabulous and unique selection of custom bundles for sale on her site.

I can't wait for the quilt along to get started! The first newsletter will go out on Monday so be sure you're signed up so you don't miss a thing.

edited to add: the QAL has ended but sign up here to be notified of any upcoming quilt alongs!

If you're still needing a copy of Fast Track, grab one here (sale ends on Monday!). 

Fast Track QAL Weekly schedule:

Week 1: Fabric selection & cutting fabric

Week 2: Block construction

Week 3: Finish blocks & quilt top assembly

Week 4: Quilting & binding your Fast Track quilt

Charming Baby Sew Along Finish

We've made it to week six of the Charming Baby Sew Along which means only one thing.... time to finish the sampler quilt!  Here's my completed quilt made with Gypsy Soul (by Basic Grey / Moda Fabrics)*  

*This post contains affiliate links

If you're sewing along, don't forget to download this week's printable sheet here from the Fat Quarter Shop.  And at the end of my post I have info about the grand prize giveaway from Moda Fabrics - you're not going to want to miss this one!

Charming Baby Sew Along Week 5

It's Wednesday again which means it's time for this week's Charming Baby Sew Along blocks!  Are you sewing along with us?  No worries if you haven't started yet, or if you're falling behind.  These posts will stay up and you can come back to them when you need to!  

You can find this week's printable sheet here from the Fat Quarter Shop.  

The blocks this week (our LAST ones!) are from the Twinkle Twinkle pattern:

...and then one cute block from the To The Moon pattern:

Charming Baby Sew Along Week 4

Welcome to week 4 of the Charming Baby Sew Along!

If you're new to this sew along, we're using block patterns from the book, Charming Baby Quilts* (by Melissa Corry) and at the end of the six weeks we'll have a cute sampler quilt all pieced!  You can find all of the information for the sew along here on the Fat Quarter Shop's blog

*This post contains affiliate links

This week's blocks are so darling!   You'll be making blocks from the Ring Around the Rosie quilt pattern:

...and two blocks from the Shine Bright quilt pattern:

Don't forget to print this week's pattern sheet from the Fat Quarter Shop's blog here.

I love these star blocks.  I tried to use some of the bolder prints in these blocks so the white star points would stand out.  I love how scrappy they look!

Here's a photo of the full Shine Bright quilt from the book, Charming Baby Quilts.  Isn't it so fresh and lovely?  The Shine Bright quilt uses 3 charm packs and finishes at 56" x 56".

This book has so many great baby quilts- it's a wonderful resource to keep on your shelf!  Grab a copy here from the Fat Quarter Shop.

I'll be back next week with our last set of blocks for the sew along.  In the mean time, you can see the past weeks' blocks here:

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3


And if you'd like to make a quilt like mine, here's what you'll need:

• 5 Gypsy Soul charm packs
• 5 3/4 yards Moda Bella 98 for the background
• Here's the print I'll use for my binding 
• And my backing will be this coordinating Grunge fabric (love the texture!)

Charming Baby Sew Along Week 3

It's week 3 of the Charming Baby Sew Along and guess what that means?  After these blocks we're halfway through the sew along!

Are you sewing along with us?  We're using the new book, Charming Baby Quilts* by Melissa Corry as our guide, and The Fat Quarter Shop is hosting the sew along.  Be sure to grab this week's printable pattern here - you'll need that along with a copy of the Charming Baby Quilts book.
*this post contains affiliate links


This weeks' blocks are from the Just Blooming quilt pattern:

And the On The Move quilt pattern:

I decided to have a little fun with color this week and select only pink prints for the Just Blooming blocks, and green and blue prints for the On The Move blocks.  All of my fabrics are from charm packs of Gypsy Soul (by Basic Grey for Moda Fabrics)


As a reminder, at the end of our 6 week sew along, we'll have a throw-size sampler quilt to enjoy!

I'm looking forward to being able to put all of my blocks together!



For all of the details about the sew along, check out the kick-off post here.

And if you'd like to make a quilt like mine, you'll need 

• 5 Gypsy Soul charm packs
• 5 3/4 yards Moda Bella 98 for the background
• Here's the print I'll use for my binding 
• And my backing will be this coordinating Grunge fabric (love the texture!)

You can share your blocks on Instagram with the hashtag: #charmingbabyquilts

Charming Baby Sew Along Week 2

It's time to show the blocks for week 2 of the Charming Baby Sew Along - and if you haven't yet joined in, it's not too late! 

We're sewing along with the Fat Quarter Shop* and Melissa Corry's new book, Charming Baby Quilts.  Each week we'll make a couple of blocks from two patterns from the book, and by the end of the six weeks we'll have a fun sampler quilt!

This week we're making blocks from the Dream Big pattern, and the Hugs and Kisses pattern.

*this post contains affiliate links

You can find the Charming Baby Quilts book here from the Fat Quarter Shop

And be sure to stop by the Fat Quarter Shop's blog to grab this week's pattern sheet!  You'll need the pattern sheet along with the book to have the full instructions for each week's blocks.

For all of the details about the sew along, check out the kick-off post here.

And if you'd like to make a quilt like mine, you'll need 

• 5 Gypsy Soul charm packs
• 5 3/4 yards Moda Bella 98 for the background
• Here's the print I'll use for my binding 
• And my backing will be this coordinating Grunge fabric (love the texture!)

You can share your blocks on Instagram with the hashtag: #charmingbabyquilts

Happy sewing!

Charming Baby Quilts Sew Along Week 1

It's week ONE of the Charming Baby Sew Along*!  I'm sewing along with Melissa Corry and The Fat Quarter Shop to celebrate the launch of Melissa's new book, Charming Baby Quilts  - and you're invited to sew along with us!

Each week for six weeks we'll be making a block or two from each quilt pattern in the book:

*this post contains affiliate links

And then we'll be sewing them together into a sampler quilt:

 For my quilt I'll be sewing with Gypsy Soul, a new line by Basic Grey (Moda Fabrics).

To get started you'll need the Charming Baby Quilts book, and this PDF printable from The Fat Quarter Shop that lists the fabric requirements.  You'll also need to download each week's pattern (week 1 is here).  

All of the info for the sew along is on the Fat Quarter Shop's blog here.  

This is the first week for the sew along and we'll be making a block from the 'A Star is Born' quilt, and the 'Color in the Lines' quilt.  Here are my blocks for this week:

Be sure to download this week's pattern sheet here! You'll still need the book for measurements and construction details, but each week's pattern sheet tells you how many of each size piece to cut.  

I'm loving the soft spring-like colors in the Gypsy Soul line - so perfect for this time of year!  

This is the block from the 'A Star is Born' quilt.  The fabric placement in this block is designed to be scrappy, but I decided to use just the coral prints for the block corners and the blues for the star points.  It adds a fun secondary design to the block!

And these are the blocks from the 'Color in the Lines' pattern.  Nice and quick and easy!

So grab your charm packs (or scraps!) and get sewing!  

I'll be back next week to share my next two blocks for the sew along.  And if you follow me on Instagram (@abrightcorner) be sure to enter the giveaway of two Gypsy Soul charm packs and a spool of Aurifil thread - courtesy of the Fat Quarter Shop (all details are in my Instagram post)

Here's who will be sewing along with us:

Amanda Castor, Material Girl Quilts

Andy Knowlton - Me!

Beverly McCullough, Flamingo Toes

Melissa Corry, Happy Quilting

Melanie Call, A Bit of Scrap Stuff

Pat Sloan, Pat Sloan

Grab a copy of Charming Baby Quilts book here

See all charm packs currently available at the Fat Quarter Shop here

Two Baby Quilts + Perfect 5 Quilts Book

Today I get to share a couple of fun & quick projects from the Perfect 5 Quilt Along with the Fat Quarter Shop.

Perfect 5 Quilts is the newest book from It's Sew Emma.  It includes 16 quilts that are all Charm Pack friendly and they all use the new Perfect 5 ruler from Creative Grids.

As part of the quilt along, this week I'm sharing the Icebox Cookie block:

...and the Sugar Cookie block:

Both of these quilts came together really quickly and each project uses just one Charm Pack.  I love that!  It seems like I always have a single Charm Pack hanging around and I love finding new ways to put them to good use.

For the Icebox Cookie quilt I used a 5" Stacker of Rhapsody (by Sedef Imer for Riley Blake Designs).  The quilt calls for a 1/2 yard of an accent fabric so I chose one of the Blossom prints (by Christopher Thompson for Riley Blake Designs).  I love how the green Blossom print fits right in with the Rhapsody fabrics!

For the Sugar Cookie quilt I used a Charm Pack of Strawberry Jam (by Corey Yoder for Moda).

Since the quilt only needs 36 (5") squares, you can pull out the prints that don't have as much contrast to your background and put them in your scrap bin to use for a different project.

If you're doing the sampler version with the quilt along, you can find the single block instructions as a downloadable pattern here.  Keep in mind that you will also need to purchase the book because that will tell you what size to cut the pieces for each block.

All of the information for the quilt along including the schedule, fabric requirements and a link to each week's blocks can be found here on the Jolly Jabber blog.

And if you're new to A Bright Corner take a minute to look around!  Along the top of the page you can find links to my patterns, a full list of my tutorials, and you can read more about me.  Along the right hand side, you'll find links to where I hang out on social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest) as well as a way to subscribe to my newsletter.  

Thanks for stopping by, and happy quilting!

Quilt details:
40" x 40"
Pattern: Sugar Cookie Quilt from Perfect 5 Quilts book by It's Sew Emma 
Fabric: Charm Pack of Strawberry Jam (by Corey Yoder / Moda Fabrics)
Quilting: New Moon Loops (edge to edge computerized design)
Backing: Coordinating mint colored flannel from my local quilt shop

Quilt details:
50" x 50"
Pattern: Icebox Cookie Quilt from Perfect 5 Quilts book by It's Sew Emma 
Fabric: 5" Stacker of Rhapsody (by Sedef Imer / Riley Blake Designs) and yardage of Blossom (by Christopher Thompson / Riley Blake Designs)
Quilting: Soho (edge to edge computerized design)
Backing: Coordinating pink colored flannel from my local quilt shop

**This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) when purchases are made through links found in this post.