Log Cabin Sampler Quilt Block Layout

Next up for our Stitch Pink Sampler sew along: putting the blocks together into a quilt! Have you thought about how you’ll set your sampler together? There are so many fun options.

In our last post, I showed you how to do one layout option (found here) with sashing strips and cute hourglass shape accents. Today, I want to share an option that uses an alternating block design with one of the Stitch Pink Sampler blocks as the accent.

If you are just joining us, learn all about the sew along <<here>> and find links to download all the free block patterns. Find all the posts in the sew along series, including some skill tutorials and other layout options, Here.

Alternating your sampler blocks with another block or even whole squares of fabric is one way to make a larger quilt with fewer blocks. I like it when the alternating blocks create a secondary pattern or frame the sampler blocks. It’s a nice way to cut down the busy-ness of the sampler blocks and let each block really shine.

Block 20 of the Stitch Pink Sampler is this cute log cabin style block. This variation is also called courthouse steps because of the placement of colors to create a “step” appearance in the strips moving out from the center and the order in which the strips are sewn. This one has the added interest of the contrasting squares at each corner too. Do you see all the potential in this block?

For our sampler layout, I am going to show you a nine block quilt. You’ll need to make five of the Stitch Pink Sampler blocks (12 1/2″ unfinished) that are NOT block 20. You’ll also need to make block 20 four times. Of course, you can make your quilt much bigger by using more of the sampler blocks. This is to give you an idea of how it will look in the layout.

For my original sampler blocks, I used the kit that is sold here on the website. <<buy kit here>> It features a variety of prints in pink, green, blue and yellow. To give you some different inspiration, it seemed fun to see how our quilts might look in a monochromatic color scheme, so I chose two favorites: teal and pink (-:

Arrange your five sampler blocks and four block 20’s as shown above, in a nine-patch arrangement, alternating the samplers and the 20’s. Sew the blocks in rows of three, then sew the three rows together. This will give you a 36″ square baby or wall quilt if made like mine above.

What do you think?

There are so many options here! As you can see, I chose to emphasize the pattern made by the accent squares in the block 20’s by making them darker than the strips. I love how this blurs the boundaries between blocks and adds a secondary design to the overall quilt. Get different looks by reversing the values or making all the squares different colors. Here’s an example with more color variety like our original blocks:

Mix this up anyway you like. Maybe do the log cabin blocks in black, white and gray, and the five sampler blocks in bright rainbow-y colors?

I hope this gives another idea for your blocks and inspires you to keep working on them if you haven’t finished and, even more important, inspires you to sew them up into a finished quilt!

One more layout option is coming, I’ll show you that one next.

Be well my friends, and happy sewing!