Jolly Bar 5 Quilt Along – Block 3: Northern Lights

We’re already on to Block 3 in the Jolly Bar 5 Quilt Along with Fat Quarter Shop, and this week we’re stitching up the Northern Lights block! This one is a beautiful, balanced design that plays with symmetry and direction—perfect for showing off bold prints and contrast.

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Finished Northern Lights quilt block from the Jolly Bar 5 Quilt Along sewn with Berry & Pine fabric.

About the Northern Lights Block

You’ll find this block on page 46 of the Jolly Bar Book Vol. 5. It finishes at 16.5 inches square and is made using just four Jolly Bar rectangles along with background fabric. Like many blocks in this quilt along, the construction uses half square triangles and square units for a classic pieced feel.

What makes this block really stand out is the way it’s arranged: it’s composed of four quadrants, each turned to create movement across the block. In two opposite corners, the print squares are on the outer corner. The opposite two corners have the print squares in the center to give a four-patch block in the center. The half square triangles are sprinkled throughout to give a unique look. I think a full quilt of this block would be really pretty!

My Fabric Choices

For the Northern Lights block, I once again pulled from my Berry & Pine Jolly Bars by Lella Boutique. I selected a mix of reds, greens, and low volume prints, aiming for balance across the four quadrants while keeping the overall look cohesive with my previous blocks.

Using a mix of color tones helped highlight the symmetry in the block layout, while the Christmas Magic Dot background fabric continued to add a subtle festive flair behind the print fabrics.

Fabric selection from Berry and Pine for block 3

Once again, the Jolly Bar precut size made the half square triangles quick and easy to assemble. I took care when rotating the quadrants into position to ensure the placement of the prints followed the intended design. A little attention to direction goes a long way in making this block shine!

Angled photo of the completed Northern Lights block from the Jolly Bar vol. 5 book.

Shimmering Progress!

That’s Block 3 complete for the Jolly Bar 5 Quilt Along! I really love how this one came together—it’s a great example of how simple elements can create a block with tons of visual interest just through thoughtful layout.

I’ll be back in two weeks with Block 4. Until then, I’d love to see your version of the Northern Lights block—be sure to tag me and Fat Quarter Shop if you’re sewing along!