It’s hard to believe we’re already in the eighth month of the Piece and Quilt Sampler Quilt Along! This quilt along, hosted by Fat Quarter Shop, features blocks from the Celebrate with Quilts book by Lissa Alexander and Susan Ache. Each month adds new depth and variety to the sampler quilt, and November was no exception. This month, I made one Eight Hands Around block and four Aircraft quilt blocks. Both blocks brought exciting opportunities for fussy cutting, creative color placement, and unique construction methods. I can’t wait to show you how they turned out!
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Celebrate with Quilts Book
The Celebrate with Quilts is a brand new book by Lissa Alexander and Susan Ache. Each of the 60 quilt block patterns have cutting instructions for 3 inch, 6 inch, 9 inch, and 12 inch finished quilt blocks. The assembly instructions for each block are so easy to follow either by the text or by the step-by-step pictures. I love a well written pattern, and I know if it’s done by It’s Sew Emma and Fat Quarter Shop, it’s going to be great.
Piece and Quilt Sampler Quilt
Here is a Quick Look at what I came up with for my fabric placement using Electric Quilt 8 to help me.
Related Post: Piece and Quilt Sampler Month 7
Piece and Quilt Sampler Quilt Along – Month 8
The eighth month of the quilt along features two quilt blocks from the Celebrate with Quilts book. The blocks made this month were as follows:
- 1 – 12″ Eight Hands Around
- 4 – 9″ Aircraft Blocks
Using my Electric Quilt layout as a guide, I made the quilt blocks in the fabrics I already chose.
Eight Hands Around Quilt Block
The Eight Hands Around block is a 12-inch beauty with an eight-point star at its center. The construction includes flying geese units on all four sides and half-square triangles in each corner, giving the block an offset starburst feel.
To make this block extra special, I fussy cut a large pink flower for the center square, and I love how it draws your eye right to the heart of the block. I also played with color placement using a deep navy fabric, arranging it to form a bold “X” shape radiating from the center. The contrast of the navy against the lighter fabrics really makes the design pop!
Piecing Tip: Precision is key with those flying geese and half-square triangles. Take your time with trimming and pressing, and this block will come together beautifully.
Aircraft Quilt Blocks
Next up: four 9-inch Aircraft quilt blocks. These blocks are a modern twist on a four-patch layout, and they were a lot of fun to sew!
Each block includes one classic half square triangle unit and three “aircraft units,” which are made by sewing a small HST with added triangle pieces on the edges, then attaching it to a larger triangle to form a modified HST. It sounds a little complex at first, but once you’ve made one, the others come together quickly.
In the Piece and Quilt Sampler, the four Aircraft blocks are sewn together into one larger block, with the simple HSTs pointing to the center and the aircraft units surrounding it. With the right color placement, this arrangement transforms the look entirely—it doesn’t even resemble the original individual blocks!
For my version, I used a striking navy floral to create a bold ring around the center. Inside, I paired a smaller navy floral with a sweet green floral print. The combination really brings depth and movement to the block.
Piecing Tip: Lay out all four Aircraft blocks before sewing them together—seeing the overall design helps with fabric placement and makes piecing the final layout much easier.
Celebrate with Quilts
It’s hard to believe we’ve made it to Month 8 of the Piece and Quilt Sampler Quilt Along already! Hosted by Fat Quarter Shop, this quilt along features a curated selection of blocks from the Celebrate with Quilts book by Lissa Alexander and Susan Ache. I truly can’t recommend this book enough—it’s a must-have for any quilter. The variety of block sizes makes it easy to mix, match, and substitute, giving you endless ways to personalize your quilts. The sampler pattern is also a fantastic scrap-buster, especially for putting those hard-to-use low-volume prints to good use.
Piece and Quilt Sampler Month 8 Progress
As the sampler quilt continues to grow, I love how each month brings a fresh mix of techniques and block styles. Month 8 added some fun surprises with fussy cutting, fabric contrast, and block arrangements that trick the eye. These kinds of details are what make a sampler quilt so satisfying to work on!
Until next month, Happy Quilting!
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