Free 2025 Quilt Block of the Month Series: Make a Sampler Quilt with Me!
Join the Exshaw Quilts Block of the Month series and let’s make a sampler quilt together!
Starting July 1, 2025, sew along with our cozy community as we create a 6-block, 36" × 36" sampler baby quilt using your favorite fabrics—whatever’s already tucked in your stash is perfect.
Some quilts are more than just stitches and seams—they’re stories. And few patterns tell a better story than the sampler quilt. Born out of practicality and resourcefulness, samplers let quilters try new blocks, showcase favorite techniques, and often marked the start of a lifelong love affair with patchwork. They were teaching tools, memory keepers, and sometimes even stitched by candlelight.
That spirit of learning and love is exactly what inspired this project. I thought it would be fun to bring our little community together and stitch something simple and sweet—just for the joy of making it.
Starting this July, we’ll begin a Block of the Month series that’s designed to feel fun and relaxing. One block a month. Six blocks total, each one 12" × 12" finished. And by January, you’ll have a 36" × 36" baby-sized sampler quilt that holds not just fabric, but memories too.
It’s beginner-friendly, low-pressure, and meant to be stitched slowly—by machine or by hand (I’ll be sharing a hand piecing tutorial too!). The first block? A Ohio Star—radiant, classic, and just a little bit magic.
Want to join in? Subscribe to the newsletter below to get each free pattern as it’s released. As a thank-you, you’ll also receive my Crescent Moon Quilted Potholder pattern—a little gift to get your needle warmed up.
Let’s quilt something meaningful, together.
What Is the Quilt Block of the Month Series?
This isn’t just any quilt-along—it’s a slow, soulful kind of stitching project, made for the in-between moments of your year.
Starting July 1, 2025, the Exshaw Quilts Block of the Month Series will gently guide you through six traditional quilt blocks—one per month—wrapping up with a finished 36" × 36" baby-sized sampler quilt just in time for the new year. Each block measures a tidy 12" × 12" finished (unfinished it measures 12 1/2” x 12 1/2”), making it easy to sew in an afternoon and perfect for beginners or anyone looking to stitch from their stash.
There’s no fancy yardage required. This quilt-along is all about making do with what you have—honoring old fabric (hello flea markets and yard sales), using natural-dyed scraps, or raiding your scrap bin for colors that speak to you. Think: quiet mornings, steaming mugs, and a little block taking shape beneath your hands.
All six block patterns will be updates via the Exshaw Quilts newsletter and shared here on the blog, with tips, stories, and encouragement along the way. It’s simple, heartfelt quilting—one block at a time.
July’s Block: The Lone Star
We’re kicking things off with a beauty—The Ohio Star. Bold, radiant, and full of tradition, this eight-pointed star has been shining in quilting circles for well over a century.
While many know it as the Texas Star (and Lone Star), its roots go deeper. It was first published under the name Lone Star in The Romance of the Patchwork Quilt in America (1935) by Carrie Hall and Rose Kretsinger—but earlier versions appeared as far back as 1895, where it was simply called the Eight Point Design. That lineage? It’s part of the charm.
This version is made using half-square triangles (HSTs) and quarter-square triangles (QSTs)—techniques that give it crisp lines and just enough complexity to keep things interesting (but not intimidating). I’ll walk you through it all, see below for instructions.
The full quilt pattern will be shared right here on the blog, so you can stitch along at your own pace. And I highly encourage you to play—mix up your fabrics, try unexpected color combos, and don’t stress about perfection. Each star will tell its own story, and that’s exactly how it should be.
Quilt Along Details
Project Timeline: July 1 – January 1
What We’re Making: A baby sized sampler quilt (6 blocks) measuring 36” x 36” finished
Block Release: One block per month, right here on the blog (project updates send through the newsletter so make sure you subscribe here!)
Block Size: 12" x 12" finished (unfinished— which means before it is sewn up into a quilt top/stand alone block— measures 12.5” x 12.5”)
Skill Level: Beginner-friendly with a few gentle challenges
Style: Traditional patchwork with room to play
this quilt block is also featured in the lone star tote pattern! check it out 👇🏼
July Block: The Ohio Star
Finished block size: 12" × 12" (unfinished 12 1/2” x 12 1/2”)
Skill level: Beginner-friendly with a bit of spice
Block type: Quarter-Square Triangle (QST)-based Star Block
Inspiration: A classic Lone Star variation with bold contrast and timeless geometry
What You’ll Need
Fabric Requirements for One 12" Block:
(2) 5.25" × 5.25" squares in Color A (e.g., deep indigo)
(2) 5.25" × 5.25" squares in Color B (e.g., warm natural muslin)
(4) 4.5" × 4.5" squares for the corners (e.g., deep indigo)
(1) 4.5" × 4.5" center square (e.g., warm natural muslin)
You’ll be making 4 QSTs (quarter-square triangles) using the method below.
Step 1: Make Your HSTs
We’ll begin by creating Half-Square Triangles (HSTs)—the building blocks of our hourglass (QST) units.
What you’ll need:
(2) 5.25" x 5.25" Color A squares
(2) 5.25" x 5.25" Color B squares
How-To:
Layer one (1) Color A square and one (1) Color B square right sides together, aligning all corners.
Using a pencil or erasable marker, draw one diagonal line from corner to corner.
Stitch ¼" away from the drawn line on both sides.
Cut directly on the drawn line to separate.
Press open your HSTs—don’t trim them just yet.
Repeat this process until you have 4 HSTs total.
Step 2: Make Your QSTs (Hourglass Units)
Let’s turn those HSTs into quarter-square triangles:
Take two untrimmed HSTs and rotate one so the light and dark fabrics are opposite each other.
Place them right sides together, nesting the seams.
Draw one diagonal line from corner to corner—this is your cutting line.
Then stitch ¼" on either side of that drawn line.
Once stitched, cut along the drawn line between your seam lines.
Press open, then trim each QST to 4.5" × 4.5".
You’ll end up with 4 hourglass units, ready to piece into a star.
Step 3: Assemble the Ohio Star Block
Arrange your 4 QSTs around your 4.5" center square, alternating light and dark points for contrast. Use your 4 corner squares to complete the star layout.
Sew in rows, then join rows together. Press as you go and marvel at your work—it’s the first chapter of your handmade sampler.
Why Join This Quilt Along?
There’s something special about having a gentle project on the go—one that doesn't demand perfection or rush, but simply waits for you whenever you’re ready to sit down and stitch.
This Quilt Block of the Month is meant to be just that: a low-pressure, creative thread running through your seasons. Whether you're piecing in the quiet of a morning, with a cup of tea nearby, or squeezing in a few seams after dinner, there's no deadline—just rhythm. Just joy.
Each month, you'll receive a new block pattern along with a little note from me—a story, a memory, maybe a tip or two—meant to keep you inspired and feeling connected to something cozy and creative.
You don’t need fancy fabrics or a trip to the quilt shop to get started. Scraps, stash pulls, naturally dyed bits, even those odd prints you’ve been saving “just in case”—they all have a place here. The charm of this quilt comes from its variety. Its heart comes from you.
And if you're craving a bit of connection? You’re not stitching alone. Use the hashtag #exshawsampler to share your blocks, peek at others’ layouts, or simply say hello. We’re building something beautiful together, one block at a time.
Free tutorials, bonus tips, and a few surprises will pop into your inbox throughout the quilt-along, too—just little extras to help you along and make the journey sweeter. Join here!
Let’s sew something soft, slow, and story-filled—together.
How to Sign Up + Get the Free Potholder Pattern
Joining the Quilt Block of the Month series is as easy as threading a needle.
Just subscribe to the Exshaw Quilts email list, and you’ll be all set to follow along. I’ll send you a gentle nudge before the 1st of each month with that month’s featured block and any helpful notes or tutorials I’ve stitched together for you.
As a thank-you for joining in, you’ll also get immediate access to my Crescent Moon Quilted Potholder pattern—a sweet little make inspired by a quiet night drive and one of my all-time favorite designs.
Along the way, you’ll get the occasional blog update packed with things like:
Tips for natural dyeing your own quilt fabric
Hand quilting tutorials (my personal favorite part of the process)
And maybe a few stories from my cabin in the woods
If you decide to share your blocks as we go, I’d love to see them. Use #exshawsampler or tag @exshawquilts so we can all cheer each other on. This is meant to feel like stitching beside a friend—so pull up a chair and let’s get quilting.
A Quilt Made in Moments
This isn’t a race. It’s a rhythm. One block at a time, one month at a time. Whether you’ve been quilting for years or this is your very first block, the Quilt Block of the Month is meant to feel like a gentle nudge toward your sewing table—no pressure, no perfection needed. Just you, your fabric scraps, and a little thread pulling you back into the rhythm of making.
We’re stitching together more than just blocks here—we’re stitching memories, slow mornings, and a bit of old-fashioned joy. And if you don’t have a sewing machine? Don’t fret. I’ll be sharing a hand piecing tutorial soon, so you can join in no matter how you like to sew.
By January, you'll not only have a quilt top—you’ll have stitched up six quiet chapters of your own story. I hope this quilt-along feels like a gentle nudge to keep creating, even when life is loud. A reason to sit. A reminder that small things add up.
So go ahead—sign up, pour yourself something warm, and gather those pretty bits of fabric you’ve been saving. On July 1, we’ll sew our first star together. I’ll be here with my kettle on, my thimble nearby, and a story or two to keep us company.
Until then, happy cutting, dreaming, and nesting.
—Kim
P.S. Got a friend who might love this? Forward them this post and invite them to join us! The more the merrier.
Welcome to the blog—I'm so glad you're here.
I'm Kim, quilting and dyeing from an old cabin in the woods. This is where I share beginner-friendly tutorials, slow craft tips, and stories from a life stitched by hand. I hope you find something here that feels like home.
