Ladies Art Company Sampler: Free Quilt Block Series

This free quilt block series features 12 unique quilt block patterns from The Ladies Art Company catalog (ca. 1895 – 1897). A new block pattern is distributed monthly via email for 12 months. The quilt design and free quilt block series are exclusive to MavaNell Studio.

Click the button at the bottom of this post to access the sign-up form. This is an evergreen series which means there is no specific begin or end date.

Designing your Ladies Art Company Sampler

Since your block patterns will be delivered on a monthly basis, it will be helpful to plan which fat quarters you will use for each block. None of the blocks require more than a fat quarter of fabric.

However, when you look at the color version of my quilt layout below, you will notice that I used some of the fat quarters more than once. It will be up to you to decide how to use your 16 fat quarters. I found it easiest to start with value.

Color Value Determination

Determining the value of your fabrics will allow you to use them in the sampler to create a pleasing mix of light, medium, and dark fabrics evenly spread across the quilt top. Then, you can determine where to place each color based on your value determinations.

Let’s begin by defining the value of the fat quarters you have chosen.

Before starting to cut or sew, determine which of your fabrics fit into each category: light, medium, dark. The best way to do that is to take a picture with your phone, then change the photo to black & white using your phone’s edit function.

The pictures below are the pictures I took of the Nostalgia fat quarter bundle. A black and white version of your photo allows you to easily separate the light, medium, and dark fabrics.

I suggest that you don’t study your black and white photo too long. Quickly decide which of the fabrics are dark or light. The remaining fabrics can fall into the ‘medium’ category. Don’t over analyze it.

Now, separate your fabrics into stacks of light, medium, and dark. My layout below uses 5 dark fat quarters, 4 light fat quarters, and 7 medium fat quarters. Depending on the fabric you have chosen, your mix of light, medium, and dark might differ a little.

Choose your Colors Based on Value

Once you’ve determined the value of your fabrics assign them to the quilt blocks as shown below based on light, medium, and dark.

Then, working with your stacks of light, medium, and dark fabrics decide where to place each color in the quilt. The color version I chose is on the right below.

Now each month when you receive a new block pattern, you will know which fabric you planned to use for that block.

You will receive the patterns as they appear in the quilt image below from left to right, top to bottom. I planned it that way so that you could add the sashing and sew block sets together as you go. Instructions will be included with each block for sashing and assembling.

If you choose to assemble as you go, your quilt top will practically be finished by the end of the series. Then, you need only add the inner and outer borders.

Want to use the same fabrics as me? Click here.

I used the fat quarter bundle pictured above from Art Gallery Fabrics. It is available at MavaNell Studio if you like the quilt pictured in this post. The fat quarter bundle is a collection of 16 beautifully curated solids.

Sign Up for the FREE Quilt Block series

Click on the button below to access the sign-up form. You will receive one new block pattern every month for 12 months. Each block pattern also includes instructions on how to add sashing and join block sections together so that you can put the quilt top together as you go.

The final instructions will include information on adding side and top borders.