All good things must come to an end. And… it’s the end. All monthly links have expired.
For the latest block, scroll to the bottom.
Welcome to this Free “I Love Us” Sew Along with the Material Girlfriends. Our year long project will include a monthly free download of a holiday/seasonal 12″ block. Download the block, sew it up, and then… you have two options.
- First option, you can sew and quilt the 12″ block into a mini-quilt and display it in a stand or hanger.
- Second option, sew the 12″ blocks and save all the blocks until the end of the year and make the “I Love Us All Year Long” quilt. (Center unit will be a $5 download on Etsy in December 2023.)
We designed the “I Love Us All Year Long” quilt pattern a few years ago. It was designed as a Block of the Month pattern. If you don’t want to wait each month for your free download, you can get the complete pattern on our web store, I Love Us. Otherwise, check in monthly for your free download. We’ll have additional tips or video instructions to help you with your block. Check out our Zoom Workshops for any skills you want to learn or master.
Subscribe and you’ll get a monthly newsletter notifying you of the next free 12″ block pattern download. We always have an easy unsubscribe button and an email subscription is never required to join in the Sew Along. We understand. Spammers have us all a little gun shy. But honestly, I will only ever send out one or two emails a month. And I would NEVER sell or share your info. Never.
Fabrics
What fabrics do you chose?! Your favorite fabrics, of course. Whether you’re a die-hard batik fan, or a civil war hero, choose the fabrics that you love most. Here is a color fabric chart to download. Just cut a swatch and tape it in place.
“I Love Us Year Long” was designed for scrappy batiks because that is what WE love. We encourage you to make this quilt all about you. Use the fabrics that you’ve been collecting for years (ahem, or decades). That being said, yes, we have batik bundles to get you started on your color palette. If you’re loving the bright multi-color, rainbow palette of the original quilt, we can help you out. Check the MaterialGirlfriendsShop.com for coordinating fat quarter bundles.
“I Love Us Year Long” Fabric Requirements
Quilt Pattern, 58″ x 58″
3 yards White Background Fabric for Blocks (can be scrappy)
1 yard White Background Fabric for Sashing
1/4 yard Multi-Color Light Fabric for Posts (our batik one is on order)
3-2/3 yards for Backing
1/2 yard for Binding
28 fat quarters, 1/4 yards, or scraps from your stash to create the center block and the twelve outer blocks. Ranging from light to dark include:
- five blues
- five greens
- four purples
- four pinks
- three oranges
- two multi-color medium prints
- two multi-color dark prints
- one multi-color light print (Can be same fabric as for the posts.)
- one red
- one black
28 fat quarters is a ton of fabric and you won’t need that much. That is just the variety of colors we used. Really, check your stash first before buying. Since you’re making just one a month, you can focus on just one block at a time.
That being said, we created a fabric bundle for anyone wanting to create a similar look as the cover sample. You can check it out at Materialgirlfriendsshop.com. However, it is not a whole kit! It is just a starter pack. You can still pull batiks from your stash or buy from your local shops. These are the colors you’ll need most often. The Solid White is sold separately too. Send me an email at Lisa@materialgirlfriends.com if you just want the one right there. No, there. No, the one next to the blue. (It’s like trying to pick out a donut.)
What’s the Catch?
Free is Free. But… each block will be a Free download for 120 days, and then the link will expire. Yep, gone like the wind. So, you’ll want to keep up. After you’ve made all your blocks, the grand finalé Center House Block will be a $5 Etsy download in December. Again, the Center House Block will be available for only 120 days.
January
Let’s get started! Wait. Shouldn’t the block be about January? Nah, let’s started with the February block. This will give you time to finish and display on your design wall until the next block is available. In December, you’ll receive the January block.
Click and Download your free February Block below. Don’t wait. This link will expire in 120 days!
Have fun choosing your fabrics for your I Love Us quilt or turn this cute block into a Bite Size quilt to display.
I had some yummy chocolate fabric and a pretty rose fabric that I used to make a small quilt to decorate my studio. Don’t forget to bust out those fancy machine stitches to decorate your block!
Paper-piecing an issue? No worries. Check out our video tutorial below. Like and subscribe and you’ll be notified when we have next month’s video ready.
February
It is February! That means you receive the March block, I Love Us in March. Click and download the free block below. Remember, it will expire in 90 days so don’t delay!
The Irish Knot is a fun block, and tricky! Your 1/4″ is very important because the pieces are sew small. Be sure that seam doesn’t wander but stays to the straight and narrow of the 1/4″ seam. Otherwise, those strips will be a bugger to line up. Be sure to press at each step and that it stays flat and no little overlap at the seam. You’ve got this.
March
It is March! The means you receive the April block, I Love Us in April. Click and download the free block below. Remember, it will expire in 120 days so don’t delay!
Not familiar with fusible appliqué? No worries. Visit our Material Girlfriends Patterns Youtube channel for several fusible appliqué tutorials (Like, Comment, and Subscribe!). For the pinwheel blocks on the right side, see I Love Us in February above for a video tutorial.
April
Let’s get started with that pretty flower block, I Love us in May. Click and download the free block below. Remember, it will expire in 90 days so don’t delay! This one is pretty straight forward, not the least bit tricky. If you’re having trouble getting the right size block (too small?) we’ve got your back.
Check out our video tutorials on Cutting, Alignment, 1/4 seam, and Pressing. We have an I Love Us 2023 Sew Along Play List on Youtube to help you out. Like, subscribe, and leave us a comment!
May
Let’s kick off our shoes, and sew I Love us in June. Isn’t this one just too cute? Click and download the free block pattern below. Remember, it will expire in 120 days so don’t delay!
Not too certain about fusible appliqué? Check out our Material Girlfriends Youtube channel. We’ve lots of tutorials on fusible appliqué. The pieces are small! I recommend tweezer and I love the Karen Kay Buckley 4″ lime green handled Perfect Scissors for cutting. (We don’t make any money off our recommendations. Just sharing what we love.) Cutting tip: your scissor hand remains in one position (don’t turn it). The piece getting cut is rotated and turned to the steady position of the scissors. Give it a try. You’ll save strain on your hand and your accuracy will be much better! Have fun!
June
It’s summer time! I’ve been working in the yard in the morning and then in the house when it gets too warm. I’m painting the living room on a 12 ft. ladder. I love the high ceilings, but not when I’ve got to paint those walls! The place is looking pretty good. Now, I’m tired! Let’s kick off our shoes, relax, and sew up the I Love Us in July block. Click and download the free block pattern below. Remember, it will expire in 120 days so don’t delay!
This pretty block is just four colors and lots of points! If you struggle with loosing your points in the seam, check out our tutorial on alignment. Remember to ask yourself, “What’s the point?” and align your fabrics at the point. You can do it!
Beautiful! Remember to share your progress on our Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/552341818942394
Enjoy your summer!
July
Summer is full steam ahead and hot! Create this I Love Us in August block. Whew! I can feel the heat off this block already! Click and download the free block pattern below. Remember, it will expire in 120 days so don’t delay!
Brace yourself, that is a LOT of little squares and Half Square Triangles. The tendency of this type of block, it that it shrinks. You’ll end up with a 12″ block instead of a 12 1/2″ block. There are four elements to accuracy; cutting, alignment, seam allowance, and pressing. Keep checking as you sew. Make adjustments as needed. But what if you’re just not in the mood for a 144 unit block because it is 106° outside? (You can do it, I know you can.) Check out this adorable August substitute. All our Bite Size patterns are also 12″ blocks and can easily swap with any of the calendar months of I Love Us. Find the free pattern download in the May 2023 blog.
Beautiful! Remember to share your progress on our Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/552341818942394
Enjoy your summer!
August
Boy, howdy, it’s hot. Cooler weather is just a few weeks away. We can cool off with the I Love Us in September block. As temperatures drops, so does our color palette. Welcome cool blues and pleasant purples this month. Click and download the free block pattern below. Remember, it will expire in 120 days so don’t delay!
If you have the pattern and are sewing along, I updated the pressing instructions to make assembly a bit easier to nest those seams. Check out step 4. A shout out to the Golden Valley Quilt Guild for sewing us. Linda and Tracy, I love the edits. It takes a village to write a good pattern!
How have your Half Square Triangles been looking? I’ve a video to help. Follow along and learn three ways to make Half Square Triangles.
September
Pretty little pumpkins all in a row. Double the leaf appliqué for depth and interest! Click and download the free block pattern below. Not familiar with fusible appliqué? No worries. Visit our Material Girlfriends Patterns Youtube channel for several fusible appliqué tutorials (Like, Comment, and Subscribe!). Link expired.
October
Our year has been blowing by so fast! How did we get to October already. That means we’re ready for the I Love Us in November block. Click below for the free download. Remember links expire in 120 days.
This block is made up of four Log Cabin blocks. Why did I choose this block for November? It represent home and hearth to me. That’s what thanksgiving is to me. Gathering at a family members home and hanging out in the kitchen. Check out this history of the Log Cabin block from AllPeopleQuilt.com
https://www.allpeoplequilt.com/quilt-patterns/history-of-log-cabin-quilts
Link expired.
November
The holiday season is upon us! As we’re making plans for the various celebrations, take time to peice and little peace for yourself. You ready for the I Love Us in December block? Click below for the free download. Remember links expire in 120 days.
Appliqué blocks for the ornaments are same as all the other appliqué in the earlier months. The tricky part is the tree. You’ll make folded strips that will sew onto the paper piecing, raw edges along the solid gray lines, stitch on the 1/4″ dotted line. Then trim the excess 1/4″ beyond the diagonal line before sewing pieces 15 and 16 on. I lined mine with some green fabric otherwise you can see the batting beyond the pleats of the tree limb. I’ll do my best to make a YouTube tutorial on how to make this cute tree. When it’s done, I’ll post it here. Bug me for the link if you don’t see it here soon. 😉
Thanks for the reminder! Here is the link for the Pleated Tree, I Love Us in December block. Link expired.
December
We made it to the finish line! Just a few things to finish this month and your quit top is done! The I love Us in January is a frosty pieced ‘snowflake’ star. Use four blues in light to dark values to make this pretty block. Click below for the free download. Remember links expire in 120 days. Link expired.
Don’t forget the assembly instructions! If you’re making this as a quilt instead of individual mini-quilts, then you’ll want this download too. The blocks piece together with sashing and posts, straight forward.
Ah, but wait. You need the center unit… Isn’t it just fun? Sew animated! The download for the center unit is at our Etsy store for a limited time. I had posted in the beginning of the year that this would be a $5 download. But, lucky for you we’re running a holiday sale which makes it only $3.75. (Sale ends Dec. 31, 2023). The unit measures 26 1/2″ square. If you don’t want to make the center block but still want a quilt top, just substitute four more 12 1/2″ blocks and increase your sashing and posts to separate them!
https://materialgirlfriends.etsy.com
Great job! I can’t wait to see your quilt tops. If you do Facebook, post a picture of your quilt on our group page, Material Girlfriends Quilting Gang. They are a wonderful, supportive, and encouraging quilting groups and we’d all love to see your work.
Wait till you see what we have for 2024! We’re very excited. It will be a 3YD Quilt Series Sew Along. Has there ever been such a thing? Seams like a lot of fun to me. We’ll have a new 3YD pattern download each month. Our focus will be community quilts; baby, throw, and bed sizes. We’ll show double-up options for each pattern as well as a scrappy or 3YD options. How many 3YD quilts will you make? Make a personal goal. All twelve, six out of twelve, three out of twelve? I plan on all twelve. We’ll see if I can keep up! lol. But I want to work through my stash to make these so mine may be more scrappy than just using three one yard cuts. BTW, the patterns are all beginner friendly and not too complicated.
Be sure to share the 2024 3YD Quilt Series Sew Along info with your quilting friends and quilting guild members! The free download will be available in a short 10 day window. They’ll want to be on the email list so they don’t miss the download. BTW, we promise we would never, ever sell or share your email. It is safe with us. No spamming. We email once a month, sometimes twice if we have something interesting to share. Plus we have an easy unsubscribe button in every email. You can easily back out. 🙂
Happy sewing!
Lisa W. Norton
