Choosing Express Post Quilt Block Designs

Express Post (Quilt) Block Party Week 1!

Did you know that March is National Quilt Month? We’re excited to celebrate all month long with artist, designer, quilt maker and Spoonflower Ambassador Andrea Tsang Jackson of 3rd Story Workshop, who will be showing you how to make three quilt blocks from her Express Post quilt. This beginner-friendly quilt project is made with Spoonflower’s Cotton Poplin and Fill-A-Yard®, but any of our quilting-weight cotton fabrics will work great.

This week Andrea is kicking off the “block party” and sharing tips on how to pick and organize the best prints for your quilt and insight on the best materials. This is the first of our four-part “block party” so be sure to tune back in every Friday in March to learn more. By the end of the month you’ll have all the blocks needed to make your own mini-wall hanging or pillow!

Express Post (Quilt) Block Party Schedule

March 5: Choosing Designs 

March 12: How to Make a Closed Envelope Block

March 19: How to Make a Heart Block

March 26: How to Make an Open Envelope Block

Andrea: As we all have been apart for about a year now, some of us are thinking about how we can communicate via snail mail and the joy that letters and physical things sent from loved ones hold. Inspired by the letter writing I’ve been doing, I’ve chosen designs from Spoonflower’s Snail Mail Challenge for my newest quilt pattern, Express Post.

For our quilt-along, we’ll be making three blocks: a series of closed envelopes, a heart and an open envelope. Altogether these blocks will make a 18″ x 18″ finished piece that you can turn into a mini wall hanging or a pillow.

In the process, you’ll learn how to make a traditional Flying Geese quilt block, the stitch-and-flip method, and the beginnings of a traditional Economy quilt block.

Shop the Express Post Featured Collection

Choosing The Right Materials for Your Express Post Quilt Blocks

Fabric

For this project I’m working with Cotton Poplin, but Organic Cotton Sateen, Petal Signature Cotton™ or any cotton fabric from your stash are also great options. Spoonflower’s Fill-A-Yard option is perfect for this project—you can get all the fabric you need in one yard!

Supplies 

Shop the Express Post Featured Collection

How to Curate Your Fabric Designs

To get started, make a collection of Spoonflower designs that are cohesive! I chose a design from the winners of the Snail Mail Challenge and used the color palette as inspiration to select my fabrics for the quilt blocks. Keep in mind that large scale prints make great pillow or mini-quilt backings, but do not work as well for quilt piecing. For Fabrics A-E, choose small scale prints that will still read well when they are chopped into little bits!

Click the circles below to explore my curated collections:

I can’t wait to get started and see what you all come up with! Be sure to tag @spoonflower and @3rdstoryworkshop and use #ExpressPostBlockParty and #SpoonflowerQuilts when sharing your quilt blocks on social media so we can see what you’re making! You can also be the first to know about the next block post by subscribing to our newsletter!

Looking for a fun space to connect with other quilters?

Join our Express Post Quilt Block Party Facebook Group! Here you can discover what other people are creating, have a chance to ask questions, and share your own progress. You’ll definitely see me and the Spoonflower team popping in throughout the month.