Desert Cove Quilt-Along: Week 5

Can you believe it is the last week of the Quilt-along?!??  We’ve made it and I’m so excited to see your finished quilt top!!

This blog is the final installment of a three-part blog series as we dive into the Desert Cove quilt.  This blog series can be referenced at any point and serves as a guide for all things Desert Cove! 

But first, a couple refreshers…

Don’t have the pattern yet?  You can get your copy here.

Do you have your Desert Cove progress tracker handy?  This free download helps you keep track of what you’ve completed.  It’s formatted to complete the quilt in five weeks, but really, you can use this tracker and still go at your own pace.

Want to learn more about the inspiration behind the pattern?  You can read more about it on the quilt pattern release blog post.

Do you need to re-visit Weeks 1 & 2?

Or re-visit Weeks 3 & 4?

Now that we have all of that out of the way, let’s finish this quilt!

Week 5 - Finishing that Quilt Top!

Before we dive into the fun of finishing this quilt, take a step back and admire your lovely blocks!  

This week we are going to make our sashing, determine our final quilt layout, and sew up that quilt top!

Make your sashing

I like to make my long sashing strips that go in between the rows as I finish up my quilt blocks - that way they are ready to sew onto my rows as they get sewn together. 

Following the instructions for your quilt size, grab your cornerstones and the appropriate amount of sashing strips and sew them up!   

Determine layout of quilt 

Okay - we’ve made it to one of the best parts of quilting!  It is finally time to determine our quilt layout!

Using either a design wall or some open floor space, begin arranging your blocks following the layout for the size quilt you are making.  

Tip #1 - When you are moving blocks around, don’t forget to also rotate the blocks — that’s one of the funnest parts about this pattern :). Since the blocks are square they will fit together no matter how they are arranged and the mixing and matching allows the block to give a different look and feel when rotated.

Tip #2 - When you have a layout you like, snap some pictures and put them in a black and white filter.  This will help you see saturation that can be difficult to see with the naked eye.  I actually prefer to make my final decision about quilt layout from a picture than with my naked eye.

Then, make sure you keep a picture of the final quilt layout you decide on.  This is a nice reference to have when you are sewing it together!

Sew it all together!

I’m so excited we’ve made it to the final stretch!!  

When you’re sewing your rows together, you’ll be adding sashing strips in between each block.  Then, you’ll be sewing a long sashing strip with cornerstones in between each of the rows. 

Tip #3 - When you’re sewing the long sashing in between the rows, you can use the cornerstones to line up your seams.

I like to first line up and pin my cornerstones to the sashing in between the blocks - then go back over and add additional pins needed.

Keep sewing and building your rows together until you have you quilt top finished!!  Then it’s time to sit back and admire it! 

Admire your work!

And just like that, you have a finished quilt top!  Give yourself a high five or call a friend!  It’s time to admire all of your hard work and think about how you’d like to quilt your quilt.   

I’m planning on quilting this one on my machine with some simple 1-inch straight line quilting.  If you’re thinking about longarm quilting - an orange peel or swirly panto look nice with this pattern.

I have had so much fun sewing along with you! 

If you’re sharing on Instagram, I’d love to see it!  Use #nolliebeanpatterns and/or #desertcovequilt and/or #desertcoveqal if you share on Instagram.

Happy sewing!!