Week 0: Introduction and QAL details

Mark your calendars! Starting March 5, 2025, Brother USA and I, Wendy from The Weekend Quilter, are hosting an exciting six-week sampler quilt along (QAL) that you won’t want to miss. This is your chance to create three stunning quilt blocks inspired by the beauty of blooming flowers and springtime landscapes while building your quilting skills. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned quilter, the Spring Serenade quilt pattern is perfect for filling in gaps in your knowledge or mastering existing techniques. By the end of the QAL, you’ll have a gorgeous 60in x 60in throw to brighten your home for spring!

Participation in the QAL is completely FREE! Download the Spring Serenade quilt pattern(Opens in a new tab) for FREE from The Weekend Quilter’s website to get started.

About the Quilt Pattern

The Spring Serenade quilt is a sampler project featuring three unique quilt block designs. Over the course of the QAL, you’ll learn techniques like no-waste flying geese, four-at-a-time half-square triangles, and quick-corner triangles, as well as how to add sashing and cornerstones to your quilt. To truly master your skills, each block will be made three times in varying highlight colors, creating a total of nine beautiful quilt blocks.

Grab a FREE copy of the Spring Serenade PDF quilt pattern from The Weekend Quilter’s website here(Opens in a new tab).

Schedule

The QAL will operate on a 6-week schedule, starting March 3, 2025, and ending on April 11, 2025

• Week 1 (w/c Mar 3): Gathering and cutting fabric
• Week 2 (w/c Mar 10): Create Block A, three times
• Week 3 (w/c Mar 17): Create Block B, three times
• Week 4 (w/c Mar 24): Create Block C, three times
• Week 5 (w/c Mar 31): Assemble quilt top: sew sashing and cornerstones
• Week 6 (w/c Apr 7): Baste, quilt and bind

At the start of each week (Monday), you will receive an email from Wendy at The Weekend Quilter outlining weekly tasks and links to the Brother Stitching Sewcial blog with additional tips and tricks for successful outcomes. Click here(Opens in a new tab) to receive weekly updates for the duration of the QAL*.

We understand that life gets in the way. If you need to work ahead or fall behind schedule, that is completely fine. You can work at your own pace. And if you’re reading this partway of the QAL, feel free to join in on the quilty fun at any point. An overview of all the posts will stay permanently here(Opens in a new tab).

Stay in the Loop

We love seeing your creative and unique takes on the Spring Serenade Quilt. To share your work and connect with other QAL’ers, be sure to follow and use the #SpringSerenadeQuilt #BrotherSews hashtags, tag @The.Weekendquilter and @BrotherSews on Instagram and Facebook.

Supplies and Tools

You’ll need the following tools and materials for the Spring Serenade quilt project:

• Basic sewing machine: Throughout the QAL, I will be using my Brother Innovis BQ3100 sewing machine from the Quilt Club series.
• Download the Spring Serenade quilt pattern for FREE from The Weekend Quilter’s website here(Opens in a new tab).
• Rotary cutter
• Quilting rulers: Preferably, a long ruler (e.g., 6in x 24in) to cover longer cuts and a medium ruler at least 12in square and with a 45-degree angle guide to trim / square up the quilt blocks.
• Cutting mat
• Iron
• Fabric pen or pencil
• Pins
• Fabric scissors
• Fabrics, quilting cotton – Fabric requirements are based on 42in width of fabric:
  Quilt Top – colors listed here refer to the digital example provided under the Color Inspiration heading, Color Inspiration 1
  • Fabric A (Summer sun): 1½ yards (138 cm)
  • Fabric B (Coconut milk): 1½ yards (138 cm)
  • Fabric C (Pampas): ⅜ yard (35 cm)
  • Fabric D (Georgia pink): ¼ yard (23 cm)
  • Fabric E (Tender green): ¼ yard (23 cm)
  • Fabric F (Canary): ¼ yard (23 cm)
  • Fabric G (Fields of lavender): ¼ yard (23 cm)
  Quilt Back: 4 yards (412 cm)
  
  
  Quilt Binding: ½ yard (46 cm)
• Batting (or wadding) – There needs to be at least a 4in overhang on each side of the quilt top. Therefore, batting needs to be at least 68in x 68in.
• Coordinating thread(s), 50wt cotton
• Measuring tape (optional)
• If you do not plan on outsourcing the quilting portion (adding decorative stitches to permanently hold the three layers of the quilt together) to a longarm quilter and do it yourself on your domestic machine, you’ll also need the following tools for basting and quilting
• Basting spray or safety pins
• Hera marker or non-serrated dull knife to mark quilting guidelines
• Brother Compact MuVit Digital Dual Feed Foot or walking foot attachment
• Quilting gloves

Color Inspirations

To get your creative juices flowing, here are a few different color inspirations generated with the digital coloring page.

And if you’d like to play around with different colors and preview your work before you commit to cutting into your beautiful fabrics, you can play around with the digital color page here(Opens in a new tab) . I love this tool so much because I’m able to visualize several different color combinations quickly! But if digital coloring pages are not for you, I have also provided a printable coloring page in the PDF quilt pattern(Opens in a new tab) .

Quick Recap

To summarize all this information

• The QAL will operate on a 6-week schedule, starting March 3, 2025, and ending on April 11, 2025.
• Download the QAL pattern, Spring Serenade quilt pattern for free from The Weekend Quilter’s website here(Opens in a new tab).
• Sign up* and receive weekly QAL tasks, updates, and blog posts with tips and tricks in your inbox for the duration of the QAL here(Opens in a new tab).
• If you need to go back to refer to past blogs related to the Spring Serenade quilt, they will all live here(Opens in a new tab).
• Share your progress and finished project by using the #SpringSerenadeQuilt #BrotherSews hashtags, tagging @The.WeekendQuilter and @BrotherSews on Instagram and Facebook.

We’re so excited for the Spring Serenade QAL to kick off, and we hope you can join us for the quilty fun!

*By signing up for the Spring Serenade QAL updates, you also agree to sign up to be on The Weekend Quilter and Brother International email newsletter list. We will not sell your email or spam you.