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A row-by-row quilt is made from horizontal bands of blocks or designs, and the rows can repeat or use different techniques. It is a flexible format rather than a single pattern: choose a pattern or plan your own, then set the finished size by working out the row widths, row heights and number of rows.
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What is a row-by-row quilt?
It is a quilt assembled from horizontal rows. Each row may use the same block, a different block, or a distinct piecing technique. That makes the format useful for sampler quilts that bring several skills together, as well as themed designs built from related motifs.
The layout can be scaled to different kinds of projects. Nancy Zieman, host of Sewing With Nancy, explains in a PBS Wisconsin episode transcript that the format can make a large quilt, table runner, lap quilt or baby quilt; the width of each row and the number of rows determine the overall size.
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How do you plan a row-by-row quilt?
- Choose a pattern or design approach. A published pattern provides a defined layout and cutting guidance. An improvised design gives you more freedom, while a sampler or themed project can help organize different blocks or techniques.
- Set the intended finished dimensions. Decide on the width and length before estimating fabric. Check whether the pattern includes borders or sashing as well as the rows themselves.
- Work out the row layout. Use the pattern’s row widths, row heights and row count to see how the finished dimensions are reached. Do not assume that all row-by-row quilts use the same measurements or construction sequence.
- Match the project to your skills and learning preferences. Consider which techniques it uses, how difficult they are, how many fabrics it calls for, and whether written instructions or video lessons would help.
- Follow the pattern’s cutting list. Use its stated fabric-width and seam-allowance assumptions when cutting and buying materials; example quantities from another quilt do not transfer automatically.
What techniques can the rows use?
Rows can be built with traditional piecing or other techniques, so a single project can introduce skills in stages. BERNINA’s “Between the Lines” quilt-along adds a new row every four weeks and includes foundation paper piecing, traditional piecing, strip piecing and quarter circles. Its instructions and video links support learning as the project progresses, with rows increasing in difficulty.
For another sampler example, the PBS Wisconsin row-by-row sampler demonstrates half-square-triangle rows. These are examples of the format’s range, not steps required in every row-by-row quilt.
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What supplies and fabric do you need?
Start with the chosen pattern’s own supply list. Depending on the design, it may specify quilting cottons, backing, batting and binding fabric. Cutting tools and notions can include a rotary cutter, cutting mat, rulers, small scissors, thread, pins and a quarter-inch presser foot; the exact requirements depend on the instructions and your setup.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFor a sense of how specific the quantities can be, Pat Sloan’s six-row example in American Patchwork & Quilting finishes at 60½ × 63½ inches. Its materials list includes ⅝ yard of binding fabric, 3⅞ yards of backing fabric and 69 × 72-inch batting; its cutting guidance assumes 42 inches of usable fabric width and quarter-inch seam allowances. Those figures apply to that pattern, not to row-by-row quilts generally. See the pattern and its complete requirements before using them.
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Can a book or quilt-along help you learn?
If you want a structured sampler, C&T Publishing’s 2017 catalog describes Jeanette White and Erin Hamilton’s Quilting Row by Row: 27 Skill-Building Techniques. It presents an 11-row sampler ordered by difficulty, plus two bonus projects and full-size patterns. The publisher description is a useful guide to the book’s contents, but it does not establish current stock; check the publisher or a bookseller for availability. See the C&T Publishing book page.
A quilt-along may suit you better if you prefer lessons released over time with accompanying videos. Compare the format, techniques, project dimensions and instructions before choosing; neither a book nor a quilt-along is required to make a row-by-row quilt.
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