Since this is the year I won't be doing any sew-alongs, I thought I would share the second block I am not making. This sew-along is the annual Riley Blake Designs Challenge. They host it every year and the blocks are all designed by their in-house designers. As a matter of fact, all the free patterns from their past annual RBD Challenges are still available on their website. It's a great resource.
The first block in the 2025 Challenge was by Lori Holt and this second block is by Bev McCullough. The instructions are perfect and both these blocks came out dead on 10 1/2" square. The other nice thing about this sew-along is that they show you the final setting they have in mind for the blocks, which isn't all that common. Usually, these types of sew-alongs are mysteries, which are not everyone's cup of tea. I personally like to see what the final result is so I don't waste time and fabric on a project I won't love at the end. (FQS Designer Mystery 2024 I am talking to you).
Do you have a ton of fabric on hand in your stash from a favorite designer? Most of the time, you will find that the fabric from various collections by the same designer coordinates perfectly and makes fabulous scrap quilts. I have a bin full of Lori Holt fabric, and I swear I am not buying anymore of her stuff until I make a dent in what I already have.
There is a great FaceBook site where folks who are doing the sew-along share photos of their blocks. People are all over the place with the colors and fabrics they are using, so it is fun to see what is going on. There is also a weekly YouTube tutorial on how to construct the blocks, with loads of helpful tips.
So, if you are interested in not participating in another sew-along, this might be a great option for you...