Midnight Circus: February Square and Sashing Units
- vafibrearts
- Feb 3
- 5 min read
Hello Friends and Welcome Back!
Yesterday, I slept in while the groundhogs made their predictions, and though there was some disagreement across the country, most seem to think that Spring is on the way!
Of course, their methods aren't the most scientific, so who really knows how accurate their opinions will be, but I do appreciate their optimism!
Whether or not Spring is really on the way, I'm sure we'll still have a few more cold and blustery days, perfect for staying in the sewing room and doing a little stitching!
This month, we have another new unit to work on for the Midnight Circus quilt along, the easiest one yet, and I can't wait to show it to you! Let's take a look!
February Units
For the month of February, we'll be making a very simple quilt unit, the Square and Sashing unit!
As the name suggests, this unit features a square of fabric A surrounded by a narrow frame of fabric F. The unit is pieced entirely from squares and rectangles, meaning there are no bias edges, and it's assembled without needing to match any seams!
To make your Square and Sashing units, there are two methods to choose from; patchwork piecing and strip piecing! Test each method using scrap fabric to decide which you prefer!
Pattern Notes
pattern assumes 44" usable width of fabric (WoF)
sew all seams using a ¼” seam allowance
press each seam before sewing the next and before trimming units
read all pattern instructions and notes before beginning to piece
optional printable templates can be downloaded here:
Patchwork Pieced Square and Sashing Units
This method makes one unit at a time using smaller pieces, accommodating the use of fabric scraps and remnants.
Pieces can be cut using quilting rulers or printable templates.
Cutting Instructions
Cut the pieces that correspond to your chosen quilt size.
Single Square and Sashing Unit:
Fabric A - 1 square at 3” OR 1 medium square
Fabric F - 2 rectangles at 3” x 1¼” OR 2 small rectangles
2 rectangles at 4½” x 1¼” OR 2 large rectangles
Small Quilt:
Fabric A - 8 squares at 3” OR 8 medium squares
Fabric F - 16 rectangles at 3” x 1¼” OR 16 small rectangles
16 rectangles at 4½” x 1¼” OR 16 large rectangles
Medium Quilt:
Fabric A - 20 squares at 3” OR 20 medium squares
Fabric F - 40 rectangles at 3” x 1¼” OR 40 small rectangles
40 rectangles at 4½” x 1¼” OR 40 large rectangles
Large Quilt:
Fabric A - 36 squares at 3" OR 36 medium squares
Fabric F - 72 rectangles at 3” x 1¼” OR 72 large rectangles
72 rectangles at 4½” x 1¼” OR 72 small rectangles
Piecing Instructions
Select one square of fabric A and two small rectangles of fabric F.
Place the fabric F rectangles along two opposite sides of the fabric A square, right sides together, with their long edges aligned with the sides of the square.
Sew along those sides.
Select two large rectangles of fabric F and place them along the two remaining fabric A sides of the pieced unit, right sides together, with their edges aligned.
Sew along those sides.
Trim the finished Square and Sashing unit to 4½” square.
For a small quilt, make 8.
For a medium quilt, make 20.
For a large quilt, make 36.
Strip Pieced Square and Sashing Units
This method makes multiple units at a time using long strips of fabric, requires width of fabric or long fabric remnants.
Pieces are cut with quilting rulers across width of fabric (WoF).
Cutting Instructions
Cut the pieces that correspond to your chosen quilt size.
Nine Strip Pieced Units:
Fabric A - 1 strip at 3” x WoF
Fabric F - 4 strips at 1¼” x WoF
Small Quilt:
Fabric A - 1 strip at 3” x WoF
Fabric F - 4 strips at 1¼” x WoF
Medium Quilt:
Fabric A - 2 strips at 3” x WoF
Fabric F - 10 strips at 1¼” x WoF
Large Quilt:
Fabric A - 3 strips at 3” x WoF
Fabric F - 14 strips at 1¼” x WoF
Piecing Instructions
Select one strip of fabric A and two strips of fabric F.
Place the fabric F strips along the two long sides of the fabric A strip, right sides together, with their edges aligned.
Sew along those sides.
Sub cut the long strip unit into 3” wide pieces.
Select one strip of fabric F and up to nine sub cut strip units.
Place the strip units along the length of the fabric F strip, right sides together, with the long sides of the strip units aligned with the long side of the fabric F strip, and the strip units slightly off set.
Sew along that side.
Cut the strip of fabric F between each strip unit to separate them.
Place the strip units along the length of another fabric F strip, right sides together, with the long sides of the strip units aligned with the long side of the fabric F strip, and the strip units slightly off set.
Sew along that side.
Cut the strip of fabric F between each strip unit to separate them.
Trim the finished Square and Sashing units to 4½” square.
For a small quilt, make 8.
For a medium quilt, make 20.
For a large quilt, make 36.
Full instructions for both methods, as well as some additional tips, can be downloaded here:
Midnight Circus Sample Quilt
Though I didn't have any progress to show off last month, I have found some more time for quilting over the last few weeks and am really happy with the progress I'm making!
I've been quilting my way along the sashing, filling the background areas with uneven matchstick quilting, and adding stars and petals to the copper piecing!
At this point, I've finished quilting all of the copper areas and most of the background areas, and am excited to add a new chunk to the quilt top!
But before I can sew it on, I needed to even out the edges of the backing fabric and the batting. I've been using the standard ¼" seam allowance on the quilt top, a ½” seam allowance for the backing, and the batting is joined with a herringbone stitch and no overlap.
By this afternoon, I'm hoping to have a new row of sashing added to my quilt top!
Friends, thank you all so much for joining me on another visit to the Midnight Circus!
This quilt along has been so much fun so far, and I can't wait to see all of your Square and Sashing units come together!
Please share updates on your progress in the comments below, by sending me an email, or use #midnightcircusquilt to tag your posts elsewhere so I can find them!
The next unit instructions will release on 03 March 2026, I can't wait to see you all then!
Until Next Time, Happy Quilting!
~VA
Midnight Circus Instructions
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