Quilt Along Part 11: Piecing the Quilt Top

 

Now we finally get to see out quilt coming together!  The care with which you sew your sashing seams will have a huge effect on the quality of your finished quilt, so I encourage you to take your time.

 

We're going to start by sorting out the sashing strips.  You should have 11 long strips and 24 short strips.  Here's what we're going to do with them:

• Set aside two long strips to use on the quilt back.

• Set aside four long strips to use for exterior sashing on the quilt front.

• From the remaining five long strips, cut one 8.5" strip.  The short strips will be used on the quilt back.  The remaining long strips will be used as horizontal sashing on the quilt front.

• The 24 short strips will be used as vertical sashing on the quilt front.

Before we start sashing, we'll need to lay out our finished quilt blocks.  The linked pdf shows the layout I used for both of my quilt tops.  I've also included a photo of my blocks, so you can see the way I alternated the block orientation across the diagonals.  If you're following my layout, I would encourage you to do this too, as it adds some visual interest.

Download ModSamplerBlockLayout

If you don't have a design wall, the top of a bed can be a good place to lay out your blocks.  Once they're laid out, take a long look and decide whether you need to shift any of them around.  When you have your blocks where you want them, stack each row keeping the blocks in order and oriented the same way they will be in the quilt.  Use your cardboard dividers to keep the rows in order.  (This time the numbers on the cards will indicate rows one through six, rather than color combinations.)

 

You'll notice that the quilt top layout uses 30 blocks, but we have 36.  The six "extra" blocks will be used on the quilt back.  If you follow my piecing layout, your six extra blocks will include one of each style (A-F) and one of each fabric combination (1-6).  Set aside these blocks with the sashing for the back.  My Wednesday post will describe how to piece these together with your larger cuts to make the quilt back.

 

Each row will use four small sashing strips.  Using the same .25" seam allowance that you used while piecing the blocks, sew your rows together, placing one small sashing strip between each block.  (So each row will go: block, sashing, block, sashing, block, sashing, block, sashing, block.) 

If your blocks are not quite as wide as your 8.5" sashing strips, try to center them rather than lining them up with one side.  This will make it easier to keep your horizontal sashing even.  However, if you're noticing that your blocks are consistently .25" or more smaller than the 8.5" sashing pieces, I would suggest cutting down all small sashing pieces to 8.25" before doing any sewing.  (Seriously.  If you've sewed a row before noticing this, I would suggest taking it apart, cutting down the sashing and then starting over with shorter strips.  Making this adjustment now will save you trouble in the end!)

I don't usually pin small sashing pieces like this, but I do continue to follow the "rule" I talked about with Blocks E and F -- Sew with the solid strip on the bottom and the pieced block on top.

Once your rows are sewn and seams pressed open, you can continue to use your organizer cards to keep them rows in order.  It may be helpful to use a pin or sticky note to flag the left side of each row.

Note:  If you have any blocks backed with freezer paper, sew them into the rows in the same way you would your other blocks.  Once your rows are sewn, but before you press the seams, carefully tear away all of the freezer paper.  (It may seem odd to take it out before you sew the horizontal sashing but, because these blocks are small, having the block lined up between the small sashing should be enough to get an accurate horizontal seam.)  Notice how, in the photo above, I'm holding down the paper near the seam to keep the seam from pulling as the paper is ripped away. 

If you're having trouble removing your paper and/or find that tearing away the paper is messing with your seams, it's probably because your stitches are too large and/or thread tension too loose.  Try sewing your seam again with a smaller, tighter stitch before removing the paper.  (And remember to hold down the block while you're pulling off the paper, as shown above.)

 

Pinning the horizontal sashing requires a little more space.  I like to start by laying a sashing strip across my table with the ends hanging off either side, as shown above.

 

I then lay a pieced strip on top.  Starting in the middle and working outward, I then line up the tops of the small sashing strips with the edge of the horizontal sashing.  In theory, the small sashing pieces are all identical, whereas there may be variation in your blocks.  This makes the small sashing a better guideline for keeping the row straight. 

 

I usually pin on either side of each piece of small sashing and the in the center of each block. 

 

Sew and carefully press open the seam.

 

Continue sewing horizontal sashing between your six rows, again pinning from the center outward and taking careto match the small/vertical sashing pieces when you pin.  Repeat until you have, from top to bottom: Row 1, sashing, Row 2, sashing, Row 3, sashing, Row 4, sashing, Row 5, sashing, Row 6. 

I find it easier to keep my rows straight when I stop and press after each horizontal seam that I sew.

Meauring 8.25" from the inside seam of the nearest row of blocks, use your ruler and rotary cutter to square up all four sides of your quilt top.  Use the four remaining sashing strips to sew a row of sashing first to the left and right sides, and then to the top and bottom.  Use your ruler and rotary cutter to square up the four corners.

 

And that's it.  Your quilt top is finished!

Comments

[Val]

I just finished block F this morning! I am still trying to decide between blue and cream sashing...

Thank you so much for this tutorial. This has been MY VERY FIRST QUILT and it has been so fun!

[Jess]

Thanks again for putting these tutorials together! I can't wait to get going (though I realize that I am much behind most of your readers)

[Kama]

I love that quilt! I just found your blog, so I missed all the fun quilt along. Maybe I can catch up someday! I have 2 quilts in progress though, so I'd better finish them first!! :) I just started quilting and love it!!

[Jennifer]

LOVE your quilt with the vintage sheets - looks so bright and springy!

[Carrie]

Another one who hasn't started yet but cannot wait to. Where the heck is that mailman with my fabric order? LOL.

Thanks so much for these instructions. It keeps getting repeated, but is so worth saying. :)

[Jamie AZ]

Elizabeth, your tutorial is really fantastic! I'm not doing it right now due to other committments, but I wanted to add one thing that I do for laying out the quilt. Once I have it laid out how I think I want it, I take a digital picture of it and look at it on the computer. For some reason, just looking at the quilt top in a different format gives me a different perspective to see things I may want to switch around (and you can rotate the picture around more easily than shifting all your blocks!). My husband is also a good help when I sometimes can't mentally get past something that doesn't look quite right. We just get "too close" to our quilts and a fresh eye can sometimes point out things I'm overlooking.

[CC]

Love both the quilts - i have just started to cut my pieces. really looking forward to the quiliting. thanks so much for the tutorial - i've never been so organised.

[nanci]

As I have posted from the beginning of this tutorial, thank you so much for doing it.
I always thought that I should press to one side, but you press seam open. Any reason?

[hayley]

That scrappy quilt is killing me. SO awesome.

I have been diligently reading every blog entry and am participating in spirit. I'm looking forward to participating "for real" in a little bit.

Can't wait to see how everyone's quilt turns out!

[staci]

This has been so fun to watch! I love love love the scrappy one.

[Lise]

This has been a blast! Excellent tutorial and a fun design! Thankyou from the bottom of my fabric pile!

[Nichole]

I have a question about keeping the rows lined up. I know that in theory if everything is cut and sewn accurately the vertical sashing lines will line up in the finished quilt. However, I never seem to get them spot-on without a lattice post/corner square to keep my piecing "honest" when sewing that long strip. Even if I've measured and trimmed everything to correct size there always seems to be a bit of stretching or easing that makes things just slightly off. Does this make sense? Any tricks for keeping the vertical alignment from row to row? Your quilts always look so neat and perfect aligned, and I much prefer the look of the long, straight horizontal sashing strip with no seams or corner squares if I could just keep it all lined up well.

[Elizabeth]

Nichole,
Please take another look at the post -- specifically, where I've described matching up the vertical sashing as you add rows and pinning from the center out. Those are my only "secrets" to making the sahing line up! :)

[Rachel]

Hi-Your tutorials are so well written-thanks. I'm not participating in this quilt-a-long but have used a previous tutorial (lunch bag) and can't wait to make your purse. I have a question-I've always pressed my quilt piecing seams to one side and just noticed you press your seams open. Is that technique better? Does it help match up corners, etc?
Thanks.

[Jen W]

Thanyou Elizabeth for your wonderful Tutorial. I have had great delight in logging on during my lunch break to catch up with the progress of the quilts. I have one project left to finish then I will be attempting the Mod Sampler Block Quilt.
kind regards

[Jennie]

I just found this, and I am totally ready to jump in! I have been quilting for many years, but I just love the look of this quilt! Thank you so much for all the work you put into this!!

[Janice]

I am SO late on this, but I LOVE the vintage sheet quilt. I have some vintage sheet scraps laying around and I have been wanting something to do with them. I may have to collect a few more on etsy or ebay to fill it out my collection:) I am making a baby quilt from one of your patterns right now (my first quilt ever) and you have me addicted! Once I am done with that I am going to have to start the sampler!