yobrosew

Sorry no pics. Here is how a dressmaker who knows nothing about quilting puts one together and is flabbergasted at how much work the so-called 'quilt-as-you-go' really is and how it actually is not conducive to machine quilting. This way the top looks like a real quilt without the ridiculous sashes stealing from the fluidity of the design; the back is not one piece visually but it is not noticed with the quilt lines. Even HUGE quilts can be done this way.

Paper piece or strip or scrap or selvage quilt directly onto batting, with 1/2" overhang all around the batting.

Square up blocks to within 1/4" of batting foundation for seam allowances.

Sew blocks together to create rows.

Start with row one. Cut and place back to top, wrong sides together.

Going across the entire row of blocks machine quilt (do not even need walking foot) straight lines or wavy lines every couple of inches.

Lay right sides together top of Row 2 to top of Row 1 and right sides together bottom of Row 1 to Row 2.

Sew across 1/4".

Flip top and bottom of Row 2 away from Row 1, leaving seam locked inside Row 2.

Machine quilt (do not need walking foot) either straight seams or wavy a couple of inches apart across Row 2, as did on Row 1.

Now add Row 3, again locking the seam inside. Keep adding your rows.

This seamstress method has several advantages, one being your quilting is always the bulk of the quilt to the outside of the machine. The only amount under the throat is the width of your blocks. AND there are no sashes or extra busy work. This also works first quilting a quilt top's rows to the batting and then proceding; just easier to design and sew stuff that is pieced directly to the batting to save time and steps.

For the extremely symmetrical-minded, start with the center row and work out in each direction, placing the hidden seams in exactly the same positions on each side of the quilt.

Next quilt I will photograph or video.

Notes for clarity:
"This also works first quilting a quilt top's rows to the batting and then proceding; just easier to design and sew stuff that is pieced directly to the batting to save time and steps."

If quilt regular quilt block rows to batting, instead of directly via piecing, be sure to quilt the opposite direction of the row quilting so it ends up on the front being in both directions. Also, this way works great with jelly roll strips, with lengthwise strips being a row. So much easier than trying to sew each one onto the entire quilt batting. Quite frankly, I don't even have to baste or use pins with this approach. Sew and flip, sew and flip. On smaller block rows, one does not even have to quilt as the batting is secure from quilting directly to the top.

"Paper piece or strip or scrap or selvage quilt directly onto batting, with 1/2" overhang all around the batting."

This realy is not as hard as I am making it sound; first time trying to explain with showing. Replace you paper or foundation fabric with the batting; drop it, skip it. The batting is your paper.

quiltjoey

Sounds interesting but photos would really help as I get lost in the reading. Hope you can post pics as it would be great to find an easier method of QAYQ and DSM quilting...
Kindly,

yobrosew

Well, thankfully I found someone who does it this way AND demonstrates it. When she attaches the second row she is not specific but covers it in detail when attaching the third so be sure to read all the way through. http://www.candiedfabrics.com/2013/0...ing-as-you-go/

yobrosew

Now that you have the directions with pictures some of the other things I do will make sense. Often times I sew my block pieces directly to the batting, connect up a row of the blocks; no need then to insert the batting or baste before machine quilting the row then. The demonstration quilt is cool as it is truly reversible!

Suzette316

Okay, thanks to this tut I am now ready to try QAYG! I have never liked the look of previous methods with sashing in between. Just never looked pleasing to my eye. But this I love!!! Thanks so much for sharing this with us!

coopah

Thanks for this information. I have about 6 UFOs that need to be finished. They are not works of art and I really don't want to hand quilt them or send to a LAQ. The QAYG that I've seen has seemed cumbersome. So thanks for having a method that sounds "do-able." I'm going to try it on one of my smaller UFOs. It would be nice to have things finished!

littlebitoheaven

Thank you so much. May need to contact you when I put this method into action. Hope that is okay. I am not real good at following written directions. I am a by "sight" person. Even with photos, I am still a bit confused. Really appreciate this.

Am in the midst of a "hidden wells" quilt. I have several blocks finished and ready to sew into rows. I am wondering, even though the design is not quilted to the backing, if I can quilt each row and then use this method. Thanks again. Yolanda Wood River

cricket_iscute

Yobrosew, you have done your good deed for the day. This is fantastic! Thank you so much! You are just brilliant!

I will use this method, and the sooner the better. But I started wondering what to do with blocks that already have a back and top (and batting) quilted together. Well, if I were to treat sashing OR an additional plain block as a block, I could use the same technique. In other words, I take the sashing, right side of front to right side of front of previous block and also right side of back to right side of back to right side of back of previous block. I would sew a seam, catching all four parts. Then add batting, if necessary, or just leave the batting of the previous block longer. Then add the next block in the same manner.

I have a donation raffle quilt a church asked me to make because their regular quiltmaker has cancer - and they need it in two weeks. EEEEEKKKKKK! My plate was already full. But if I use this method, I can probably get it done. If I added plain blocks in between already finished blocks, I could make the queen or king size they are hoping for.

Yobrosew, you have made my day. Thank you so much.

Cricket

Carol34446

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pL36...eature=related

Like her method and sounds easy.

goldbeacher

Thanks for this, I never cared for all that sashing either so I never used the technique.