NO sash Quilt As You Go
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.