QAYG Isn't Hard!
 

I just finished the last class of my Westalee Rulers series last night and it was putting together all your sampler pieces. I was worried because I'd never done QAYG. In fact, I had avoided it as it looked difficult.
It wasn't hard at all!
I'll be using this technique more from now on!

Watson

I would love to see a photo of your quilt!!!

What QAYG technique did you use? How long was the class? That would be a great one to take!

It's hard for me to handle large quilts anymore. In fact, I may have made my last one, I use QAYG a lot. They really turn out nice, don't they? Please share your Westalee Ruler Quilt with us, in progress, may help others see how it goes together.

That is one of many, many QAYG techniques. If you don't like that one (which I do not) choose another technique.

Ooooh - I only know about the method using strips to cover the back seams and would love to know about easier methods. That's the only reason I haven't done a QAYG.

This method had strips to cover the back seams as well. You could hand sew them or you could machine sew them. I chose to machine sew, as I am just doing this as a dog bed, and it turned out quite well. If I were doing an actual quilt I'd have to hand sew it.

I'd be interested in how you do it without having to sew the back.

The class was 7 weeks, each class was about 3 hours long and there was homework.
You take a memory stick with you that the instructor puts all the videos on so you can view them at home while you do the homework.

Watson

It's been a long time, but the method I used was done by cutting the backing larger than the front. Quilt all three layers except a narrow strip on the edges. Sew just the front and batting together using the unquilted edges, one row at a time - leave the backing free from this stitching. Now fold the extra on the back to the seam line and hand sew it. I think I trimmed one edge to reduce bulk. Finish all the rows, the sew them together in the same way. The only long seams hand sewn are these last ones - the first are only the length of the block, so it's not too cumbersome and you only have one edge to hand sew, not both like adding a separate strip. I did a log cabin this way.

This is the way I have done QAYG but wasn't sure how to describe the process! I also did a log cabin this way. Was quite simple to do.

I'm still waiting to make a QAYG quilt. I think I should start on something smaller than a lap quilt. Maybe I should just make one for myself to keep for the first try. I need another lap quilt anyway. So glad you liked the class & found it easy. Can we see a picture of yours?

QAYG is a great method to add to your techniques. I think it has many applications and there are several ways of doing it. I have one (in my UFO collection right now) that is made in 3 sections and joined. The back seam is stitched first, the batting is trimmed to lay flat, and, the front seam is made by laying one side flat and covering it with the pressed in fold from the second side and stitched down by machine. When done carefully, the seam on the back looks like part of the overall pattern and the front flows into the quilting pattern. Yes, I plan to finish it by the end of the year.

Humbird, did I remember correctly? We're talking 35 years ago. Describe the process? I was a remedial reading/math instructor and a Girl Scout leader, so explaining how to do something isn't difficult.

This would be the reverse of the way I did mine. I like yours better because you can machine sew it.

I have a book by Marti Mitchell and have tried several other methods too. The tutorial section has a few different techniques.

I saw a video recently where the back square was 2" larger than the front and batting squares. The back square came to the front and was folder over twice and stitched to the front. Looked really easy! I plan to give it a try!

This Is the method I used many years ago on my 10th quilt. It was easy, but I didn't do another until I joined a quilt along here for The Affairs Of The Heart. That one didn't go as well, and I abandoned that quilt after making all the blocks because I could not figure out how to put the borders on!

This sounds like Betty Cotton's Method. It's called "Cotton Theory Quilting" and it is patented. I have made one and it took a lot of time, but you never have to sew in the middle of the quilt. You never sew anything by hand. Even the binding is sewn down with a decorative stitch, and these quilts are always reversible. So you get two quilts from one.

That method is called "fun and done" I believe.

I am taking a QAYG class tomorrow. If there is something different taught then what is posted here, I'll come back and share. The class is being taught by Jera Brandvig who has written a book on this. Apparently she is going to teach us 3 different techniques.

LOL!! I do think you remembered correctly. It must have been that long ago that I did my first Log Cabin using this method. I also did a Snails Trail, and more recently, a Stack&Whack. (which is still begging for a border) I think you can do most any block with this method.

I'm all for QAYG, but haven't done it for a very long time. I remember when I did do it, it was tedious. Anyone have the least tedious way to do it?

I just watched Jera Brandvig on the Fat Quarter Shop You Tube Channel and bought her books "Quilt As You Go: Made Vintage" and "Quilt As You Go: Made Modern". I am excited to try her methods.

cranberry, please report back!

Watson

Watson, sounds like a you had a wonderful in-depth class. Was the instructor anyone we would know? Was it sponsored through your LQS? We would love to see a photo of your dog bed.

Cranberry, we look forward to hearing about your QAYG class experience. I have not yet tackled one.

The Jera Brandvig workshop was good, not great. A lot of pushing the books. The only example that we actually worked on was with the top sewn directly onto the batting, plus any extra quilting design wanted on it. Then those blocks were sewn together with a 1/4 inch seam. Then the back is whole cloth, stitch in the ditch.

Her other two methods which we did not do in the class are to join the top blocks with strips, but back is still attached via stitch in the ditch. The other is that both front and back are attached with strips so that the back has a sort of checkerboard look. She didn't show how to do it, rather pushed us to her new book which teaches all three methods (the first book only teaches the first two methods.) So, unfortunately I have no idea how either one with the strips actually works. We thought we were going to be taught all three, so that was kind of disappointing.

Right! I find it the easiest way to quilt a quilt.