two different qayg methods-which is better?
 

I am planning a queen size qayg project. I have two options that I like.

fun & done-this method means I have to make the backing pieces an inch bigger all around, and faux sashing on the front will have to be the same color as the backing and will be about 1" wide which means it might encroach a bit on my block designs.

ditter's method-this method means I can use any backings I want, even patchwork style, but I will have to cut and deal with narrow strips for the back and the front. I would swap out the back strips for the front (so the ones on the back will be the doubled strips covering the seams) so the faux sashing would be only 1/2" wide, which will not encroach on my block design at all (since it will only cover the seam allowance).

Has anyone done both and have any feedback? I'm leaning toward ditter's method (to see how it is with the back and front strips swapped out see this post-but I would double the covering strip like ditter did on the front rather than the way it shows on this one) but am nervous about using such narrow strips. Not so much between blocks but between rows.

I use stripping between my blocks
front and back

http://www.queenofstitching.com/quil...ing-techniques

Another method with videos. There ar 4 vids in this series.

I've done both ways. You can adjust your blocks for space for sashing.

I have done both. I had a great deal of difficulty lining up my blocks with the fun & done. The pattern I chose needed the blocks to be aligned, so it may have been the pattern choice. My sister did a different pattern & didn't seem to have as much of an issue as I did. I liked the strip method a lot. The look of the 2 methods is quite different, the fun & done has a very wide sashing as compared to the method that Ditter used. So there's not really a 'better' method, but what you like in an overall look. The other thing with the Ditter method is that you really don't need to quilt each individual block and then join. I did a cluster of 6 (2X3) or 9 (3X3) blocks, joined them with 1/2" sashing, quilted that section, then joined the next group using the same 1/2" sashing.

The way I do mine is probably unacceptable by the Quilt Police but it works for me. I quilt all my blocks individually with just the block & batting--no backing. After the blocks are all quilted, I add the sashing between the blocks and join them together to make the top. I then use one piece for my backing, spray basting the quilted top to the backing. I then quilt all the sashing strips. This attached the backing to the quilt top. When you look at my quilt from the back the only quilting you see is what's been done in the sashing. I've done this with different size blocks from 6" to 12" and I've had no problems with the batting shifting or anything.

I like the idea of being able to do it in clusters rather than each block. Plus don't like the idea of having trouble lining up (I was wondering about that myself). Thanks for the input!

There are numerous methods that can achieve the QAYG method. You must choose which is the easiest and simplest way for you. Good Luck

Yes, I know there are numerous methods. I was asking for actual real life experience with these two, which I have narrowed down my choices to. That is how I will determine the easiest and simplest way for me without me actually having to make one to determine that. But thanks.

yep, right now I have two quilts going with the same method. On one I joined four blocks together and am quilting each section. The other, quilting individual blocks. So far so goid and no messing with adding extra strips. The only thing I'm doing different is adding muslin on the back of the batting so the batting doesn't get caught in the feed dogs.

I cannot remember where I saw a method which basically kept the backing whole but allowed you to quilt a row of the quilt to the backing (with batting of course) then you sewed the next row to the previous row to the top of the quilt -add strip of batting then quilt it - and so on until you had it completed. Wish I could find the link - it was explained so much better than i could.