Boom 17 - OPAL
11-20-2016, 05:18 PM
#1202
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Wyoming in the summer, Florida in the winter
Posts: 7,583
Looks awesome! Really excited to see it all put together.....I'd love to see how you do the "joining " strips. That's my nightmare for sure!!!! A little lesson would be in order if you don't mind....at least for me
11-20-2016, 06:27 PM
#1204
Power Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 25,991
So glad I saw these posts before I finished joining everything so I can take some pics! Here's your 'tute':
After quilting, trim the blocks again. The quilting sucks up some of the size, so my blocks were trimmed to about 12 3/8". Nice clean, straight edges to work with... Out of my sashing fabric, I cut 1" wide strips the length of the sides of my blocks, plus a little 'fudge' room to trim off later. I cut 13". You may want to starch your fabric before cutting if it is thin or soft. Those 1" strips are for the BACK of the joins, so you might want to use a different color than on your front. I used the same, as it worked for my backing fabric too.
Now cut the same number of 13" strips, but cut 1 3/4" wide for the front joins. Iron those, wrong sides together, lengthwise. You will sew them on folded, with the raw edges towards the edge of the block. This is what your strips may look like:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]562520[/ATTACH]
Line up strips on the right edge of your first block of the first row (uppermost lefthand block). Place the 1" strip under the block (right side up towards the backing fabric),and the raw edges of the folded 1 3/4" strip on the top of the block. Line up edges exactly with the quilted block and sew a scant 1/4" seam. Here is when I trim off the excess length so the joining strips are the same length as the block. Do that first before you match up the second block.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]562521[/ATTACH]
(My backing is the yellow fabric.)
Now open out the sewn 1" strip on the bottom and let it extend past the seamline. Take block #2 and place it right side down under block #1, lining up the edges of the 1" strip and the second block. Take care that your blocks are EVEN at the top and bottom, or you'll have a messy time joining your rows later. Keeping the first seam out of the way, sew the second block to the back joining strip (the 1" strip).
[ATTACH=CONFIG]562523[/ATTACH]
Now you can open out the two blocks, face up, and gently smooth the batting in the seam allowances with your finger. They should just fit together with no gap and no overlap. Now take the folded top piece and finger press it over, covering the seam. Carefully topstitch close to the edge, using thread that is a really close match if you don't want it to show.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]562524[/ATTACH]
And this is what it looks like when done:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]562525[/ATTACH]
This is what it looks like on my back:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]562527[/ATTACH]
Continue across your rows, joining the blocks side by side from left to right. Remember not to put the strips on the outside edges, as those will have binding once the quilt is all together.
When you have all your rows joined, measure the length of the rows and cut enough strips, 1" x your row length, and also 1 3/4" times your row length. Press your 1 3/4 strips in half lengthwise.
You will start on the bottom edge of your first row, and sew the strips exactly as you did for your vertical joins. It's done the same way but with one major difference: You must line up the vertical joins at the intersections. This will help keep your quilt really square and will look so much better than if you just let them fall where they may. Line them up as you are pinning your strips. In fact, the only place I put pins is at those intersections once I get them lined up.
Once you've joined all your blocks you need only bind the quilt and you are DONE!
**This is my preferred method of QAYG, but there are many other ways to do it. If you don't like the topstitching showing on the face of your quilt, you can still use this method but reverse the strips and sew the folded ones on the back. Then you can hand sew them down on the back of your quilt, as you would your hand sewn quilt bindings.**
After quilting, trim the blocks again. The quilting sucks up some of the size, so my blocks were trimmed to about 12 3/8". Nice clean, straight edges to work with... Out of my sashing fabric, I cut 1" wide strips the length of the sides of my blocks, plus a little 'fudge' room to trim off later. I cut 13". You may want to starch your fabric before cutting if it is thin or soft. Those 1" strips are for the BACK of the joins, so you might want to use a different color than on your front. I used the same, as it worked for my backing fabric too.
Now cut the same number of 13" strips, but cut 1 3/4" wide for the front joins. Iron those, wrong sides together, lengthwise. You will sew them on folded, with the raw edges towards the edge of the block. This is what your strips may look like:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]562520[/ATTACH]
Line up strips on the right edge of your first block of the first row (uppermost lefthand block). Place the 1" strip under the block (right side up towards the backing fabric),and the raw edges of the folded 1 3/4" strip on the top of the block. Line up edges exactly with the quilted block and sew a scant 1/4" seam. Here is when I trim off the excess length so the joining strips are the same length as the block. Do that first before you match up the second block.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]562521[/ATTACH]
(My backing is the yellow fabric.)
Now open out the sewn 1" strip on the bottom and let it extend past the seamline. Take block #2 and place it right side down under block #1, lining up the edges of the 1" strip and the second block. Take care that your blocks are EVEN at the top and bottom, or you'll have a messy time joining your rows later. Keeping the first seam out of the way, sew the second block to the back joining strip (the 1" strip).
[ATTACH=CONFIG]562523[/ATTACH]
Now you can open out the two blocks, face up, and gently smooth the batting in the seam allowances with your finger. They should just fit together with no gap and no overlap. Now take the folded top piece and finger press it over, covering the seam. Carefully topstitch close to the edge, using thread that is a really close match if you don't want it to show.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]562524[/ATTACH]
And this is what it looks like when done:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]562525[/ATTACH]
This is what it looks like on my back:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]562527[/ATTACH]
Continue across your rows, joining the blocks side by side from left to right. Remember not to put the strips on the outside edges, as those will have binding once the quilt is all together.
When you have all your rows joined, measure the length of the rows and cut enough strips, 1" x your row length, and also 1 3/4" times your row length. Press your 1 3/4 strips in half lengthwise.
You will start on the bottom edge of your first row, and sew the strips exactly as you did for your vertical joins. It's done the same way but with one major difference: You must line up the vertical joins at the intersections. This will help keep your quilt really square and will look so much better than if you just let them fall where they may. Line them up as you are pinning your strips. In fact, the only place I put pins is at those intersections once I get them lined up.
Once you've joined all your blocks you need only bind the quilt and you are DONE!
**This is my preferred method of QAYG, but there are many other ways to do it. If you don't like the topstitching showing on the face of your quilt, you can still use this method but reverse the strips and sew the folded ones on the back. Then you can hand sew them down on the back of your quilt, as you would your hand sewn quilt bindings.**
Last edited by sewbizgirl; 11-20-2016 at 06:30 PM.
11-20-2016, 07:10 PM
#1205
Power Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 25,991
I also posted the tute in the Tutorials section, so it would be easy to find later.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/tutoria...ml#post7703189
http://www.quiltingboard.com/tutoria...ml#post7703189
11-20-2016, 08:45 PM
#1208
Power Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 25,991
Originally Posted by kwiltkrazy
In no means tired of it....I've never seen a QAYG put together before. Enjoying the show. Loving the quilt, turning out so beautiful.
11-21-2016, 04:27 AM
#1209
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Mn
Posts: 6,483
Great tutorial SewBiz. I did a quilt as you go years ago and didn't like it because you had to hand sew the back strip down will give your method a try. Took a quilting with ruler class,this would've a fun way to practice some of what I learned
11-21-2016, 09:45 AM
#1210
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Alabama/Georgia line
Posts: 439
Thanks for the tutorial, sewbizgirl. I've used wider sashes before, but I like the crisp lines in the quilt you are making. I learned something new from your method. You write very clear instructions.
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