Assembling Your Quilt {Quilt-as-You-Go Simple Sampler}

This is the final post in the Quilt-as-You-Go Simple Sampler Series!

Today I'll be showing you how to assemble and finish your quilted blocks.  I'm going to be writing these instructions for the 9 block, 3x3 arrangement we've been making so far in this series, however, you can easily adapt the technique for any size quilt you want to make.

Here's how your finished quilt might look

The blocks are going to be joined together with what I'm calling "sashing" on the back. I chose to make mine from a contrasting color, but if you made yours from the same color as your backing they would almost disappear.

Back of the quilt with contrasting sashing

From the fabric you're going to use for the back sashing cut several 1" strips.  You'll need (6) 16.5" long (or the length of one side of your blocks) and (2) 48.5" (or the width of your finished quilt).

Use your iron to press under one side of the sashing by 1/4".  I do this by placing a needle through my ironing mat with a 3/4" gap underneath and slowly pulling the sashing under it while pressing.

Decide on the layout of your blocks and begin to assemble in rows. To join two blocks together, first sew the sashing to the back of one of the blocks along the side where the two blocks will be joined, sewing the non-folded side to the backing and catching the batting in the seam.

Keep the top folded back out of the way, you only want to sew the sashing, backing, and batting.

Next align the two blocks and sew their tops together along with the batting that wasn't sewn into the seam with the sashing.  Again, keep the other layers folded out of the way. You only want to sew the two tops and the one layer of batting.

Now your two blocks are joined together with the back unfinished.  I recommend spreading the blocks out on your ironing board face down at this point.  Now we'll start to nest the layers together.

First fold in the backing not attached to the sashing.

Next fold over the batting/backing/sashing sandwich from the other side.

Fold the sashing over the top of the seam, keeping the pre-folded edge turned under.  Use your iron to press the whole seam flat.  The purpose of nesting the layers like this is to decrease the bulk that is often a problem in QAYG quilts.  Also, catching both sides of the batting in a seam means you don't have to quilt in between the blocks if you don't want to, because the batting is already anchored.

Pin the folded edge of the sashing in place to prepare for sewing it down.

Sew along the side of the sashing with a Ladder Stitch, just like you hand sew down binding.  Be careful not to let your stitches go through the front.  This seam isn't going to be under any stress, the two seams we machine sewed are doing the actual work of holding the quilt together.  This seam is just to finish it off nice.

If you are planning to quilt in between the blocks you may as well do it as each set of blocks is joined.  No need to lug the whole quilt around for as long as we can avoid it.  I got this pattern from Angela Walters book, which has a section specifically on long narrow patterns for areas like sashing.

Join your rows to each other exactly the same way you joined the single blocks to each other, except with longer seams.  Quilt in the sashing if you want and bind however you usually do.

You're done! Way to go!  If you have any questions or comments about these tutorials, or if you make something using one of my tutorials please leave a comment. I love feedback!

Thanks to everyone who has followed along for the QAYG Simple Sampler.  It's been fun!

All About the Quilting {Quilt-as-You-Go Simple Sampler}

Hello everyone, I hope you had a Merry Christmas! We still have a few posts to go in the Simple Sampler series.  Now that all the block tutorials are up these last few posts will focus on quilting, assembling, and finishing your quilt.

Today's post is about quilting patterns.  One of the biggest advantages of a quilt-as-you-go method is that it gives you the freedom to tackle quilting patterns on a small project that you might be afraid to commit to a whole quilt with.  It gives you the chance to learn and practice a pattern without fighting the bulk of a whole quilt. Also, you can try a bunch of different patterns in the same quilt!

Sixteen patch quilted with a simple figure 8

When doing QAYG it's important to remember to stay at least a half inch or so away from the raw edges of the block so you'll be able to join to finished blocks together.  FMQ is less likely than straightline quilting to cause shifting or distortion of the block.

Star block with flowers

I began to work on FMQ in earnest last January; it was my New Years Resolution.  Honestly, I can't believe how far I have come in a year. FMQ was something that always scared me.  I can't draw, so what hope did I have to FMW? But with practice (a lot of it!) and perseverance I am learning, and as I get more confident, FMQ gets more fun!

Chain Squares, an Angela Walters design

One huge help with FMQ has been Angela Walters book.   I really can't say enough good things about this book.  Lots of FMQ patterns laid out with detailed instructions.

Cursive writing "Hey diddle diddle..."

Some of the best advice about learning to quilt is to remember: when you're quilting you're looking at the stitching from 2" away. No one else if going to be looking at it that close.

Dutchman's Puzzle block quilted with Flower Power, Angela Walter design

This Flower Power design, shown above, is one of my favorites. I used this design on an entire quilt before. It was worth it, but talk about time- and thread-consuming!

Pinwheel quilted with simple swirl

This simple swirl (above) is a design I made myself.

Broken dished quilted with uneven back and forth squiggles

The uneven back and forth squiggles on this block remind me of water ripples.

Churn dash block quilted with wood grain Angela Walters pattern

This wood grain pattern is my favorite from Angela's book, but given the amount of time a thread required I think I'll be saving it for special occasions.

Ocean Waves block quilted with a Swirled Hook, Angela Walters design

If you are just beginning your FMQ journey, take heart :)  It will take time and patience, but you CAN do it.  If this non-artist, can't-sketch, straight-lines and square-corners please, person can do it then anyone can!

Bow Tie block {Quilt-as-You-Go Simple Sampler}

Welcome to week 7 and block 9 in the Quilt-as-You-Go Simple Sampler!  This is the last block!

Today's block, just in time for Christmas, is the simple but classic Bow tie.

Cut (2) 4.5" squares each from your background and focus fabrics, plus (1) 3" square from your focus fabric.

Crosscut the 3" square to make 2 triangles. Position one of the triangles over one corner of one of the background squares, right sides together, as shown.  You should be able to eyeball a 45 degree angle between the long side of the triangle and the corner of the square. You should have 1/4" "dog ears" hanging off both edges of the square.  Err toward placing the triangle too close to the corner rather than too far away.

Sew across the triangle.  Fold up the triangle to make sure it completely covers the piece of the square behind it.  If everything looks good cut away the extra triangle of background fabric and toss it in your scraps. (What can you do with a few hundred tiny triangles?)  Repeat with the second background square and triangle. Press toward the darker fabric and trim to make sure it is still 4.5" square.


Layout the pieces as shown. Sew into pairs, pressing the seam toward the focus square.

Here's a picture of the pressing on the backside to show how the seams nest.

Sew it all together and measure to be sure it finishes at 8.5".

Check the index post for info on how to add borders and make a Quilt-as-You-Go Sandwich!

Churn Dash block {Quilt-as-You-Go Simple Sampler}

Welcome to week 6 and block 8 in the Quilt-as-You-Go Simple Sampler!

This week's block is the Churn Dash, which seems to have been popping up everywhere lately! 

To start off with, cut (1) 3.5" square and (1) 1.5"x14" long strip of background fabric, cut (1) 5" square each of focus fabric and background fabric, and (1) 2"x14" strip of focus fabric.

Sew the 14" strips together along their long sides and sew the 5" squares, right sides together with a 1/4" seam, along all 4 edges.

Cut the 5" square diagonally twice to yield 4 HSTs. Press your HSTs and your strips toward the darker fabric.

Trim your HSTs to 3" (unfinished). Cross cut the 14" strip every 3.5" to yield (4) 3"x3.5" units.

Put together your center column by sewing two of the strip units to either side of the 3.5" background square.

Sew the two outside columns by joining two HSTs to each of the remaining strip units.  Layout as shown and sew the three columns together.

Check out the index post for instructions on how to add borders and make a Quilt As You Go sandwich.

Quilt-as-You-Go Finish

Finally, a finish! My Simple Sampler quilt is done.  This is the second simple sampler, (I made a boy version first). Since I was making the same quilt twice I decided to create a series of tutorials as I went along so that you can make your own Quilt-as-You-Go sampler. So far the tutorials for the first seven blocks are up and you can find them on the index post.

I tried to choose soft, ice-cream colors for the blocks. The pieced borders are an assortment of flowered and girly prints from my 2.5" square collection.

The unfinished blocks were 16.5" square, which made them wonderfully easy to practice FMQ on. Each block has a different fill.

I quilted spiky swirls in the sashing after joining the QAYG blocks together. I think it sort of looks like vines.

This is what I love so much about QAYG. It makes it so manageable to try new things, because you're not committing to a whole quilts-- it's just one block at a time.

The finished quilt measures 48" square. I bound it with a dark brown solid, the same one I used on the back to join the blocks together.  The backing is a pink, grey, and brown polka dot from a sheet set.

The finished quilt is every bit as soft, visually and literally, and I was hoping for.  It joins the boy-version in my stand-by bay quilts pile. I try to have a boy and a girl quilt always ready to go, but I keep giving them away! ;)

A closing close-up of my favorite quilting fill, the wood grain pattern from Angela Walter's FMQ book.

Linking up to Finish it Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts.