Welcome to week 3! This week we will be piecing and preparing to assemble our quilt top. Sound like a lot? It could be but I'll show you a method that lets you make the pieces for the entire quilt top twice as fast and without cutting and sewing a bunch of squares.
One important note... we will be pressing our seams to one side {not open}. Pay attention to the direction I tell you to press them to. What you want is for the directions to alternate row by row because this will make sewing your rows together much, much easier.
Lay you your strip sets that are labeled A-F from left to right. Add your G fabric square as the last fabric in your assembly line.
Let's make our center row first...
Take one of each fabrics shown above {A-F} and stitch them right sides together {RST} in the order shown moving from left to right to make one long row of strips.
1. Press your seams to the right and then fold the row you have made end to end {lengthwise}. Smooth out all the wrinkles and make sure your edges all line up.
2. Now take your ruler, measure 7.5" in and and cut your strip. You will end up with two rows of
7.5" squares.
Remember Fabric G that is a 7.5" square already? That's the center of this row and the center of your quilt.
Lay out your two rows as shown with the Fabric G square in the middle. Stitch the G square {RST} to one of the F squares. Now all you have to do is join the other F square to the other side of the G square and you have your center row completed!
Label this row 1 and set aside.
On to row 2...
Take one of each fabrics shown above and stitch them right sides together {RST} in the order shown moving from left to right to make one long row of strips.
1. Press your seams to the left and then fold the row you have made end to end. Smooth out all the wrinkles and make sure your edges all line up.
2. Now take your ruler, measure 7.5" in and and cut your strip. You will end up with two rows of 7.5" squares.
You have now made rows 2A and 2B! Do you see how we are making the the quilt top in about half the time now?? Label these rows 2A and 2B and set aside.
Row 3...
Take one of each fabrics shown above and stitch them right sides together {RST} in the order shown moving from left to right to make one long row of strips.
Repeat steps 1 & 2 from above, pressing your seams to the right.
Label these rows 3A and 3B and set aside.
Row 4...
Take one of each fabrics shown above and stitch them right sides together {RST} in the order shown moving from left to right to make one long row of strips.
Repeat steps 1 & 2 from above, pressing your seams to the left.
Label these rows 4A and 4B and set aside.
Row 5...
Same thing.
Take one of each fabrics shown above and stitch them right sides together {RST} in the order shown moving from left to right to make one long row of strips.
Repeat steps 1 & 2 from above, pressing your seams to the right.
Label these rows 5A and 5B and set aside.
Row 6...
Last but not least.
Take one of each fabrics shown above and stitch them right sides together {RST} in the order shown moving from left to right to make one long row of strips.
Repeat steps 1 & 2 from above, pressing your seams to the left.
Label these rows 6A and 6B and set aside.
"Row" 7...
You will have one Fabric A strip left over. Cut it into two 7.5" squares for your corners.
Lay your rows out and admire your work!
Next week we will be assembling our quilt top, adding the borders and getting ready to quilt. I originally planned on completing the top in this week's post but there was a good natural "break" here and there's a lot to cover next week. :)
In preparation for next week, if you are newer to quilting and want to practice lining up your seams when sewing your rows, take a look at this tutorial.
PS: I apologize for the delay in getting this post up. I wasn't feeling well last week and I certainly didn't want to post instructions feeling foggy!