Sewing your blocks together ‘Quilt As You Go’

Requirements

Strips of sashing the height of your blocks by 2 inches.

Strips of sashing the height of your blocks by 1 inch.

You will need these two strips for each block apart from the last block in each row. (i.e. if your quilt is 4 x 5 blocks you will need 3 pairs of strips for each row and 5 rows = 15 pairs)

Strips of sashing the finished width of your row by 2 inches

Strips of sashing the finished width of your row by 1 inch.

(i.e. for the above dimensions you will need 4 pairs of strips)

Method

  1. Trim all the quilted blocks to the same size.
  2. Lay the blocks out in desired formation. They will be joined in rows and then the rows joined together, the quilt as you go sashing will be attached to the left hand side of the block working from the right to the left along the row. Mark the side to be joined with a pin.
  3. Take the 2 inch strips and fold them in half right sides out down the length.
  4. Take the first block and turn in over to the wrong side. Sew the folded 2 inch strip to the side with the pin, raw edge to raw edge using 1/8th inch seam allowance.
  1. Turn the block over and place the 1“ single strip right side down onto the front of your block on the same edge as the double binding. Stitch the single strip on with ¼ inch seam allowance. Press the single binding away from the block. You should now have both strips on the same edge one on either the front and one on the back of the block.
  2. Place this block right sides together with the one next to it and line up the single sashing edge with the right hand edge of the next block. Pin in place – use plenty of pins to make sure it doesn’t shift when sewing. Sew a ¼ inch seam allowance. Join the rest of the blocks in the same way until they are all in rows.
  3. Turn the row of blocks over and fold the back folded strip over to cover the seam allowance and the previous stitching and hand stitch in place.
  4. Leaving the top row of blocks sew sashing to the top of row 2 the same as you have done for joining your blocks into rows. Press the front single sashing away from the row of blocks.
  1. Using a ruler and pencil mark the seam allowance of front sashing with two marks for lining up the next row of blocks.
  2. Pin the marks either side of the vertical sashing of the next row and then pin the blocks in between these pins – make sure the sashing lines up in both directions. Sew as for rows. Finish the back sashing as for rows.
  3. If you are adding borders to your quilt: make them up and sew ‘Quilt As You Go’ sashing to the border strip and then sew the border onto the quilt top.