STEP ONE: Choose your quilt block designs.
You may elect to do traditional quilt block designs (such as Card Trick, Log Cabin, Drunkard !s Path or whatever). Next gather up your fabric selections. You can easily use up some of your stash in the block designs you choose. Then go ahead and cut out your fabric for the front of the 12” x 12” finished quilt blocks. You may choose to do all the cutting for all the blocks at one time. If you do, I find it easiest to store the cut fabric pieces in a plastic bag clearly marked with the quilt block pattern design so you do not get confused.
NOTE: If you choose to do a sampler block featuring “strip quilting,” then the batting & backing squares should be cut a little larger (14” x 14”) to accommodate the quilting shrinkage factor.
STEP TWO: Cut out 14” Squares of Batting
Measure and cut 14” squares of batting to match the total number of blocks for the quilt.
In this case, you should cut SIX squares measuring 14” X 14”. The batting is to be a bit larger then 12-1/2” square to accommodate any shrinkage when quilting the block. Do not worry as we will be squaring up each finished block before assembling the quilt.
STEP THREE: Cut out 14” Squares of Backing Fabric
You may want to fussy cut the SIX squares from your chosen fabric for the backing of the block. The backings can be all the same fabric or different colors, whatever suits your liking. Just be sure to measure 13” x 13” for each of the SIX squares needed. Again, the quilting process may draw up the backing slightly, so we want to give it a little “squirm” room.
Remember these backing squares will be on the reverse side of your quilt. If you plan to use the same fabric for the back of the sashings, you should now label it accordingly and put aside the rest of the backing fabric until later when you will need to cut it for the “back of the sashing” and the “back of the border.”
STEP FOUR: Start to piece your first quilt block
Go to the plastic bag that has one of the SIX quilt block designs and cut fabric pieces. Start piecing your block together. Press seams open and trim threads.
STEP FIVE: THE QUILT SANDWICH
To be a quilt, by definition of the word, a design must be sandwiched with a layer of batting placed over a backing fabric and held together with stitches. Your pieced blocks are about ready to qualify.
Press the backing square. Center the batting square over the wrong side of the backing square. Next take your freshly pressed quilt top pieced block and place it on top of the batting, making a three layer sandwich block. Press it all gently with a warm iron. Do not let the iron touch the batting. The pressing will help to hold the three layers together. Secure the quilt block sandwich with straight pins.
STEP SIX: Quilting the sandwiched block
Now you are ready to quilt your block. Seam line stitching is done first to anchor and stabilize the three layers of the quilt block. Do horizontal lines first, vertical lines next, and then any diagonal lines. Stitching may go from one edge of the block to the other. Seam allowances do not need to be left unquilted.
In some blocks quilting will begin in the center of the block. Start with a very few tiny stitches. Threads will be secured and ends can then be cut off. Trim thread ends as you go to keep your work clean.
You may elect to do nothing more than stitching in the ditch to quilt the block. That is fine. This will keep the batting from shifting when the quilt is washed.
Free motion quilting and stitching in the ditch will be the easiest to do. However, if you want to mark your block for a particular design, even hand quilting, you may do so.
Experiment with some of the stitches on your sewing machine. By changing the length and width of the stitches you may get entirely different looks. You may want to practice your design first before quilting it onto your sandwich block.
If your block has a blank area, you may want to “sign your name” to your quilt there with a monogram or hand embroidery. The possibilities are endless.
NOTE: Strip Quilting a Block - GREAT USE OF SCRAP FABRICS!
If you chose to make one sampler block a “strip quilting” design block (batting & backing must be 15” x 15” squares), then you will cut 1-1/2” wide x 16” long strips (varying lengths an be shorter as you go along) of assorted fabric to be sewn through the batting and backing simultaneously, creating a block of many fabrics. Cut ten to twelve 1-1/2” strips, the width of the fabric. The 15” backing and 15” batting will be used as the foundation. Since the block itself may tend to skew a bit during construction, the added inches are for your protection. The block will later be trimmed to match the other 12-1/ 2” quilt blocks in size.
Use a wide variety of fabrics. Use light, dark, medium - all kinds. Just for fun place all the assorted strips in a bag and pull them out one at a time as you are sewing the block.
So, take the first strip of fabric and place it diagonally across the batting sandwich, ends touching opposite corners, strip right side up. Lay the second strip on top of the first, right sides together. Then sew right edge with 1/4” seam allowance. Sew through strips, batting, and backing - all three layers. Use the walking foot for a smoother back. Then flip top strip of fabric to right-side-up position. Finger crease the seam line. Pin raw edge in place to hold strip flat momentarily. Cut off extra extending strip fabric. Place next strip on top of the previous strip, right-sides together, reposition pins, sew, flip, reposition pins. Continue in this manner until one-half of block is filled. Repeat for other half.
STEP SEVEN: SQUARING UP THE BLOCK
Once you have completed quilting the design on the block you will need to square up the sandwiched block itself. If you have a 12-1/2” x 12-1/2” square template it will make the job easier. Just center the square template over your sandwiched block and using the rotary cutter, cut the excess fabric from all four sides of your sandwiched block. You are now ready to make the sashings.
