QALs

You made it to the last week of the Quilt Along, and I'm so thrilled to see your assembled quilts!   We are sewing together those Y seams between the rows.  I suggest using thread that is the same color as the points of your hexes, as it can be visible if your start and stop points aren't perfectly matched.  So let's get started! Take 2 rows and line them up the way they will go together. Flip the top row onto the bottom row so that the rows are lined up along the first seam that you are going to...

This week we are taking time to pick our layout and sew the rows together.  Picking The Layout: I'm not kidding when I say that this is the hardest part.  My original atlas quilt... You remember, The lovely green one?  Well, that layout of the blocks was a total disaster.  I had meant to do an orderly layout, but when some of my blocks were sewn together, the pairs got flipped when I put them into the rows, and the rows got flipped upside down as well... you get it.  The only good news is that I did it consistently...

This is the most laborious week of our QAL.  We will be sewing our curved pieces together to finish the block.  If you'd like, you can check out the complete tutorial for no-pin curves HERE.  Start assembling the block by sewing Pieces A & B together, according to the instructions in the pattern.  I've included both the short and the long video tutorials in this post: This is the short version of how to sew no-pin curves.  In the following video, I go into a little more detail on why you may want some of the tools I've suggested, and...

Now that the WOFs are sewn, it's time to start cutting our curved pieces A & B and then use template C to cut out those WOF pieces. You'll notice in some of the images a small rectangle between the template and the fabric.  That's because I like to use a double sided sticky strip to stabilize the template.  Whether you use the paper templates, or the acrylic, this method works to prevent the template from sliding while cutting.  After awhile of use, it becomes less like tape, and more like a rubbery bumper.   One common question when cutting curves is: Does direction...

Welcome to WOF week.   This week we're going to get the easiest bits out of the way -- Cutting and sewing the WOF pieces.    These are the straight pieces that we will cut again after sewing, so if you haven't ordered your Acrylic Templates, you still have time! Cut your WOF strips according to the pattern instructions and trim the selvages Sew them together according to the instructions.  I like to chain stitch them so I get a lovely ribbon pile on the table.  Iron the seams and lay them on a flat surface.   We will be using our templates...