working on my first pieced MQ..... hints...

[Sue Shoff]

I have completed all squares and have remeasured and am now sewing into strips, 7 squares per strip. total of 9 strips. Squares are 9 /12 each. Pattern is the one on this book cover. http://www.thimbleberries.com/produc...category=books

Anyway - before I start sewing the strips to the strips - thus making sure squares match up - would like any suggestions I can get! Would like to be as accurate as possible regarding matching up the squares. I HAVE tried to be very careful with measuring and remeasuring!
Thanks in advance!

[cyndiofthevortex]

Just pin and sew! If you butt the seams (sew one one way, the other underneath it the other way) it should all come out perfectly.
Can't wait to see the finished product! Don't forget to post pictures when you get the top sewn together!

Cyndi

[Sue Shoff]

Thanks Cyndi - posting pics here is more difficult than the sewing! lol I can't wait till it is finished too!

[Slokarma]

I don't know much, but I have learned to do a few things that make a difference. I was thinking about the two quilts I have finished, and trying to remember what I did better the 2nd time. I think the one thing that really helped on the 2nd was the way I pressed my seams. In the first row, I would press all the seams down and the second row, the seams would go up, and then when you sew them together, they should lock together nicely. I actually like making that little swirl that Eleanor Burns is always talking about on her show. That made a much neater seam and since it was consistent, I was not driving myself nuts trying to figure out why i had seams turning in the middle of the rows.

Sounds like you have all ready squared your blocks and that was the other thing that made the difference in my two quilts.

[JessicaP]

That is going to be nice, I cannot wait to see pictures!

[Sue Shoff]

Here is a pic of so far.... so happy and LOVE using the Janome 3160 with the 1/4 inch foot!

[MRoy]

You're matching the blocks up beautifully! You go girl!

[Sue Shoff]

Thanks all.... I also loved the idea from Village Quilts in Bentonville, AR to use an cheap plastic table cloth from a local dollar store and tack/pin on wall backwards. The cloth/fuzzy side holds up the quilting squares nicely to help form the pattern and pieces that you might be arranging!

[Sue Shoff]

Well - just finished the top! HURRAAYYY! I love this - plan on using a matching brown for the binding and a darker beige for the back! I was pretty happy with the corners matching for my first pieced quilt.

[cyndiofthevortex]

Beautiful! You did a perfect job with this one! I love the warm colors. Such a nice quilt!

Cyndi