Matching seams across sashing

In a perfect world, piecing would be mathematically perfect every time, so that blocks and sashing in different rows always line up perfectly, even when there's sashing between rows.  My world is not perfect, and I have to make a little more effort to make sure things line up.

Red lines show alignment of the vertical sashing strips

The trick is to mark the sashing in the seam allowance, then match up seams with the marks.  Let's take a closer look.

Here are two vertically sashed rows of four-patch block.  The horizontal sashing between the rows is already sewn to one of the rows, ready to sew to the other row to complete the sashing.  Here's how to make the vertical sashing in the top row line up with the vertical sashing in the bottom row. 

Step 1:  Make reference marks in the seam allowance of the horizontal sashing.

On the part with horizontal sashing already attached, line up the straight edge of a ruler with one side of the vertical sashing, making sure the ruler is square with the horizontal.  Make a little mark right on the edge of the sashing where it will be hidden in the seam allowance. 

Repeat that for every side of every vertical sashing strip.

Step 2:  When setting the two rows together, right sides together, to sew the sashing to the top row, line up and pin every sashing seam on the top with the corresponding mark on the horizontal sashing. Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the pinned pieces, but I did photograph the marks and the stitching being lined up.

Step 3:  Head to the sewing machine and sew with a 1/4" seam.

Step 4:  Press towards the sashing.  If you made your marks small enough, they are hidden in the seam allowance.

There you have it!  You have well-aligned sashing to help your piecing look crisp and tidy!

Happy sewing,

Joanne

The fabrics I used in this tutorial are scraps from my City Line QAL quilt.  White Owl Textiles generously contributed the fabrics for that quilt.  These scraps are from their Fundamentals collections Peppercorn and Stucco.

City Line QAL - Week 5

City Line pattern available here

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Are you ready to slice up a perfectly good pieced panel?  I'm not going to lie.  This is the part where I have to take a lot of deep breaths!

This week we'll be completing Steps 2 through 6 on page 6 of the pattern.

Here's where we left off last week:

Thank you to White Owl Textiles for sending me
 these fabrics from their Fundamentals collections. 
Scroll to the bottom of this post for additional fabric details.

To measure and make the cut all the way across this panel, I cleared everything except my cutting mat off my table.  I spread the quilt on the table, letting the bottom of the panel hang off the side.

After confirming that the top of the quilt was straight and square with the sides, thanks to all my pinning, I used a 24" ruler and the first method described in my tutorial about cutting wide strips to cut away the top of the panel.  Did I double check the required measurement and my ruler position half a dozen times before wielding the rotary cutter?  Yes.  Yes, I did.  Take your time at this step.

Ta dah!  Two haves.

Now slice off a wide strip from the bottom half.  

These two cut carved out a strip from the middle of the panel.

Now slice that strip up.

Flip a couple of those skinny strips.

Sew those skinny strips back together.  If you pressed as the pattern directed, you should be able to nest the seams, as well as spin the seam intersections when you press.  Refer to my tutorial on nesting and spinning seams.  You'll probably want to peek at the one about spinning multiple intersections as well if you're not a habitual seam spinner.

Pressing and spinning after sewing two of the strips together, than adding the third strip, will make things easier.  I'm a big fan of pressing as I go.

Take a peek at my spun seams.  Aren't those little 4-patches in the seam allowances cute.  Enjoy them now before they end up inside the quilt!

That's it for this week.  It's not a lot of sewing, but that gut-check cutting was a little bit daunting so I gave myself an easy week.  Here's where I'm stopping until next week.

We'll wrap up next week with sashing and borders.  I can't wait to see your finished tops!

Happy sewing,

Joanne

Fabrics for my version contributed by White Owl Textiles

City Line QAL - Week 4

City Line pattern available here

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

It's time to vary the vertical position of the columns and assemble the base panel.  

Add Background Setting Pieces

Turn to page 5 of the pattern.

Refer back to Week 2 when you paired your strips and put them in order.  Arrange your strip sets in that order again.  Only 8 of the fabrics in the photo below are labelled because I chose to just repeat that arrangement and I could use the labelled columns as reference.

Thank you to White Owl Textiles for sending me
 these fabrics from their Fundamentals collections. 
Scroll to the bottom of this post for additional fabric details.

Now refer to the table and the diagrams on page 5 to see which background setting pieces to add to each column.  I chose to put the pieces up on my design wall above or below the column they belong with so I could quickly grab columns and setting pieces to sew together.  That's completely optional.  You could just as easily grab a column, consult the table and diagram on page 4 to choose the appropriate setting piece, and head directly to the sewing machine.

When sewing a background piece to a column, I recommend sewing with the column on top.  This way you can see the stitching that forms the point of the column and can make sure your new seam intersects the point so you don't inadvertently blunt the point.

I slow down here and aim for where the previous lines of stitches intersect.

Let's check that the point didn't get cut off by the new seam.

Looks good!  Repeat to add setting pieces to all the columns. 

This is starting to look like the cover design!

Assemble Column Into a Panel

To wrap up this week's tasks, turn to page 6 and complete Step 1, sewing the columns together into a panel.  I recommend marking centers, matching ends, and pinning as you did when you made the strip sets in Week 2.  You can review the pinning tutorial if you need to.

Pay attention to the pressing directions.  Pressing to the left is equivalent to pressing towards the even-numbered fabrics again.  When the panel is done, seams will alternate directions.  This will be important to spin seams next week.

That's all you need to do from page 5 this week.  We'll save the magic part for next week!

How are things going so far?  Any questions?  Ask in the comments of send me an email.

Happy sewing,

Joanne

Fabrics for my version contributed by White Owl Textiles