Now need piecing advice - new photo added -

[Annis C.]

Sorry, no help from me this time. Dawn and Margo have given you enough information and Alex's video was good too. I don't hand piece or do Y seams. Not because I can't, I just choose not to. I do lots of miters though and they are almost like Y seams. Like Margo says, one seam at a time, and stop sewing 1/4" from the edge and you will have it pieced in no time.

[Jules M.]

And even tho she is a beginner, she has done Y seams so I'm sure your helps will work! Thanks for standing in the gap for me today.

[Jules M.]

Well, I finished it......

I used Dawn's method (connect 2 sides of the frame, connect those to the center square, repeat with the other 2 sides, connect the remaining 2 seams), which seemed to make the most sense to me. Everything was straight as I went, but in the end one side went very crooked.

For now, I'm leaving it. I did a lot of taking apart and re-sewing while working on it, to get the points lined up as good as I did (which still isn't perfect) and I'm just done with this block for now.

Since it's for a diary quilt (25 six-inch blocks, each one different) and this is the hardest block in the quilt, I'm just going to set it aside and re-visit it once I'm farther in on the project. I'll work in chronological order and when I reach the point where this block actually fits (it's something like block 18 or so....) I'll pull it out again and try to fix it/start over with it.

But, here's the picture anyway, since you were all so helpful along the way. Luckily, all my other blocks are just squares and triangles that sew up into squares/rectangles. Nice, straight edges and no more Y seams. So, the rest should be easy!



Thanks again for the help!
-Heather, hand-piecing quilting newbie

[Margo C.]

Heather, you have started with a difficult block that would probably not be recommended for a beginning quilter, but you've stuck with it and got it all together!
Good for you! I think it's smart to set it aside now and work on some easier blocks for a while.

Looking forward to watching your progress!

[Margo C.]

Since it's for a diary quilt (25 six-inch blocks, each one different) and this is the hardest block in the quilt,

Go Girl! start as you mean to go on.
It looks pretty good, even for a first ever try. Leaving it for a 'bench rest' while you work on some others will probably be a good move, and when you come back to it you will see how to fix it back to square.

Rosemary