Quilt as you go

[Nancy M.]

When the quilt top is complete, will you be giving us directions for custom quilting for each block? I want to know so I can figure out if there is a way to quilt as you go each block???? Then I would not put the "sections" together yet. Thank you. Nancy

[Barb A.]

I am also wanting to quilt this quilt in sections, and have seen some discussion in a couple other threads. Since this thread is called "Quilt as you go," I'm using it but someone please re-direct me if I need to be using a different thread.

I'm considering 2 options:

1. Use the sashing width that is stated in the instructions. This will require separate 1-inch wide strips of batting for each sashing strip that joins the larger sections. For example, the a-f-g section can have one piece of batting, as can the b-c-d-h section, but when they are joined together, a new 1-inch strip of batting will be required for the joining sashing strip.

2. Reduce the finished width of ALL the sashing to 1/2-inch. This will require undoing all of the 'within-a-section' sashing to trim each strip and rejoin to its neighbor. The result will butt the edges of neighboring sections with the joining strips spanning the butted edges.

Since I've never done QAYG before, I don't know how a quilt behaves when it is constructed with QAYG. Does it want to "bend" everywhere there is a break in the batting?

Anybody have experience / thoughts / opinions on this? I am loving this quilt and really don't want to mess it up.

Thanks!


Barb in Alabama
where hubby is still in remission and it is a sunny sunny day

[Nancy R.]

I've only used quilt-as-you-go techniques on small projects, so take it for what it's worth...

The QAYG technique that I used attaches the batting sections with a zigzag stitch, so there was no bending and you couldn't tell it was QAYG.

You don't want to do option 2 because the blocks are all different sizes and probably won't fit together once you change the size of the sashing.

I'll let others talk more about QAYG techniques, but I wanted to make sure you thought about it before resizing the sashings.

[Barb A.]

Nancy, thank you for replying!

As far as Option 2 goes, I was thinking that I would resize "all" of the sashing strips but you're right about the impact. I'm looking at a-f-g and b-c-d-h-i, and they both have one horizontal strip on their joining sides; so reducing each would make the blocks match in height. However, b-c-d-h-i has two strips while e-j has one strip on the joining sides; so in this case the reduction would cause a height difference. I am so grateful that you pointed this out.

Ugh.

Thinking more about Option 1, then.... Quilting in the sashing strips would certainly be enough to keep the 1-inch batting strip from shifting. Bending on either side of the sashing seams might occur, but it seems possible that a 1-inch strip is narrow enough that maybe no bending will occur. ? Maybe.

This be one twicky wabbit.


Barb in Alabama

[E.M. T.]

I sure there are several good methods....perhaps someone will point you to a good tutorial....... :roll:

[Lois B.]

I am interested in this too. So I want to see what advice is given. I've not used the technique before.

[Lois B.]

This is probably not going to help you but I can tell you what I have done. I am doing the half-sized measurements. My sashing strips are cut at 1" and so I have the batting go all the way to the raw edges. When I do my 1/4" seam I have a 1/2" piece of sashing and the batting from the joined pieces butt up against each other.

So, I think you will probably have to go with zig-zagging the batting in the sashing space.

[Barb A.]

Thank you Ritzy - what you are saying is very helpful, because it confirms that the sashing could be resized to make this work - I would have needed to do this at the very beginning, though, so that I could be accounting for the block joinings as well as the section joinings. With all the varying block sizes and joinings, I think resizing the sashing is out of my reach now. But I am stowing in my memory bank for a future project.

It sounds like the best way to do this is to use 1-inch batting pieces for the sashings, but I am still seeing in my mind's eye that the quilting on the sashing would take the place of the zigzag, with careful attention. I am such a hands-on person that I think I am just going to have to practice something to get a grasp on this. Maybe I am not being realistic about the impact of the quilting versus zigzag stitching.

Everyone is so kind and helpful; I really appreciate the feedback!


Barb in Alabama

[Barb A.]

Take a look at this Sharon Pederson video from the classroom:

learn/classrooms/

It is from the classroom and it shows how you can do the zig-zag and the importance.

[Jo H.]

Here's a really good book that has great pictures. I'm a very visual learner and it helped me.


http://www.amazon.com/Quilting-Go-Ta...sr_1_1?s=books[/b]&ie=UTF8&qid=1404788898&sr=1-1&keywords=quilting-on-the-go[/url]

[Barb A.]

Aha, Ritzy, I see what you are saying, now that I have watched the video. She is butting the sashing batting against the sashing seam allowance, and then stitching across the butted edges. Thank you for encouraging me to watch that.

JoJo, thank you for the book recommendation. I'm with you - I love technique books that have lots of photos to demonstrate what is being discussed, and it's great to be told about a book that someone has found useful.

Got some thinking and practicing to do here....


Barb in Alabama

[Rita C.]

Hi Barb, I have made quite a few quilts with the QAYG method but I am by no means an expert. You could use the 1 1/2" sashing strips for the QAYG method. You will need to make your batting strips about 2" longer than the strip and I have found that it is better to make the batting strip 3/4" rather than 1" for a 1 1/2" sashing strip. I do not zigzag it to one side of the quilt sandwich I just use a little fabric glue stick to hold it in place until I am ready to quilt it. When I have attached the sashing front and back I then cut the batting more precisely. I can then quilt my sashing in whatever desired method I choose for the particular project.
I used 2" finished size sashing on this one and quilted a stenciled pattern onto it.

On this one I used a 1" finished size sashing so it wouldn't break up the pattern too much and used the walking foot to quilt it.

With this one I used crumb strips 2 1/2" wide and did serpentine stitching through the sashing.

I hope that helps.

[Barb A.]

Oh, Rita, your amazing quilts always leave me speechless. So beautiful!

Thank you for sharing your experience and your photos. I glue-baste a lot so am liking that idea.

Ann Petersen in her Craftsy class shows a method for QAYG but it uses narrow sashing that allows you to butt the blocks together and then stitch the sashing over the join so that no additional batting is required. Our 1-inch sashing won't work for that but I can see how glue-basting a strip of batting that is slightly narrower than 1-inch will solve things.

So:
1. quilt the block
2. seam a sashing strip to front and back on one side
3. when the side-adjoining block is ready, seam the front strip to it
4. flip to the back and glue baste the sashing batting.
5. folder under seam allowance on the sashing and attach to back
6. repeat across the row
7. then join rows using the same approach

Does that sound right? Do you hand-stitch the back down?

Wow, I think my eyes are rolling in different directions....

Barb in Alabama

[Rita C.]

I usually make the front sashing strip twice the size of the back one and fold it in half, and then attach the seam sides top and bottom. Then when you fold the top sashing over you don't have a seam allowance to turn in or worry about. As for the final seam on the back, it can be done by hand, with a zigzag stitch or a straight stitch on the machine and preferably with invisible thread so it won't interfere with the design too much on the front. I hope that helps.

[Rita C.]

The first 2 quilts I made were qayg and I didn't have any sashing in them at all. I pieced the front layers together by machine, laid them flat, back side up, cut the wadding so that it was butted up edge to edge, and then overcast the edges together by hand. The lining was then smoothed over with the top overlapping piece having the raw edge tucked in and then slip stitched. The second one I had worked out how to arrange the lining so that I could machine stitch it down using a fancy (wide) stitch.

NB they are the no 1- cream & brown quilt with acorns on and no 2 - the blue butterflies quilts on my profile