Ruler Care

Make your cuts towards the corner of your rulers (see the diagram below). This avoids chipping the corners and keeps them sharp and accurate.

The Scant ¼″ Seam

Quilting patterns use the standard quilter’s scant ¼″ seam — one thread’s width less than ¼″, to allow for the fold in the seam. As the number of seams escalates, the accuracy of your scant ¼″ seam will make the difference between a block that finishes the correct size and one that doesn’t.

I highly recommend using the special ¼″ seam foot that comes with your sewing machine, or purchasing one as an accessory. Even with the specialty foot, seams can diverge from ¼″ quite a bit — it’s worth getting to know your particular foot and exactly where to guide it.

Check Your Seam

From scrap quilting fabric, cut two strips 1″ × approximately 6½″. Join them with your seam, then cut approximately 2″ units from the pair of strips and join them:

After joining, the width of the unit should be 3½″. Adjust your seam until you can reliably produce the correct result.

Stitch Length

Choose a stitch length of about 2.2–2.5mm. Too tiny and it’s too hard to unpick!

Back Stitching

There is usually no need to reverse over the beginning and end of a seam in patchwork, as seams are oversewn later and secured with quilting. However, if a seam is not oversewn — such as mitred corners or set-in corners — it is a good idea to reverse over it. I will always note when this is needed.

Stripping Off

If you have a lot of similar units to produce, it’s often faster to join before cutting. This technique is great for repetitive joining used in Four Patches and Nine Patches, or any block with rectangular or square units.

Cut strips of each fabric:

Join them along the long edge with a scant ¼″ seam:

Press the seam towards the darkest fabric. Tidy the ends so you are starting with a right angle, then cut units across the strips:

Butting Seams

To obtain perfectly matched points and corners, “butt” seams as you sew over them.

Press the seams together with your fingers — you will actually feel them “lock” together. If you are new to quilting, secure the two units with a pin.

Slow down and remove the pin just a stitch before you sew over it to avoid broken needles. Sewing in the direction of the arrow will “force” the seams together — the feed dogs hold the bottom layer while the direction of sewing drives the top layer up against the butted seam.

Chain Piecing

Chain piecing means inserting the next units under the presser foot as soon as the previous unit clears the needle.

Benefits include saving time and thread. There is also no need to hold threads taut behind the needle, as you would when starting a normal seam.

Pressing vs. Ironing

• Pressing: Bringing the iron directly down onto the fabric without dragging. This is the correct technique for quilt blocks to avoid distorting their shape.
• Ironing: Dragging the iron back and forth — avoid this on quilt blocks.

Use a hot, dry iron. Steam increases the chance of distorting the fabric.

Setting Seams

Press the seam as it was sewn first:

This sinks the thread into the fabric so it folds more accurately and flatly, and helps remove puckers.

Press Towards the Dark

Always press seams towards the darkest fabric. This prevents the seam from showing through on the right side of your block — especially important in black and white quilts.

See the shadow of dark fabric behind light?

Pressing Plan

1. Butt your seams. Plan to press seams in opposite directions so they butt when joined. The convenience and neat finish far outweighs even a thick or difficult seam.
2. Take the easy option. If you have a choice, press towards a fabric with no seams. Sometimes heavily sewn seams just want to go in a certain direction — go with the flow.

Starch

Many quilters pre-wash fabric to remove sizing and test colour-fastness. If you do, I highly recommend starching your fabric before cutting to give it stability and ensure it is straight of grain.

I personally don’t pre-wash my fabric and use the original sizing for stability. With problematic fabrics, I add starch before cutting for more precise cutting and aligning, then mitigate colour run risk by washing the finished quilt with colour-capture sheets.

Always use any chemical in a well-ventilated space, and stop immediately if you have any allergic reaction.

Applying Starch

1. Use a hard pressing board rather than a cushy ironing board to reduce distortion and stretching.
2. Apply starch to the wrong side of your block or fabric. Starch on the front can leave a shiny mark. If needed on the front, use an ironing cloth to protect the fabric.
3. Wash your ironing board cover regularly — starch burns and builds up a white residue over time.

Measuring & Cutting

When measuring to rotary cut, use the “skinny lines” rather than the thicker ones on your ruler. The width of the line can introduce inaccuracies, especially when cutting tiny pieces.

Cutting Sixteenths

Most rulers are marked in eighths of an inch. You don’t need a special ruler marked to 1/16″ — simply eyeball halfway between the relevant eighths measurement.

How to Sew a Quilt Block

Materials needed:

• Fabric of your choice
• Sewing machine
• Rotary cutter
• Ruler
• Cutting mat
• Iron
• Thread

Instructions:

1. Choose your quilt block design.
2. Use a rotary cutter, ruler, and cutting mat to cut fabric into the desired shapes and sizes. You’ll need one background piece and one or more design pieces.
3. Lay out your fabric pieces in the correct position and orientation.
4. Sew smaller pieces together first, then attach them to the larger background piece using matching thread.
5. Press seams open with an iron so the block lays flat and looks neat.
6. Repeat until you have enough blocks for your project.
7. Arrange your blocks in your desired pattern, then sew them together.
8. Press all seams open once the blocks are joined.
9. Add any finishing touches such as buttons or ribbon.

Remember to have fun and be creative with your design!