The quilting you see in the above photo will not show on the front of your quilt. Note: If you want to understand more about appliqué and QAYG, this Craftsy Class has general information* and this Craftsy class goes into more detail*. This technique is so easy, and it really opens up a lot of possibilities for more complicated quilting designs on a basic model sewing machine. There are a few basic methods of QAYG which I will break down and explain in detail over a few posts. Because everything has been previously squared, all you need to do is square up the backing to the quilt top. There is just one thing though. Love all that you do for the quilting community also. If batting is running into your seam, you’ll have far too much bulk in your seams. Answer With the release of my latest appliqué pattern, the fast and easy Christmas Appliqué Set, I want to revisit the topic of the Quilt-As-You-Go Method. Once you have your layers basted, you will need to quilt your blocks. Instead of handling bulky quilts, you can quilt your project one block at a time. Because you are working with individual blocks, any machine that sews a straight stitch will work. Then, press with a hot iron to set it. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas. Quilt-As-You-Go is ideal for machine appliquéd projects because quilting over the applique design can cause skipped stitches. I always knew that this was the right quilting technique for me,(I have very limited eyesight and I am determined to learn how to adapt what I need to to quilt successfully). Be sure to cut your batting a little larger than your project. As much as I would do just about anything for one of those giant, crazy awesome long-armed sewing machines specifically meant for quilting, I’m not really thinking that is going to happen any time soon. Lots of things. Once all of the blocks are quilted and squared you attach them using a 1/4″ seam allowance. I would have never thought of that. Usually I hate using straight pins to baste a quilt, but these small blocks require so little that it’s not a big deal to me. on Step 6. One tip I’ve learned from experience, with larger blocks always start in the middle and quilt towards the edge. Quilt-As-You-Go is ideal for machine appliquéd projects because quilting over the applique design can cause skipped stitches. For example, in my quilt, my batting squares were each 9” even. 14 days ago Question If you match the color of your binding to the background color of your quilt top and backing, it will blend in completely and you won't be able to tell the blocks were quilted separately. Question Will try it on my next Dresden quilt. 1 year ago You can just pin them, as I have done, or spray baste… whatever gets the job done. No matter what sized blocks you're connecting together, you'll need a strip of 1-inch wide binding for the back and 1 1/2-inch folded binding for the front of the quilt. Once I complete the first 2 blocks how do I attach the next 2? Take your first strip and lay it WRONG side down on the left edge of the quilt backing/batting sandwich. So what would you do if things didn't line up by an inch or more for each panel? Thank you again!. Share it with us! Your email address will not be published. Tip Reply Thanks Ninzerbean for your response. This part is a bit different… you want your batting to not have any seam allowance at all. Once you have all of your blocks pieced and trimmed to size, you need to stack your sandwiches. You can purchase smaller amounts of batting or even use your batting scraps. If you love to sew and quilt but don’t have a lot of time or space, QAYG is a great option because you are working with one block at a time. Simply add 100% cotton batting to the back of your pieced block and dab on a little glue from your glue stick. Layer each block with batting and backing and quilt as desired. I don’t understand this: “I would definitely suggest that as you stitch your back, make sure not to leave your seams open on the top and bottom, so that when you join your rows together, you will be able to open your layers straight across” in particular “leave your seams open on the top and bottom.” A picture might help me understand which seams you are talking about. When preparing for appliqué I find that simple quilting is usually better than something complex. It's the country where this is being done.Can you imagine them doing a quilt of this size in one piece, first going over dozens of intricate appliques and then quilting the rest?Because of this I have decided to make a compromise. Debbie, if you hand quilt you have to sew through the batting so why not with a machine. Am I supposed to sew through the batting, or only the top? No the seams aren’t extra bulky. The Quilt As You Go technique (QAYG) is a way to quilt blocks before putting a quilt together. Today, I’m beginning with QAYG Method #1. Use a mug rug pattern, but split it into two pieces to see if it works. Did you sew through the batting? Instead of handling bulky quilts, you can quilt your project one block at a time. From here it’s just a matter of some simple quilting to attach the quilt back to the quilt top. At this stage, you are quilting directly onto the batting and may need to think ahead to allow for the final quilting once the backing is attached. You attach the quilted blocks together before adding backing. There is pulling etc. Thank you so very much for all your caring and sharing. In most cases, stitching in the ditch is enough to secure the quilt front to the quilt back. Once the entire quilt was assembled, I attached it to my backing by stitching in the ditch using an Edge Stitch Foot. how to Assemble + Finish Quilt-as-You-Go blocks Step 1: Quilt Blocks. (*affiliate). Jan, Question Then stitch in the ditch. Thanks for the tutorial. (I mean, really, what’s with these kids needing to eat all of the time? And, just as you finished the back of each row, finish the seams that you use to join the rows together. This technique is also perfect for people with arthritis because they will not have to wrangle a large quilt through a domestic sewing machine. This will be the actual back of your quilt so you want it to be square and line up. And that’s the basic idea! I made the quilt below using QAYG Method #1. Success! Your email address will not be published. Once you have your quilt assembled, you bind it just as you would a regular quilt. I would definitely suggest that as you stitch your back, make sure not to leave your seams open on the top and bottom, so that when you join your rows together, you will be able to open your layers straight across. I recommend pressing open the seam allowances to avoid bulky seams. It is also possible to use Method #1 for a pieced block. (I only used ¼”, and drove me totally bonkers and didn’t work out as well as I would have liked.) Welcome, I’m Leslie. It can be really fun to get creative and do some wavy lines or ruler work with simple blocks. I know I made a mistake back then but if I can make it a quilt now that would be nice. Cheryl. They key is sticking with simple designs. Love the quilt as you go method. QAYG really is a great option for anyone who wants to create simple quilts for family and friends. There is no need to pin baste when working with smaller blocks. Thank you, your directions are the easiest I have read. Question Now check your email to confirm your subscription. How you quilt your blocks is entirely up to you. 2 years ago You will want to wait until the the blocks are assembled and your quilt is basted to the backing before you decide how to finish quilting the front. An added benefit to Quilt As You Go is the ability to easily square up the quilt front with the quilt back. 5 months ago on Step 5. It may not be a bad idea to take a marking pencil that is easily removed and mark around the edges so that you know where to stop. This would be a good time to use the glue sticks for basting the backing to the finished top. Here at The Seasoned Homemaker® every day can be extraordinary when we Celebrate Creativity together! Thanks so much for making this techique “click” for me also! I'm not Abby but thought I could help anyway - this technique is great but common sense says it's not going to work on a very precise design where lining up the blocks perfectly is vital. (Not the eating kind, unfortunately.) Be sure to line it up carefully with your backing square below. When you have your top blocks trimmed, you will need to trim backing squares to be the exact same size as the top. I was going to adopt it for our first quilt, a large one, 61.5" x 55". There are some things to consider when using Method #1 for a QAYG project. If I had enough fabric left I would redo some of my blocks instead of ripping tiny stitches. You may have skipped stitches when you try to FMQ over the design. When you have all of your layers positioned, you need to baste them. On top of this, place your batting square. Welcome, I’m Leslie. They are totally killing my sewing machine dreams!). It’s also great for people who don’t own a larger sewing machine with a wide harp. Quilting is something that I absolutely enjoy.I’m a beginner yet, so it’s constantly challenging and fun and creative all at once.