Dropping In Sew Along Week 4

Welcome to Week 4 of the Dropping In quilt sew along!

Purchase the Dropping In pattern in my online shop

Paper pattern available through QuiltWoman.com

Week 1 - cutting fabrics

Week 2 - Sewing Block As

Week 3 - Sewing Block Bs

These posts will always be available so start when you're ready!

 

Today we sew the blocks together into the quilt top!

This might be my favourite week so far - seeing the quilt top come together. This is when the magic happens!

It's easy to use chain piecing again as you sew the blocks into rows; you could sew all of your rows together in one sitting! Of course, that might not be possible with other things to do as the summer winds down, but sewing even one row at a time this quilt comes together quickly. I started by putting some of the blocks up on my design wall just to see the fabrics bring the pattern to life.

Be sure to follow the pattern as it gives guidance on pressing the seams. If you've been following the suggestions so far you'll find only nesting seams to deal with as you put the blocks together. This step is the first one I will use pins for and only to be sure that the blocks don't move while I'm getting the growing rows lined up by my machine.

After the rows are ready and pressed, it will be time to sew them together. Take your time and pin here as there are a lot of seams. I like to pin at the nesting seams and then evenly between them just to keep the layers together as I move the top from the ironing board to the sewing machine.

Basting Tip

When you are done sewing the quilt top together and have the final pressing done, go around the outside edge with a basting stitch. I rarely do this but my local quilt shop owner and long armer insists this is best practice and in this top I can see why! There are several seams that go to the edge of the quilt (common in quilts with no borders.) These seams will start to pull apart just from moving the top around which will mean I won't have closed seam allowances around the edge of the top where the binding will go. Having a quilt unravel is not what I look forward to when I'm done a project!

I set my regular stitch to 3" on the sewing machine and topstitched 1/8" around the edge of the quilt top - this basting stitch will be covered by the binding so no worries about it showing up in the finished quilt. And it will make layering and quilting the top easier whether you are doing it on your domestic machine or longarm or sending it out. Worth the time and thread!

Week 4 to dos

~ Sew the blocks into rows and follow the pressing instructions in the pattern.

~ Sew the rows into the quilt top and press.

~ Do a basting stitch around the edge of the quilt to secure the seams.

~Share!

Join me in my facebook group where you can share photos! I'm also on instagram and using the hashtag #droppinginquilt to show my progress.

Let's #sewjoywithgoodvibes!

Sarah V.

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