Weaving It – free pattern and strip piecing tutorial

Hi everyone,

It’s JUNE!! How did that happen??

Life took me away for a bit since my last post – but it is the best reason ever – we have a new grandson!! Liam Josef was born in March, (decided to come a week early, hence a bit of change in plans..) and he is simply perfect and immeasurably cute!!! This grandma is totally in love…

So I am terribly late (as per my own set timeline, I really should know better… 🙄☹️), but free pattern and strip piecing tutorial for the quilt I made using Grid fabric collection is finally here.

Another reason for delay is that I had ambition to do some videos for this tutorial but … I do need much more help and learning to do that, so let’s just do what we know, right? 😁

For all of you who maybe just want a pattern to print out and follow, you can download a PDF right HERE.

Weaving It is a simple pattern made easily using strip-piecing, that visually brings the effect of woven strips of color. It is really great for showing off different prints or colors and it is easily adjusted to different sizes.

I originally designed this pattern with 6″ blocks and made a lap size quilt, but this time I made it with 8″ blocks and made a full/almost queen size quilt (with same number of blocks – it really goes together fast!) .

I am sure lots of you use strip-piecing all the time (like me) and love it and then maybe there are beginner quilters out there that were hesitant to try it or did so with some frustrating results, so I decided to write up all my experience and tips collected during the years of using it and teaching it. With few useful tricks and conditions, strip piecing works every time and really speeds up your piecing. It also makes it more consistent in my opinion, so here is how I make sure it works well:

BASICS OF STRIP-PIECING

I find that there are few basic conditions/steps that ensure a success of strip-piecing, no matter how simple or complex it might be:

1. Cutting straight strips along the whole width of fabric.

This might sound like a no-brainer, but many times quilters struggle with getting nice, straight strips cut along the WHOLE width of fabric. Some just cut fabric in half, but I find that it can be done with whole width of fabric and a short ruler, by double-folding the fabric. Yes, I know, some of you might say NO, NO!! that’s a recipe for disaster and so-called “W” strips, but here is how I do it and it works:

– fold your fabric properly by first bringing the salvages together and fabric laying flat (do not pay attention to cut side of fabric – It might not match at all!)

Then bring those matched selvage edges to the original fold of fabric (make a double fold).

Next – square up your fabric to get it ready for cutting.

To do that, first line up a horizontal line on your ruler with the double-fold of the fabric (one closer to you, see the green pencil). What this does is position the right vertical edge of the ruler to make a cut that is EXACTLY 90 degrees to the fold and that is what will make your strip straight.

Sometimes there is less and sometimes more to cut off.

The next thing is to prevent your ruler from slipping while you cut. Below is shown how I hold my hand on the ruler. Four of my fingers provide four points of pressure and that is more stable than one point of pressure (if you would hold ruler with the palm of your hand) and my pinkie finger is on the OUTSIDE of the ruler to prevent it from sliding to the left. (that is if you use 6 1/2″ wide ruler). I find this to be the most efficient way to hold the ruler.

Here is it after squaring up that edge:

Once you did that, just slide the ruler to the right, until the line of the size you are cutting is reached – in my case, I am cutting 6″ wide strip so it is just a little:

http://maraquiltdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/img_7572.mov

In order to cut your strip, line up not only the vertical line (6″ line here, since I am cutting 6″ strip), but also the HORIZONTAL line on the bottom!! That is what will ensure that your strip is straight! Two lines (pointed with my fingers) should always be aligned with fabric! If after cutting several strips, two lines do not align any more (and it will happen!!) – it is time to go back and square-up the fabric again!!

So one thing you might notice here – I will do my strip cutting with my LEFT hand… because I am a leftie. If you are not – all of this just gets flipped! However!! That also means that I did that first cut (squaring up fabric) with my RIGHT hand, my “bad” hand!? Yes, I did!

I will encourage you to try it this way – make that first cut with your “bad” hand! Why? Because this way you do not need to flip fabric, walk around the table, turn your mat or use two rulers… Just try it!! It might take few practice cuts, but trust me, most of us can do it! And the more you do it, the better it will be!

After all – it is just that one cut and then you go back to your good hand. I taught beginners quilting for many years and 99% of my students were successful in doing this! Some even discovered that they are better in rotary cutting with their “bad” hand!!

This is how I cut my strips, using shorter ruler (much simpler and easier than long one!) and double folded fabric, and it works every time! Hope you give it a try!

Ok so for the Weaving It pattern, you will need all these strips: (see the PDF pattern for details)

Now on to the next step for successful strip piecing:

2. SEWING STRIPS WITH ACCURATE AND CONSISTENT 1/4″ SEAM ALLOWANCE

Another one that seems simple but oh my, how many times did we discover that a little difference in that 1/4″ makes a big trouble?

There is a 1/4″ presser foot of course, but unless it is one with a guide in front, it gets pretty tiring to constantly watch the edge of your fabric lining up with the edge of the foot… specially with strip-piecing where our seams are 40″ long!!

Here is where Dr. Scholl’s Molefoam comes to the rescue!! Whaaat..???

Yes, this is what I use:

I cut it in strips using my rotary cutter and ruler (you want the edge to be straight and smooth!) and use one strip at a time (package will last for a long time!) Strips stock and re-stick many times.

Most important thing next it so position this strip exactly where it should be to give you a 1/4″ seam or, if needed a SCANT 1/4″ seam.

To do that, take a ruler (any field will do, here I use the really small one for simplicity) and place it under the needle, so that needle will touch the first 1/4″ line of the ruler). That positions the RIGHT edge of the ruler exactly 1/4″ away from the needle, and the is where we want our strip guide to be. Once in place, lower the presser foot down, to hold the ruler and lower the needle so it touches the 1/4″ line. Notice on the photos that I am using the open-toe appliqué foot, because it allows me to see all this the best. (If you don’t have one, just use the foot that gives you the best view of the needle tip)

Now hold the ruler so it doesn’t move and place the strip tightly against the ruler edge. Place it as close to the presser foot as you can but not too close so it obstructs the foot or feed dogs.

Now if you want a SCANT 1/4″ seam, you would do all the same but position the ruler so that needle touches the RIGHT SIDE of the 1/4″ line (as opposed to bring right ON the line for the 1/4″ seam). Hope you can see what I mean in the close-iOS of next two photos:

This side view shows how close to the presser foot I place my strip:

Once you have the strip in position, lift your needle and presser foot, remove the ruler and you are ready to go!

To sew those long seams when joining long strips together, I always put my needle in a “needle down” position so that I can easily adjust/align my fabric and I do not use any pins while strip piecing!

Video below shows how I hold my strips and make sure they run smoothly along the guide strip, and that will give me an accurate and (more importantly!) consistent 1/4″ seam allowance.

https://maraquiltdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/img_7603.mov

And being the big fan of chain-piecing, I just keep feeding those pairs of strips one after the other, until I am done!! Isn’t this a glorious looking pile below?

After long seams are done, it is time to press!!

I prefer my seams pressed to one side, but you can definitely press the open too. In this case, I presses them towards the WIDE strip, only because I think it raises up the wide strip just a bit and that helps with a woven look I am going for.

I always set my se first – press it down with the iron, just as it is when it came out if the sewing machine. This flattens it and makes everything look better.

With my wide strip on top, I just press along the seam:

Then I lift the fabric up gently (kinda like opening the calendar?), making sure that the black (narrow) strip stays down on the ironing board,

And start pressing the seam (you can’t see in the photo, but I run my fingers in front of the iron to make sure yellow fabric is pushed all the way and I am not making any “pleats”)

And just continue in this fashion all the way down the strip.

Using this method I made all the strip-sets needed for the quilt – don’t they look so gorgeous in this Grid fabric collection?

Next step – cutting our blocks from the strip-sets!!

As you pieced the strip-set, it’s width should be 8 1/2″, so now you need to cut 8 1/2″ segments from each strip – these will be your square, 8 1/2″ quilt blocks!

To do that accurately, we will mostly repeat the same process as when you cut the strips from fabric: square-up the strip-set’s short edge first and get rid of the selvages in the same time.

To do that, I line a horizontal line if my ruler NOT on the fabric edge this time, but on the SEAM (it is just more straight) and cut off the selvage:

Then you simply slide the ruler over to the 8 1/2″ line and cut your 8 1/2″ square. (Note:you still want to align BOTH, vertical and horizontal line, so that block is perfectly square! And yes, if two lines do not align, it’s time to re-square that short edge!)

And here are all the squares:

Guess what – time to lay out the quilt!! YAYYYY!!!

For me, the easiest way to do this is to go color by color and start with top row. Lay out all the horizontal-oriented blocks first, (they are all the same color!), leaving the space for the vertically oriented blocks in between. Do 2-3 rows like that and then start filling with vertically oriented blocks, again going with color by color… does that make sense? I hope it does! Here are some of my progress photos:

The photo above was the first layout and as I looked at it, it was a bit off… so I played with color placements until I got the one below that I was happy with… agree?

Time to join all blocks together!!

Now here is one of my little pet peeves… most instructions I ever read would tell you to join blocks in rows and then join rows together, right? Well, that is all good but sewing loooong rows together is just much more difficult (in terms of all seams matching) than sewing shorter rows – agree?

So what I prefer to do is join my blocks in SECTIONS, rather than I rows.

I would take 3×3 (or 3×4 in this case) sections of blocks, transfer them to my sewing machine and join them together. Then place them back on the design wall, take another section…etc.

Here are some of the sections of this quilt:

Once all sections are done, join them in bigger sections and at the end, it will be only ONE of those long seams you will need to do, to join last two halves together, instead of 10!!

This method is not always possible (for example the “on-point” blocks have to be joined in long rows most of the time..) but I do use it whenever possible!

Ok my friends, our Weaving It top is all done!!!

Yes, I am fully aware that I am showing you photos with snow on the ground on June 1st… NO, there is no snow now (that would be bad, even for Buffalo!!) but those are the only photos I have since quilt is now sandwiched to be quilted!! I only wish I am so spectacular and organized to have it all done, but we will go with this for now… (reality check! 🤪)

I hope these tips help you (specially if you a beginner quilter!) to have a more successful strip-piecing and enjoy it too!

This quilt was made from beautiful collection of fabric by my friend Katarina Roccella and Art Gallery Fabrics, called Grid and I am so grateful to AGF for providing these beautiful fabrics!

For piecing, I used my favorite, 50wt Aurifil thread (will be used for quilting too!!)

I would love nothing more than to see your creations using this easy pattern – please share!!

Tag me at @mvquilts on Instagram, use hashtag #WeavingItpattern or #WeavingItquilt , feel free to post it in my Facebook page too (Mara Quilt Designs) .

Happy sewing,

Love,

Marija