Easy Quilt as You Go Joining Techniques for Beginners

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Quilt as You Go Joining Techniques for Beautiful Quilts

If you’re like me, you hate the idea of spending hours piecing a quilt top only to have to wait even longer to sandwich it, quilt it, and bind it. That’s where quilt as you go (QAYG) joining techniques come in handy. With QAYG, you assemble the quilt layers – top, batting, and backing – as you piece the quilt, so there’s no lag time between piecing and quilting.

The Basics of QAYG

The main joining methods for QAYG are machine piecing and hand quilting or tying as you go. Basically, you sew your patchwork pieces together with short lines of stitching that also secure the batting and backing in place. Here’s a quick overview:

  1. Piece your quilt top blocks together on your machine with short straight lines of stitching, about 1/4-1/2 inch wide.
  2. As you stitch, layer the backing fabric, batting, and quilt top and feed all layers through the machine together.
  3. The stitching will “glue” the layers together as you piece.
  4. As an alternative to machine stitching, you can hand quilt or tie the layers together as you go.

By piecing and quilting at the same time, your quilt top never has to lie flat on its own. The layers are always supported. This makes quilting the finished product a snap – you’re basically just putting on the binding at that point.

Machine Piecing Techniques

When it comes to machine piecing your QAYG quilt, here are some of the main approaches people use:

Short straight lines of stitching: This is the simplest method. Just stitch straight lines to join pieces, catching the backing and batting as described above. Kind of like sewing seams between patchwork blocks.

Meandering stitch: Take a freeform, winding approach to your stitching between pieces rather than strict straight lines. Lets you vary the distance between stitching lines a bit more.

Grid/griddle method: Mark horizontal and vertical lines across your quilt to sew on. Creates uniform quilting coverage like a chevron or crosshatch pattern as you piece.

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Echo quilting: Sew around the outer edges of shapes or motifs as you piece to echo their outlines. Fills in those areas nicely as you work.

Combination methods: Mix up your approaches! Try straight lines on some seams and freehand meandering on others for visual interest.

The tricks are going slowly, keeping layers smooth and creased free beneath the presser foot, backstitching to secure ends, and clipping excess fabric from the backing if it bunches up too much behind seam lines. From my experience, the grid/griddle method seems to give a really tidy result.

Hand Quilting and Tying As You Go

If you find machine piecing a hassle or don’t have a big enough machine, hand quilting and tying are great QAYG alternatives. They give a more rustic, artisanal look too:

Hand quilting: Use quilting thread and needle to sew lines between blocks similar to machine piecing methods. Go slowly and tack layers together.

Tying: Secure layers with soft cotton string, tying knots between blocks at regular intervals. This is super fast and easy to do as you piece a quilt.

Both hand methods let you still quilt the layers together without that awkward sandwiching stage later. The handwork just takes more time than the machine. Totally worth it if you ask me though. Hand stitches give such a cozy, heirloom feel.

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Choosing Materials

When selecting fabrics for a QAYG project, I find lighter weight cottons and flannels work best. They’re thin enough that multiple layers don’t become too stiff or bulky under the machine or needle. Wonder Under cotton is a great practice fabric.

As for batting, I’d choose a thin to mid-weight batting like polyester, wool, or cotton to keep flexibility. Thicker batting could get funky if it bunches up behind stitching. Cotton and wool also wash exceptionally well for machine-pieced QAYG projects.

So in summary – light cottons, flannels, and thin-to-medium battings make assembly and quilting much smoother as you piece. Just gotta take care to smooth out lumps and bumps while stitching.

Binding As You Go Too?

Some quiltwiz’s take QAYG a step further by also binding their quilt edges as they go. Basically, they finish the outer 1/4 inch of the quilt with binding strips secured down with straight line quilting. Kind of insane if you ask me, but it does mean the whole quilt is put together with no finishing work left.

Personally, I’m happy just gluing my binding at the end. Call me lazy but QAYG is plenty of multi-tasking already! I like preserving some sanity by keeping that final step simple. To each their own though. Some folks are crazy ambitious quilt artists, I tell ya!

So in summary, QAYG joining techniques let you assemble and quilt your quilt simultaneously, cutting out downtime. It’s perfect for impatient quilters like me who hate waiting once the piecing is done. Just pick your joining method – machine piecing, tying, or hand quilting – and keep those layers smooth. You’ll have a snuggly finished quilt in no time!

Hope this gives you a good overview of QAYG options. Let me know if any part needs more clarification. Happy quilting!

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Quilt As You Go Joining Technique Comparison

Technique Best For Joining Process Pros Cons
Machine Quilting Large quilts, uniform stitching Sew blocks together and quilt with machine Fast, even stitches Investment in machine, not portable
Hand Quilting Small quilts, heirloom quality Sew blocks and quilt by hand Portable, customized stitches Slow process, strain on hands
Glue Basting Beginner, one-color blocks Glue baste and stitch in place Easy, no pins required Not very secure, may puckering

FAQ

  1. What are the main quilt as you go joining techniques?

    Basically there are a few different ways to join quilt blocks together as you go. The most common method is probably stitching them together with yarn or thread as you build the quilt top. Another popular option is using fusible web tape to hold the pieces in place until the whole thing is done.

  2. How does the yarn/thread method work?

    With this technique, you sew the blocks together using yarn or thread instead of waiting until the end. It’s sort of like putting a puzzle together – you attach each piece as you go along. The yarn goes between the seams to hold everything in place. When the top is finished, you just trim off the yarn ends.

  3. What are the pros and cons of fusible web tape?

    The fusible web tape approach has a few advantages – mainly that it’s really fast to put the quilt top together. You just iron the tape onto the back of each piece before assembling it. However, the tape doesn’t always provide as strong a hold as actual stitching. The blocks might shift slightly over time. On the other hand, the yarn method gives you more stability but takes more effort.

  4. When should I use each method?

    It actually depends a lot on your specific project and preferences. Fusible tape excels for big, simple quilts since it’s so quick. The yarn approach works well for detailed piecing where you need accuracy. A mix of the two could also be a good idea – perhaps yarn in crucial areas and tape elsewhere? In the end, either one can make a great quilt if done right. It’s really up to you!

  5. I’m making a large quilt – is it possible?

    Taking on a larger quilt can certainly seem daunting, but quilt as you go actually makes it way more manageable compared to assembling the whole thing at once. Despite some doubts, as long as you take it piece by piece and use some kind of joining method, even a huge quilt top is totally possible to assemble as you progress. The sense of accomplishment from watching it come together before your eyes is utterly stunning! At the same time, be patient with yourself – bigger projects just require more time.

  6. Any tips for preventing the pieces from shifting?

    To help reinforce the seams and reduce shifting between blocks, consider doubling up on your joining method. For fusible tape, Iron it to both sides of each piece before attaching blocks. With yarn, take an extra few stitches along each seam. Thread may also work better than yarn for stability. In general, slower, more accurate piecing and zigzagging over raw edges can help everything hold together better in the long run.

  7. What’s the best way to join strips?

    When attaching long strips to create borders or sashing, the quilting threads or tape can be a bit limited – those tiny spaces don’t allow much room. In that case, butt stitching the raw edges with needle and thread before completing the joining method does wonders. It’s like getting part of the real piecing done early. Some peeps also have luck with washable glue sticks on strip connectors. So give those tricks a try if strips are giving you hassle!

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