Assembling squares

[Quiltingnewbee]

I am new to quilting and am working on my very first one. I have my individual squares ready to sew together to make the quilt top but I am stuck and not sure what is the proper way to connect them. Do I work across the row and sew the squares together to form a horizontal strip and then sew those strips together or do I work down a column and sew my squares to form vertical strips and then sew those strips together? Any suggestions would be helpful. Thank you.

[Evie]

Hello Quiltingnewbee, welcome to the forum!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, I wonder what a video is worth?!

Try watching the Nine Patch video at Brightcove:

http://www.brightcove.tv/search.jsp?que ... %20a%20day

These videos are free and they should answer a lot of questions for you.

I usually like to sew my blocks across in horizontal rows, then sew rows together. If you have trouble with the edges not matching at the end of a seam, start pinning. Sometimes I will pin in the middle and then again at the end.

Make sure you have an accurate 1/4" seam. Browse through the videos and several show how to do this. If you don't have a 1/4" foot, you can place a ruler under your needle at the 1/4" mark, make sure it's straight, then put something like several layers of postit notes along the edge of the ruler. Remove ruler, then butt the fabric up along side the postit notes while feeding it through.

If you have any more questions after watching the videos, please ask.

[Caroline1947]

I think this is one of those preference things...I have done it several ways and really dont see much difference,,,sometimes I switch just for variety,,,good luck!!( practice on something small, like a pillow top,and you will learn what works best for YOU}

[Quiltingnewbee]

Thank you, ladies. I did watch that video that you suggested, Evie, and it was helpful. I did one panel each way, as Caroline suggested and both seemed to work well. I just wasn't sure if one way worked better - seams lay nicer, easier to do stitch in the ditch, etc. working one way over the other - and I know personal experience sometimes is more helpful than a book. I managed to master the paper piecing for my squares and just didn't want to ruin my work when sewing all the squares together to make my quilt top. My husband is getting me a quilt rack for my birthday later this month and I just wanted a nicely-done quilt to go on it.

Thanks again for all your help.

[Marilynsgrammy]

Quiltingnewbee...Welcome to this forum, hope you love it as much as I do.

The only thing I can add to what Evie and Carolyn said is... weather you sew rows together or columns togehter have your seams pressed in opposite directions.

Row one press all seams going toward the top, row two press all seams going toward the bottom....when you lay row one on top of row two the seams will lock together making your square points match....

If that doesn't make sense maybe someone can explain it better than I can.

Chriss

[pittypat]

my trip around the world is not coming out square what am I doing wrong?

[sunsup]

In what way is it nor comming out square? Too long on one side or are the corners not square?

[beatr]

Evie, thank you for the brightcove web site - I was not aware of it - great videos and tremendously helpful

[beccasmom]

Welcome Quiltingnewbee.

Brenda from Independence Kentucky

[bjgallo]

Glad you joined the forum, Quiltingnewbee. It is always good to see quilters from Kentucky.
BJ from Murray, KY