Class 1 Block assembly

Important…
For a great finished quilt be exact in drafting, templates, cutting, and sewing!!!

Assembling the blocks.
1. Make sure you have a ¼ inch (6mm) seam allowance on your machine or marked off with masking tape. Many new machines can do this by adjusting the location of the needle and using the edge of the foot as a guide. If not, use the masking tape method. Be exact in all sewing.
Masking tape method: Get a piece of paper. Draw two lines on the paper ¼ inches apart. Cut the paper on one of the lines. Place the paper on your unthreaded machine with the uncut line under the needle. Take a piece of masking tape and place it along the edge of the paper. Sew along the line of the paper to make sure it is straight and adjust the paper and tape if it’s not straight. Adding several layers of tape will provide a good guide to keep your seams ¼ inch.
2. Use matching thread or a neutral color like white or cream. I usually use a thread the color of my background fabric if it’s the lightest fabric in the quilt. Cotton or a cotton/poly thread. Don’t use quilting thread on the machine.
3. Lay block out beside your machine. This helps you keep it in order as you sew.
4. Use pins to keep the fabric steady and take your time for perfection. Don’t be afraid to pick out and do over if it’s not perfect. This is especially important on curves, stars and Point-to-Point sewing.
5. Chain the block pieces through to save time and thread. * I use a backstitch to lock each piece at the start and end as I sew. Some books say you don’t need this but I have seen different. When you are done with the chain then trim each piece apart, iron (see directions), and lay out again before sewing the second round. Make sure everything is in the right order and direction. Stand back and make sure you have not turned anything the wrong direction.
Iron/Pressing: Iron seams towards the darker fabric or the side you want to stand out. Seams stay closed. Stagger seams to avoid large bumps under the block. Be gentle! Being aggressive in ironing or using too much steam can stretch or misshape your fabric.
6. Continue assembling the block until it’s finished. Make sure important points are lined up as you go along in the assembly. The time to pick out is when you see it’s not lining up, not after the block is finished and you are unhappy with it. Press flat on the top side.
7. Use the 12 ½ inch square to check the blocks after each is complete. Make sure they are all cut to the exact same size before you start adding bindings and borders. They should be 12 ½ inch for the blocks we are making. If one is more than ¼ of an inch off you might want to do that block over as cutting all the blocks smaller will multiply and your quilt will turn out smaller than you had planned. Cutting some blocks smaller may ruin the effect of some designs. Example…a block like a star that has points that would be sharp at the edge of the block would no longer have those points if trimmed ¼ inch.
***Sew 12 to 14 stitches per inch. Shorter stitches are necessary when using quick sewing methods that won’t allow you to backstitch. Example: Sewing longer strips that will be cut into smaller squares or triangles. ***