Middle Sister Quilt SAL: Week 6
Week 6: Assemble Quilt Top
Quilters, you made it! Welcome to our last week of the Middle Sister Quilt Sew Along (SAL)! You are only a few hours away from finishing your Middle Sister quilt top and entering the Grand Prize sponsored by Oliso.
Throughout this sew along we covered many techniques, so be sure to bookmark the Middle Sister Sew Along tab so you can revisit them in the future. Some of the sewing skills we mastered include:
Cutting fabric with the Stripology ruler - Week 2
Quilt Math for dealing with large pieces of fabric - Week 2
Square Up Yardage - Week 2
Magic 8 HST - Week 3/4
Chain Piecing - Week 5
Matching and pinning seams - Week 6
Time allocated: about 4 hours
SAL Schedule
Week 1: Select Fabric & Gather Supplies - Jan 6th
Sponsor: Ollie Fabrics - $50 gift certificate - WINNER: @lynncycle
Week 2: Cut Fabric - Jan 13th
Sponsor: Lamb & Loom - $50 gift certificate - WINNER: @mtngalrn
Week 3: Sew Half Square Triangles - Jan 20th
Sponsor: Pasadena Quilt Studio - $75 gift certificate (US and CA only) - WINNER: @fallenleafcreative
Week 4: Sew Half Square Triangles - Jan 27th
Sponsor: Quiltfolk Life Book + String & Story Introduction to Free Motion Quilting Class ($85 value) - WINNER: @themodquilter
Week 5: Sew HST Blocks - Feb 3rd
Sponsor: Quiltfolk Yearlong Subscription + String & Story Introduction to Free Motion Quilting Class ($110 value) - WINNER: @melrainy.1
Week 6: Assemble Quilt Top - Feb 10th
Sponsor: Oliso - Grand Prize - Oliso Collection includes a ProPlus SmartIron, Mini Project Iron, Ironing Board Cover, and Felt Pressing Mat (US and CA only) ($400 value) - WINNER: @tracysquilts
Some recommended products below may earn me a small commission.
Week 6 Assignment: Assemble Quilt Top
Tip 1: Favorite Tool for assembling quilt tops
Tip 2: Block Orientation in Quadrants
I have made this mistake, so I remind you that orientation matters! Ensure the 6 HST blocks align for each quadrant. Note Quadrants I and III have matching layouts, while Quadrants II and IV have matching layouts. Here are a few figures to help you avoid making the same mistake.
Tip 3: Sew one Quadrant at a time
I found it best and less overwhelming to lay out one quadrant at a time. It took me 40 - 50 minutes to sew each quadrant. As organized as I was, I still switched a few blocks around and had to use my handy dandy seam ripper.
Tip 4: Pin Pin Pin
I not only pin the small sashing to each block, but I also use pins to align the blocks (Photo A). Now, this is me, I know a ton of quilters who rarely use pins and create beautiful work. I am sewing block 9 to the sashing attached to block 8 (reminder I numbered the block, check Week 5 post). Photo B, I check to ensure there is alignment in the HST, pin, then sew. I also apply this same method when I sew the Quadrants together. Photo C represents me sewing two quadrants together (with sashing) and shows how many pins I use.
Photo A: Ready to sew
Photo B: Align Blocks
Photo C: Example of pins I use to sew quadrants
Tip 5: Slow & Steady
Move slowly and enjoy the process. The last tool I want to share is a Porcupine Quill. It’s used similarly to a stiletto to help guide the fabric through your machine, really nice with the bulky seams.
Thank you!
Thank you for joining us on this sew along journey! Quilting is an art form that requires skill, patience, and creativity. I hope you learned new techniques, and I look forward to making something special with you again.
Katie’s Week 6: Assignment
Finish Quilt Top
Enter Week 6 Grand Prize
To enter the Week 6 prize, post a photo of your finished quilt top on Instagram and use the hashtag #middlesistersal. Post by Thursday, February 16th, 11:59 pm MST, to be entered.
Week 6 Grand Prize - One lucky person will win the Oliso Collection, which includes a ProPlus SmartIron, Mini Project Iron, Ironing Board Cover, and Felt Pressing Mat (US and CA only) ($400 value)
Sponsored by Oliso
The winner is @tracysquilts, congrats Tracy!
