#MSBHQAL – Week 06

Week 06 – Oct 07 – Oct 13 – Sashing, Sandwiching, Basting

I hope you enjoyed your one week reprieve, because now it’s time to get bus-say! You should have all of your blocks done by now, right right? If you’ve just got a few left try to squeeze them in between that 3pm pilates class and that last cinnamon roll. You’ll never feel so satisfied! This week should be all about sashing, sandwiching and basting. The sashing took me a bit longer than I expected, so if you want to just concentrate on that this week go right ahead. Let me tell you how I worked it out, and maybe you can do the same.

First, I used my illustrious design floor to get a layout that had a nice balance in colour and value. I had originally intended to complete thirty blocks, but when Grandma Sparkles decided she wanted to make a version for herself, I conceded to twenty-four. I know where I plan on using this quilt, so it will still be plenty big for my needs.

Make sure you have your sashaying fabric cut up, and remember to reference my previous blog post about the topic. I’ve decided to go with 1″ sashing strips (finished 0.5″) between the blocks, just like those used in the blocks. This creates a uniform balance across the quilt. If you want the individual blocks to be more focal increase your sashing size as you see fit. If you’ve only made a few blocks, think about using a lot of negative space for an ultra-modern look, while still getting a larger quilt. 

Here you see I attached a 1″ x 12.5″ strip to the side of a block and then continued across the rows, attaching a sashing strip, and then the next block.

I completed this for all of the rows. The super observant of you out there will notice my layout kind of changed, because I got distracted by something shiny and sewed some sashing strips to the wrong side of a column and had to rearrange a bit. C’est la vie! Continue in this manner until you have your sashing connecting all of your blocks, and on the outside if you’re doing that sort of thang. I’m not revealing my finished quilt top just yet, but I think you get the idea.

Grandma Sparkles and I are furiously catching her up on her herringbone blocks. She wants a quilt like mine (who wouldn’t?) so we need to make twenty-four blocks. Six are done, and we’ve spent the past day making the other eighteen all at the same time. We are nearly there, and I’ll try to show them off fully later this week.