Beginner's Guide To Quilting - UK (2020-04)

48 Beginner’s Guide to Quilting

Patchwork Made Easy

A

s you start to build up rows
of patchwork squares, the
seams from your different
rows will come together at different
points. Lining up these seams neatly
is the secret to neater patchwork!
Seams intersect in patchwork in many
styles, and it’s worth taking a bit of time

to line them up, especially where blocks

are joined together to make up a quilt

top. They can become quite bulky,

especially with thick fabrics, but – don’t

worry – we’re here to help you sew them

all up with a nice, flat finish you’ll be

pleased with.

An intersecting seam is simply a

joining seam – where one seam meets

another. For the best results, follow our

guide to ensure a neat effect. It’s not the

end of the world if your seams don’t meet

neatly, but the finished effect is much

more satisfying if they do!

Making a Four Patch block is a good

way to practise neat seam sewing.

FOLLOW OUR STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

TO SEWING UP PATCHWORK PIECES

Basic seams

Place two squares, right sides together. Pin.

Using a ¼in seam, sew along the edge.

Press the seam open or to one side. Repeat

with the other squares, to make two pairs.

Now put the pairs right sides together,

aligning the edges at the top and bottom,

and making sure the seams at the centre

match our illustration. Pin and sew together

and then press the seam.

Turn block right side up. The point where

all four squares meet should match up. If it

looks like this, your seams must have not

quite lined up evenly. No problem – grab a

couple more fabric scraps and try again!

Cut out four equal-sized squares of fabric

• the basic elements of your Four Patch
  block. You could opt for two different
  colours or all four can be different colours.

(^12)
(^34) Intersecting seams not