Here we go! The first row of the Between the Lines quilt along. I’m so excited to start this with you all.
Today we are making row 5, Rush Hour. The yellow figures reminded me a bit of a traffic jam seen from above, hence Rush Hour. Although our row in the quilt is, of course, much more colorful and cheerful than a traffic jam of cars.
New here?
Is this your first time seeing the Between the Lines QAL? And are you wondering if you can still join? Read all about it in this blog post!
You can definitely still join. Today we are starting with the first part of the quilt. We sew the rows in increasing difficulty, starting with row 5.
Would you like a kit with all the materials you need for this quilt? Then order a Rainbow kit or a Blue-Green kit from the Sugaridoo webshop.
Materials
Of course, you are free to make the quilt with any fabric you like. In the patterns, I will make the two versions of the quilt: the rainbow and blue-green quilt. I will indicate which fabrics to use for both versions.
Rainbow quilt
- Yellow with triangles
- Yellow with squares
- Gray (accent)
- White with robots (background)
Blue-Green quilt
- Dark green with robots
- Green with squares
- Gray (accent)
- White with robots (background)
Before we start
If you’ve made a quilt or two before you can just get started with the next step ‘Preparations’. But if you’re new to quilting you might be interested in some tips before we get started.
- Machine I will be quilting the Between the Lines quilt on my BERNINA 770 QE. You can use any sewing machine that can stitch in a straight line (we won’t be using any fancy stitches). The most important thing is that you can stitch a 1/4 inch seam on your machine.
- 1/4 seam If sewing a 1/4 inch seam is a new concept for you, make sure to read this blog post from the first Sugaridoo x BERNINA quilt along. It includes a helpful video. During this first quilt along I went over all the basic techniques for beginners to be able to make their first quilt.
- Practice over Perfection There is no need for perfection when you’re just starting (or even when you’ve already made 53 quilts). Take your time to practice, sewing with a 1/4 inch seam is something that will get easier over time. The Between the Lines QAL is a great project to practice your skills!
- BERNINA Foot #97 I love using my Patchwork Foot #97 for sewing a 1/4 inch seam. Especially in combination with the dual feed on the 770QE, it does make sewing your seams on the correct width easier.
Preparations
For assembling the quilt, you will need several strips of fabric. If you want, you can set aside fabric for these now. Then you will know how much fabric you can use for the rest of the quilt.
You will need:
- 10 strips of 1 1/2 x 53 inches (sashing and top and bottom border)
- 2 strips of 1 1/2 x 66 inches (side borders)
The above measurements include a 1/4 inch seam allowance.
You can cut 17 strips of 1 1/2 inch x fabric width. Sew these together to get a long enough strip to cut the above strips from.
Or you can cut the strips lengthwise from the fabric to avoid seams in the strips.
Additionally, you will need a strip of 1 x 53 inches for both row 5 and row 7.
Preparation video
In this video, I will guide you through preparing the strips from the background fabric.
Instructions
Grab your fabrics, and let’s really get started now.
I will describe the row we are making in two ways. The basic version, where all the figures are the same size.
And an improv version, where we play with length and add random little strips.
Basis version – Pattern
All sizes mentioned for cutting or sewing include 1/4″ seam allowances unless otherwise noted.
Cutting
Cut the following from the fabric:
- Yellow with triangles (Dark green robots): 8 rectangles of 7 x 2 1/2 inches
- Yellow with squares (Green squares): 7 rectangles of 7 x 2 1/2 inches
- Gray: 1 rectangle of 7 x 2 1/2 inches
- Background: 60 squares of 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches
- Background: 14 rectangles of 1 x 2 1/2 inches
TIP: Start by cutting and sewing one figure to see how it goes, to get into the swing of things and check if you cut it correctly. Then cut everything you need for the row.
Sewing
Below are 6 illustrations for sewing one figure:
- Place a white square on the top corner of the yellow rectangle, right sides together. Sew from corner to corner.
- Cut off the corner, 1/4 inch from the seam.
- Fold and press the corner open.
- Place a second white square on the bottom corner of the yellow rectangle, right sides together. Sew from corner to corner.
- Cut off the corner, 1/4 inch from the seam.
- Fold and press the corner open.
Repeat these steps for the other side of the rectangle. Now you have sewn one figure. It measures 7 x 2 1/2 inches.
Assembling the Row
We need a total of 14 figures to make the whole row.
- Sew eight figures for the top row. One of these has a point on only one side.
- Sew seven yellow figures for the bottom row, one of which has a point on only one side.
- And sew one gray figure.
Now sew the figures together with the background strips of 1 x 2 1/2 inches in between. Place the figures without a point at the end of the strip.
The strips will be longer than the required 53 inches. Cut both strips to 53 inches. In the video, you can see how to do this by folding the row in half.
Now turn the top strip 180 degrees. Then sew the long strip of 1 x 53 inches between the two strips.
It is quite a narrow strip to sew between the rows. Here are a few tips:
- Pin the strip to both ends of a row first. Then pin in the middle and place several pins along the entire row.
- Sew slowly to keep your 1/4 inch seam allowance constant.
- Before pressing the strip, you can first open it and carefully finger press it open. Then apply the iron.
After this, your row will look like this:
Improv version of row 5
Do you want to add more variation to your row? Follow these steps.
- Vary the length of the yellow strips between 5 and 9 inches.
- Cut some strips (diagonally) and add a small strip of background fabric in between.
- Play with the placement of the figures in both rows until you are happy with the result.
Video – Between the Lines Row 5
Would you like to see how I make these blocks before you start? You can! Below you will find the video instructions for row 5.
From next time, I will hold a live video on YouTube for each row the day after the pattern is published. This way, you can watch how we make the row and ask all your questions before you start.
Winners for the first giveaway
And of course the winners for the first giveaway in the quilt along. A big thank you to Mettler for gifting these wonderful thread sets!
The winners are: Tess from Belgium, Terri from Canada and Katja from Germany. The winners have been contacted. Congratulations!
Go for it!
Don’t be discouraged if your points aren’t perfect or if your strip is a bit wavy and not perfectly straight. This row is a great way to practice the 1/4 inch seam allowance. Emphasis on practice; it’s okay if it’s not perfect right away. Not all my blocks are exactly the same either.
Have lots of fun making this row. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the Sugaridoo Facebook group or in the comments below.
See you in four weeks with a new row!
Irene
Der Beitrag Between the Lines QAL: Pattern 1/9 – Row 5 Rush Hour erschien zuerst auf BERNINA Blog.