Monday, February 22, 2021

Harmony Hand Pieced QAL - Square in a Square (block 1)




We are all excited that today we start sewing!  

Whether you've had your fabric pressed and ready to go for awhile or are just making your fabric choices now, you've probably had time to scroll through the pattern.  The Harmony pattern gives you choices on how you cut your fabrics and assemble your units.  The end result is the same so choose the option which works for you!



Still need the pattern for Harmony?  Grab yours now!  

Harmony is a large single block - make one and you've got a lovely wall hanging (28'' x 28'') or join 4 Harmony blocks together for a lovely throw sized quilt (56'' x 56'').  Did you miss the QAL announcement?  You can find more information here!  If you have any trouble ordering the pattern, please don't hesitate to email us at handpiecedqal@gmail.com - we'll be happy to help!

Whether you are making the wall hanging or the throw sized quilt, we recommend you cut just the pieces you need to make a single Harmony block.  Once you've sewn a few units and have some experience cutting with templates, you can go back and cut the rest of the pieces for all the Harmony blocks you need.

Our QAL will follow the units in the order they are found in the pattern which means we start today with the Square in a Square.  Since you need just a single square in a square unit for a Harmony block, I encourage you to  take your time and check out these basic tutorials - Using TemplatesMarking Stitching Linesand the Running Stitch if you need some tips.

Each Harmony block needs just a Single in a Square unit.  The pattern offers two methods for cutting out your pieces - via templates or with a rotary cutter - and then sewing instructions based on the method you've chosen.  I decided to stitch mine using templates.  (See Kristin's post for tips on constructing with stitch and flip and the rotary cut option.)

Needles ready?  Let's sew our first unit!

Template Tips

All the templates you need for the pattern can be found on pages 19 and 20.  Some templates will be used in multiple units and each template is named and has a symbol for the unit(s) it will be used with.

The most important step for sewing with templates is to make sure your units are printed to scale so ensure your printer setting is set to actual size.  Measure that 1'' square with a ruler and if it doesn't measure 1'', check those printer settings and try again.  If you forget this step and find your sewn unit doesn't match the unit size in the pattern, start all over again.

The template has two lines - the solid line is the stitching line and the dotted line is the cutting line.  My template tutorial (find it here) cuts the pieces on the dotted line and then mark the stitching line 1/4'' from the edge.  You can also choose to prepare your templates by sizing them to the stitching line - trace that on your fabric and then cut your piece out with a 1/4'' seam from that line.


Stitching Tips 


Instead of marking a 1/4'' stitching line around the whole triangle, try marking just where you are about to stitch plus a little bit more up each side to mark the point where to start and stop your needle.  (Please note that my lines are not usually that dark - a bit a computer magic made the lines visible in this photo!)   I am marking on the back of the background (white) square as well just to make sure I align the start and stop points with the pin.   (See the tutorial on marking stitching lines.)


Mark both triangles and align a pin through the intersection point on each block so you are certain everything is aligned.

Then stitch away!  After sewing a triangle to each side of the square, pin the second pair of triangles.  You will be able to feel the folded back fabric to know where to start and stop your stitching.


Press.  If needed, sliver trim your block and then go ahead and mark the stitching lines around the outside so you will be ready when it is time to sew your units together.  You only need one of the SinS unit for your block.

The pattern also offers an alternative assembly method using a stitch and flip method which begins by drawing a stitching line on the diagonal on a square.  Check out Kristin's post to see her tips for creating this block!  


The Basics

Please consult the tutorials for Using TemplatesMarking Stitching Linesand the Running Stitch if you need some tips.



What's Next?

We will be sewing the units in the order of the pattern which means our next block will be a HST - half square triangle and we'll share tips next Monday, March 1. Our first check-in link-up will be March 29!



Stay in touch and join our community so you don't miss a thing!   






Have a wonderful day! Patty


1 comment:

  1. I did the stitch and flip method -- was too lazy to cut templates LOL But I am going to re-make with with the templates. I seem to have come up a bit short. Maybe I didn't mark my sewing lines accurately. Thanks for hosting again.

    ReplyDelete

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