This unexpected blessing showed up at my door today, from dear members of my husband's family. Looks like I need to balance them a little.
I've been working on a little girl's pink QAYG. In the past, I disliked finishing the sashing seam on the front, leaving forever stitches but recently learned a better method from Marti Machell. Her sashing is finished on the front and with careful measuring and a lot of pinning on the back, and sewing in the ditch from the front, a pretty neat stitching line is the result on the back. In this case a busy sashing and backing helps even better. I know, you can't see anything. There IS one visable vertical seam on that middle sashing.
Below is the stitching line on the back, stitched in-the-ditch from the front.
This is the pinning on the back, with a folded 1/4 in. seam carefully folded and pinned over the previous sewing line. In almost all cases, I did NOT have to redo anything. I stitched in the ditch from the front, carefully, pulled the pins out from underneath as the needle got close. I would guess that each of us has our own version of 1/4 inch, in the ditch, etc., and I would advise a practice bit before you get YOUR measurements. My sashing was cut 1 in., and my backing sashing was a 1 1/8 in, and then folded over 1/4 inch., then sewn to the back These are MY measurements. Also, in previous QAYG, I carefully pressed those sashings neat and tidy and flat, whichever way seemed necessary. But this time I did NOT press and just let the kissed seam allowances kind pooch up when they wanted to. After all, this IS a child's quilt, and it IS machine quilted. NOT a masterpiece, just a nice quilt. I did NOT do any pressing of the sashing once it was sewn to the blocks.
The finished project should be ready in a few days. I'm liking it - not soft and sweet but pink and bold!
