Our First Quilt Square

Our first quilt square is a very easy square. I'm sure that it has a name, but i have no idea just what it might be.

For your quilt...don't think that you will have to get all of your fabric at once. If you can choose a color sceme and keep that in mind throughout the process then you will be fine. I have chosen to do very bright tropical colors. I got the fabric in this first square when I was in Kingman last month. I look for sales (Joanne's has their fat quarters on sale right now for $1) and buy lots and lots of fat quarters. The only big piece of fabric that you will need for this project is the back and you won't need that for awhile...but if you see something that you like in the coming months...then, by all means...get it. I would buy 3 yards of backing fabric. That way you will have pleanty to work with and you may even want to work a little of it into your top. If you have any questions along the way, please let me know and I will help however I can.

Here we go..........

You will need a light, medium, and dark piece of fabric. ..(example...white, grey, and black)... your light, med, and dark fabrics can be the same color (lt blue, med blue, dk blue)...use what you like. Believe me...you will want to work on something that you like as opposed to something you don't.

Cut 3 strips of fabric...one from each...4.5" x 12.5"

Arrange them lt to dark...here my medium can read either as a medium or a light, depending on where the print is.

Sew along the 12.5" at 1/4"...lite to med, med to dark...

...no back tacking at either end...this will make it easier when the squares are sewn together...

When trimming your threads, leave a 1/2", or so. This will help keep your stitching from coming undone...remember...no back tacking...

Next, press your seams as sewn to "set" them...

...and then press them all one way...no pressing open here...

...a little hard to see here, but the seams are all pressed the same way...

Flip your square over give it one more good pressing...don't pull on it...just press it...you don't want to stretch it...and...

..............Your First Square is Finished...........

This square will be able to go either horizontal or vertical...if you are using one way prints (stripes, fish...you don't want them swimming upside down...) make sure that they are going the way that you want them to. This may require a little upside down thinking on your part when doing your cutting.

Good luck and I look forward to seeing the progress that each of you are making;)