Now that all of the blocks are sewn, it's time to add the sashing and cornerstones, which means it's also time to figure out how “off” the blocks are.
It turned out that all of my blocks are 9 1/2 inches high, and they vary between 8 3/4 inches and 8 7/8 inches wide. Since the width is such a small difference, that won't cause any problems.
 |
| Place the sashing on your blocks as you will sew it. |
Since there were 2 blocks that were 8 3/4 inches wide and two that were 8 7/8 inches wide, I placed the two 8 3/4 inch blocks on the left side of the quilt and the 8 7/8 inch blocks on the right side of the quilt. That way, any difference won't be noticeable.
Usually 1/8 inch difference can be adjusted by simply stretching the block.
Each one of the seams gives a little and it all can be eased in. Since these patches are sewn down onto a foundation, there is very little stretch in the patches.
Sewing to a foundation makes it easier to keep the blocks in shape, but more critical to be sure that the sewing is accurate so they end up the same size.
Adding Sashing Between the Blocks
The first step is to add the sashing pieces between the blocks.
In my quilt, these are simple strips, each cut 1 1/2 inches wide and the height of the block – 9 1/2 inches.
 |
Match the top and bottom of the sashing with your block |
Line up the sashing strip facing it right side toward the block, match the ends and the raw edges.
Sew the strip onto the side of the block, sewing through all layers – sashing, quilt top, batting and backing. You do not need to backstitch as you add the sashing.
Once the sashing has been sewn, turn it so the right side faces up.
 |
| Open the sashing once it has been sewn. |
Now you are ready to sew the blocks together. Place the block without the sashing so it faces right side up on your table.
In the picture below, that block is on the bottom.
Separate the sashing from the batting and backing on the block you just added the sashing to.
Place the sashing so it faces right sides together with the bottom block. Line up the ends and the raw edge.
Because the sashing strip is the length of the blocks, the ends should line up fairly well. If they don't check to see whether the patches on your block are on the outline you drew on the batting. If they extend beyond the outline, you need to decide whether your sashing will match the actual block or the outline.
In my case, I matched the outline because a few of the patches extended outside the line, but most of them were right on the line.
Pin the sashing in place, and then sew through the sashing, quilt top, batting and backing of the second block.
 |
Pin the sashing and sew through the sashing, quilt top, batting and backing. |
You should now have two blocks sewn together for the quilt top. The batting and backing will be sticking out on the other side.
Check to see that the tops and bottoms of the blocks line up with each other and the sashing.
In the picture below, you may see that the top of the left block is slightly above the sashing. Notice that the bottoms line up.
The block on the left is a little “off.” Because it is all sewn onto the foundation, I left it to be adjusted as I added the sashing between the rows.
Repeat this process with all of the blocks in the rows of your quilt. In my quilt, there are two blocks in two rows. If your quilt is larger, you will add sashing between the blocks in all of the rows.
 |
| Your blocks are sewn together with the sashing betwee, and you are now ready to close the backing. |
Closing the Back
Now you are ready to close up the back of your quilt on each row.
Place each row right side facing down on your table, and fold open the batting and backing so you can see the sashing in between.
 |
| Place your quilt face down on the table and open up the batting and backing so you can see the sashing. |
You should have about 3/4 inch between the seam on one block and the seam allowance on the other block.
This may sound a little strange, but I want to have it all lay flat. I will trim the batting and backing on one side so it matches the seam allowance, and I want the batting on the other side to butt up against that. (The other option is to trim the batting so it meets in the center of the sashing. Either way works.)
Once you have decided how much to trim, fold everything out of the way. Line up your ruler along the seam line where you added the sashing, and trim the excess batting and backing.
 |
| Decide how much batting and backing to trim, and then cut it off. |
In the picture below, the blue is what I just trimmed, and the purple is the seam allowance on the adjoining block. The layers of batting and backing fit just inside the sashing strip that is between the blocks.
 |
| The batting and backing are trimmed on one side. |
Now you are ready to trim the excess off of the other block so you can overlap the backing and close the back.
Trim the batting so it is even with the seam allowance. It will just meet the backing and batting you just trimmed from the adjoining block.
 |
| Trim the batting so it is even with the seam allowance. |
Now you can lay down the batting between the blocks, and it should lay flat, with no bulge for overlap.
You could whip stitch the batting together, but I chose not to. It is a relatively small space, I am using needle-punched batting which should not separate, and this is a wall hanging; so it shouldn't get much wear that would cause the batting to move.
Now you are ready to trim the backing. It needs to be long enough to cover the backing from the adjoining block plus allow for a 1/4 inch seam allowance that will be folded under.
 |
I trimmed mine to be 1 inch wider than the seam.
Then I ironed the 1/4 inch seam allowance under, and used a blind stitch to close the back.
You need to sew the length of the blocks plus about 1 inch beyond the blocks on both ends. That will ensure that the backing is secure as you add your other sashing and borders.
 |
Pin the backing closed and stitch. |
Sashing and Cornerstones Between the Rows
Now it's time to add the sashing and cornerstones between the rows of your quilt.
Because my blocks are different widths, I didn't measure the length of the sashing. I cut two strips 1 1/2 wide and about 13 inches long. The center cornerstone is a 1 1/2 inch square.
Sew the sashing strips onto each side of the cornerstone, giving you a strip of fabric that extends beyond the blocks, with the cornerstone lining up with the sashing between the blocks.
 |
Sew the cornerstone between the strips. |
The next step is to sew the sashing onto the blocks.
Place the sashing strip so it faces right side facing down onto one row of the quilt. I chose to sew the strip onto the bottom row first; therefore it was sewn onto the top of the blocks.
This is the time to even up any of the block which isn't the right size. You may notice in the block on the left that some of the blue shows above the sashing. That block was a little taller than the other blocks. Because all of the pieces were sewn to the foundation, I couldn't trim it without removing some of the stitching. I chose to leave it because it will be hidden inside the sashing.
 |
| Place the sashing onto the blocks and pin in place. |
To make extra sure that the cornerstone is lined up, start stitching on the left side of the cornerstone, across the purple square and down to the end of the sashing strip. When that side was sewn, turn the quilt around and sewed from the beginning of that stitching to the end of the strip on the other side of the cornerstone.
As you add pieces onto the foundation, the piece being added may move just a little. Sewing the cornerstone down first will secure it in its place in the center, and it won't move as you sew the rest of the strip.
The excess portion of the strip will be trimmed as you add the outside sashing and/or border.
 |
Both sides of the sashing are attached between the rows. |
Once you have the sashing added onto the blocks in one row, sew it to the blocks in the row above or below – using the same technique you used to add the sashing between the blocks, while making sure to line up the cornerstone with the sashing between the blocks in the row you are adding.
Trim the batting and backing on one side, just as you did when you finished the backing between the blocks.
 |
Trim the batting. |
In this case, because I did not stitch the batting together, when I trimmed it, it came off in two sections. If I had secured it, the batting would have come off in one piece, and my stitching would have been cut. Either way is fine.
Trim the backing away on the side that will overlap, so it will be wide enough to cover the backing from the adjoining block plus have a 1/4 inch seam allowance to fold under.
 |
Trim the backing. |
Iron under the seam allowance, and then close the seam using a blind stitch. Continue this process until all of your blocks and rows are sewn together.
 |
Pin the backing closed. |
Now your quilt or wall hanging is in one piece. It has sashing between the blocks, and it is time to decide whether to add more sashing with cornerstones around the quilt (as the design was created) or whether to just add a border.
There should be enough batting and backing extending beyond the quilt top to do whichever you choose.
Your backing may be un-joined where it extends beyond the batting of the blocks (as it is in mine). I wanted to be sure that the stitching was secured with a knot that wouldn't get cut off as I added blocks and rows. As the quilt is finished, I may need to add some hand stitching here and there.
 |
The backing of the quilt. |
Happy Quilting!
Happy Quilting!
Penny Halgren
TheQuiltingCoach
