Make a large quilt in sections

Rather than struggling to squeeze your queen-size or larger quilt through the small throat space of your machine as you quilt it, make your quilt in smaller sections instead! Then join them together at the end to make the full-sized quilt.

Here's how:

1. Let's say the quilt will be made in 2 sections, a top half (T) and a bottom half (B). So first, create T, including the borders (3 sides only, of course!)

2. Put a basting line of stitches (in a contrasting color) 3/8” from the bottom (raw end) of T.

3. Cut the batting and backing fabric to size (about 4" bigger all around).

4. Quilt as usual, but do not go beyond the basting line.

5. Repeat steps 1 - 4 for section B.

6. Trim extra batting and backing as usual, except on the sides to be joined.

7. Put T and B right sides together, matching the raw ends.

8. Fold back the batting and backing fabric from both T and B.

9. Pin the raw edges of T and B together.

10. Sew with a 1/4" seam, being careful not to catch any batting or backing.

11. While still right-to-right, unfold one side of the batting (NOT THE BACKING FABRIC) and, using a small scissors, trim it even with the seam line.

12. Flip the whole thing over (so the other raw edge - batt - backing side is on top.

13. Unfold the batting AND THE BACKING FABRIC and trim BOTH even with the seam line. Be careful not to cut through the quilt top!

14. Open the quilt (back side up).

15. Remove the basting thread.

16. Press the seam to the side where both the batt and backing were trimmed off.

17. Unfold the remaining loose piece of backing fabric, carefully trim to 2” or 3”, fold under the raw edge an inch or two, press, pin in place, and slip stitch to finish.

If you want to split your quilt into more than 2 sections, just expand the steps above.

Buying Fabric On-line

Using the internet to buy fabric is a wonderful option if:
a) you don't live near a quilt store
b) your quilt store does not have exactly what you are looking for
c) you need more of a specific pattern of fabric and your quilt store has also run out!

But there are two big things to be aware of:
a) Buying on-line means that you (almost always) will pay shipping fees. So this adds to the cost of your fabric. Since these fees are often based on weight, you might want to buy additional fabric (which you will certainly use for something) and not incur any additional shipping fees.
b) The on-line pictures of the fabric swatches are not always 100% accurate! If you are buying a fabric that you know (for example, if you need more of something), then there should be no problem (other than a possible dye-lot issue). But if you are buying sight-unseen and trying to match other fabrics, what you see is not always what you get.

How much fabric should you buy?

Always buy a little more than you need!

Why?

You don’t want to run short.

Dye lots may vary.

You may make a mistake (or even change your mind about a particular fabric once you have started and decide you want to use more than you originally planned). When this happens, it is almost 100% certain that if you go back for more they will tell you they just sold the last piece!!! The internet helps…you can often track down more, but you may have to wait several days for it to arrive and pay extra for shipping (and then there's that dye lot issue!).

And, of course, whatever you don't use in this quilt goes into your stash and becomes FREE fabric for another one down the line!

Avoid set-in ("Y") seams

Whenever I do a tumbling blocks pattern it is ALWAYS with equilateral triangles sewn in rows.  No hexagons, no set-in ("Y") seams.  It is so much easier this way and, from a few feet away, no one can tell anyway.  

In other words, the method of construction DOES NOT have to be the same as the finished pattern itself!  

Look at this quilt. You can see from the black triangles (and the star that magically formed in the center) the size and arrangement of the triangles that make up the cubes. They are sewn in rows (left - right - left....) from top to bottom (at a 60 degree angle of course) and then the rows are joined. All straight line seams! But the finished product looks like much complex piecing was done.