YAY! You've made all your Half-Square Triangles - I'm so PROUD of you!! You're ready to turn all those little HSTs into a quilt top right?!
Now it's time for the fun part of laying out your blocks & watching as in a very short time your HSTs become a quilt top!
So the Lovelight quilt is asymmetrical which means the focal point is NOT centered. If you've never done this, don't worry I'm here to hold your hand.
Start with the heart!
Starting with the focal point is the easiest way I have found for this pattern since all of the blocks are almost all the same. So get your A color blocks out (2 color & color/background), and lay out the the heart starting at the top right edge. Note that except for the top row, I alternate the direction of the seam as I move sideways in each row. Look at the diagrams on the pattern for help.
I just like the way it looks - if one gets turned wrong for some reason, it's ok.
Put a Ring on it...
After you get your heart laid out, the rest goes pretty quickly. I build it out ring by ring. So lay out your Ring B HSTs, 3 plain background squares, and 2 color/color HSTs for the "bendy" parts. As you lay them out, rotate the HSTs so that between your heart and the next color you have a complete ring of background fabric. To make the complete ring of color B add another rings of HSTs. (You can see that 2 of the HSTs still need to be rotated in this photo.)
Repeat this process with colors C, D, and E until you have made all of your rings - and BAM it's a quilt top!
Next here are some VERY helpful tips. Read through before you sew.
Take a photo of your Quilt Top
Use your cell phone (or digital camera) to snap a picture. If you can't fit it all in one, then take several. This is EXTREMELY helpful, and I do it with all of my quilts!
Gives you a reference for keeping your blocks going the right way
Also gets you back on track & make corrections if you get confused as you sew
Provides an opportunity to play with your lay out if you are not sure with color or fabric placement, or if you want to make scrappy rings
A photo also gives you a different perspective than looking at it right in front of you
Number your rows
After laying out your blocks then it's time to sew them together! It can get tricky when sewing a bunch of HSTs, so first put some kind of identifier for each row. I use cut up calendar numbers and pins (preferably safety), but they actually make little number beads and other little dangles for this very purpose. I mark the first (left-hand) block in each row. There are 14 rows with 10 blocks each if you are following the pattern.
Ready to Sew? Pin your Blocks
Next, pair up your blocks in each row. Make it a routine - like I always flip the right hand block over on top of the left one in the pair - and then PIN it! Putting a pin on the edge where you are going to sew should help you not forget where to sew. This is especially helpful during movement from layout area/design wall to the sewing machine. I stack them up to take to my sewing machine and it could get confusing, or heaven forbid I trip or spill them!
Typically I don't pin a lot, but it is very easy to get into "the zone" and accidentally sew the wrong edges together. And then your blocks are upside down or backwards - don't ask me how I know (LOL). I just want to save you from some un-sewing. After then sew the pairs together, and so on until all 10 blocks for your row are together. I stack them up to take to my sewing machine and it could get confusing, or heaven forbid I trip or spill them!
Seams - Open, Nest, or Not?
As you pair up your blocks, you will notice that at times your seams are going the same direction.
At this point it is not super important that you nest your seams (so they go in alternate directions), but it could make it easier for you to keep your seams together and have sharp lines.
If you don't want to re-press your blocks then just pin at the seam to keep them together as you sew. You can also do this if you decided to press all of your seams open to reduce bulk.
Put the Rows Together
Now the blocks are sewn into rows, and it's time to press. Press your odd rows to the right and your even rows to the left, or vice versa.
Then sew the rows together 2 at a time by flipping the bottom row onto the upper row right sides together (RST). This is when your row numbers come in REALLY handy! Also PIN along the edge where you are going to sew. I pin at each block seam to make sure that everything matches up and your seams nest. After your rows are paired then sew your pairs together . Sew your 1-2 row to your 3-4 row and so forth until all 14 rows are sewn together.
* Again watch the your seam at the beginnings and ends of the rows. Sometimes I notice that they get a little smaller which makes your quilt top flare at the edges. This can be helped with pressing and adding the borders, but it's better just to prevent it from happening.
There you have it - A QUILT TOP (except for the borders)! Press the row seams all in one direction - upward or downward. And then take a deep breath and rest, you've earned it!
The final post for adding the borders and other finishing tips will be posted on February12th. Remember if you'd like to win a prize for participating post a comment & picture here on my blog, or tag me on Instagram/Facebook with @polkadotpeepquiltsetc and/or #lovelightquilt - I can't wait to see!
I decided to allow you time to quilt along, I will do a drawing on the 14th, March 7th, and April 11th. So don't worry - take your time - plus it's only for a quilt top, not a finished, bound quilt.
Happy Sewing my friends & Be Blessed!
Tara
***Pattern Correction for Twin size: To make the 7 plain background squares, you can either cut them out from yardage or you will need 7 layer cake (10) squares because you can only get one per square.
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