Charade Quilt Along Sewing Section 1 (Week 2)
Hey Quilty Friends!
Welcome to Week 2 of the Charade Quilt Along! You all have such fun little cut stacks of color - don’t they just make your heart sooo happy!?!?
This week we are sewing section 1 together. As I note in the video, I didn’t “section” the pattern because there really was no point - except to break it down into steps for the Quilt Along. The piece of the block that includes sewing C/A/B together is what we will consider Section 1. See the tips and tricks below.
THANKS for being here! Remember to post pretty little trays of your cut fabrics on social media using #charadequilt and @jitterywings.
My Go To Tips and Tricks
Tip 1: This week we sew C/A/B together. Next week we will do A/D/A as “section 2.” This week is the bottom row of the block as pictured here.
NOTE: In the video, some of the complete blocks I show you have E in the middle between the two sections. You can do it as shown in the pattern or put E in the middle, or both. I did it in the middle mostly because it meant dealing with fewer seams.
Tip 2: The block itself is providing the “control” for the pattern. The improv happens with how you pull your colors.
Tip 3: Keep your blocks in colors group on a little tray you can keep next to you as you work.
Tip 4: Sew all your C/As together and chain piece them. Don’t press yet. Lay your CA pieces next to you and then go back and add your Bs to them by chain piecing. Press open after you finish. There are images below.
Tip 4: As you “grab” colors to sew together, start with one color group (as in all your Reds/Pinks or all your Greens/Yellows) and sew two different colors together. Every 3rd, 5th, or 7th time choose a different color group to pull from. Don’t overthink this step. Don’t have the same color pieces sewn together next to each other.
Tip 5: Don’t make multiples of the same combinations of Section 1 or 2.
Tip 6: After you make your sections press them and try to keep them in the order you made them - or divide them up by the greatest presence of color in the section. Also by lights and darks. I will talk about this in Week 4.
Tip 7: If I cut my fabrics a couple at a time, they “stick” together. It feels more efficient to lay out the first pieces on my sewing table. Then I take my little A pieces and lay them out matching up color choices. Then I can chain piece those.
NOTE: This is a shot of matching up the As to get ready to sew them.
Here’s me doing the same thing with my greens and blues.
Piece A matches so you can see them more closely.
Tip 8: After I sew C and A together, I lay them out in the same fashion with A up and all turned the same way. That helps me match B pieces and grab them to sew them. I don’t actually pin if you were wondering.
This is where I matched my B pieces up to the C/A sewn sections.
Tip 9: I turn them all this way, with the C/A seam up so I don’t have to manage it as it goes through the sewing machine.
This is a shot of my Jennifer Sampou 2021 New Colors from the Jelly Roll I used in the Video.
This is the shot of the bundle I got from Crimson Tate to make my queen.
Charade Quilt Along Schedule
Week 1 - March 25 - Cutting
Week 2 - April 1 - Sew Section 1 Together
Week 3 - April 8 - Sew Section 2 Together
Week 4 - April 15 - Make 40 Blocks
Week 5 - April 22 - Make 40 Blocks
Week 6 - April 29 - Make 40 Blocks
Week 7 - May 6 - Layout and Quilt Top Assembly