Shoo Fly Friendship Quilt, Part 3

It's probably easiest to use a design wall to arrange the blocks.  Arranging the blocks into a pleasing arrangement is half the fun!  If you are using directional sashing strips (as in the frog fabric), you may want to lay in all the sashing and cornerstone pieces before proceeding.  It may seem like a chore to do this part, but its a lot less tedious than frog stitching (aka Rip It Rip It)!

Now let's set this top together!

First make six cornerstone/sashing rows.  Start with a cornerstone and add a sashing strip.  For the quilt as described, you will need a total of five cornerstones and four sashing strips.  Press seams toward the sashing.  (If using directional sashing, these are the horizontal pieces.)

You will now form five sashing/block rows.  Add a (vertical) sashing strip to the left side of each block, then join the blocks to form the row.  Add a sashing strip to the right side of the last block in the row.  Press the seams toward the sashing (away from the blocks).

Assemble the rows.  I add a cornerstone/sashing row to the top and bottom of row 1.  Press seams toward the cornerstone/sashing rows (away from the blocks).  Add another sashing/block row.  Press seams toward sashing row.  Backstitch at the end of each seam as you assemble the rows.


Continue adding rows until you have something that looks like this!

Now that wasn't so bad, was it?  Our decision was to have this machine quilted so that it could be loved and dragged and drooled on and then washed multiple times.  Yes, I do think hand quilting would stand up to that rigorous use, but it wouldn't have gotten to the grandma or baby by graduation time at the rate I am finishing things!  It's important to choose your battles wisely.

So there you have it!  I have changed the name of the pattern posts to Shoo Fly Friendship Quilt and have made a pattern label on the left side bar so that you can more easily find it again.

Hugs,

Sharon

P.S.  I am listening to War Horse by Michael Morpurgo.