Revised QAYG instructions

QUILT AS YOU GO (QAYG) quilt directions

by Jan Hyatt 10/10/14

A.  There are at least 7 different types of quilt as you methods that I am aware of:

1.  Rag quilt either with squares or with strips. Accuquilt Go Cutter has a great die that cuts squares + fringes at once.  Use blue painters tape to keep fringes from getting caught in the seams. 

2.  Quilting and sewing loose pieces of fabric on whole cloth layered with batting + backing

3.  Sewing pre-quilted squares or strips together from the front.  Hand-sew backing pieces. 

4.  Sewing pre-quilted squares or strips together from the back with 1” seams.  Fold back and top stitch. 

5.  Sewing pre-quilted squares without backing together.  Place over backing and stitch in the ditch on seam lines only. 

6.  Serger method involves pieces of top, bat and backing serged or zigzagged together in log cabin type fashion or in strips.  Tutorial is on the blog listed below. 

7.  Back and bat bonded and then top pieces sewn on and quilted at the same time as outlined below. 

B.  You should first try a simple row quilt layout with #7 method.  It is the easiest.  You can also just make a hotpad or table runner if you are doing this for the first time.  Then you can make a baby blanket and up to a king sized blanket.  The center of a larger blanket is made with method #7.  Then additional borders can be added using method # 6.

C.  It really helps to have a walking foot on your machine.  This way you don’t get little puckers on the back of the quilt.  If you do not have one, stretch your backing on a flat surface and secure with blue painters tape.  Even then you will probably get some “glitches”.

D.  BACKING: unless you are using a row quilt layout, pick a busy print for your backing.  It hides the stitches that may not end up looking so perfect.  On Log Cabin and may other layouts your seam lines will intersect and go ¼” beyond.  Since many of my quilts are for charity, I am not so concerned that the back is completely perfect.  I am not going to enter then into a quilt show.  Fold an equal size of batting into fourths lengthwise.  Spray the first fourth of the batting with quilt basting spray (my favorite is Spray n Bond ).  Lay the first fourth of the backing fabric onto it.  Spray the next fourth and smooth the next fourth of fabric onto it and so forth.  Turn it upside down to make sure it is smooth. 

E.  Pick your quilt layout.  With a very light colored permanent marker, mark a few lines or diagonals on the batting so that you can keep your piecing straight.  You can spray baste or pin the first piece marked A1 onto the layout.  Then lay A2 on top of A1 with right sides together and sew a 1//4” seam with a

fairly large stitch.    Open A2 and then situate A3 on top of it.  As you add pieces you may find that you are not completely square with the ends or sides.  Use your marked lines to line it up again, making sure you have at least an 1/8” seam on each fabric.  It really doesn’t seem that noticeable if you a little off in the middle of the quilt but by the time you get to the end, it could be quite a bit out of square so keep checking. 

I also have a Pinterest board for QAYG: http://www.pinterest.com/piecemakerjan/create-a-qayg-quilt/
If you have questions or problems understanding the tutorials, call me at 734-1654.