58
CHAPTER PIECING QUILT BLOCKS
Hand Piecing
Although time-consuming, hand piecing has some advantages over machine piecing: it’s restful, easily
portable, and more easily controlled. Before hand piecing a block, you will need to create templates,
trace around them on your fabric, and add a seam allowance. When hand piecing, sew together units
first, then sew together each row, and finally sew together rows to complete a block. Use a size 7–11
Appliqué or Sharps needle, or a size 11 Straw or Milliners needle, threaded with hand-piecing thread in
a neutral beige, gray, or white.
Mark each piece with a dot at each corner of the seam.
Place fabric right side down on a sandpaper board, trace
around the template, and add a seam allowance with an
Add-A-Quarter ruler or quarter-inch seam marker. Mark a
dot at each corner to help you align pieces for sewing, and
then cut the piece out.
Align the edges of the first two pieces and pin.
Place the first two pieces right sides together, aligning the
edges perfectly. Pin horizontally through the dots at each
corner and along the seam to maintain alignment. Once the
seam is aligned, remove the horizontal stabilizing pins and
replace them with vertical pins.
12
Template
Seam
allowance
Dot at seam
intersection
59
HAND PIECING
Backstitch to anchor the seam.
Don’t knot your thread. Instead, take a backstitch. Come up
through the dot at point A, down at point B, up at point C,
then back down halfway between A and B, at point D.
Sew the rest of the seam.
Sew the seam using a small running stitch. Take several
backstitches along the seam to secure your stitches, then
backstitch at the end of the seam. Remove pins as you sew.
Sew together the block units, and then sew together the
units for each row.
3
4
Sew together rows to complete your block.
Butt (nestle) opposing seams, and then pin through the dots
at seam intersections to match the two seam allowances
perfectly. Backstitch at the beginning and end of the row
seam. When you reach an intersection between units, take
a small backstitch, and then poke the needle through to
the other side of the seam. Take another backstitch. Take a
backstitch at the end of the seam, stopping at the dot.
5
As you stitch, check the backside to make sure you’re
stitching on the seam line for both pieces.
A
B
C
D
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