SoChick QAL {Anchors Aweigh: Week 4, Row 6 & 7}

***As I was editing this post, my computer crashed and I have lost all of my photos and documents for the QAL and more.  I am sharing what I have for Row 6 as it was written.  At the bottom of the post, I have included notes for Row 7, including pattern corrections.***


Welcome to week 4 of the SoChick Quilt Along featuring the Anchors Aweigh Quilt Pattern, and Salt Water fabrics, by Tula Pink.  We are almost finished with the rows for this quilt top... eeek! How exciting!

Here's some quick links to previous posts for this QAL, if you are just joining in:

Original QAL Post

Cut & Prep

Week 1: Rows 1 & 8

Week 2: Rows 2 & 3 *I have noted a pattern correction in this post*

Week 3: Rows 4 & 5

At the end of the QAL you'll be able to enter to WIN a Free Craftsy.com class for Quilting your large quilt... and this is a large quilt, on your home machine!  To enter, you just need to share a photo of your finished quilt top... more details to come on the giveaway as the QAL draws to a close.

Thank you to Craftsy for generously sponsoring the SoChick QAL! This lesson is valued at $39.99 and is full of very useful information, plus it's yours to keep and watch whenever; over and over again!  Stop by Craftsy.com to check out the Indie Pattern Shops (like, mine) as well as great deals on supplies, tips, their blog is great, too... I totally think you should join in the Craftsy fun!  P.S.- You can catch some lectures from QuiltCon 2013 for free, too!

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And here we go... Week 4:
 I fully intended to have both Row 6 and 7 in this post, but these last two rows incorporate a bit more piecing and so to save on a huge-o-long post, I've decided to give each row their own post... aww. *wink*  No worries, though, if you finish this one soon, I won't make you wait another week for Row 7! *Keep reading for Row 7 details, thanks to my computer crash, gah!*

Anchors Aweigh, Row 6
Before you cut, you will need to make the following corrections to the pattern:

Row 6 Cutting Corrections

And, of course, I've laid out all of my pieces and pulled all of my square prints that I will need for this row.  I promise you, that even if I weren't photographing for the QAL, I'd still lay all of my pieces out... it's sew helpful to ensure you're staring with everything you'll need... less time spent looking around for supplies = more time sewing!


I started with the smaller sections and worked my way into the center of the row.  The first two stitched were Row 6 Sections 2 and 8. (R6S2, R6S8).  I didn't chain piece for these sections.  Be careful to use a consistent 1/4 in seam allowance.  Press all seams open and nest your seams as you stitch the strips within the section together.  Start by piecing the top of the section, then attach to the bottom solid piece; press seams open.

Starch and press, starch and press...

Next, I worked on R6S3 and R6S7, these are where I discovered the cutting error in the pattern, so if you've made the corrections, you shouldn't have a problem.... if not, well, this part may take you as long as it took me. *wink*

I noted the measurements of the solid pieces, as they are cut, to show where the corrections go, etc... quite a bit of ripping went into these sections, mostly S3, as you can tell by all of the threads and the kinked seam on the far left... be sure to trim any threads off of your sections as you finish with them.  I did, after I took the photo...

Row 6 Section 5 I was able to chain-piece as I did in the last QAL post.  I completely forgot to photograph this Section, but it was the quickest stitching of Row 6, for me.

The final sections, Section 4 and 6, are different from Sections throughout the quilt in that they are almost broken down into sub-sections, which are then attached to a larger solid piece to complete the Section.  I hope that made some kind of sense, with the major use of the word "sections".

Row 6 Section 4, Anchors Aweigh

This is the lower part of  Row 6 Section 4, where I've sewn the "sub-sections" together.  Next, I attached the solids to their corresponding pieces, then attached all of the "sub-sections" to complete the lower half of R6S4.

Lower portion of R6S4

Once the lower half is complete, the larger solid fabric can be attached.  If you are using a 1/4in seam allowance, your solid piece should line up exactly with your lower section.  However, if you notice the ends of the solid extend slightly beyond, or end slightly short, of your pieced section, you should be okay, the difference will be absorbed in the 1/4in seam allowance when you join all of the sections in the row.

*** This is where my computer dies, along with all of my photos, so I apologize for not having any pictures of the last Rows, and their completed sections.

After stitching Row 6 Section 4, I moved on to Section 6.  I made sure to give each of these sections individual attention (instead of sewing them at the same time as I did with the others).  The "sub-sections" can get a little tricky. 

I pieced Row 6 according to the pattern, again, I did not trim anything down. So far, any slight variations in length/width of the sections' edges has been absorbed in the 1/4in seam allowance when sewing the sections together.  Basically, when sewing the sections and rows together, I have tried to keep everything within the 12 1/2 in length of the finished row... so if a section is slightly smaller, due to my piecing/seams, I just center them best I can, pin and stitch to the next section.  So far, none of the variations have been large enough to warrant ripping stitches or caused any fabric to be missed in the 1/4 in seam.  I'll stop rambling about that now. If you have a question about this, just ask in the comments, I'll do my best to answer/explain. *wink*

On to Row 7:

*Before cutting, make the following corrections to the pattern:

-You will be cutting fabric J and not K, as written in the pattern.

Cut your solid fabric (fabric J) and lay them out; pull out all of the squares as called for in the pattern.

Row 7, Section 3:

  For this section, I sewed the bottom pieces (K, E, C, I, K) together, then chain pieced the top portion.  Once I completed the chain piecing of top portion and joined those, I joined the bottom piece to that.  Press all seams open, trim all threads. Starch and press, starch and press.

Row 7 Sections 2 & 4:

Much like Row 6's Sections 4 & 6, these sections are made up of "sub-sections" which are attached to a larger solid piece to finish them; I worked these two independently as well.

Once these sections are completed, press and starch them, then attach them to complete the final row of your Anchors Aweigh Quilt top!   Yay!!!!

I realize that these Rows, while fairly simple, are a bit time consuming; I will do my best to explain how to attach your Rows in the next post.  I am also going to move the Giveaway for the Free Craftsy Lesson in to April.  I think this will allow time for everyone to complete their Anchors Aweigh Quilt tops, which gives everyone a shot at the Giveaway Prize! Thanks for bearing with me as I deal with my computer issue and moving!  

XxOo~ Melissa

SoChick Quilt Along {Anchors Aweigh: Week 3}

Welcome to week 3 of the SoChick Quilt Along featuring the Anchors Aweigh Quilt Pattern, and Salt Water fabrics, by Tula Pink!

We are crossing the half-way mark this week with Rows 4 & 5 of the Anchors Aweigh Quilt.  If you are laying your pieces out together, or if you're joining them as we go, your quilt top is starting to look pretty Awesome!

Here's some quick links to previous posts for this QAL, if you need to catch up:

Original QAL Post

Cut & Prep

Week 1: Rows 1 & 8

Week 2: Rows 2 & 3

At the end of the QAL you'll be able to enter a photo, or link to a photo, of your completed top for a chance to WIN a Free Craftsy.com class for Quilting your large quilt... and this is a large quilt, on your home machine!

Thank you to Craftsy for generousrly sponsoring the SoChick QAL! This lesson is valued at $39.99 and is full of very useful information, plus it's yours to keep and watch whenever; over and over again!  Stop by Craftsy.com to check out all of the awesomeness going on over there.

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{Week 3: Row 4 & Row 5}

We are going to put our rows together in reverse order today because I have started using the method of "Chain Piecing" when sewing all of these little squares together when there are sections full of them.  As a reminder, I'll refer to the Row and then the Section within the Row as shown in the Anchors Aweigh Quilt Pattern.(ex: Row 5 Section 2 (R5S2).)

Row 5:
Lay out your pieces.

Now, with Row 5 Section 2, (R5S2) we are going to start chain piecing our squares.  Chain piecing is a time-saving technique used in quilting where you sew fabric pieces together in a continuous chain or loop.  It's especially helpful with the little squares we're working with and I noticed that it makes handling them much easier as well as they are all kept together, literally.

R5S2, we will only chain piece the squares in the lower part of this section, and again in Section 8.  I pieced the solids and top four squares as I normally would. (not shown in this pic, but you'll see in the next, *wink*)

Following the arrows, you'll place the squares on top of each other right sides together, making two rows of square pairs (photo 2 below).  Then, you will stitch, using your 1/4 in seam allowance, on the right side of the squares, as indicated by the arrows in photo 2; continuing down each row.  Once you stitch one pair of squares, without lifting your presser foot and without trimming your thread, you'll place the next pair under to be stitched and so on.  All of the squares will be connected by a "chain" of fabric. 

You'll finger-press the seams open on the square pairs and repeat the process with the pairs, joining them at the center seam (photo 4, above) being careful not to twist your chain as you go (pinning can be helpful for the first run-through).  Next, without trimming the chain stitches, you'll attach all of these little rows together as we did in previous rows by nesting the seams.  The good news is, with all of the rows attached by the chain stitches, lining up the seams and stitching is a piece of cake!

Once all of the little rows are stitched together, trim the chain stitches and press all of these seams open before joining the bottom of this section to the top. 

Trim chain stitches before pressing seams open.

Complete Row 7, then continue chain-piecing with Row 5 Section 5 and you'll find how quickly these sections go together using this time-saving technique.

Once you've completed R5 Sections 2, 8, and 5, Sections 3 and 7 stitch up quickly.  When sewing with your solids, be careful not to pull at the solid fabrics as this will distort the seam.  This is especially important to remember when piecing the row together.

Row 5 Sections 3 & 7

You'll notice that my sections are a little wonky, before stitching them together I am sure to starch and press them all, even the solids.  I then stitch together the pieced sections, 2 & 3 and 7 & 8, next I joined 4, 5, and 6. I joined these pairings and added the final outside solids 1 & 9.  I find that this method allows be to best line up my pieces as straight as possible by checking against a solid fabric edge... as they aren't wonky like my pieced sections.  I have not cut down any of my pieced sections... any wonky-ness is absorbed in my 1/4 in seam allowance... so far. 

Row 4:
Again, lay out the pieces... and keep that pattern handy!

Now that you've got chain piecing figured out, this row will go together quickly.  You'll use the chain piecing method for all of Row 4 Section 4.  Below is a photo of attaching your chain pieced rows together, nesting seams, etc... and what it looks like with everything attached.

Chain piecing makes the next step, of nesting seams and stitching the little rows together, move quickly.

Once you finish R4S4, the next two sections, 2 & 6, go together quickly, too!  

Stitch all of your sections together and do a happy dance that you are more than half-way through Tula Pink's Anchors Aweigh Quilt top!

We have two more rows to go, then we'll join them and be ready to share our completed tops...  Woo Hoo!  It is SO exciting to see this come together and I'm thrilled to be sewing it with you!  Remember to share photos of your progress in the SoChick QAL Flickr group, or on Instagram with the hashtag #SoChickQAL.

See you next week!

Psst... if you have a blog or website, please grab a button (copy and paste the code from the right sidebar) to share the fun with everyone and let them know what you've been stitching.

XxOo~ Melissa