What is Quilt as You Piece

Quilt as you Piece is another method of piecing your blocks for the Quilt as you Go Method of quilt making.

In a nutshell, when you are done piecing your block, it is already layered and either already quilted or ready for quilting.

I am not calling this a brand new method but I have not been able to find this method of making blocks anywhere. If it already is out there, I want to know so I can add that resource to this page. I got inspired by Candy Glendening's method of joining large sections of quilts together, layering them and then quilting them as she built her quilt. I decided to go one step further and actually make my smaller blocks the same way she joined her large sections of her quilt. I am just doing it on the block level instead of the whole quilt level. This technique of quilt making is perfect for throw size quilts where you always see both sides of the quilt. I have made a king size and queen size quilt with this method and I have a choice as to what side of the quilt I want to see on the top of my bed.

I like to join my blocks together in a manner that makes it hard to tell whether it is quilt as you go or not. I have used the sashing method of joining the blocks but I made the sashing part of of the design of my quilts, so it is not obvious, to the untrained eye, that it is a quilt as you go quilt. The fabrics I use for the sashing are the same fabrics that I use for either the background color of the quilt or the outer edge of my blocks so they blend right in.

Features of Quilt As You Piece
• Similar to Quilt as You Go.
• Makes a true Reversible or double sided Block.
• Back Side of block is same pattern as front of block.
• Back and front sides of block use different prints of fabrics.
• Batting pieces are cut the same shapes and but slightly smaller as block fabric pieces.
• Block is quilted as each layered piece is added to block.
• Quilting can be done edge to edge if desired, to prevent from having to knot beginning and ends of quilting.
• Quilting each piece as you add it to the block, can be done by hand if desired.
• Fancy Quilting can be done after block is constructed like in regular Quilt as You Go, if desired.
• Scraps of batting can be used in this method of building blocks as long as all of the batting is the same.
• Fusible flat cotton or 80/20 Cotton/Polyester batting works best for this method.
• Most traditional blocks can be adapted for this method of block making.
• Most foundation pieced blocks can be converted to this method of block making.
• Most paper pieced blocks can be made without paper, using this method. The very intricate blocks, with very small points, may be very difficult to piece in this method.
• If all blocks are the same layout, you can chain piece them!
• This is a great scrap stash busting method of quilt making since you can use your scraps for the back side of your blocks while using your carefully chosen fabrics for the front side of your blocks for your pattern design.
• You can coordinate your fabrics for both sides of the quilt, for example, for lap quilts where you are bound to be able to see both sides at the same time. So the fabrics should look good together no matter what.

In this section of the site, my focus of quilting, for the most part, will be on the construction of blocks using this "Quilt as You Piece" method of making quilt blocks. I do plan to post patterns for finished quilts but they will be for points for members or for purchase. However, for non members, I will show different sample layouts that are possible from the blocks I make. I have a lot of scraps that can be used for making a sampler quilt that can be different from everyone else out there. Don't look for names of fabrics used in my quilts. I am going to use what I have, and what I can get for materials needed in my projects, at a low cost. Some of my materials may be unconventional as well! For example, it is possible to make a throw quilt from a roll of 2.25" wide jelly roll rug batting! I have also used the little 2" x 8" polyester batting pieces I had saved from those little cardboard jewelry gift boxes meant for necklaces, bracelets and watches. I had around 1000 of them and put them in to a king size quilt I made. Remember though, I had them because I used those little boxes to package my paper bead rollers. You can order just the inserts for these boxes but if you do, for a king size quilt, 1000 pieces would cost about $300.00. Yes three hundred dollars! I used what I had, to get rid of them, without throwing them out, but I recommend you buy batting the conventional way and cut the pieces yourself.

This quilting section of the site is not for absolute beginners in quilting. There are tons of Videos on YouTube that do a great job on teaching you how to quilt and make the quilt as you go type of quilting. I will be adding links to the different joining methods I have found so you can choose the method that will work best for your projects.

Here is a tip to figure out how much fabric you need of scraps for the back side of your blocks. Weigh the fabric you bought for the quilt top, before cutting your pieces and pull out you scraps and match that weight of your scraps. Make sure your scraps are at least bigger than the smallest piece in your quilt top. Since you are bound to have scraps left over from your top quilt design, you should have enough of your scraps for the back side if they weigh the same. Or you can just buy different fabrics in the same amount for the back side.