Quilted Mat Sew Along - Tutorial 1 - Sewing The Squares

Welcome to the first part of the sew along! If you are here for the first time you might want to check out the introduction post that will tell you all you need to know about this project. The best part about this quilted mat is that it is quick. You will only need about 30 minutes at your sewing machine and ironing board for this first part.

 For Part 1 you need:

• Twelve 5" squares
• Pins
• Iron & ironing board
• Sewing machine & thread

First, lay out your squares and 'audition' them. Decide upon the placement of your squares and once you have them laid out the way you want them, take a quick photo on your phone or camera. That way you can refer back to it later if you forget or your squares get jumbled up.

I ended up choosing alternating blue and pink squares from a Cuzco charm pack by Kate Spain for Moda.

Working with the bottom row of squares first, place them right sides together and stitch the squares using a 1/4" seam.

Continue until you have stitched the row together. Repeat with the other two rows.

Press the seams open.

Lay row 2 over the top of row 1 so that right sides are together and seams are aligned. Double check that your placement is correct by flipping row 2 up and imagining what it will look like when it is sewn together. This is especially important if you are using directional fabric. Nothing more annoying that not checking then having to seam rip!

Pin either side of seams, carefully ensuring that seams are aligning.

Stitch together using a 1/4" seam.

Repeat the process of pinning and aligning seams with rows 2 & 3. Again, check and make sure your squares are in the correct order.

You are done! Your little quilt top will look like this:

To make it nice and flat, flip it over and press all the seams open. Trim off any excess threads.

Finished! Don't stress if your corners and seams don't match up perfectly. I am yet to make a project where every seam is perfect, but I'm getting better with practice.

Now show me some pics! I'd love to see your progress. Share on Instagram using the hashtag #matsewalong, post it on my facebook page or upload a pic in the Sew Delicious flickr group. I'm excited to see all the different fabric choices you've made!

Next up on Wednesday will be the basting and quilting tutorial. See you then! Any questions? Get in touch!

If you are sewing along, you can grab this button!

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