A Checkerboard Quilt and a Strip Piecing Tutorial

[lengthy blog post warning]

In my "studio" this week it has been all about small patchwork piecing, small scale prints and those much loved retro / 30's fabrics that I have been collecting so enthusiastically. 

100 blocks ready to be sewn into a quilt top

I spent two days pulling fabric and cutting. Cutting strips of fabric until I thought I had enough for my quilt, and then some because for some reason I always have to go back and cut more fabric. Every time.

Despite the small patchwork pieces this quilt top came together really well. Each finished square measures 1.25 inches x 1.25 inches, and to make the construction process easier I have strip and chain pieced to my heart's content. And by that I mean that I have created 16-patch blocks like so:

The 16-patch blocks have been pieced using a simple strip set technique which eliminates the need to work with tiny squares; it is quicker and less fiddly, and in turn I find it more accurate.

A CHECKERBOARD ~ STRIP PIECING TUTORIAL

You will need 4 strips of fabric - 2 solid and 2 printed fabric strips - each fabric strip measuring 8 inches x 1 3/4 inches. I have used Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton in White as my solid contrast fabric, although I think that Kona Snow would be a good substitute and in keeping with the era of the prints.

Using a 1/4" seam allowance sew four strips of fabric together
alternating a solid (light) fabric with a printed (dark) fabric.
The strip set measures 8 inches x 5 1/2 inches.

Press seams together and towards the printed (dark) fabric.

Cross-cut the strip-set at 1 3/4" intervals.
You will have some excess fabric left over which 
 you may need if your strip set is a little wonky - straighten/trim your 
strip set as is required.

Repeat times 100 or for as many blocks as you need for your quilt.

Each block measures 5 1/2 inches x 5 1/2 inches including seam allowances.

And then you are ready to start sewing your units into 16-patch blocks. I pieced my blocks at random, choosing colors/patterns as pleased my eye, confident that in the end the overall scrappy blocks would work together well.

When sewing units together into 16-patch blocks

be sure to arrange the units the same way. 

Consistently start with a printed (dark) fabric patch in the top left hand corner

thereby ensuring that all 16-patch blocks are pieced in the same way. 

Press seams together in the same direction.
Again ensure that all blocks are identical.

Example only - actual quilt top is 10 blocks wide by 10 rows.

Once you have enough blocks to make a quilt top simply arrange your blocks in rows, alternating the direction of the seams for every row. The arrows above refer to the direction of the final seam allowances of the individual blocks. By alternating the direction of the final seam allowance all of the other seams will also nest together and will make matching seams easy.

This tutorial is not all that different from my Postage Stamp Tutorial but as the fabric strip sets are smaller, and the seams have been pressed differently (due to the use of the contrasting white fabric), I thought that rather than send you there with a list of tutorial modifications, I would share this simple checkerboard technique with you here.

And in case you would like to work with smaller/larger patchwork units:

1 inch finished squares : : cut fabric strips 1.5 inches x 7 inches : : cross-cut the strip set at 1.5 inch intervals.
16-patch block measures 4.5 inches x 4.5 inches (incl. seam allowances).

1.5" finished squares : : cut fabric strips 2 inches x 9 inches : : cross-cut the strip set at 2 inch intervals.
16-patch block measures 6.5 inches x 6.5 inches (incl seam allowances).

2" finished squares : : cut fabric strips 2.5 inches x 11 inches : : cross-cut the strip set at 2.5 inch intervals.
16-patch block measures 8.5 inches x 8.5 inches (incl seam allowances).

Cutting fabric strips from many different fabrics can be time consuming but if you plan ahead and cut a strip every you pull out a fabric eventually you will have enough to get started. Or dive into your scrap bin and start busting those scraps.

One hundred 16-patch blocks and 1600 patchwork pieces.
200 different printed fabrics.
1.5 yards of Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton in White.
Quilt Top measures 50.5 inches x 50.5 inches.

Any questions?  Please feel free to ask by leaving a comment, and I will reply in the comments section.

Thank you for stopping by,
Rita

RELEVANT LINKS:
Red Pepper Quilts Tutorials
Checkerboard Quilt - A Finished Quilt

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