Marking and Quilting a Simple Sashing Design

I have been getting a lot of questions about how I am accomplishing this quilting design. It is much easier than it looks!



I simply cut a rectangle the size of my sashing pieces out of gridded plastic. Then I drew a gentle curve from one corner to the other on the plastic, preferably with something that does not smudge or could eventually be cleaned away. You will have to experiment with various markers, pencils, and so on to find what works best for you.

Before I cut along the drawn arc, I gently folded the plastic in two across the middle of the long sides and checked to see if the arc was the same on both sides. Then I adjusted my drawing line as needed, and carefully cut along the arc.



Keep both pieces because both are useable.

Next I lined the template up against one side seam of a sashing piece and marked along it with a disappearing marker. Then I rotated the template and marked the overlapping arc.

Since working with fabrics and batting never results in exact measurements, your template might be a tad big or small on some rectangles. Don’t worry. Just slide the template so that your final marking line will extend exactly into the corners where your pieces meet.



When stitching this design, start at one end of a row, stitch along an arc, cross the cornerstone diagonally, then stitch the arc on the next sashing block. It will be on the opposite side of the arc on your first sashing block. Continue along the row of sashing blocks and cornerstones in that manner, sort of like a meandering snake. When you get to the end of your quilt, turn, then snake back the other way.

In the picture below, you can see that I have already completed the stitching along the horizontal sashing rows. As I stitch across the vertical rows, I will NOT stitch over the X that is already stitched in the middle of the cornerstones, but will stitch in the ditch on either side of the cornerstones. Thus, I will NOT be weaving along like a snake on these rows, but stitching rows of arcs connected by short, straight lines.

 

And as to the question in regards to what kind of machine I have: It is a Janome Memory Craft 6500 Professional. The reason I bought it was because the bed is a little larger than standard machines, so it helps a bit in dealing with bulky quilts. I also had heard good things about the machine from quilting friends. In fact, some thought they would upgrade to a fancier machine and sold their Janome 6500P—only to regret their mistake and buy another one.

Hopes this helps.