Part 7: Building panels

Part 7 - Building Panels

1. Select shapes and blocks that you can build together and press them.

1. Pick from your pile of patchwork shapes and begin to arrange them into a combination you like.

1. You want the panel to be bigger than 40–50 cm (15¾ – 19 11/16 in), as it's going to be the third panel added.

1. Get your tape measure and see how big your block is going to be.

1. Grab two blocks that are going to be next to each other and trim off any excess to make them even.

1. Slightly overlap your two blocks by 1–2 cm (7/16 – 13/16 in). Take your rotary cutter and cut a thin line, cutting both blocks at the same time.

1. Making sure your blocks are right-side facing up, match your blocks.

1. Flip one of your blocks so they face right side to right side. Making sure the right edges meet, take the panels to the sewing machine.

1. Sew the two pieces together with a 0.5 cm (¼ in) seam allowance.

1. Grab your iron and press the strips the way they naturally like to fall. Then reverse the fabric, pressing the other side.

1. Repeat the previous stages with another piece of fabric. Keep adding more pieces to create the panel size you need (just over 50 cm x 40 cm). When all the pieces are joined together, trim the edges of the block to the required size.

1. Place a quilter's ruler or straight edge on one side of the panel where you want to trim a straight line. Using a rotary cutter, trim the edge of the block along the rule to neaten.

Assembling Your Panels

1. Trim the block to the right size based on your original sketch. Use your cutting mat to line up the edges, and then use your rotary cutter to trim the edges and remove the excess. Repeat this on your other panels.