Buy 3 patterns, get the 4th pattern free! Discount is automically applied at checkout when four patterns are added to your cart.

Be Mine Sewalong - Week 3

January 15 2021 – Lindsey Neill

It’s Week 3 of the Be Mine Sewalong! We’re officially done with our Heart Blocks and moving on to the “X” Blocks! Yay!

Because there are bias seams in the “X” Blocks and, therefore, more challenging to sew, I wanted to share a few tips & tricks for piecing them!

Follow the seam allowance instructions in Steps 11 and 12. I’m pointing this out because if you’re like me and mainly just follow the diagrams in a pattern (Yes, I’m admitting that as a person who writes patterns for a living 😬😂) you might have some regrets this week if you don’t actually read Steps 11 & 12. More information about sewing with a scant 1/4” seam allowance can be found HERE.

Glue baste! Whenever I’m sewing with bias edges I ALWAYS use glue instead of pins to sew my pieces together. This greatly helps with accuracy in your piecing and I find that I experience zero stretching or distortion with my bias edges as well. Unsure what glue basting is? Check out my YouTube video all about it HERE!
Crease your D Pieces! I cannot stress enough how helpful it is to follow the directions in Step 11 - Not only regarding seam allowance, but for creasing your D pieces as well. I know, more time consuming, but it’s SO worth it.
Again, READ STEP 12 😂 When you sew the two halved A pieces to the left and right sides of the Step 11 unit, it is important that your 1/4” seam allowance intersects where those two units meet (as shown in the right-side image below). This is why I recommend sewing with a standard 1/4” seam allowance in Step 12. If you left it as a scant 1/4” seam allowance you might find that the seam allowance is too narrow and doesn’t intersect perfectly with the two units.
Pressing tip! I like to lay a heavy book + my iron on top of a freshly pressed “X” Block. I leave them on top of my block until it has cooled completely (about 30 seconds). The end result is a beautifully pressed, flat block. It’s magical!
Those are all of my tips for piecing the “X” blocks! I hope you found them helpful! In next week’s newsletter I will be sharing a fun and *FREE* FPP pattern so stay tuned for that!
If you have a moment, please check out the sponsors of the sewalong below! They have all made very generous contributions to the grand prize ❤ If you haven’t seen what the grand prize is yet, check that out HERE!
If you have any questions or issues while making your “X” blocks, feel free to email me! Happy to help! See you all next week! ♥