6 tips for Church Window Quilt

Written by Brittany Lloyd

I just finished up my Church Window quilt from our Church Window quilt along last summer! It's been several months since the quilt along ended, and I've had lots of questions about if I'll be hosting another one in the near future. I don't have any plans for one at the moment but I'd still love to offer some of my best tips for this quilt!

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If you don't already own the Church Window quilt pattern, you can find the digital pattern here and the paper pattern here. It is traditionally pieced with no appliqué, no paper piecing and no y-seams! It's such a fun pattern...it's probably one of my favorites! Church Window is labeled as "Intermediate", so you'll want to have a few quilts under your belt before you tackle this one. Consider the following tips as you are working through the pattern.

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1. Starch

First and foremost, STARCH. I rarely use starch in quilting...however, this quilt has some bias edges and starch could really come in handy. Any kind of starch will do, I typically just use Best Press.

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2. Accurate Cutting

There are two different ways to cut your trapezoids for this quilt. If you are using fat quarters, fat eighths or scraps, you'll start with a rectangle (measurement is indicated in the pattern), then using a square ruler with a 45 degree line, you'll cut off the ends of those rectangles. Note the measurement of the top portion of your trapezoid. You want all of your trapezoids to be identical.

If you are cutting your trapezoids from yardage, this can be just a little bit trickier. You can do it one of two ways. The first way is to cut your WOF strip, then mark designated measurements on the edge of the strip. Connect these two points with your ruler, then cut.

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The other way to cut trapezoids from yardage (and my go-to method) is to create a simple template. You can either use template paper or the back of a cereal box. Once I have my template cut, I place my template on my WOF strip, then place a straight-edge ruler on top of the template then cut.

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3. Batch Cutting

Speed up your cutting by cutting your sashing pieces all at once. Use the lines on your cutting mat to line them all up. Make sure they are perfectly parallel. Using a 12" square ruler, place the ruler on top of the strips to trim the selvedges, then flip your cutting mat around. Use the ruler to cover your designated measurement. Use the lines on your ruler to make sure that your pieces are square.

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TIP: Since I'm cutting multiple strips at once, I like to give myself wiggle room...about 1/8". For the 7" pieces, if your WOF is exactly 42", you won't be able to add any wiggle room without cutting extra strips.

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Cutting multiple strips at once is a great way to save time. Note: the width (short side) of your sashing strip is more important than the length. Give yourself some wiggle room on the length, because you'll be trimming some off anyways. The width, however, should be as exact as possible.

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4. Chain Piece all day!

Since you'll be sewing a sashing piece to each trapezoid (Step 1 under sewing instructions) chain piece to save time and thread. This means you'll continue the seam without sniping your threads, and sew ALL the trapezoids in one continuous seam. When you reach the end, go back and cut the seams or "chain" in between each trapezoid.

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5. Pin, pin, pin!

Use pins for Steps 2 and 3 to help keep your pieces aligned.

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It's also very helpful to pin or glue baste your columns when you are assembling your quilt top. This helps ensure that your points line up, but it also helps with any warping that might happen within your quilt top.

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6. Remember to offset by 1/4"

This is probably where I get the most questions. If you have done everything as accurately as possible up until this point and you are still having trouble, check your seam allowance. You might need to tweak that a bit to make sure your 1/4" seam allowance is as accurate as possible. This will also be important when you sew your columns together.

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TIP: I will put my needle down, then insert my fabric. Then needle should sit right in my "v" that was created by my overlap, and the edge of my fabric should align with the 1/4" seam guide on my pressor foot.

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Need some ideas for your Church Window Quilt? Here are a few blog posts for inspiration:

I also have bundles for my cover Church Window quilt and my Enchanted Church Window quilt. This pattern is also a great way to display large cuts of your favorite prints. Use up those fat quarters and scraps!

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