Knitted Blooms QAL - Week 2 - Seam Allowance & Small Flower Units

Written by Brittany Lloyd

Hello and welcome back!

It's Week 2 of the Knitted Blooms Quilt Along. By this week, you should have all of your fabrics cut and ready to go. Now it's time to start sewing! Before we get started, here are some helpful links that you might find handy:

Week 1 Blog Post and Video
Knitted Blooms Quilt Along Details
PDF - Knitted Blooms quilt pattern
Paper - Knitted Blooms quilt pattern

Week 2:

This week, we'll test our seam allowance and making all of our Small Flower Units. There are 4 Small Flower Units per block and by the end of this week, you should have all of them created, which will get us ready for Weeks 3 & 4: Rows 1 - 8.

If you've never tested your seam allowance before or sewn in batches you'll definitely want to check out the Week 2 video. In a nutshell, we will walk through why testing is important and some helpful tips and tricks in making Knitted Blooms and this weeks Small Flower Units. It's quick AND fun!

If you need help with your seam allowance, be sure to check out these two blog posts:

Here are some tips for the process:

Make a test Small Flower Unit before you start making your blocks!
Every time you sew a portion of the block, get in the habit of putting your ruler over top & measuring to ensure your seam allowance is accurate! The pattern includes measurement benchmarks throughout it. Check your pieces to ensure your seam allowance is staying on track.
If your piece ends up measuring larger than what the pattern says, that means your seam allowance was a little bit too small. If your piece ends up measuring smaller than what the pattern says, that means your seam allowance was a little bit too large.
You are welcome to press your seams how you would like, but I like to press my seams to one side for two reasons. (1) It helps my blocks lay really flat. (2) It gives me a more accurate depiction of what my seam allowance is.

Minute Mark- 7:23

To make the small flower units, refer to page 10 in the paper pattern or page 12 in the digital pattern.
We are going to be strip piecing these petal units.
The modern version has its own set of instructions. You will be making the blocks one at a time. The traditional and 4 color version have their own set of instructions. You will be using WOF strips to strip piece the petal units.
Refer to the column on the far right hand side of the tables. This will tell you how many petal units you will cut from your strip piecing.
I like to pin my strips together and sew with a small stitch length of 1.8-2.0mm. This will keep your seams from unraveling once you cut through them.
Chain piece where you can.
Flatter Spray - helps seams become super flat; I like to water mine down a bit to make it last longer and also cut down on the scent just a smidge. I've tried the Celebration scent and I really liked it!
Tailors Clapper - helps retain heat when pressing & encourages seams to lie flat.
Backstitching is encouraged to help secure the seams around the perimeter of the Small Flower Unit.
If you have any fabric overhang, feel free to square it up.

Week 1 Winner:

The winner of the 18" x 36" wool pressing mat, tailors clapper, and Flatter spray is Melissa Jo, @josews2021 ! Congratulations! Send us an email and we'll get your prize on its way to you!

Week 2 Prize:

This week, our prize is centered around achieving flat seams. One lucky winner will receive:

1 bottle of Flatter spray (your choice of scented or unscented!)
an 18" x 36" wool pressing mat
a tailor's clapper

To enter:

Your Instagram account must be public for us to see your entry.
Take a progress photo of this week's progress. Please make sure that your photo does not include any part of the pattern pages. That is for your eyes only!
Share the photo to Instagram.