Week Three? Things are really rolling along! In this week's email, I'll be guiding you through sewing your blocks together, sharing tips to help make curved piecing feel easier, and techniques for ensuring flat, finished blocks. Don't forget to scroll all the way to the very last lines (after reading all our helpful info of course) for this week's winners!

 

Zoom sew-in this Friday! Our Amy from @sewtopia is hosting a Wagon Wheel sew-in on Friday, September 27, from 4pm - 6pm MT (6pm - 8pm ET). Drop in for all or some of this casual retreat and sew together! Have questions? I'll be on dialing in the first hour, and Amy and Wendy will available too! Here's the link!

 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83749867926?pwd=pFj0xLeBOL083i2Py3uGC1bhMgSqpr.1
 

I suggest making one block first, before you sew all your backgrounds together, and pin all your wheels into the background. Consider the first block a test run to make sure all systems are go. If you encounter any issues in your finished block—like ripply edges, the block finishing too small, or things not laying flat—you can more easily address what may be causing the problem without having to undo a lot of work.

Pieces with curved bias edges can easily stretch and distort out of shape. If you cut your Background Ring (D) pieces a while ago or have moved them around a bit, I suggest checking them against your template or pattern piece, before assembling the Background Ring. 

If the pieces look good, sew the four background D pieces together at the narrow ends, and press the allowances to one side.

After I sew the background pieces together, I mark the centers of the curved edge on each piece. My preferred method is to fold each quarter in half (matching seams), then finger pressing a crease, but you can also mark them using the template notches. Mark the centers of the curved wheel pieces too, as shown below.

I like to use my cutting mat for this next step. I can make sure my background edges are square, and it makes it easier to pin the wheel and background together. 

 

Arrange the Background Ring right side up as shown above. Center the wheel, right side up, on top of the background. The edges will overlap. 

 

Align the marked centers of the curved Piece A's with the Background Ring seams (below left), and the center of the wheel axles (Piece B) with the Background Ring marked centers (below right).

Flip the edges of the background ring toward the center of the wheel so the background and wheel are right sides together. Pin as shown below, aligning the background seams and Piece A centers, and the background centers with Piece B (axle) centers.

Smooth one inch on either side of each background block seam and pin. Then ease the fullness of the background between these pins, keeping the edges aligned, as shown below.

 

To make it easier to evenly ease the fullness, I keep the corners of the background centered on the axles as shown below. 

 

I like using a lot of pins (as you can see), but if glue-basting is your thing, go for it. 

Now you're ready to sew the background and wheel together! Start at a background seam. Stitch slowly, keeping the edges aligned, and maintain a consistent ¼ inch seam allowance.

Press the seam allowance toward the background. I like to “true up” my block at this stage (below) to the finished size of 20-½ inches square per the pattern instructions, as needed.

If you find your block is finishing smaller than 20-½ inches, it's okay! It may be that your seam allowance is a hair wider than the pattern allowances, or your cutting is a bit (consistently) off. If you block lays flat, go with the smaller size and adjust your sashing lengths as needed.

 

If your block edges are wavy or ripply, check your unsewn fabric pieces against the templates (or the paper pattern if you made cardboard templates) to see if your cutting is off, and make sure your seam allowances are consistent throughout the block.

If you're happy with the results of your test block, you're ready to roll with sewing the rest together! That's your goal for this week!

Don’t forget to post a picture of your progress (at least one wheel sewn into a background) with hashtag #wagonwheelsal24 by midnight September 29 for a chance to win our prizes for this week:

 

• A fat quarter bundle of my Eastham fabrics (from the archives!) donated by our sponsor and SAL partner Sewtopia!

 

• Our friends at Fabric Spark, a vibrant quilt ship in Toronto, Canada, are donating a $50 gift certificate for their shop, and they ship everywhere!

 

• Two issues of QuiltFolk magazine – the Connecticut issue (featuring yours truly!) and the current Oklahoma issue! A beautiful, ad-free print magazine that features a new region each quarter, QuiltFolk explores the people and places that make it unique. Whether you’re an experienced quilter or just beginning your journey, Quiltfolk offers creativity and connection for all. 

And, our Week 2 winners! A pair of QuiltFolk magazine issues goes to @lynncycle! A fab bundle of eco-friendly fabric care product from Soak goes to @cindy_sews! A sparkly and fun prize pack from Feral Notions goes to @notlaverne. Congratulations everyone!