Ticker Tape Quilt Along Week 3 – Quilt Top Assembly

Just a quick reminder for all of those making Ticker Tape along with me: remember to work at your own pace – you are never “behind” because the quilt along posts will stay up indefinitely! Here’s the reveal of my turquoise version – I love a good “quilt top drop!” Click the image below to play the short video:

So this week’s “homework” is to join all of the blocks into rows and assemble the quilt top. You’ll be using the leftover squares to make a fun pieced border which frames the design nicely.

If you are just joining us, grab a copy of the Ticker Tape quilt pattern to follow along!
Click here to view all PDF patterns in my Etsy shop.

Here are some bonus tips that should help as you sew your quilt top together:

Lay Out Your Quilt Blocks On a Large Surface

This can be a design wall, the bed, or even the floor! But laying them out and then taking a picture of the order will help speed up the row assembly.

Press as You Go

I can’t over emphasize the importance of pressing. Whether you press your seams open like I do, or to the side, if you press every single seam as you go, it will help your quilt top lie flat and everything will go together much more smoothly. I use a hot dry iron with no steam. I press each unit in the block, then each block, and then reach row as I sew it together.

Pins are Your Friends!

Because I press my seams open, my seams don’t nest. So instead, I use a generous amount of pins to get my seams to line up perfectly. The trick is to pin perpendicular to the seam and place those pins on either side of the seam rather than in the middle so it won’t wiggle open. Take a look at this short video demo below. Click the image to start the video:

Enjoy the View

I actually finished sewing the Turquoise version of the quilt top while on a recent beach vacay. It was chilly outside but I had a great view from inside. I love taking my singer Featherweight with me on sewing vacation!

Make it Any Size You Want

The nice thing about my quilt patterns is that I offer them in multiple sizes and it’s also pretty simple to customize your size by adding or reducing blocks, rows and borders. I loved this quilt so much I’m making 2 versions of it. Here are a couple in progress images of the smaller Navy version which I made as Lap sized.

Stock up on Dazzle Dots!

As of this writing, I was able to cut out several more Ticker Tape quilt kits in all 4 colors I offer. You can also stock up on your favorite Dazzle Dots fabrics for the backing, and some folks have grabbed an extra yard or 2 to make it a little bigger. But you know what – no matter which fabrics and colors you choose, or what size you make, it’s going to look great!

Looking ahead to next week it will be time to baste – so stay tuned for more quilt along fun!!
Remember, you can share your progress and get extra help anytime in my Facebook group.