Perennial Quilt Sew Along Week 4: Sew Rows

In week 4 of the Perennial quilt sew along we sew our triangles into rows. Check out these tips and video tutorials!

Welcome to Week 4 of the Perennial quilt sew along! If you’re just now joining in, read back to this introductory post to get a quick overview, then grab the Perennial quilt pattern and dive in. Even though we are just over halfway through, it's not too late to join us!

This week we begin sewing those wonky triangles into rows. If this is your first time sewing triangles, the process will feel odd and maybe a little scary; but once you get into a rhythm it will start to feel very natural. And trust me, you will sew enough triangles together to become an expert by the end of making this quilt. 😉

Perennial Sew Along Schedule

The Perennial quilt sew along will help you make this beautiful modern quilt through added instructions, pictures and tips! suzyquilts.com

Week 4 Assignment: Sew Triangles into Rows

Before you get started sewing your triangles into rows, I have a few tips.

Tip #1: Lay out your quilt.

Lay out your entire quilt to make sure you have each triangle in the right place with the right orientation. This is also the time to make your own personal modifications with your triangle placement if you want to. After laying everything out it's not too late to change some of the triangles if need be. Maybe you want a little more of one color and a little less of another. Now's the time to make changes!

If you have the space on your floor you can simply lay your triangles there; however many of us don't have the extra space—enter the design wall! Never heard of a design wall? You'll love this post, How to Make a Quilt Design Wall.

Trending patterns!

Tip #2: Try to stay organized with your triangles.

Once I have my layout finalized and ready I stay organized by gathering the triangles in each row, starting at the left, and stack into neat piles. If you need to do this one row at a time—stack, sew, then stack and sew, that's perfectly fine too. Just be sure you're keeping the triangles oriented correctly.

Tip #3: Set up your sewing area for speed.

You have a lot of pressing and sewing to do and you want to stay organized while doing it, so I suggest moving your iron next to your sewing machine, even if it is a temporary setup.

You can see below that I set a travel-sized wool mat on top of two cardboard bolts. Since you'll need to press each triangle before sewing the next onto the row, having your iron within reach speeds up the process.

The Perennial quilt sew along will help you make this beautiful modern quilt through added instructions, pictures and tips! suzyquilts.com

How to Sew Pointy-Top Triangles into Rows

Now onto the sewing! Let's first go over how to sew triangles that were made using the pointy top ruler or template. Suzy made a video tutorial for pointy top triangles during Weeks 6 and 7 of the Mod Mountains sew along that you can check out here.

Place your second triangle on top of your first triangle right sides together, lining up the corners. I pressed all of my seams toward the right, but you can press however you prefer.

The Perennial quilt sew along will help you make this beautiful modern quilt through added instructions, pictures and tips! suzyquilts.com
The Perennial quilt sew along will help you make this beautiful modern quilt through added instructions, pictures and tips! suzyquilts.com
The Perennial quilt sew along will help you make this beautiful modern quilt through added instructions, pictures and tips! suzyquilts.com

I recommend trimming your dog ears as you sew to cut down on bulk.

The Perennial quilt sew along will help you make this beautiful modern quilt through added instructions, pictures and tips! suzyquilts.com

IMPORTANT:

For each of the following triangles, the most important thing to remember is that you will line up the points of the unfinished corners. See the photos below.

The Perennial quilt sew along will help you make this beautiful modern quilt through added instructions, pictures and tips! suzyquilts.com
The Perennial quilt sew along will help you make this beautiful modern quilt through added instructions, pictures and tips! suzyquilts.com

When you put them right sides together, the point on top of the finished triangle will hang over the edge with just enough for a 1/4" seam.

The Perennial quilt sew along will help you make this beautiful modern quilt through added instructions, pictures and tips! suzyquilts.com
The Perennial quilt sew along will help you make this beautiful modern quilt through added instructions, pictures and tips! suzyquilts.com

After pressing, clip the dog ears.

The Perennial quilt sew along will help you make this beautiful modern quilt through added instructions, pictures and tips! suzyquilts.com

Continue with the remaining triangles. Just remember to line up the points of the unfinished corners. Once you find your rhythm it will feel like a breeze!

The Perennial quilt sew along will help you make this beautiful modern quilt through added instructions, pictures and tips! suzyquilts.com

How to Sew Flat-Top Triangles into Rows

If you made your triangles using a flat top ruler, the sewing process is nearly the same. Suzy made a video tutorial for flat top triangles during the Mod Mountains sew along that you can check out here.

One thing to note is that because the triangles in this pattern are often rotated, you won't get the usual "benefit" from the flat top ruler. The benefit is that you don't have to trim off dog ears.

If the flattened corner is one being lined up with the unfinished corner, just line them up as if there was still the point attached. 

The Perennial quilt sew along will help you make this beautiful modern quilt through added instructions, pictures and tips! suzyquilts.com

It may be hard to see in the photo below because the fabric is white, but if you look closely at the top right corner you can see that the triangle edges line up, but the tip of the top triangle is missing.

The Perennial quilt sew along will help you make this beautiful modern quilt through added instructions, pictures and tips! suzyquilts.com

Sew along the edge the same way as instructed for the pointy top, trimming the dog ears after.

If you happen to have a flat top that lines up "correctly," the points will still line up at the unfinished corners, and the flat top will line up with the top edge of the row.

The Perennial quilt sew along will help you make this beautiful modern quilt through added instructions, pictures and tips! suzyquilts.com
The Perennial quilt sew along will help you make this beautiful modern quilt through added instructions, pictures and tips! suzyquilts.com

Not so bad, right? I know these triangles can look 50 shades of intimidating, but hopefully with these tips, you see how the process is broken down into manageable bite-sized pieces. Once your rows are complete you will begin to see this quilt really coming together!

The Perennial quilt sew along will help you make this beautiful modern quilt through added instructions, pictures and tips! suzyquilts.com
The Perennial quilt sew along will help you make this beautiful modern quilt through added instructions, pictures and tips! suzyquilts.com

Week 4 Sponsor & Prize

This week we have such a sweet prize for you—a $50 gift certificate to Saltwater Fabrics! Saltwater Fabrics was founded by husband and wife duo Rachel and Harley and is located off the coast of Maine. Rachel uses her passion for sewing to stock the shop with the latest beautiful fabrics while her husband, Harley, a retired Marine, helps cut and fulfill orders.

Be sure to check out their online shop and also the latest news through their Instagram account.

Get 25% off longarm quilting on your Perennial quilt from now until August 1 at Trace Creek Quilting.

How to Win

  • Post progress pics to Instagram. For week 4, show us your quilt progress and use #PerennialQuiltSA in the caption.
  • Your Instagram profile must be public to participate.
  • Each photo you post counts as an entry. You can enter as many times as you want! Each week starts fresh, so be sure to post every week for more chances to win.
  • Your photo must be posted between Friday, June 3, and Friday, June 10 The winner will be picked randomly from all qualifying posts and announced at approximately 4:00 p.m. on the 10th. Good luck!
In week 4 of the Perennial quilt sew along we sew our triangles into rows. Check out these tips and video tutorials!

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