Perennial Quilt Sew Along Week 5: Sew Rows and Finish Top

In week 5 of the Perennial quilt sew along we sew our rows together and finish the quilt top. Check out these tips and video tutorials!

Hooray for making it to the end of the Perennial quilt sew along! During week 5, we will sew our rows together and complete our quilt tops. Who doesn't love that feeling of sewing your last stitch? I know I do.

Click here to get your Perennial Quilt pattern and scroll to the bottom of this post for this week's prize details. If you're just joining, read a full rundown on what a sew along is and how this one works, read this introductory post. For this week's prize info, scroll to the bottom of this post. 

Perennial Sew Along Schedule

The Perennial quilt pattern is a modern design made for fat quarters or scrap fabric. suzyquilts.com

Week 5 Assignment: Sew Rows Together and Finish the Quilt Top

Now that you have all of your fun, wonky triangles sewn into rows, it is time to sew the rows together into a quilt top. I've got tips for sewing your rows and border, and also some good news for those who find perfect points daunting. Read on!

Sew across the "x" intersection when sewing the rows together.

Line up the corners at the end of the rows and place them right sides together. Pinning can help this process move more quickly and minimizes the room for error. When you come to a seam, line up the cross seams on both of the rows.

As you sew along the row, sew through the center of the "x" that was formed when the triangles were joined into rows. In the photo below you can see where I sewed through the "x."

And now for the good news! Since the points where the triangles are joined are all background fabric, if your points don't line up exactly, no worries! It won't be noticeable at all.

Press your row seams open.

Last week when we were sewing triangles into rows, I told you that I pressed my seams to the side. However, when sewing rows together I recommend pressing the seams open. Because the triangle points meet together in groups of 6, there can be a bit of bulk and open seams are the best way to reduce that. You can see in the photo below how I pressed mine. (Don't mind the messily pressed seam. Completion over perfection, right?) Suzy made a video for the Mod Mountains sew along that you might find helpful.

Trimming the edges.

Once your top is complete, it's time to trim the sides. I like to use the longest ruler I have for this step. In my case, a 24 1/2 inch ruler.

Be sure to leave a 1/4 seam allowance along the edge which you'll need when you attach your border. 

Attach the border.

Now that you have 4 flat sides, attach the border strips. I like to give myself a little overhang because I find that it helps me get my edges more even. 

I press the border seams toward the border to reduce bulk. Then I trim the overhang even with the edges of the top. Repeat for the other three border strips. 

And that's it, folks! You are finished!! I hope you enjoyed sewing along with me. This was our first "retro" sew along but it won't be the last. Let us know how things went for you in the comments. Did you like the speed of the schedule? Do you have any additional questions about construction? Don't be shy!

Week 5 Sponsor & Prize

The eclectic and beautiful fabric shop Thai Charm, is our Week 5 sponsor. Sansupa Saengsuk, Sandy for short was born and raised in Thailand, but after getting her Master's Degree traveled around the world visiting over 20 countries! During her travels she met the love of her life and moved to Minnesota where she still currently lives as a wife and mom of two girls.

Recently Sandy added longarm quilting services to Thai Charm. For this week's prize she is giving away FREE edge-to-edge longarm quilting for any throw sized quilt. Plus get 2o% off longarm quilting on your Perennial quilt from Thai Charm!

How to Win

  • Post a pic to Instagram. The photo prompt for Instagram this week is to post a picture of your finished quilt top. Your quilt top must be a throw or larger. 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 10, and Friday, June 17. The winner will be picked randomly from all qualifying posts and announced at approximately 4:00 p.m. on the 17th. Good luck!
In week 5 of the Perennial quilt sew along we sew our rows together and finish the quilt top. Check out these tips and video tutorials!
The Perennial quilt pattern is a modern design made for fat quarters or scrap fabric. suzyquilts.com
The Perennial quilt pattern is a modern design made for fat quarters or scrap fabric. suzyquilts.com

4 thoughts on “Perennial Quilt Sew Along Week 5: Sew Rows and Finish Top

  1. Rachel kornstadt says:

    I thought the quilt was difficult. The first step, my angles were to short. You also have to keep the bottom side of your triangles correctly oriented to achieve your blocks. I’m still making blocks and rows. I hope it goes better

    • Venusmithquilts says:

      I had some the the same issues, however I was able to finagle it a bit and still use them all. I’m still sewing my rows together.

  2. Lisa DeJoia says:

    I’m trying to find where it says how wide the boarder pieces should be. Help! Lol
    I’m so close to being finished.

    • Suzy Quilts says:

      I’m here! I’m here! haha! Check out the first cut listed in the Background in the Cutting Requirements chart on page 2. The size varies depending on the quilt size you are making.

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