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How to Quilt>Sashing in Quilts
Add Interest to your Quilt with Simple Sashing
Your blocks can range from the very simple to the very complex, and they still might benefit from sashing. Sashing is what goes between the blocks in a quilt. Like quilt blocks, sashing can be very simple or it can be as complex as your quilt blocks. And some quilts have no sashing at all. In this series of articles, you will see a wide range of sashing ideas. Many of them are a part of quilts I have made. In some cases, the photos are old (as are the quilts) and discolored. If I had the quilts, I would take new pictures, but most of my quilts have been given away, and what I have are the old, discolored pictures and the great feeling that those quilts are in the hands of someone who is enjoying them! Sashing as Simple Strips of Fabric
Once you have your quilt blocks made, it's time to put them together. Yes, you could just sew them right next to each other, as in the example on the left. In this quilt, I machine appliqued (simple zig zag stitch around the outside) the hearts onto 4" squares of white fabric. Then I simply sewed the blocks right next to each other in rows, and then sewed the rows together to make the quilt top. The border was added, the quilt was quilted, binding added, and it was ready to be given away. This quilt went to my cousin's baby daughter in 1986. Sometimes you will want to make your sashing very simple, just to separate the blocks in your quilt and highlight their design. If that is the purpose of your sashing, then it's easy to select a color that either goes with your blocks, or is a slight contrast so it will frame your blocks. Once your color is selected, sew the sashing strips onto one side of your block and then sew the blocks into rows. Once the rows are sewn together, add sashing to each of the rows and then sew the rows together. Be sure to measure your blocks and rows and cut the sashing strips all the same length. That way, your quilt will be nice and square once the top is sewn together. It seems that some quilters have "rules" for sashing - it needs to be a certain width, solid or pattern, straight grain or cross grain. In my many years of quilting, I have seen it all, so I think the rule is to make it go with your quilt. If you are looking for a frame around your blocks, you'll probably want a relatively narrow sashing. If you want some major separation of your blocks, make the sashing wider. In terms of straight grain or cross grain - pay attention to any design features your fabric has, and ensure that they are placed in the same direction. This would mean that the sashing between the blocks would be cut on the straight grain and the sashing between the rows would be cut on the cross grain. Play with it; because you may decide that for your quilt, you want to have those different directions.
A very effective, yet simple way to add some interest to your quilt is to add some simple sashing in either a solid color of fabric or a fabric with a print. Your fabric choice may be determined by what your blocks look like and what you want the focus of the quilt to be. If your blocks are fairly simple, you may decide to used some very interesting and exciting fabric for your sashing. If you want people to look at the blocks more than the sashing, then choose a solid fabric for the sashing. In the quilt on the right, I wanted the hearts to be the center of attention for the quilt, so I chose a solid fabric. I also wanted the hearts to stand apart from each other, so I chose a contrasting color for the sashing. Another option would be to use the same color fabric as the background of the blocks (i.e., the baby blue used in the above hearts). That would make the hearts stand apart from each other further. I would do that if I thought the blocks needed additional distance between them after I finished them and laid them out side by side. Other Sashing Topics: Add a Simple Sashing
Happy Quilting!
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This article courtesy of http://www.How-to-Quilt.com. ©2006, Penny Halgren
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