The Importance of Squaring Up Blocks

Squaring up blocks is important for a few reasons. First, it helps to create a professional-looking quilt. When all of your blocks are the same size, it gives your quilt a clean and polished finish. Second, squaring up blocks can help to prevent problems with your quilt top. If your blocks are not the same size, it can make it difficult to piece them together and can lead to gaps and uneven seams. Finally, squaring up blocks can help to save time. If you square up your blocks as you go, you will be less likely to have to make adjustments later on.

The Different Methods of Squaring Up Blocks

There are a few different methods of squaring up blocks. The most common method is to use a rotary cutter, square ruler, and cutting mat. You can also use a special squaring up tool.

Using a Square Ruler

A square ruler is a special ruler that, as you can guess, is square. This can make it easier to square up blocks, especially if you have the same size square ruler as the size to which you are trimming your block.

1. If your square ruler is the same size to which you are trimming, center your block on the square ruler. Otherwise, center the block on the measurements labeled on the square for the right size to trim. For example, in the above photo, I am trimming to 3.5″ square with a 4.5″ square ruler, so I have centered my block within the 3.5″ measurements.
2. Cut along the right and top sides with a rotary cutter.
3. Rotate the block 180 degrees and repeat.

Using a Special Squaring Up Tool

There are also special squaring up tools available that can help you square up certain kinds of blocks. These tools typically have a gridded surface that helps you to align the block. One example is the Perfect Quarter Square and Half Square Triangle tool, which helps you trim down HSTs or QSTs to a perfect square. Many specialty blocks have special trimming tools, so if you find that a square ruler is not quite right, a specialty trimmer may help.

Tips for Squaring Up Blocks Perfectly Every Time

• Use a sharp rotary cutter. A dull rotary cutter will make it difficult to cut through the fabric cleanly, which can lead to inaccurate measurements.
• Use a ruler that is the same size as your desired finished block size. This will help to ensure that you are cutting your blocks to the correct size.
• Use a cutting mat that is large enough to accommodate your blocks and your ruler. This will help to prevent your fabric from slipping while you are cutting.
• Cut your blocks on a flat surface. This will help to ensure that your cuts are accurate.
• Be sure to square up all four sides of your blocks. This will help to ensure that your blocks are square and even.

Additional Tips

• If you are using a pattern that requires you to square up your blocks to a specific size, be sure to measure your blocks before you cut them. This will help to ensure that you are cutting the correct size blocks.
• If you are squaring up a large block (over 12.5″ square), you may have to use a regular ruler (mine is 6″ x 24″). Square up as carefully as you can, but don’t sweat the large blocks too much. There tends to be enough wiggle room in them that they don’t have to be as precise as smaller blocks.
• Be sure to square up your blocks as you go. This will help to save time and to prevent problems with your quilt top.

With a little practice, you will be able to square up perfect blocks every time.

Next up is Jessica’s version, which has super scrappy globe tops!

Next up is Joan, with a black background, which makes the globes stand out so much!

Last up is Lisette’s sparkly fun version with a pretty purple background!

I hope you enjoy this pattern as much as I do!

I’m so excited to share this pattern with you, especially in time for Christmas in July! This version was made for Love Patchwork and Quilting and used Ruby Star Society’s Spark line for the prints.

My mom quilted this for me, and it turned out so fun!

The pattern comes with a second pattern for a small cushion with eight snow globes! You can find the pattern here in my shop, both in PDF and paper format. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Happy Friday everyone! A few weeks ago I released the table runner and table topper versions of Arboreal. Aren’t they so much fun?!

The runner is perfect for rectangular tables, coming in at 56″ x 14″, and features trees of two different sizes.

The table topper is great for square tables, coming in at 34″ square. It features two different sizes of trees and one wonky star!

You can get the pattern in PDF format or paper here in my shop. Have a happy weekend!

• My graphic designer, Sarah, is responsible for my logos and marketing materials. She has a great eye for design and I love working with her.
• My technical editor, Lisa, not only hunts down errors in my patterns, but she also is knowledgeable of industry standards, which is incredibly helpful to a relatively new pattern writer. I haven’t found an error yet in a pattern that Lisa has edited for me!
• My testers are a group of amazing quilters who sew my quilt patterns and give me feedback. They help me to catch any errors in my patterns and they also give me suggestions for improvement. I am so grateful for their help! If you’re interested in joining the team, I have a sign-up page here.
• My Local Quilt Shops are incredibly supportive and valuable to me. It means a great deal to have industry peers believe in your talent in creating quilt patterns, and I always am happy to hear their advice! In my case, this includes The Crabby Quilter, Artistic Artifacts, and Capital Quilts.
• My quilt designer peers are an incredible source of inspiration and advice. I am so grateful for their friendship, especially Rachel. :)
• My guild and quilty friends are amazing people who are always ready to listen to what I’m working on and provide a sounding board for ideas. I’m so appreciative of them!
• My customers are the people who sew my quilt patterns and make them come to life. I love seeing your finished quilts and hearing their stories about how you made them. Thank you for being part of my team!

I am so lucky to have such a great team of people who help me with my small business. They make my job so much easier and more enjoyable. I am grateful for their hard work and dedication.

Hi everyone! Did you know that in a past life, I had a bias tape shop on Etsy? It’s actually where the name Slightly Biased came from!

Bias tape has a ton of uses, and is pretty easy to make, too! Bias tape comes in a lot of sizes, and there are two types: Single Fold and Double Fold. Both are made with strips of fabric that are cut on the bias, i.e. cut diagonally from the fabric. This allows the fabric to be able to curve very easily for applications like curved edges or bias tape applique.

Single fold is folded once into the middle as shown above (bottom pink-purple piece). Double fold takes Single Fold one extra step by folding in half longwise (top purple piece). Below is a table with the most popular sizes of single and double fold bias tape.

Cutting strips of fabric on the bias can be a bit of a pain, but there is a fun way to make it easier called Continuous Bias Tape!

Once your strips are cut, you can fold and press the strips by hand, or you can use a tool to speed up the process. There are a few types of bias tape makers on the market, but my absolute favorite is the Simplicity Bias Tape Maker (affiliate link). It’s definitely an investment, but if you make bias tape or quilt binding regularly, it’s worth it! Here’s a quick video of me making some 1/2″ Single Fold bias tape using my machine:

Have you made bias tape before? What projects have you used bias tape on?

Debbie hit hers out of the park with a Lap-size rainbow of brightly colored homes.

Anne made a gorgeous baby-size with a bunch of Anna Maria Horner prints!

Jessica also used some bright prints for her lap-sized homes.

I love how easy it is to use large scale prints in this pattern!

These homes are nice and simple to put together, and the big homes are even on their own little hills!

I used some lovely Hole Punch Dot prints for the homes, and a Star and Moon light blue for the background. My mom once again quilted this using her Chicken Wire pantograph, which I am in love with.

I used one of my favorite RSS widebacks for the backing. It’s so silky smooth!

The pattern can be found here in my shop. Have a great weekend!

First up is this adorable baby-sized Blocker quilt by Debbie. The prints she used are absolutely adorable!

Elissa made a fall-colored version that is so bright and happy.

Jessica made a minty grey version that is so soft and sweet!

Kristen made a super fun 90’s version out of solids, and I’m in love with it!

And last but not least is Michelle’s version that is full of oranges and greys, and it’s so lovely.

You can find the Blocker pattern in my shop here! Have a great weekend!

Since this pattern was designed for large-scale prints, I wanted to make at least one sample that shows this off!

This quilt is so fast to put together too! The pieces are nice and large, so it can be a nice break from a lot of tiny pieces.