Week 4: Piecing Plant 2

Welcome back to another week of our Granny Core Quilt A Long! This week, we’re working on Plant 2, focusing on strip piecing and precise alignment. Let’s get stripping!  

Strip Piecing Like A Pro

Just like the previous two posts we will be doing more strip piecing and sub cutting. Strip piecing is a fantastic technique where you sew long fabric strips together before sub-cutting them into smaller sections. It speeds up the process and ensures consistency in your blocks. This week’s section involves assembling Strip Set B and Strip Set C, and then combining them into two mirrored groups.

Helpful Tips for Success

Assembly Order & Mirroring

Since we are working with two sets of strip groups things can get mixed up easily. It can be helpful to label your strip sets after sub-cutting. Place a piece of painter's tape or pin a scrap of paper to the top of each sub-cut strip marked with B or C. 

Follow the Assembly Instructions Carefully

- For Group 1, arrange strips in the order B, C, B, C, B, making sure the main fabric pieces of Strip B nest between Strip C.

- In the last Strip B, flip the piece so that the 1 1/2” background block is at the bottom.

- Mirror this arrangement in Group 2 but start from the right instead of the left.

Taking a moment to lay out your pieces before sewing can help prevent mistakes!

Attaching the Center Stem Block

-After piecing your center stem, attach your strip set groups to either side of the stem. Pay attention to the 1” offset at the top for proper alignment.

-Make sure your plant blocks are lining up on either side of the center stem.  To help with this, use a ruler and marking tool to indicate where the blocks should line up on either side of the stem. 

Final Trimming

To ensure a clean and professional finish:

- Trim the top of your block even with the main fabric.

- Then measure 20” down and trim the block again.

- Finally, square up your block to roughly 11 1/2” x 20”.

Keep Going – You’ve Got This!

If this is your first time working with strip piecing, take it slow and enjoy the process. Double-check your measurements, press as you go, and most importantly—have fun!

Watch the Tutorial

Watch the full tutorial here.

Share Your Progress & Enter This Week’s Giveaway 

We can’t wait to see your plant blocks—share your progress with us in our Discord or on Instagram using #GrannyCoreQAL. Plus your posts will enter you into this week's giveaway! This week's prize is a bundle of our printed quilt patterns.

Entries for this week's giveaway close on Tuesday 3/4.

We can’t wait to see how your Plant 2 blocks turn out!