Granny Core QAL
Week 2: Sewing Your Checkerboard

Welcome to Week 2 of our Granny Core Quilt Sew Along! This week, we’re going to piece our checkerboard. The checkerboard serves as the ground and makes up about 1/4 of the entire block. Using strip piecing makes this step quicker and more efficient, but precision is key! With so many seams coming together, even the slightest variation in your seam allowance can add up, throwing off your final block. Let’s talk about how to keep everything crisp and accurate.

Here’s what we’ll cover this week:

• Pinning techniques for matching seams
• Perfect piecing guide
• Our top pressing tips

Glossary Highlights

Seam Allowance The area between the cut edge of the fabric and the stitch line, often abbreviated to SA. The standard seam allowance for piecing quilt blocks is 1/4in. We have some great tips below to help you maintain this seam allowance. 

Trueing up/Squaring Up Trimming off small bits of fabric to ensure that all of your blocks are the same size. This practice should be done throughout the piecing process. It is especially important to true up a block before seaming it to another block. 

Hot Tip for Sub Cutting

After you have pieced your strips we will sub cut them in the opposite direction. For a quick and accurate cut, use painter’s tape or sticky notes to mark your measurement on the ruler. This keeps you from second-guessing and helps speed up the process!

Why Precision Matters

When working with a checkerboard design, accuracy in cutting and sewing is essential. If your seam allowance is off by even 1/16”, that difference multiplies across your entire block. By the time you’ve sewn multiple strips together, those small inconsistencies can create misaligned seams or blocks that don’t quite measure up. But don’t worry—we’ve got some tips to help you keep everything on track!

Tips for Perfect Strip Piecing

1. Keep a Consistent ¼” Seam Allowance

• Test your seam allowance before starting. Sew two test strips together, press, and measure. The total width should match your calculations—if it doesn’t, adjust accordingly.

• A ¼” presser foot or seam guide can be a game-changer for keeping your stitching precise. If you don’t have either of these, use a ruler to measure ¼” from your needle position and place a strip of painters tape along your seam plate to use as a guide. 

3. Pressing is Your Best Friend

• Press seams carefully—don’t push or stretch the fabric. A gentle up-and-down motion with the iron helps keep things straight.

• Consider pressing seams to one side for strength or open for less bulk, depending on your preference. We prefer pressing to the side for seam nesting but do what feels good for you!

4. Square Up as You Go

• After sewing your strips together, use a ruler to check that they are still the correct width before sub-cutting.

• If necessary, make small adjustments to keep everything uniform.

5. Pin or Nest Your Seams for Matching Points

• If pressing to one side, nesting seams (where one seam allowance faces one way and the other faces the opposite) helps lock everything in place for perfectly aligned intersections.

• If pressing open, use extra pins or clips to hold everything steady.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

• Strips are bowing or curving? Try alternating the direction you sew each strip set together to keep everything straight.

• Seams aren’t matching up? Double-check your cutting and seam allowance. Sometimes just a slight adjustment can make all the difference.

• Block is too small or too large? Measure as you go and trim if necessary, but try to catch inconsistencies early rather than at the end.

By taking your time and focusing on accuracy, your checkerboard blocks will come together beautifully! Next week, we’ll be moving on to our first flower block so be sure to share your progress.

Watch the Video Tutorial

For anyone who wants a little more help or learns best with a visual, Natalie offers tips and techniques for piecing and pressing your checkerboard. Watch it here.

Share Your Progress & Enter This Week’s Giveaway 

We’d love to see how you’re doing and cheer you on! Share pictures of your checkerboards on Instagram and/or the Discord channel this week using the hashtag #GrannyCoreQAL to be entered to win this week's prize! This week's prize is a Daisy Chain PDF pattern of your choice.

Entries for this week's giveaway close on Tuesday 2/18. 

 Happy sewing!