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Hi, I'm Beth with American Patchwork & Quilting. Today, I'm sharing tips for sewing Block 1 in our Bright New Day Block of the Month. This is a free block of the month program – so if you haven't grabbed the pattern yet, check the video description for the link to download the instructions.
For this first block, it's really important to sew the pieces together with a scant ¼" seam or your block will end up too small. What is a scant 1/4" seam? It's just a little bit smaller than a typical ¼" seam. When you sew with a normal ¼" seam, you lose a little bit of fabric to the fold when you press. Sewing with a thread's width smaller than your typical ¼" seam will help make up for that difference and ensure your unit will end up the correct size. On blocks with a lot of seams, a slight difference can compound as you sew your block.
On this Husqvarna Viking Epic 95Q machine, you can adjust the needle over a little bit at a time so you can still line up with the edge of the quarter inch foot but get that scant ¼" seam needed. One note – be sure your presser foot has a large enough opening to accommodate moving your needle. Some ¼" presser feet have just a center hole so that may not work if you move the needle over. This Husqvarna Viking ¼" foot does have an oval hole which allows you to make small adjustments to the needle position and still have enough clearance for the needle.
If you're not able to make small adjustments to the needle, you can make your own seam guide by building up layers of painters tape or masking tape.
Test your seam first and measure to make sure you have the needle in the right spot. A good way to do this is sew 3 1.5" strips together and measure the center strip. That should measure exactly 1", if not, your seam is off. Adjust the needle position and test again. Once you find your settings, be sure to save them for future reference! This 95Q machine allows you to save custom stitches. But a post-it note works great too!
When planning your block, the coloring diagram in the download is extremely helpful. You can preview how the colors look together and ensure there's enough contrast for the design to stand out. Here, we have two color options made in different fabrics. This first one is is Oh Happy Day by Sandy Gervais from Riley Blake Designs and this one is made from Spring Brook by Corey Yoder from Moda. It's so fun to see how different the blocks look by changing up the fabrics. Share your version by joining our facebook group or posting on Instagram with the hashtag APQBOM2021.
Find all of our bonus content via the links in the video description. I can't wait to see your version of Block 1! Happy sewing!