Chain Piecing: You may have heard about it in relation to some super complicated quilt—must be something that you’re not ready for—right?
Wrong!
Chain piecing is often used with intricate quilts or tiny piecing, but don’t let that keep you from giving it a try. When it comes down to it, chain piecing is really a simple technique that makes any quilt project more quick and efficient!
Why Try Chain Piecing?
Chain Piecing is great for a lot of reasons!
- Save thread
- No long tails of thread to trim on every block (this is a BIG one for me!)
- No stop & start! Just keep on sewing (this will save you a ton of time!)
- Stay organized
- Stay efficient: Any time you do things in batches (cutting, ironing, sewing, etc.) you save time.
How to Chain Piece
Like I said, chain piecing is not difficult at all and has so many benefits! Try it out on your next project. Whether your pieces are big or small, it’ll work great! It works best for pieces that are alike, but it’s not a rule.
Get Your Fabric Cut
If the name of the game is efficiency, then you’ll want to set yourself up right. Get all of your pieces cut and ready to go. I like to take my fabrics over in their respective piles and have two big stacks next to each other on my sewing table.
Start Chain Piecing!
Get your first set of blocks all lined up and start sewing at 1/4.”
Once you get to the end of your block, line up the next set and start feeding it under the sewing machine foot. This gap can be butted up right against your fabrics or a little further apart—you’ll find your stride after a few tries.
Keep sewing and watch your machine start pulling the next block set under the foot—there’s something extremely satisfying here!
Keep on sewing, and repeat! That’s all there is to it—I promise! If you prefer video, click on this link to see me chain piece over on Instagram.
Once you’re through all your blocks, you can snip your threads and then iron (that’s what I prefer) or iron first—it’s up to you.
Make sure to share your chain pieced projects with me on Instagram and Facebook!
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